JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS
FLEETWOOD MAC
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While most bands undergo a number of changes over the course of their careers, few groups experienced such radical stylistic changes as Fleetwood Mac. Initially conceived as a hard-edged British blues combo in the late '60s, the band gradually evolved into a polished pop/rock act over the course of a decade. Throughout all of their incarnations, the only consistent members of Fleetwood Mac were drummerMick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie -- the rhythm section that provided the band with its name. Ironically, they had the least influence over the musical direction of the band. Originally, guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencerprovided the band with its gutsy, neo-psychedelic blues-rock sound, but as both guitarists descended into mental illness, the group began moving toward pop/rock with the songwriting of pianist Christine McVie. By the mid-'70s, Fleetwood Mac had relocated to California, where they added the soft rock duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to their lineup. Obsessed with the meticulously arranged pop of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, Buckingham helped the band become one of the most popular groups of the late '70s. Combining soft rock with the confessional introspection of singer/songwriters, Fleetwood Mac created a slick but emotional sound that helped 1977's Rumoursbecome one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. The band retained its popularity through the early '80s, when Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie all began pursuing solo careers. The band reunited for one album, 1987's Tango in the Night, before splintering in the late '80s. Buckingham left the group initially, but the band decided to soldier on, releasing one other album before Nicks andMcVie left the band in the early '90s, hastening the group's commercial decline.
The roots of Fleetwood Mac lie in John Mayall's legendary British blues outfit, the Bluesbreakers. Bassist John McViewas one of the charter members of the Bluesbreakers, joining the group in 1963. In 1966 Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton, and a year later drummer Mick Fleetwood joined. Inspired by the success of Cream, the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix, the trio decided to break away from Mayall in 1967. At their debut at the British Jazz and Blues Festival in August,Bob Brunning was playing bass in the group, since McViewas still under contract to Mayall. He joined the band a few weeks after their debut; by that time, slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer had joined the band. Fleetwood Mac soon signed with Blue Horizon, releasing their eponymous debut the following year. Fleetwood Mac was an enormous hit in the U.K., spending over a year in the Top Ten. Despite its British success, the album was virtually ignored in America. During 1968, the band added guitarist Danny Kirwan. The following year, they recorded Fleetwood Mac in Chicago with a variety of bluesmen, including Willie Dixon and Otis Spann. The set was released later that year, after the band had left Blue Horizon for a one-album deal with Immediate Records; in the U.S., they signed with Reprise/Warner Bros., and by 1970, Warner began releasing the band's British records as well. Fleetwood Mac released English Rose and Then Play Onduring 1969, which both indicated that the band was expanding its music, moving away from its blues purist roots. That year, Peter Green's "Man of the World" and "Oh Well" were number two hits. Though his music was providing the backbone of the group, Green was growing increasingly disturbed due to his large ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs. After announcing that he was planning to give all of his earnings away, Green suddenly left the band in the spring of 1970; he released two solo albums over the course of the '70s, but he rarely performed after leaving Fleetwood Mac. The band replaced him with