John McVie’s one-of-a-kind Alembic used to record The Chain with Fleetwood Mac sells for $100,000
The wooden balls worn by Mick Fleetwood on the cover of their 1977 album Rumours were the top-selling item, bringing an astounding $128,000.
The team at Julien's Auctions is honored to be able to share Property from the Collections of Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood. Happening December 3rd and 4th in Beverly Hills. Bid now at https://t.co/tzS6JKuf2p. A portion of the proceeds will benefit @musicares. pic.twitter.com/CIcOCjO75c
— Julien's Auctions (@JuliensAuctions) December 1, 2022
A poignant moment during the auction was the sale of the collection of Christine McVie, who passed away three days before the event took place. The dress worn by McVie on the back cover of the Rumours album sold for $56,250 — more than five times its estimate of $10,000.
A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit MusiCares, who honored Fleetwood Mac in 2018 as the organization’s Person of the Year, to support the charity’s work providing critical services to underserved members of the music community. (Guitarworld)
Auction took place live in a two-day auction event Dec. 3-4 at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills and online on julienslive.com. Fleetwood Mac have been cleaning out their closets, Billboard report
The auction included more than 700 lots featuring instruments, awards, wardrobe, equipment and memorabilia from Fleetwood Mac’s recordings, live performances and appearances, as well as furnishings, artwork, jewelry, and personal items from their homes. Among the relics are part A 1976 Graphite Neck Through Electric Bass Guitar.
A Peter Green Gifted 1962 Fender VI Six-String Electric Bass Guitar.
A Royal Albert Hall Stage-Plated 1960 Fender Precision Electric Bass Guitar.
A Stevie Nicks Gifted Surfboard.
A 1953 First-Year Gibson EB1 Violin Body Electric Bass Guitar.
A 1965 Hofner Club Electric Bass Guitar acquired by John McVie during the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac.
A Rare 1970 First-Year Fretless Fender Precision Electric Bass Guitar.
Fleetwood Mac have entered Co-op Funeralcare’s annual music chart of the most popular funeral songs with their 1977 anthem ‘The Chain.’ which is a new entry in the Top 10 for 2022 at no.7.
One of the most prized offerings is a stage-played Yamaha C3 baby grand piano, known as the “Songbird Piano” and played by while on tour with Fleetwood Mac for many years. It would come out at the end of the show for the last song, “Songbird,” from Rumours. Julien’s has attached an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000 for the piano.
“This baby grand, where I have played ‘Songbird,’ the song I’m most proud of, has been such an important part of my life and career,” McVie said in a statement. “Though it’s hard to let go, I’m happy that it will find a new home and owner who will hopefully cherish it as much as I have through the years. I’m additionally pleased that the proceeds of this instrument and my other pieces in this auction will go towards MusiCares to help so many music people in need.”
The 3 Balls Story
Now to get to the part that everyone wonders about but might be a little too embarrassed to ask. 
Fleetwood is sporting two wooden, dangling balls, and no, the crass allusion is not lost on us. However, those balls are actually pieces of “lavatory chains” that Fleetwood ripped from a toilet earlier in his career.
“In truth, I started off as a blues player. The whole ethic of a lot of blues music is slightly suggestive, might I say. And suitably, I walked out on stage with these two lavatory chains with these wooden balls hanging down, and after that, it just stuck,” Fleetwood said. The wooden balls became a perverse good luck token of sorts for Fleetwood, and they became a constant companion to his drum kit in subsequent performances.
