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Rick Vito, former member of Fleetwood Mac between 1987 and 1991, was kind enough to correspond with us at this, a very busy time in his life. He has a lot on his plate these days, between playing the German Club circuit in support of his latest CD release, "Lucky Devils", and being a key member of John Fogerty's Band, the supporting act on the European leg of Tina Turner's world tour.
FML: Has the Blues always been your favorite genre of music? Would we be surprised to find out what kind of music you listened to as a kid?
Rick: As a kid I was listening to the early rock & roll of Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. All of that stuff was basically blues based, but I did not realize that then.
FML: We've heard that you have been a Fleetwood Mac fan since the early days with Peter Green. In what ways did that late sixties incarnation of the band influence you musically?
Rick: I saw the band two nights in a row in Philadelphia and was blown away by Peter Green as a singer, bandleader, songwriter, and guitarist. I wanted to do what he was doing, which to my ears was a tasteful and convincing take on the coolest music, blues and bluesy, R&B influenced rock and roll. I started writing songs and refining my guitar playing, throwing away a lot that I felt was too wild, too distorted, too pretentious. I wanted to be selective in my choice of what to sing, play, and say in my songs, as Peter had done. I no longer wanted to "compete" with loud, flashy, and aggressive guitar players. This approach has helped me survive for thirty years as a musician, so his impression has made a significant impact on my career.
FML: During your college years you played in a variety of bands. How did your professional career start? Were you "discovered" by a producer or artist at some point?
Rick: I was playing semi-professionally in school, and with my band, opened for Muddy Waters, John Hammond, and many up and coming local acts in Pennsylvania, as well as doing some recording. Two things happened. First, I met Delaney and Bonnie, who had a record out with Eric Clapton, and sat in with them. It kind of brought the house down, as they say, and I knew then that I could do this for a living. They encouraged me to move to Los Angeles which I did later that year.
Also with my friend Rick Valenti, we went to New York to do a session with Rick's friend Todd Rundgren. We were a duo kind of like a bluesy Hall and Oates and thought Todd would maybe produce us. Well, that did not happen but he did take one of our songs that we recorded with him and played it for blues great, James Cotton who recorded it on a record Todd did produce.
FML: You have played with many artists over the years, Delaney and Bonnie, John Mayall, Bob Seeger, Bonnie Riatt, John Fogerty, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks....are there any particular sessions or tours that stand out?
Rick: They were all wonderful in their own way. My favorites were with Jackson, Bob Seger, Bonnie, and probably Fleetwood Mac most of all because here I was actually a member of the band. My level of visibility jumped dramatically when I joined FM, and I found myself instantly in the press, on MTV and so on. It was the most exciting time!
FML: Several years ago, you returned from LA to Nashville. What drew you back to Nashville? How would you compare it to the L.A. scene?
Rick: We had a pretty bad earthquake in LA in '94 and I started thinking seriously about moving away - that meant to New York or Nashville, because they are both music-business cities. I looked around and saw that I could get a lot more land and house in Nashville than NY, so I bought a farm property and moved.
It is a tradeoff as far as which is the better place to be. LA has everything under the sun, but that also includes a heavy population, too many cars, too much pollution and earthquakes. Nashville is more in a state of transition culturally, but there is beautiful countryside, clean air, less crime etc. Overall I like it here just fine, and I still do a lot of work out of LA.
FML: How did it come about that you became a member of Fleetwood Mac? Who asked you to join and how did that feel?
Rick: I got a call from Mick after Lindsey left abruptly. We had worked together with Billy Burnette and he sat in with me once. He liked my guitar playing and my reverence for Peter Green, I think. The strange thing was, I had recently left Bob Seger's tour and I thought I was going to be asked to permanently join the Silver Bullit Band. I felt that something big was going to happen instinctively. So when I got the call asking me to learn some songs and come down for a play, I knew that my destiny was changing. I felt really ready.
FML: Something very noticable was the fact that after you and Billy joined the band, Fleetwood Mac songs suddenly contained much more harmonies and duets then before, "As Long As You Follow", "Do You Know", "In The Back Of My Mind", ....What caused that? Did that happen consiously?
Rick: It was a semi-conscious move. Because Billy and I were new, it seemed like a good idea to blend our styles with Chris and Stevie to forge something new that would also have a ring of familiarity to it. The harmonies just took place as they happened, this time with four voices instead of three.
