When Fleetwood Mac regroups in February to start their pre-tour rehearsals, they'll be embarking on their third major outing without keyboardist Christine McVie. Although the band has kept a few McVie tunes in their setlist since her 1998 departure, key tunes like "You Make Loving Fun," "Over My Head," "Hold Me," "Little Lies," have been permanently retired.

A while back, Lindsey Buckingham explained to us, that the way they've set up their back line, fans really won't miss the parts that McVie covered: "Y'know, we have a keyboard player who was with us when Christine was still in the band. He covers the parts that need to be covered from her in a very effective way. We also have two guitarists, two gals, who are backup singers -- so we have seven voices. In a way, we have more to work with on an orchestral level than we've ever had and there's really no sense of anything missing. Y'know, that core element seems to be completely there."

• Fleetwood Mac tour dates (subject to change):
  April 4 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
  April 6 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
  April 8 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
  April 9 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
  April 11 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
  April 13 - Chicago, IL - United Center
  April 16 - Toronto, ON - The Air Canada Centre
  April 18 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
  April 20 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
  April 23 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
  April 24 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
  April 26 - Pittsburgh, PA - CONSOL Energy Center
  April 28 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Center
  April 30 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
  May 1 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
  May 3 - Little Rock, AK - Verizon Arena
  May 12 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
  May 14 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
  May 15 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
  May 17 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
  May 19 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
  May 20 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
  May 22 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion San Jose
  May 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
  May 26 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Arena
  May 28 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
  May 30 - Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center
  June 1 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
  June 4 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
  June 5 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
  June 7 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum
  June 8 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center
  June 10 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
  June 12 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena

FAST FACTS

• Fleetwood Mac will release expanded and deluxe versions of their 1977 blockbuster Rumours album on January 29th. The set, which comes just short of the 36th anniversary of the album's release, will be issued in an "Expanded Edition" featuring the original album, the Stevie Nicks-written B-Side "Silver Springs," a live collection of tracks from 1977, and a full disc of session outtakes.
• The "Deluxe Edition" tags on a second disc of outtakes, a remastered vinyl version of the album, and a new documentary focusing on the album's recording sessions, titled, The Rosebud Film.

SIDE NOTES

• Out now is Making Rumours: The Inside Story Of The Classic Fleetwood Mac Album, by the band's legendary co-producer, Ken Calliat. Calliat, who wrote the book with co-author Steve Stiefel, tells the story behind all the 1977 album's classic tracks -- as well as the songs that were bumped from the final lineup.
• Making Rumours talks about the creative process, general debauchery, and romantic breakdowns which took place during the 1976 recording sessions between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, John and Christine McVie and Mick Fleetwood and wife Jenny Boyd.
• In addition to Rumours, Calliat went on to co-produce Fleetwood Mac's Tusk, Fleetwood Mac Live, and Mirage albums -- along with their career-spanning box set, The Chain. He currently serves as executive producer to his daughter, current hit-maker, Colbie Calliat.

CHECK IT OUT: Fleetwood Mac performing "Gypsy" from the 2004 DVD, Live In Boston:

Lindsey Buckingham On Performing Without Christine McVie