Christine Perfect, a vocalist/pianist who had earned a small but loyal following in the U.K. by singing with Spencer Davis and the Chicken Shack. She had already performed uncredited on Then Play On. Contractual difficulties prevented her from becoming a full-fledged member of Fleetwood Mac until 1971; by that time she had married John McVie. Christine McVie didn't appear on 1970's Kiln House, the first album the band recorded without Peter Green. For that album, Jeremy Spencer dominated the band's musical direction, but he had also been undergoing mental problems due to heavy drug use. During the band's American tour in early 1971, Spencer disappeared; it was later discovered that he left the band to join the religious cult the Children of God. Fleetwood Mac had already been trying to determine the direction of their music, but Spencer's departure sent the band into disarray. Christine McVie and Danny Kirwanbegan to move the band towards mainstream rock on 1971'sFuture Games, but new guitarist Bob Welch exerted a heavy influence on 1972's Bare Trees. Kirwanwas fired after Bare Trees and was replaced by guitarists Bob Weston and Dave Walker, who appeared on 1973's Penguin. Walker left after that album, and Weston departed after making its follow-up, Mystery to Me (1973). In 1974, the group's manager, Clifford Davis, formed a bogusFleetwood Mac and had the band tour the U.S. The real Fleetwood Mac filed and won a lawsuit against the imposters -- after losing, they began performing under the name Stretch -- but the lawsuit kept the band off the road for most of the year. In the interim, they released Heroes Are Hard to Find. Late in 1974, Fleetwood Mac moved to California, with hopes of restarting their career. Welch left the band shortly after the move to form Paris. Early in 1975, Fleetwood and McVie were auditioning engineers for the band's new album when they heardBuckingham-Nicks, an album recorded by the soft rock duoLindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The pair were asked to join the group and their addition revived the band's musical and commercial fortunes. Not only did Buckinghamand Nicks write songs, but they brought distinctive talents the band had been lacking. Buckingham was a skilled pop craftsman, capable of arranging a commercial song while keeping it musically adventurous. Nicks had a husky voice and a sexy, hippie gypsy stage persona that gave the band a charismatic frontwoman. The new lineup of Fleetwood Mac released their eponymous debut in 1975 and it slowly became a huge hit, reaching number one in 1976 on the strength of the singles "Over My Head," "Rhiannon," and "Say You Love Me." The album would eventually sell over five million copies in the U.S. alone. While Fleetwood Mac had finally attained their long-desired commercial success, the band was fraying apart behind the scenes. The McVies divorced in 1976, and Buckingham andNicks' romance ended shortly afterward. The internal tensions formed the basis for the songs on their next album,Rumours. Released in the spring of 1977, Rumours became a blockbuster success, topping the American and British charts and generating the Top Ten singles "Go Your Own Way," "Dreams," "Don't Stop," and "You Make Loving Fun." It would eventually sell over 17 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it the second biggest-selling album of all time.Fleetwood Mac supported the album with an exhaustive, lucrative tour and then retired to the studio to record their follow-up to Rumours. A wildly experimental double album conceived largely byBuckingham, 1979's Tusk didn't duplicate the enormous success of Rumours, yet it did go multi-platinum and featured the Top Ten singles "Sara" and "Tusk." In 1980, they released the double albumLive. Following the Tusk tour, Fleetwood, Buckingham, and Nicksall recorded solo albums. Of the solo projects, Stevie Nicks'Bella Donna (1981) was the most successful, peaking at number one and featuring the hit singles "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," "Leather and Lace," and "Edge of Seventeen."Buckingham's Law and Order (1981) was a moderate success, spawning the Top Ten "Trouble." Fleetwood, for his part, made a world music album called The Visitor.Fleetwood Mac reconvened in 1982 for Mirage. More conventional and accessible than Tusk, Mirage reached number one and featured the hit singles "Hold Me" and "Gypsy." After Mirage, Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie all worked on solo albums. The hiatus was due to a variety of reasons. Each member had his or her own manager, Nickswas becoming the group's breakaway star, Buckingham was obsessive in the studio, and each member was suffering from various substance addictions. Nicks was able to maintain her popularity, with The Wild Heart (1983) and Rock a Little(1985) both reaching the Top 15. Christine McVie also had a Top Ten hit with "Got a Hold on Me" in 1984. Buckinghamreceived the strongest reviews of all, but his 1984 album Go Insane failed to generate a hit. Fleetwood Mac reunited to record a new album in 1985. Buckingham, who had grown increasingly frustrated with the musical limitations of the band, decided to make it his last Fleetwood Mac project. When the resulting album,Tango in the Night, was finally released in 1987, it was greeted with mixed reviews but strong sales, reaching the Top Ten and generating the Top 20 hits "Little Lies," "Seven Wonders," and "Everywhere." Buckingham decided to leave Fleetwood Mac after completing Tango in the Night, and the group replaced him with guitarists Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. The new lineup of the band recorded their first album, Behind the Mask, in 1990. It became the band's first album since 1975 to not go gold. Following its supporting tour, Nicks and Christine McVie announced they would continue to record with the group, but not tour. Vito left the band in 1991, and the group released the box set 25 Years -- The Chain the following year. The classic Fleetwood Mac lineup of Fleetwood, the McVies, Buckingham, and Nicks reunited to play PresidentBill Clinton's inauguration in early 1993, but the concert did not lead to a full-fledged reunion. Later that year, Nicks left the band and was replaced by Bekka Bramlett and Dave Mason; Christine McVie left the group shortly afterward. The new lineup of Fleetwood Mac began touring in 1994, releasing Timethe following year to little attention. While the new version of Fleetwood Mac wasn't commercially successful, neither were the solo careers of Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie, prompting speculation of a full-fledged reunion in 1997. Soon these whispers proved to be true, as the classic Rumours quintet reunited for a live performance that became the 1997 album The Dance. The album performed well, debuting at number one on Billboard and generating an adult contemporary hit in the new version of "Landslide." Fleetwood Mac supported The Dance with a tour that lasted throughout the year and, early in 1998, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Not long afterward, Christine McVie announced she was leaving the band. Her departure may have slowed the speed of Fleetwood Mac's reunion, but the remaining quartet set to work writing and recording a new album. The resulting Say You Willappeared in April of 2003; it was their first studio album in eight years and the first in 16 to feature Buckingham andNicks. Say You Will performed well -- it went gold in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, with the singles "Peacekeeper" and "Say You Will" reaching the U.S. Adult Contemporary Top 20 -- and the accompanying international tour was a success. After a few quiet years where Buckingham resumed his solo career and the group unsuccessfully courted Sheryl Crow as a replacement for Christine McVie, they reconvened for a tour in 2009. Four years later, the group celebrated the 35th anniversary of Rumours with a new deluxe box reissue accompanied by a tour. As the tour got underway in April, the band unexpectedly released a four-track Extended Play of new material; it received good notices and entered the U.S. charts at 48. During a three-night stint at London's O2 in September 2013, Christine McVie appeared withFleetwood Mac for the first time in 15 years. In January of 2014, the band announced that Christinewas rejoining the group and they started recording a new album. The progress on the new album was slow and steady, partially due to individual solo projects, partially due to interruptions caused by the band's ongoing world tour; they played international dates in both 2014 and 2015. As the group continued to chip away at their new record, they released a super deluxe reissue of Tusk in time for the holidays of 2015. