Agree with all the comments — “Think About Me” checks all this era’s FM boxes and stands out here because of the many other *unusual tracks on Tusk.
I guess I don't get all the descriptions of "Think About Me" as the most Rumours-like song on Tusk...to me, it's more edgy and "new-wave" than any of Christine's other songs on the album, thanks to Lindsey's involvement. "Over And Over", with it's mellow, low key vibe, might be more like "Warm Ways" from the FM "white" album, but it's also similar in tempo and feel to "Songbird" and "Oh Daddy" from Rumours, and I'd say the same for her other Tusk songs. "TAM", however, is just too "in your face" for it to have fit in on Rumours, IMO. I like it a lot, though!
I remember Sara and Tusk getting lots of airplay fall of '79 - Sara yes, Tusk a big scratchin' my head no based on the other choices for a single, or for lots of FM airplay. I listened to the whole thing a few days ago and agree that Think About Me is a real gem on a flawed album. Lindsey's nine songs just don't do anything for me. His stuff was alright on the previous albums, but here it is Not That Funny. (hah) I keep imagining a Fleetwood Mac with Bob Welch instead of Lindsay. Hmmm...
"Think About Me": I was not surprised that it was released as a single from Tusk. It's catchy and likeable, and pretty short, too. As for why it didn't do as well as previous third singles from Fleetwood Mac, my best guess is that the album was basically dead by the time the 45 came out. Tusk spent its 16th and final week in the Billboard top 10 in the February 16, 1980 issue, and it spent only three more weeks in the top 20. Sometimes, an album can be revived by a new single, but it would have had to have been hanging around higher than it was. And "Think About Me" just wasn't strong enough to push its album back up the charts. By February 1980, when this single was released, Warner Bros. was turning its attention to its Next Big Thing, a singer-songwriter named Christopher Cross, who had a phenomenal 1980. At the same time "Think About Me" was peaking at #20, Cross' "Ride Like the Wind," with a well-publicized assist from Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, was peaking at #2, right behind the unstoppable "Call Me" by Blondie. Where "Think About Me" was really hurt was in sales, which was true for most Fleetwood Mac singles over the years, because the Mac was seen -- rightfully, in my opinion -- as an album act. Singles success was a nice bonus. The song peaked at #17 in Record World, #20 in Billboard, and #22 in Cash Box. But in the airplay-only Radio & Records, "Think About Me" peaked at #9; it was Fleetwood Mac's ninth straight Top 10 single on its CHR (contemporary hit radio) chart. As mentioned earlier, "Think About Me" was remixed for single release. It was not a particularly radical one, unlike all three singles from Fleetwood Mac. (All four singles from Rumours were the album versions.) It's sped up slightly, has a slightly longer fade, and has its most obvious mix differences in the intro. In April 1980, Warner Bros. issued a promo-only 12-inch EP generally known as Tusk Remix (Warner Bros. PRO-A-866). It contained six songs from the album, but not "Tusk" or "Sara," so it was meant to spur airplay for other cuts on the album. At one time, this was a major collector's item. Three of the six songs were remixed; the other three were album versions. The contents: Side 1: What Makes You Think You're the One/That's All for Everyone (Remix)/Think About Me (Remix) Side 2: I Know I'm Not Wrong/Honey Hi/Sisters of the Moon (Remix) Why do I date this in April 1980? Let's look at the promos around it, which all are from around that time: PRO-A-864 was a 12-inch promo of "Clones (We're All) by Alice Cooper PRO-A-865 was a promo-only 12-inch single of "Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra PRO-A-867 was a 12-inch of "Looking for Love" by Candi Staton Also, WB released a 12-inch promo of both "Think About Me" and "Save Me a Place," its B-side, as PRO-A-853, before the remix EP.
I like "Think About Me" quite a bit but I don't think of it as a Rumours-type track. If anything it reminds me more of one of the Christine McVie singles from the white Fleetwood Mac album, "Say You Love Me" or "Over My Head"
For the last three minutes it turns into Dear Prudence... Which is okay since Sun King is Albatross Part II
That's funny. I love nearly all of Stevie's FM songs, don't care for Lindsey's and hate Christine's. I'm more of a Stevie than a FM fan obviously, but then I can't stand most of her solo songs because of the overblown mainstream production. I guess, I would have preferred FM as Stevie's backing band. Maybe she would have done so too
"Think About Me" had almost all of the right ingredients to make it a hit single. It was short, catchy and it was reminiscent of Christine's earlier FM hits (albeit with some new wave flourishes thrown in). One key component was missing; timing. As tim-neely pointed out, "Think About Me" hit radio just as Tusk was falling down the charts. If it had been issued as a the first single, it would probably would have gone top 10 and given its parent album a longer shelf life on the pop charts.
