Bob Welch (musician) : 3. Going solo.

Bob Welch (musician)

3. Going solo.

In September 1977, Welch released his first solo album, French Kiss, a mainstream pop collection featuring contributions from former band mates Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie. This release brought Welch his greatest success, selling two million copies and yielding three hit singles: a revamped version of "Sentimental Lady", the rocker "Ebony Eyes" and "Hot Love, Cold World".

Welch followed up French Kiss with 1979's Three Hearts, an album that replicated the rock/disco fusion of French Kiss. Another million-seller, it spawned the top 20 hit "Precious Love", while the follow-up single "Church" also charted. He also was the host of a music video program, "Hollywood Heartbeat"[1]. Welch released solo albums into the early 1980s (The Other One, Man Overboard, Bob Welch, and Eye Contact) with decreasing success, during which time he also developed a heroin addiction.^[1] After cleaning himself up in 1986, Welch turned away from performing and recording and focused his attention on songwriting for others. In the early 1990s, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he put together a short-lived group called Avenue M, which backed him on tour and recorded one song for a greatest hits compilation.

In 1999, Welch released an experimental jazz/loop based album, Bob Welch Looks at Bop. He followed this up in 2003, with His Fleetwood Mac Years and Beyond, which contained new recordings of songs he originally recorded with Fleetwood Mac, as well as some solo hits. In 2006, he released His Fleetwood Mac Years and Beyond 2, which mixed a half-dozen new compositions, along with a similar number of his Mac/solo remakes.