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide |
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1968 Fleetwood Mac |
01. My Heart Beat Like a Hammer 02. Merry-Go-Round 03. Long Grey Mare 04. Hellhound on My Trail 05. Shake Your Moneymaker 06. Looking for Somebody 07. No Place to Go 08. My Baby's Good to Me 09. I Loved Another Woman 10. Cold Black Night |
11. The World Keep on Turning 12. Got to Move 13. My Heart Beat Like a Hammer 14. Merry-Go-Round 15. I Loved Another Woman (Takes 1, 2, 3 & 4) 16. I Loved Another Woman (Takes 5 & 6) 17. Cold Black Night (Takes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) 18. You're So Evil 19. I'm Coming Home to Stay |
1968 Mr. Wonderful |
01. Stop Messin' Round 02. I've Lost My Baby 03. Rollin' Man 04. Dust My Broom 05. Love That Burns 06. Doctor Brown |
07. Need Your Love Tonight 08. If You Be My Baby 09. Evenin' Boogie 10. Lazy Poker Blues 11. Coming Home 12. Trying So Hard To Forget |
1969 English Rose |
01. Stop Messin' Round 02. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues 03. Doctor Brown 04. Something Inside Of Me 05. Evenin' Boogie 06. Love That Burns |
07. Black Magic Woman 08. I've Lost My Baby 09. One Sunny Day 10. Without You 11. Coming Home 12. Albatross |
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1969 Then Play On |
01. Coming Your Way 02. Closing My Eyes 03. Fighting For Madge 04. When You Say 05. Show Biz Blues 06. Underway 07. One Sunny Day 08. Although The Sun Is Shining 09. Rattlesnake Shake |
10. Without You 11. Searching For Madge 12. My Dream 13. Like Crying 14. Before The Beginning 15. Oh Well - Pt. 1 16. Oh Well - Pt. 2 17. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) 18. World In Harmony |
1970 Kiln House |
01. This Is The Rock 02. Station Man 03. Blood On The Floor 04. Hi Ho Silver 05. Jewel Eyed Judy |
06. Buddy's Song 07. Earl Gray 08. One Together 09. Tell Me All The Things You Do 10. Mission Bell |
1971 Future Games |
01. Woman Of 1000 Years 02. Morning Rain 03. What A Shame 04. Future Games |
05. Sands Of Time 06. Sometimes 07. Lay It All Down 08. Show Me A Smile |
1972 Bare Trees |
01. Child Of Mine 02. The Ghost 03. Homeward Bound 04. Sunny Side Of Heaven 05. Bare Trees |
06. Sentimental Lady 07. Danny's Chant 08. Spare Me A Little Of Your Love 09. Dust 10. Thoughts On A Grey Day |
1973 Penguin |
01. Remember Me 02. Bright Fire 03. Dissatisfied 04. (I'm A) Road Runner 05. The Derelict |
06. Revelation 07. Did You Ever Love Me 08. Night Watch 09. Caught In The Rain |
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1973 Mystery to Me |
01. Emerald Eyes 02. Believe Me 03. Just Crazy Love 04. Hypnotized 05. Forever 06. Keep On Going |
07. The City 08. Miles Away 09. Somebody 10. The Way I Feel 11. For Your Love 12. Why |
1974 Heroes Are Hard to Find |
01. Heroes Are Hard To Find 02. Coming Home 03. Angel 04. Bermuda Triangle 05. Come A Little Bit Closer 06. She's Changing Me |
07. Bad Loser 08. Silver Heels 09. Prove Your Love 10. Born Enchanter 11. Safe Harbour |
1975 Fleetwood Mac |
01. Monday Morning 02. Warm Ways 03. Blue Letter 04. Rhiannon 05. Over My Head 06. Crystal |
07. Say You Love Me 08. Landslide 09. World Turning 10. Sugar Daddy 11. I'm So Afraid |
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1977 Rumours |
01. Second Hand News 02. Dreams 03. Never Going Back Again 04. Don't Stop 05. Go Your Own Way 06. Songbird |
07. The Chain 08. You Make Loving Fun 09. I Don't Want To Know 10. Oh Daddy 11. Gold Dust Woman |
1979 Tusk |