Side 1 Track 4 – “Save Me A Place” – Lindsey Buckingham Don't know why I have to work Don't know why I can't play Turn me off turn me out But don't turn me away Save me a place I'll come running if you love me today Don't know why I have to go Don't know why I can't stay Guess I want to be alone And I guess I need to be amazed Save me a place I'll come running if you love me today I'll come running if you love me today Lindsey’s second offering on Tusk is a stark difference to “The Ledge”, in fact it’s about as different as you can possibly get. This, quiet ballad is among the most tender he ever produced with, or without Fleetwood Mac. In the 2015 boxed set liner notes, he gives some insight to this song: “Stevie and I had compartmentalized our emotions in order to get through “Rumours” – [we] lived in denial and this was the same with Christine and John. None of us had the luxury of distance to get closure. You get to “Tusk” and there’s a real aggressive attitude in a lot of the songs from me, but “Save Me a Place” is one where, late at night you reflect on the vulnerability underneath that. It’s about a feeling that’s been laid off to one side and maybe not been fully dealt with, sadness and loss. There’s also a s sense of “loss for my youth and my upbringing, memories of that, which I loved so much and how I saw that receding away”. There’s just so many great songs on this album but this is among my favorite of Lindsey’s contributions. I’ve tried to locate credits for the song, which seem elusive. The “Tusk” entry in Wikipedia suggests this is the second of three Lindsey tracks made by him solely. To me, the bass sounds like John McVie and in the documentary (further discussed below) you can see John and Lindsey working on it. The lyrics, the bass track, the background vocals and the laid back nature all add up to a great Fleetwood Mac track even if it is truly a solo Lindsey piece LOL) and also makes a nice counterbalance to Lindsey’s other songs on this album. For those of us who have been through a long relationship that ended, I suppose we always hope the other party has a little room to save a place for the good memories and not just the experiences that may have caused the demise of one. Oddly, there was no alternative version of this song released with the 2004 re-release, but the 2015 boxed set had two alternates. The 10/10/78 version, Lindsey slows the song down a bit and this version is nearly 30 seconds longer than the master in the process. This version is quite enjoyable – It’s mainly just Lindsey on acoustic and some wonderful bass and some very quiet percussion with no background vocals. The 10/18/78 version is a little closer in tempo and seems to be where they were working out background vocals. To me it does not sound like Stevie is on this track, but maybe John and Christine? A live version of the track was finally released with the 2015 boxed set from the St. Louis in 1979 performance. The making of this song was featured in the Tusk documentary released to help promote the album. Unfortunately this documentary has long been out of print and was not re-released as part of the 2015 issue - which is a real shame. The clip featuring “Save Me a Place” is below and many other parts of the film are floating around the internet. I am also posting a link to Lindsey playing this track in 2006 on his solo tour - a nice, slow, tender performance. I’d be interested in your thoughts of this track and also thoughts on the documentary. Is it truly just Lindsey on this track? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu9pzrr2wwk
I looove "Save Me a Place"! It's my favorite of Lindsey's songs on Tusk and among my favorites of all his tracks, solo and FM. As a teen girl at the time I was discovering this record, I thought he sounded (and looked, in the video above!) sooo dreamy. I've always felt that while Lindsey isn't exactly a great singer, he's a very effective one, being able to take on different tones and moods and kind of using his voice as an instrument, and it really applies here. I am pretty sure it's mostly all Lindsey, including him harmonizing with himself. One of the more "solo" of Lindsey songs on Tusk!
Save Me a Place A beautiful song from Lindsey. Great write-up @Lynd8. This is indeed a really tender moment from Lindsey. His contributions to Tusk do often get put under an umbrella of being this percussive, zany stuff but on 'Save Me a Place' he contributes something personal and lovely. His singing is so sweet here, with multiple Lindseys overdubbed and the acoustic ring of the guitars gives it a kind of shimmering quality. Lindsey Buckingham isn't the world's most personal songwriter but he reveals a real bit of his heart here, I think. And it's proof that he had more than one thing to offer on Tusk.
Save Me A Place Another great track, with the mandolin (?-like) sound, simple effective bass and Fleetwood shuffling along. The harmonies work really well again.
It’s a simple song (or simple-sounding anyway) that’s not quite rock or pop or blues or country but sounds a little like any of them. Also some appealing almost childlike lyrics (“Don’t know why I have to work, Don’t know why I can’t play”, “Save me a place”, etc)
If you scroll down below this video, there are credits listed and they indicate all the members participated. Can't vouch for any of this, though. Fleetwood Mac - Save Me A Place
That is certainly one of Lindsey's better songs from Tusk. However, the next song we will discuss, is where it's really at...
"Save Me a Place": Forty-plus years on, I'm trying to recall what my initial reaction was to this. It's about half the tempo of "The Ledge," but it still doesn't feel like a ballad, probably because of the drums and heavy strumming on the acoustic guitar. It's still wonderfully off-kilter, kind of like the harmonies on "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead. Nice song and deserving in a good way of its B-side status (it was the flip of "Think About Me").
Apart from the songwriting, they’ve just listed general credits for the album. Nobody else plays on this song but Lindsey.
Well, you're certainly right in that those credits are in similar Tusk videos like that one and I stated I can't vouch for what is there. I know Wikipedia is often problematic but it does say The Ledge, Save Me Place and That's Enough For Me are just Buckingham solo.
“Save Me a Place” This one is among the first tracks I think with Tusk. Always reminds me of my girlfriend in fall 1979.
