Not really a fan of this frenzied hyper Lindsey creation however I appreciate it more than I used to. Kudos to him for experimenting and trying a different approach. I’ve often wondered if LB was imbibing something in addition to his usual supplement when he was writing this song.
The Ledge: I didn't hear this first in 1979 and I grew up with punk/ wave music so I always thought that this one was (is!) great! Even though I can appreciate that it's probably a bit harder on the ears for people approaching this band from a more AOR background. Stevies talk about "kleenex boxes" is hilarious!
Side 1 Track 3 – “Think About Me” – Christine McVie All it took was a special look And I felt I knew you before Didn't mean to love you Didn't think it would work out But I knew we would be together And I couldn't wait for more But what can they say It's not against the law I don't hold you down Maybe that's why you're around But if I'm the one you love Think about me. I believe that you really want me But it's not easy, just to give in So let yourself go, and let love begin. Baby, once in a while Think about me Baby, once in a while Think about me Think about me Every, every once in a while Think about me Christine’s “Think About Me” is the third track on the album and the first single we’ll be discussing, but it was actually the third single released from the album in North America and fourth single worldwide. The song peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number 24 on Canada's RPM Top 100 Singles chart. The single is a remix of the album track, but the differences are fairly subtle. The 2015 boxed set contains a version (2/18/79) in which Stevie is singing background rather than Lindsey and there’s some instrumentation differences. The 2004 2 CD re-release has a different alternate version exclusive to that release - in which Lindsey sings two parts of the song alone. Lastly, there’s an unreleased version floating around with no one else but Christine singing – this was available on YouTube for a time, but not officially released. The song was played in the third leg of the U.S tour in 1980, but unfortunately did not make the cut for the live album of the tour, nor the two live discs released with the boxed set. A live version from Mobile, Alabama in August 1980 is linked below to give you an idea of what it sounded like performed live. The song was featured again in the 2015 and 2017 tours after Christine re-joined the band. This song is a bit of a rocker for our normally reserved Christine. It seems Lindsey may have pulled her in this direction a bit - the guitars are a little more heavy for a song of hers and he is heavily featured vocally. This is a pretty enjoyable track and was a fairly good choice for a single, but given that it was the third to be released it likely did not achieve the chart power it might have if released earlier. It’s not a very complicated song - it seems our heroine is looking for a little more attention and she’s with someone not giving enough of it to her or not taking that relationship serious enough? Another one possibly about Dennis Wilson? What do you all think?
Think About Me This would've been a better album opener; instant wall of Mac from the get go. Typical Christine high notes (but I knew we would be together) and then Lindsey's harmony work so well; powerful drums and bass and her warm keyboard sound. Mick does a series of his two handed drum ladders (Animal !) with smash cymbals, then top centre taps them during the excellent guitar part. There's so much to enjoy
And bang — suddenly we're in in Rumours territory. This is a wonderful rocker, beautifully produced. Christine's songs on this album are sublime.
"Think About Me": Sandwiched between Lindsey's flamboyance and Stevie's witchy-women-fantasies, Christine is constantly in danger of looking like the boring one at the party. But: Even though her songs may look (sound?) like the most conventional material on "Tusk" they are also - at least for me - the songs that grew upon me most. This is one of her more immediate contributions, the "I don't hold you down" bit is one of those perfect McVie/ Buckingham sing alongs. There's probably some Nicks in there as well but I'm mainly hearing Christine & Lindsey. You can't mess with perfection!
I’d imagine Think About Me was the point where people said, “At last. Something that sounds like it could be on Rumours”. Think About Me is one of Christine’s deceptively simple, but wonderfully catchy songs. She has loads of them. In a recent documentary, she referred to herself as the Hook Queen. She’s not wrong.