01. Over & Over 02. The Ledge 03. Think About Me 04. Save Me A Place 05. Sara 06. What Makes You Think You're The One 07. Storms 08. That's All For Everyone 09. Not That Funny 10. Sisters Of The Moon |
11. Angel 12. That's Enough For Me 13. Brown Eyes 14. Never Make Me Cry 15. I Know I'm Not Wrong 16. Honey Hi 17. Beautiful Child 18. Walk A Thin Line 19. Tusk 20. Never Forget |
1980 Fleetwood Mac Live |
Disc One 01. Monday Morning (Live Version) 02. Say You Love Me (Live Version) 03. Dreams (Live Version) 04. Oh Well - Pt. 1 (Live Version) 05. Over & Over (Live Version) 06. Sara (Live Version) 07. Not That Funny (Live Version) 08. Never Going Back Again (Live Version) 09. Landslide (Live Version) |
Disc Two 01. Fireflies (Live Version) 02. Over My Head (Live Version) 03. Rhiannon (Live Version) 04. Don't Let Me Down Again (Live Version) 05. One More Night (Live Version) 06. Go Your Own Way (Live Version) 07. Don't Stop (Live Version) 08. I'm So Afraid (Live Version) 09. The Farmer's Daughter (Live Version) |
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1982 Mirage |
01. Love In Store 02. Can't Go Back 03. That's Alright 04. Book of Love 05. Gypsy 06. Only Over You |
07. Empire State 08. Straight Back 09. Hold Me 10. Oh Diane 11. Eyes of the World 12. Wish You Were Here |
1985 Jumping at Shadows |
01. Oh Well 02. Like It This Way 03. World in Harmony 04. Only You |
05. Black Magic Woman 06. Jumping at Shadows 07. Can't Hold On |
1987 Tango in the Night |
01. Big Love 02. Seven Wonders 03. Everywhere 04. Caroline 05. Tango In The Night 06. Mystified |
07. Little Lies 08. Family Man 09. Welcome To The Room...Sara 10. Isn't It Midnight 11. When I See You Again 12. You And I, Part II |
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1990 Behind the Mask |
01. Save Me 02. Behind the Mask 03. Freedom 04. Skies The Limit 05. In The Back Of My Mind 06. Affairs Of The Heart 07. Do You Know |
08. When The Sun Goes Down 09. The Second Time 10. Love Is Dangerous 11. Hard Feelings 12. When It Comes To Love 13. Stand On The Rock |
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1995 Time |
01. Talkin' To My Heart 02. Hollywood (Some Other Kind Of Town) 03. Blow By Blow 04. Winds Of Change 05. I Do 06. Nothing Without You 07. Dreamin' The Dream |
08. Sooner Or Later 09. I Wonder Why 10. Nights In Estoril 11. I Got It In For You 12. All Over Again 13. These Strange Times |
1996 The Fleetwood Mac Family Album |
01. Respectable-Cheynes 02. If You Wanna Be Happy-Peter B's Looners 03. Double Trouble-John Mayall's Bluesbreakers 04. Fleetwood Mac-Fleetwood Mac 05. I'd Rather Go Blind-Chicken Shack 06. The Shape I'm In-Jeremy Spencer 07. When You Say-Christine Perfect 08. Put A Record On-Tramp |
09. Ram Jam City-Danny Kirwan 10. Sentimental Lady-Bob Welch 11. We Just Disagree-Dave Mason 12. Gold-John Stewart 13. Don't Say No-Billy Burnette 14. Rattlesnake Shake-Mich Fleetwood 15. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around-Stevie Nicks 16. Now I Know-John McVie |
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1997 The Dance |
01. The Chain (Live Album Version) 02. Dreams (Live Album Version) 03. Everywhere (Live Album Version) 04. Rhiannon (Live Album Version) 05. I'm So Afraid 06. Temporary One (Live Album Version) 07. Bleed To Love Her (Live Album Version) 08. Big Love (Live Album Version) 09. Landslide (Live Album Version) |
10. Say You Love Me (Cd Live Album Version) 11. My Little Demon (Live Album Version) 12. Silver Springs (Live Album Version) 13. You Make Loving Fun (Live Album Version) 14. Sweet Girl (Live Album Version) 15. Go Your Own Way (Live Album Version) 16. Tusk (Live Album Version) 17. Don't Stop (Live Album Version) |
2003 Say You Will |
01. What's The World Coming To 02. Murrow Turning Over In His Grave 03. Illume (9-11) 04. Thrown Down 05. Miranda 06. Red Rover 07. Say You Will 08. Peacekeeper 09. Come |
10. Smile At You 11. Running Through The Garden 12. Silver Girl 13. Steal Your Heart Away 14. Bleed To Love Her 15. Everybody Finds Out 16. Destiny Rules 17. Say Goodbye 18. Goodbye Baby |
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