Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie will release her first-ever solo compilation, Songbird, on June 24.
The package, newly remastered by famed producer Glyn Johns, features material from two of her solo LPs (1984’s Christine McVie and 2004’s In the Meantime), along with two previously unreleased tracks and a new orchestral rendition of her Rumours ballad “Songbird.”
The keyboardist recorded the unheard “All You Gotta Do,” a duet with George Hawkins, while recording In the Meantime; John finished off the track by adding parts from Ricky Peterson (Hammond organ) and Ethan Johns (drums, guitar).
“Slowdown,” available to hear below, was originally written for the 1985 film American Flyers. “I was asked to write a song for a film about a cycling competition,” McVie said in a statement. “So, I thought we’d give it a go. So that’s why the lyrics are sort of muddled up with a little bit of a love song, a little bit of cycling. And it turned out really well, but they didn’t end up using it. We thought it was a pity to waste it, so it’s on here.”
The orchestral take on “Songbird” pairs McVie’s original vocals with a new string arrangement from composer-arranger Vince Mendoza.
While the 10-track set largely focuses on In the Meantime, two of the most notable tracks are from the self-titled record: “Ask Anybody,” a cowrite with Steve Winwood, features the Traffic frontman on piano and backing vocals; meanwhile, “The Challenge” includes cameos from Eric Clapton (lead guitar) and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham (backing vocals).
You can see the track listing below.
Christine McVie, ‘Songbird (A Solo Collection)’ Track Listing
1. “Friend”
2. “Sweet Revenge”
3. “The Challenge”
4. “Northern Star”
5. “Ask Anybody”
6. “Slowdown” (previously unreleased)
7. “Easy Come, Easy Go”
8. “Giving It Back”
9. “All You Gotta Do” (previously unreleased)
10. “Songbird” (Orchestral Version) (previously unreleased)
Fleetwood Mac Solo Albums Ranked
There have been more than 40 of these outside projects, which deepen and add to the band’s legacy.