good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with lindsey buckingham. guitarist, one of the most critically acclaimed and successful rock bands of all time. that would be fleet woo mawood e group on tour after a hiatus. 16 years. we're glad you joined us for lindsey buckingham. coming up. ♪

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. guitarist lindsey buckingham is one of the reasons for the phenomenal success of fleetwood mack. he's taken over a slight break to focus on his solo career. fleetwood mac now on tour for the first time in 16 years. and we take a look, lindey performing "big love" at the theater here in los angeles. ♪

♪ you said that you'd always love me on that house on the hill ♪ ♪ give it up for love big big love ♪ ♪ >> we'll come back to the solo stuff in just a bit. let me start by asking how it feels to be back on stage with everybody in fleetwood mac. >> it seems appropriate to the band. it's kind of the con vuldued flakes have been out here and

the change circulars. if you want to think as the beginning of at last act, that's how it feels. you know, christine really does fill in a gap. some of the poe later th-- polaw does that go? >> if you look at the five people in the band, they are disflight -- they not a group that you will look at on paper and say, well, these guys belong in a band together. yet, you put it together, and upon it makes something greater than the sum on the partsment and that was really very clear to me right whauf wye -- right

off. it was something -- >> since you said it was a study in chemistry and thank to the work that you've done, i wouldn't agree with that. what did the five members, in your mind, bring uniquely to the chemistry? >> let's start with libya a, right away it was clear to me that what the people in the band needed. the other three people that we were joining. they needed someone who had a vision for how to process the music, how to produce the music, to filter everything and that

hasn't been in full force since the very early days. and i think i finished the tradition of good guitar playing. that helped, as wen element of etherial with it and brought brought a folkle point in terms of theatrics and in terms of just one person that could soared of be a front person and writing. >> fit teen of on the other side, that's been missing. and jane and mick are severally t -- they're the best as far as i'm concerned. >> when you've been apart, all

of you, for 16 years and you come back together as you are now on this tour. what gives you the confidence and faith to believe that tell work again as it once did? >> that's a really prime question. you know, we got this call from christine saying she wanted to come back. we were in the middle of touring last year with the four of us. and my initial was. >> we have to take this with baby steps because what you're saying might have been the case. the want history. it doesn't mean that all the tools, all the reference points are still there for it all to work. having said that, though, christine is and always was a working musician. she was someone who had a great discipline and of very, very

crafty in her place. it was daunting in the early to see to say if we had the tools to put it together. >> you guys are ounl -- this guy clinton. up you were talking about how things come full circle. i'm thinking about the other clinton now who is on the horizon who may run for president. >> right. >> and she will to pick her campaign theme song. her husband in '93, chose this beautiful track, fleet woo mack. when you look back at that era now -- it's hard for me to think about bill clinton and the champion one thinking -- doppler radar are you it was a cad lift

to re-enter the fold. i had produced the album in 1987, "tangles in the night." and thing had gotten crazy with him, the inner workings of the band and ti felt -- it was time for me to take a break. when have the road is 0 thin credit work for a number of years. and that call from bill clinton which obviously we weren't going to say no to was my introduction back in. it led to everything that happened after. that that's the way i said that, it was -- ex-citing part of it

was she did it in front of people. people who choose the songs, tl george clooney one time said, i don't want you --" the "what does a man do whether they get a phone call who wants to lose your song and year like 236. you look at washington to versus the ideaism that seemed to exist right at the time clinton of poised to go into the office. it's two mind sets, and were that to occur today? if you assume that bill clinton had not used that and some

people say it's a the spirit of that and yor-- it's my song, bu it's really christine's song. that would be a tad awkward. >> it raise this question for me which is that the reason why clinton -- it's obvious when you hear the song. we know it and love it. it's s aep's interesting becaus kids were cooperating of something which was meant to be addressed to a single person in the context which is the convex, rumors, for ear. it also is a testament to the -- how wonderful the song is that

it could be used in any or. >> powerful way. you know, you know, i mean, there are thing that stand out for any number of reasons. lyrically, you know, most of the things on rumors were very autobiographical and very much, the members here, three riders, don't find hissererer --

there's a time that this of about musical soap opera. i always think about that album and the lyrics of the songs. i think there was a sort of heroism where we had to get from here to here and did whatever we yet. had to compartmentalize thing. but the art, you know, rose up. >> everybody in their rock and roll hall of fame is there because they unique brought something to the genre. >> uh-huh. you asked people members of the van. you ask 50 million fan, you'll get 50 million different answers. since you're here, let me ask you. >> okay. >> in your mind, what is it that you think fleetwood mack wood

hard -- >> don't bring that. >> you know, i think that we india of were there to kind of pick up -- that we were kind of there to pick up what pop had left in 198 and reinvigorate it. we, again, are three writers with three distinctive styles that were able to come together and really in a very musicianly way. the albums have a lot of great myselfship on them from everyone.

