The Vows of Music: Art Presiding Over Relationships

In almost every work place in the world, the prospect of a husband and wife [or to be politically correct, long-term partners] working together conjures up all sorts of dilemmas:



How can we live AND work together?



How can we be together 24 HOURS A DAY/ 7 DAYS A WEEK?



As we all know, artists and musicians operate to the beat of a different drum when compared to the rest of us mere mortals. Let's delve through the recent decades of popular music to identify some successful Pop and Rock bands containing committed life partners, who:



a) saw the break down of at least one personal relationship during the band's tenure; and

b) continued to work as a band, despite the failure of the relationship



FLEETWOOD MAC - it is almost unimaginable to contemplate the personal conflict facing Fleetwood Mac in 1976. John & Christine McVie's marriage had failed, whilst Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nick's long-term relationship also concluded. Despite each individual barely having the pride to acknowledge one another in the recording studio, the band soldiered on the release "Rumours", a commercial phenomenon and one of the most important albums in the history of modern music. The core component of Fleetwood Mac continues to tour the world today; whilst there have been many years of fighting and tears between band members, this group is the most widely known example of art presiding over relationships.


ABBA – at face value, this Swedish pop supergroup of the 1970’s and early 1980’s had it all. Consisting of 2 photogenic couples [Bjorn Ulvaeus/ Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson/ Frida Lyngstad] and superb song writing skills, Abba literally introduced Sweden to the mainstream music market. Sales of their singles and albums were so strong that Abba were actually their nation’s 2nd largest world export [behind Volvo] in the 1970’s. Abba was the daily focus of Bjorn and Benny, whilst Agnetha and Frida struggled to cope with the pressure of the media spotlight plus maintaining a “normal” family life. In time, both marriages failed [with Bjorn and Benny promptly re-marrying new partners], however in a macabre sense this brought out the best in Abba. Whilst it is widely acknowledged that their pop songs are timeless [“Dancing Queen”; “Mama Mia”], “The Winner Takes It All” [written about the failure of Bjorn and Agnetha’s marriage] may just be the most moving break-up song of all time. The group remain on civil terms and they have not performed together since the early 1980’s, wisely preserving their special place in pop music history.

THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS – depending upon which version of events that you deem to be the truth, John Phillips and Michelle Phillips’ marriage may have been over prior to this folk-pop group becoming an international success in 1966. The combination of John Phillips’ timeless pop classics [“California Dreaming”; “Monday Monday”; “I Saw Her Again”] and the band’s unique visual appeal and personalities saw huge success come very quickly; too quickly to handle. The Phillips' "open" marriage was kept a secret from their adoring fans. Even the birth of their daughter Chynna [a future pop star in all-girl group Wilson Phillips] couldn’t save their matrimonial and musical union. By 1968, The Mamas and The Papas were no more. The group’s flame flickered for only 2 years, however their songs stand the test of time 45 years on.

EURYTHMICS – whilst David Stewart and Annie Lennox were never formally married, they were a committed couple in their erstwhile band [The Tourists – 1977 to 1980] and during the early years of Eurythmics [1981-1982]. Their personal relationship ended at this time, however the critical acclaim generated via their 1st album “In The Garden” provided sufficient motivation to continue with their artistic union. The rest is history, as Eurythmics was one of the most successful male/ female pop duos for the balance of the 1980’s. Visually interesting [both Stewart and Lennox changed their image for each album release] and musically adroit, Eurythmics conquered the international pop charts with “Sweet Dreams”; “Here Comes The Rain Again”; “Would I Lie To You”; “Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves” and “Thorn In My Side”. Committed to their craft, there was little hint of any personal chemistry between Stewart & Lennox [watch their music videos again and judge for yourself!].

It has been said that the best lyrical ideas are borne out of extremes in emotions: happiness and sadness. If you are artistically inclined and your personal relationship fails, history would suggest that you are about to write a hit song…