Fleetwood Mac (1975 album)

In 1974, Fleetwood Mac relocated from England to California to manage the band's affairs better.[16] In California, they recorded another album, Heroes Are Hard to Find, and set out on tour. Shortly after finishing the tour, Bob Welch (guitarist, singer, and composer) left the band, ending Fleetwood Mac's ninth lineup in eight years,[17] so that he could be part of the power trio Paris.[16] Now looking for both a new guitarist and a recording studio, Mick Fleetwood met with producer Keith Olsen at Sound City Studios to listen to some demos.[16][17] There, Olsen played Fleetwood an album he had recently engineered, called Buckingham Nicks.[16] Fleetwood particularly enjoyed the guitar solo on the song "Frozen Love",[17] and decided to hire both Olsen and the guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham.[16] However, Buckingham would not accept Fleetwood's offer unless he agreed to also hire Buckingham's musical and romantic partner, Stevie Nicks.[17] After an informal interview at a Mexican restaurant, Mick Fleetwood invited both Buckingham and Nicks to join the band.[17] Within three months, the band had recorded the album Fleetwood Mac.[17] The band's tenth lineup proved to be their most successful. However at the time, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were close to breaking up when they joined the band.[17] This tension ultimately helped inspire the band's next album, Rumours.[16]

During the recording sessions, bassist John McVie took offence to Buckingham's assertive nature in the studio, particularly when telling other members what he wanted them to play. McVie informed Buckingham that this would not be tolerated. "The band you're in is Fleetwood Mac. I'm the Mac. And I play the bass".[18]

Many of the songs on Fleetwood Mac were written before Buckingham and Nicks joined the band. "Rhiannon", "I'm So Afraid", and "Monday Morning" were written and performed live by the duo and were initially slated to appear on a second Buckingham Nicks album. "Crystal" was recycled from the first Buckingham Nicks album, but with a different arrangement.[19]

Fleetwood Mac was released on 11 July 1975.[17][20] Though the band only experienced modest success immediately after the release, they were determined to promote their new album.[17] After touring doggedly for several months, the band started seeing the results of their hard work.[17] In an interview with Uncut, Stevie Nicks said of the album: "We just played everywhere and we sold that record. We kicked that album in the ass."[17] Fifteen months after the release of Fleetwood Mac, the album climbed to the top of the US charts.[17]

All singles from Fleetwood Mac are remixes (and occasional outright alternate takes, as in the case of "Over My Head"), noticeably different from the album versions, as included on the 2004 re-issue. A 'single mix' was also created for "Blue Letter" and this version was originally only available as the B-side to the "Warm Ways" single from 1975.[15]

This album helped launch them as musical superstars with an almost constant radio presence (which would be continued with their even more popular follow-up, Rumours). In 2003, the album was ranked number 182 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time",[21] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.[22]

Like all of the band's studio albums except The Dance (1997), the front cover photo does not show the whole band.[23] That of Fleetwood Mac depicts only drummer Mick Fleetwood and bass guitarist John McVie.

"Warm Ways" was the first single lifted from the album in 1975 in the UK.[15] It was not released as a single in the United States, where "Over My Head" was released instead. Initially, the album generated limited interest in the UK, as the first three singles released by the new lineup failed to chart. "Say You Love Me" charted on the UK Singles Chart and it reached number 40[14] Following the massive success of Rumours two years later, interest in the band re-ignited and Fleetwood Mac was re-released in 1978, along with the single "Rhiannon" which peaked just outside the top 40 at number 46.[15] In the United States, the album spawned three top twenty singles: "Over My Head", "Rhiannon" and "Say You Love Me", the last two falling just short of the top ten, both at number 11.

A live version of "Landslide" was eventually released as a single in the US in 1998 after it became one of the most popular tracks from the live reunion album The Dance. It reached number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[15]

Fleetwood Mac debuted at number 183 on the US Billboard 200 chart dated 2 August 1975.[24] The album eventually reached its peak at number one on the chart dated 4 September 1976, which was 58 weeks after entering the chart.[12] On 11 September 2018, the album was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over seven million copies in the United States.[13]

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 49 on the UK Albums Chart dated 6 November 1976.[25] It then peaked at number 23 in its second week on the chart.[26] On 5 July 1978, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 100,000 copies in the UK.[27]

2004 reissue

On 24 March 2004, Warner Bros. Records re-released the remastered album with five bonus tracks, with track 12 and 16 being previously unreleased.[28]

2018 reissue

In 2017, Fleetwood Mac issued a 4-disc deluxe edition of the album consisting of a remastered version of the original album, single mixes, previously unreleased demos, recorded live performances from 1975 and 1976, and a DVD with 5.1 surround sound and high-resolution 24/96 stereo audio mixes of the original album and four single mixes. The box set also includes previously unseen or rare photographs and detailed liner notes written by David Wild featuring interviews with the band, as well as the original album remastered on 180g vinyl. The deluxe reissue was officially released worldwide on 19 January 2018.[29]

Note

• Although it was written by Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham sang lead on the song "Crystal". It originally appeared (also sung by Buckingham) on the duo's 1973 Buckingham Nicks album.

Fleetwood Mac

• Lindsey Buckingham – electric, acoustic, and resonator guitar, banjo, vocals
• Stevie Nicks – vocals
• Christine McVie – keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
• John McVie – bass guitar
• Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Waddy Wachtel – rhythm guitar on "Sugar Daddy"

Production

• Producers: Fleetwood Mac & Keith Olsen
• Engineer: Keith Olsen
• 2nd Engineer: David Devore
• Photograph: Herbert W. Worthington III

• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1976