FML: The Tango In The Night was the most succesful Fleetwood Mac Tour ever in Europe. A sold-out Wembley Arena in London for eight nights, good press critics. Do you have any idea why?
Rick: I guess because the record was so successful. I think that there were three well received singles, and also FM was still riding high in their popularity. People really relate to the "Rumours" era songs and will probably always turn out to hear them. Also we did a lot of press to announce that Billy and I were joining after Buckingham's departure, and maybe the mystery surrounding that whole move provided the kind of intrigue that Mac fans look forward to.
FML: Did the Behind The Mask tour went as smoothly as the Tango tour?
Rick: The atmosphere on that tour was very different from the "Tango In The Night" tour. Because of the lagging sales of the record and her singles, Christine's spirits were a little down and she announced that she would most likely be leaving. Then Stevie said that she would leave too if Chris did. So, it started out fantastically, but then the mood changed. It was successful for me, but the original members, I think, thought differently about it. I could be wrong. I had a great time though!
FML: What what was it like touring with Fleetwood Mac? Do you have any funny or interesting stories you'd like to share?
Rick: It was, as I said, incredible for me to at once become involved as a member of one of the greatest bands in the history of R&R. Every day was interesting and funny in some way. Just look at Mick and you can imagine the kind of sense of humor he might be capable of. He and Billy were always a scream, and we had our little "skits" that were funny to recreate on a frequent basis. You had to be there to appreciate it.
FML: How did it feel to play those old Mac songs?
Rick: I loved playing the blues stuff, and the audience really seemed to love hearing it too. Also, the fans were really appreciative of Billy and myself and accepting of what we were contributing to the shows. I never, ever, once heard someone shout out, "where's Lindsey?", or anything disrespectful.
FML: Which were your favorite songs to play live onstage and why?
Rick: "Stop Messing Around", "Another Woman", "Oh Well", "Rhiannon", "Don't Stop". Obviously I got to sing a couple of these and I had always dug them. The others allowed me to enter the world of Stevie and Chris who are brilliant in their own way.
FML: You decided to leave Fleetwood Mac in 1991. Why was that? Did it have anything to do with Stevie leaving?
Rick: I am saving the whole story of this for my memoirs if ever I write them. For now, it is personal between me and the band.
FML: Are you still in touch with any of your old Fleetwood Mac bandmates? Do you have any plans to work with them again?
Rick: Just Billy right now. You never know, I hold no grudges.
FML: You have written so many songs...for your own albums, for Fleetwood Mac, for other artists. How would you describe your songwriting process? Does songwriting come easy for you?
Rick: Sometimes yes, sometimes, no. I'm in a slump right now, for example, but that always changes. I'll take a song any way under the sun I can get it. I'll collaborate, do words, music, work off a title, rework old songs. Sometimes it's better to go to a room and slug it out, other times waiting for inspiration results in a better song.
FML: Shortly after your record company released your "Lucky Devils" album in Europe, you did a German tour earlier this year. What was that like? How did the fans respond?
Rick: I love the German fans and I had an incredible time. In fact, I'm leaving on October 30th for another three-week club tour all over Germany (see Our Rick Vito Concert Page and rickvito.com for the dates.) They really love blues there and the response so far is very exciting for me personally.
FML: When will the Lucky Devils album officially be released in the States? Can we expect a tour?
Rick: I am still working on the right deal that will insure that I will be able to go on tour here to promote the CD properly. So far it's just in Europe, and that's fine with me.
FML: Would you encourage your kids to go into the music business? Are they showing any interest in that area?
Rick: I would probably express more caution than you would expect. It has changed so much since I entered the business. My son plays drums well and some guitar, but for now I would like him to concentrate on school (I must be getting old, I sound like a parent).
FML: What's on the musical horizon for you? Do you have any interesting projects in the works?
Rick: I am currently producing rockabilly-swing artist Rosie Flores. This will be her sixth CD I think, and so far it sounds terrific! I have the tour coming up in Germany and then I plan to relax over the holidays with my family.
FML: When and if you ever put down that guitar, how do you want Rick Vito the musician to be remembered?
Rick: Well, I hope it's in my hands when I do keel over! My wish would be to be remembered as someone who did good work and had some integrity in his music and his dealings with others, both fans, musicians, and business associates. I would hope that my songs and guitar playing would touch some people the way I have been moved by the music of so many others. I am a grateful man.
FML: Thank you Rick for taking the time for doing this for us.