There will be a new Fleetwood Mac album and tour coming in the next year-and-a-half or so, says Mick Fleetwood, the band's founder and drummer, but singer-keyboardist Christine McVie probably won't be involved.

Fleetwood spoke with LAUNCH about upcoming plans for the group. "Within certainly the next 15 months, we'll be very active," he said. "There will be a tour. Stevie [Nicks] and maybe Lindsey [Buckingham] are going to do their solo things this coming summer, and then it's going to be full tilter into Fleetwood Mac."

McVie, however, did not attend the group's reunion at the White House on January 6, and Fleetwood said McVie pretty much called it quits with the group after the last tour three years ago for The Dance.

"She really doesn't like flying and traveling anymore, and it was wearing on her," Fleetwood explained. "We had a great tour, and she enjoyed it, but she said, 'That's it for me. I don't want to do this anymore,' so she's left Fleetwood Mac. Outside of her coming through the door on her knees saying, 'Please take me back,' which, you know. Christine's Christine. It's like Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. It's like, you're always part of this band, really, but she's decided that working actively with Fleetwood Mac is now over, so we're carrying on without her."

Speaking of Fleetwood Mac's farewell-party performance for President Clinton at the White House, Fleetwood said he was surprised to learn of the invitation by First Lady Hillary Clinton. When Fleetwood got the call, he was vacationing at his home in Hawaii, but he decided to cut it short and get together with his bandmates.

Fleetwood explained to LAUNCH how it all came about. "Came into our lives--phone call from one of the executives at the record company had heard from the First Lady, 'Would the band put themselves together and play a surprise farewell party?' I was in Hawaii and then got back to L.A., regrouped, and then we rehearsed for three days and then flew to Washington and we did surprise him. He had not a clue we were gonna be behind that curtain."

- Sue Falco and Jason Gelman, New York