and you know, i was there was a kind of a -- again, a chemistry that aed up to 20 of. and i found irresistible you know, it's funny when you make music even if it aep's yeshly successful. doesn't mean it japane-- whethe will really have a place. and one of the things that we're finding now at these shows is that you've got the people who may have been listening to rumors and all -- it tusk and all these animals in the day. you've also got 20-year-olds there. and there are a lot of young artists who seem to have picked up the mantel where i think

we've been able to relies what we did did make a sieves. >> and you attribute that. gone, i was say an object extendance to this guy. we don't always get along. we don't always agree on what we should be doing. and when shupe -- and when we should be doing. we somehow have managed to keep going. and i think it's the resolve that has kept us here all this time. and it's that same resolve that allowed us to stay together, to

make thesal wums under conditions of duress, i think. stevie and his broken up. never gotten closure. had to see her every day, had to make the decision as a produceser and musician. a will will of that. my grrth sai-- there's a lesson everything. you referenced a few time the duress and difficulty, a band that doesn't always get along sees things differently, you know, wants to do things at different times. i get all that because, i mean, you're five people. you're individuals. there's no law that says you have to group thing. i can see the difficulty that comes with that. what's the blessing in that? is there something good that comes out of having that kind of tension and that kind of

friction? you guys obviously had the resolve to get through it. if you had to -- if i made you tell me something good that comes out of that dysfunction, what is it? >> i think on the one hand you have to go back to what doesn't kill you make you stronger. i believe we have inner strength for get from point a to point b. and that ispe i think that there's a sense of possibly having a bit of a wider look at the world because of that. you know, a lot of times people who are in a band, all people singing it the same way, it can

be insular. there was a great of beg here. i think to some degree -- i was so well defended emotions and in always for so long focused on the music, had a lot of girlfriends but never beyond a certain point. i didn't get married and have my first child follow i was in my mid 40s. the gift of that was i was ready, his dean what the world of like. without that, i had gotten a lot of garbage out of the way. you know, i saw a lot of my friends and even people in the van who maybe were trying to be a family member and band

members. and it just was -- i think the struggle kept me insulated from tornado parts of myself until i was ready. and now, the beauty is that that still exists here, but there's a been with family life. >> what about the fact that this band maybe -- wouldn't be the only band -- that when it comes together is greater than the sum of hasitard. the flip side or what goes with that is that when you are a piece of the hole, not only are you recognized correctly for everybody who says that. that's like --

>> you eat down at the bottom. >> no, you're in the 100, you eat the list. some software that you have never gotten the respect he think you deserve for being as good -- i only read it -- i see you brought your gotor. how do you respond to my friend who think you have not. so does that enset you? i think when you -- i've been able to take the big machine of fleetwood mac and walk away for a couple of years and do the solo work. that's really at this point where you keep pushing the envelope and keep growing. then you can bring that back into the larger thing. so i think even the fleetwood

mac show, restating a body of work, what i'm doing is representing someone at the top of their gape as a guitarist. >> are you better now than you were when it was in its hype? >> oh, yeah. no question. but to answer that point, i think that -- again, you get back to what my contributions were in the van. one was to produce, one was to be the kind of guitarist who would work in the fabric of the song. in other words, i wasn't out there trying to be flashy. this is what i'm going do. a lot of people don't good night that. there's that. i think you're also talking about just someone who -- who sits the level that maybe your

friend appreciates only on stage. it's not something that's that apparent want again, you go back to the solo work where maybe i'm able to do that. you know, if i sell a couple hundred thousand albums, i'm quite happy. especially in this environment. >> i shall put you on the stop before it end. i am tired of you playing an air guitar. you were talking a moment ago, did that put you on the spot that when we come home, you'll see one solo, it would be gray. so? what must i for? -- what must i say? ♪

♪ ♪ >> i will pick lindsey buckingham big machine or small machine. i pick -- i think it works either way which lead me to offer this as the exit question. since fleetwood mac's on the big tour -- everybody knows that. you can get in, they're out there now.

what happened after the big -- you going back to more solo stuff? >> eventually. but you know, one of the really exciting thing that happened before we started rehearsing the show with teen. she said, i've got some rough idea for new songs. and we -- she came over, and we went in the studio, the two of us, with john and mick. and again, you ask, well, is that still going to work? that was my time -- oh, my god, am i still going to be able to do what i used to do for her? she gave me a bunk crunch after i slaughter in england, we played there. i work on it at home, took liberties, came back, and they came one the best group of song that we had done in years. we are going to continue working on a new album.

and the solo stuff will probably take a backseat for another year or so. >> you know, nobody's complaining about that. >> no. >> people will love it. >> i'm telling you. beautiful way to wrap up this last act. >> yeah. i suspect when that happen, you and maybe somebody else will come back and see us. good to see you. >> you took. >> new buckingham rock&role hall of fame. thank you for watching. and as -- buckingham rock & roll hall of fame. thank you for watching, and keep the faith. for more information go to tavissmileypbs.org. i'm name unanymously. joining me for more on space exploration with the head of nasa, charles bolden. that's next time. see you then.

♪ >> and by characteristics to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪

>> rose: welcome to the program. we begin with tom friedman and a year end wrap-up. >> we had an election whether isis people were coming over where ebola over the mexican border. it was truly in outer space. but we can have elections about nothing but the world is foted about nothing, there are big interests out there. and in rising to those interests and challenges, you can't just have elections about nothing. and i'm glad the president has this executive authority. i'm glad he's using it in exactly the way he's using it. >> we continue with bob pittman of iheart media. >> the radio station is like your best friend sitting in that empty seat next to you in the car. and we're your companion, we're not your hobby, we're not an object. and what we better do is exactly what a great friend does which is tell you a lot of good information, oh, by the way, turn left, the weather is going to be good to