To be honest, I am more content with this original single of 'Albatross', which features the same two tracks. I already own this single, with two of the band's early hits, but nothing beats the original release, of course.
My collection: 7" single no. 7026
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 10 September 2023
Tracks: 'Albatross' / 'Jigsaw puzzle blues'
The song was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1955. When Fleetwood Mac recorded the song, producer Mike Vernon suggested adding strings to the track. It was also Vernon who contacted Mickey Baker, who provided the guitar on John's original version, to write an orchestral score for the song. The single became a minor hit in the UK (peaking at number 31) but reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40. A much longer version of the track appeared on the 2002 compilation album 'The Best Of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac'.
My collection: 7" single no. 6439
Found: Flea market, Voorburg, 29 August 2021
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Need your love so bad' / 'Stop messin' round'
Fleetwood Mac released the album 'Tusk' in 1979, with the first two singles, 'Tusk' and 'Sara' being the album's best known singles. Four more singles were released from the album, and this German release features two of them: 'Not that funny' and 'Think about me'.
Commenting on the track in interview, Stevie Nicks says that 'Sara' is about her best friend Sara Recor Fleetwood, the wife of Mick Fleetwood. Nicks had an affair with Mick Fleetwood in early 1978 while he was married to Jenny Boyd. Then her best friend, model Sara Recor, fell for Fleetwood and began an affair with him whilst Nicks and Fleetwood were still together. The pair ultimately moved in together, and were subsequently married. Nicks felt very betrayed, but Recor and Fleetwood were undeniably in love. Sara claims that Nicks was never upset with her, only with Fleetwood.
Though selling millions of copies worldwide, Fleetwood Mac's 1979 album 'Tusk' was deemed a failure in comparison to their previous album, 'Rumours'. Two hit singles were taken from the album ('Sara' and the title track), but three further singles failed to chart in most territories.
'Oh Diane' was written by Lindsey Buckingham for Fleetwood Mac's 1982 album 'Mirage'. The song, like the album, was produced by him as well.
Written by Stevie Nicks, 'Silver springs' was originally intended for the Fleetwood Mac album 'Rumours'. Years after the fact, Nicks commented that in a way, its lack of inclusion on the effort marked a growing tension in the band. The group has three great writers, and only so many slots. The track's inherent longing reportedly came from the ending of the romantic relationship between Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
Without Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac soldiered on. Billy Burnette and Rick Vito replaced him and in the new line-up they recorded the 1990 album 'Behind the mask'.
In 1989, the record company shied away from releasing 'No questions asked', one of two new tracks on Fleetwood Mac's 1988 'Greatest Hits' album. Instead, they put it on the B-side of a re-release of the song 'Hold me', which was originally a hit in 1982. Written by Christine McVie and Robbie Patton, it became one of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits in the USA. Released in July 1982, it peaked at number 4 for seven weeks.
The production process of making 7" vinyl singles has been successful for millions of copies: you take a piece of vinyl, press the grooves on it, cut off the edges to make a round piece of vinyl and punch a hole in the middle. But sometimes, things go wrong. My copy of 'As long as you follow' by Fleetwood Mac had a hole in the middle, but it was not exactly in the middle. As a result, the sides were unlistenable.
I never went back to the shop with the single, but I did buy a promotional copy of it, made in Spain, seven years later. This copy featured 'As long as you follow' on both sides. For this blog, I used my original copy to record the B-side. It's a matter of putting the record on the right spot on the record player. I think the recording still turned out alright!
'Isn't it midnight' was released as the sixth and final single from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album 'Tango in the night'. The song was co-written and sung by Christine McVie.
Fleetwood Mac were formed in 1967 in London by Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer and John McVie. They released their self-titled debut album in February 1968. Six months later, 'Mr Wonderful', their second album was released. Both albums were very blues-oriented. Shortly after the release of their second album Fleetwood Mac added guitarist Danny Kirwan to their line-up. With him they recorded their third album 'The pious bird of good omen'. They soon made their last all-blues recordings, as they changed label and changed style.
'Everywhere' was the fifth single taken from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album 'Tango in the night'. Released in February 1988, it reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 3 in the Dutch Top 40. In the USA, where the single was released in November 1987, it reached number 14 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
'Little lies' was written by Christine McVie with her husband at the time, Eddy Quintela. It was recorded as a track on Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album 'Tango in the night' and released as the album's third single.
'Seven wonders' was the second single release from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album 'Tango in the night'. Lead vocals were performed by Stevie Nicks, who wrote the song together with Sandy Stewart.
'Big love' was written by Lindsey Buckingham, and was originally going to be part of his third solo album which he began working on in 1985, but the project became a Fleetwood Mac album instead. Since Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac in 1987 (shortly after the album 'Tango in the night' was released), the band never performed 'Big love' live until his return in 1997. Meanwhile, the single reached number 9 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.
Earlier this year, Stevie Nicks finally commented about the song 'Gypsy', released by Fleetwood Mac in 1982: 'In the old days, before Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey [Buckingham] and I had no money, so we had a king-size mattress, but we just had it on the floor. I had old vintage coverlets on it, and even though we had no money it was still really pretty... Just that and a lamp on the floor, and that was it—there was a certain calmness about it. (...) So that’s what 'Gypsy' means: it’s just a search for before this all happened. And later, I tacked on a line for my friend Robin, my best friend, who died of leukemia: 'I still see your bright eyes.' But then, Robin wasn’t sick yet. She got cancer, and died within a year.'
'Tusk' was recorded by Fleetwood Mac on their 1979 double album of the same name. It was based in part on a rehearsal riff the band used for sound-checks. 'Tusk' was recorded live at Dodger Stadium (without an audience) in Los Angeles, California in collaboration with the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band. The performance was also filmed for the song's music video.
Fleetwood Mac band member Lindsey Buckingham wrote 'Go your own way' with regard to his bandmate Stevie Nicks, with whom he had just ended a romantic relationship. It describes their breakup, with the most obvious line being, 'Packing up, shacking up is all you want to do.' Nicks insisted she never shacked up with anyone when they were together, and wanted Lindsey to take out the line, but he refused.
