Better Than Ever
The sometimes misplaced but never quite lost “supergroup” Fleetwood Mac has come together again with sounds both old and new. They’ll be on tour in the U.S. starting in March, and for fans of all ages, they’re ready to work their magic once more. Tour dates and locations are on the Net, so make haste to get your tickets to see and hear this legendary band live on stage!
Long Ago, In a Land Far Away
The saga of Fleetwood Mac is a fascinating story in itself, but we’ll have to abbreviate. In 1967, three young British lads got together to start a new band. Led by Peter Green, guitarist, two others from the band “Bluesbreakers” formed a group they called Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. The other two were Mick Fleetwood, drummer and John McVie, bassist. At the time they played blues, and they did very well in the British market, but made little impression in the U.S. Not until their third album did they begin to catch American attention with the single “Black Magic Woman”.
In the years from 1967 to 1975 the band’s sound took on a new personality, with continuing changes in both style and personnel. One notable loss was Peter Green himself, who departed for reasons of his own. Even so, several albums and singles were produced, all of which garnered new fans, and with the addition of Stevie Nicks as lead vocalist with a compelling voice and charisma of her own, and Lindsey Buckingham on guitar, Fleetwood Mac took its place as one of, if not the most popular group in the U.K. The names of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks became familiar to the public as the artists of Fleetwood Mac.
Changin’ Partners
Success and fortune did what they often do - caused internal strife among band members and some excessive use of alcohol and various other drugs, notably cocaine. However, the ‘backbone’ of the group somehow stuck with it and kept on recording. Though Stevie Nicks went off to do a solo gig on her own, and other contributing members “flamed out” either temporarily or finally, the music kept on and the fans kept asking for more. While still with the band, Stevie Nicks had a hit single with “Rhiannon” from the album “Fleetwood Mac”.
When the album “Rumours” was released it sparked even more interest and accolades. The album contained four Top Ten singles, and won the 1977 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. However, the fame and fortune did not help pull the group together or solve their personal problems, and nothing much was heard from them until some members got it together again in 1985.
For several more years the band continued to record and tour, with the personnel roster in a state of constant flux. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had their own solo gigs. As an interesting ’sidelight’, the band’s hit single “Don’t Stop” was Bill Clinton’s campaign theme song, and he persuaded the five “core” members to perform it live at his 1993 Inaugural Ball.
After that appearance, things became chaotic again, but the band continued to perform. They had their own successful road tour, and they opened for other artists such as Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon, and their public never quite lost sight of them. Fleetwood Mac as a band kept splitting up and reforming, and it was not until 2004 that they came together again with the release of “Say You Will”, their 15th album.
You Can’t Keep a Great Band Down
Now it is 2009, and we can say “Hello!” again to Fleetwood Mac, the real thing! The ‘core’ and key members, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are together again, and they are “Unleashed”! The U.S. tour is set to begin on March 1st at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburg, and fans can look forward to some grand entertainment. A joint statement released by the band says it all: “We love our band and think the title of the tour “Unleashed” perfectly describes how we all feel when we get on stage together - especially in 2009.
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