Think About Me Superb. Lindsey and Chris make a great team. I really liked their album from a few years back and there are many classic Fleetwood Mac songs that show the power of their team up. Their vocals have similar timbres and it makes their harmonies fabulous. I will admit to not knowing they traded off lead vocals on 'Don't Stop' when I first heard it. This is a wonderful catchy rocker from Christine's pen and the arrangement is just all kinds of fun. Classic Mick steady hand and Lindsey's guitar work is excellent. But the vocals are the star for me. I've always thought that one of the best things about this incarnation of the Mac (and one of the things that really set them apart in the pop world) was the vocal harmonies and vocal blend. I love all three singers and their voices just sound wonderful together. 'Think About Me' is sung just as much by Lindsey as it is Christine. He pretty much takes over in the fade out. This is one of the most immediately lovable songs on Tusk and it never gets old. Just great pop music with hooks galore.
I love "Think About Me," and it miiiight be my favorite of the Christine singles? It's close! With Christine comes instant Fleetwood Mac sound and it's at it's best here, with the harmony on the chorus, Lindsey's "every every ONCE in awhiiii-iii-ile," and that fantastic rhythm section vibe (John has a cool bass line moment at the beginning of the song!). There's a few alternate versions that accentuate different elements of the band as a whole and show how well this song is an illustration of what makes them work. It's great, and perhaps the best full band collab on this album!
I think the whole "Tango In The Night" album is a terrific testament to the combined creativity of Lindsey and Christine!
Absolutely. I listened to Tango in the Night last night and enjoyed it immensely. I had been underrating it in my mind, not having heard it in awhile. That's a really good record and, as you said, Lindsey and Christine lead the way.
I think "Think About Me" is Christine writing to Dennis, fairly early in their relationship, basically asking "where is this going". Track-wise, I think Lindsey turned it into an almost-Lindsey song, not quite to the extent he would later do by dominating "Hold Me", but close...
I’ve posted this in other threads before, but here’s the U.K. pop weekly Record Mirror’s review of Tusk from October 1979. You can tell the reviewer is gutted that it’s not Rumours 2.
Interesting observation! To be honest, if you weren't looking at the lyric sheet, you could have possibly been fooled (well, maybe LOL) to think Lindsey co-wrote both of these gems. They really do work great together, it will be quite a bummer if it does not happen again.
Thanks for posting this. Via this thread we are compiling a pretty cool data base of links, videos and other information. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.
I did my own Tusk thread a while ago. Fleetwood Mac Tusk Poll. Pick Your Favourites & Discuss. If there’s anything there that’s of use to you, feel free to take it.
I know that some people are inevitably going to disagree but in my opinion "Tango In The Night" has aged supremely well. Especially for an album released in 1987.
"Think About Me" is about the closest to "the Rumours sound" that we get on this album, but again, I think the sequencing of these tracks is wonderful... the seductive opener, the frantic "wtf" second track then, somewhat familiar "classic Mac". As others have noted, the vocal blend is amazing and not to take anything away from Nicks, Lindsey and Christine sound almost familial with their harmonies and traded lines on some songs.
" Rumours territory " indeed ! One day I wanted to hear ' Think About Me ' . I put on 'Rumours ' and it wasn't until about four songs in that I realized it was the wrong album.
I concur on Think About Me being a Rumours kind of song. Christine was always the least flamboyant of the songwriters but often the most consistent hit-maker. It's always puzzled me why this didn't continue their Top 10 streak, especially since similar tunes like Say You Love Me, You Make Lovin' Fun and Hold me all did better on the charts. They even punched it up a bit for the single! At any rate, it certainly perked my ears up and calmed my fears about where this album was going.
Think About Me I certainly agree will all the comments saying that it's the closest FM got to have a song that could have fit on Rumours but that's not a bad thing,as noted above it's placed at track three almost to reassure listeners after a quiet opening track and fairly crazy second track as if to say "we can still write really catchy songs if we want to ". In my opinion it's one of the finest songs on the album,just a wonderful blast of pop and rock that doesn't outstay it's welcome with everybody in the group playing for the songs sake and with some great harmony vocals from Christine, Lindsey and Stevie. Just on a side note does anyone who was around at the time knows why this song didn't do as well? It didn't seem to chart particularly well and to my knowledge doesn't appear on any compilations. Was Tusk already seen as a bit of a flop at the time of the singles release and that's what might have killed off any radio play for it?
