Ex-Fleetwood Mac member and smooth solo rocker Bob Welch passed away over the weekend. This morbid number seems an appropriate epitaph today. It’s also one of my favorite songs of his. Although this short promotional video was created for the song, the song was never actually released as a single. It’s taken from his 1979 album Three of Hearts, which was produced by John Carter, excepting this track which was produced by Fleetwood Mac producer Richard Dashut. If we follow Welch’s logic here, we may hope to see him again wherever smooth music is played.
After departing from Fleetwood Mac in 1975, Welch formed the short-lived power trio Paris before finally going it solo. This song was included on his third solo effort, The Other Oneproduced by John Carter who also worked with Bob Seger, Tina Turner and the Steve Miller Band. “Future Games” originally appeared on the 1971 Fleetwood Mac album of the same name, but I find his solo version, awash in late seventies smooth, to be much more enjoyable.
“Hold Me” held the #4 spot on the U.S. pop charts for 7 weeks in 1982. Taken from their “comeback” album MIrage, the song was written by singer Christine McVie and Robbie Patton, known best for his collaborations with various members of Fleetwood Mac. The surreal video has the band recreating various Rene Magritte paintings.
In 1978, Walter Egan had his biggest hit when “Magnet and Steel” climbed to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut of Fleetwood Mac and features their bandmate Stevie Nicks doing back up vocals. Interestingly enough, Stevie was also the inspiration for the song, as Egan had a bit of a crush on her at the time he wrote it. The song was included on his second album Not Shy.
Day 17: Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks - Whenever I Call You Friend
Taken from Loggins’ stellar 1978 album Nightwatch, “Whenever I Call You Friend” is a duet with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks. The song was actually written by Loggins and Melissa Manchester though, who would later record her own version. Look out for more from both Nicks and Manchester in upcoming yacht rock posts. The track reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, part of a long streak of hits for Loggins, many co-penned by Michael McDonald. Loggins’ version of their hit “What a Fool Believes” is also on the Nightwatch album. “Whenever I Call You Friend” was produced by smooth jazz legend Bob James and also featured him on back up vocals. Nightwatch was Loggins second solo album after parting ways with longtime partner Jim Messina, and also his highest charting.
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