Fleetwood Mac back in full force
By L. Kent Wolgamott
Lincoln Journal Star
By L. Kent Wolgamott
Lincoln Journal Star
On Saturday, Fleetwood Mac will return to Lincoln for the first time in more than 30 years, bringing its full “Rumours”-era lineup to Pinnacle Bank Arena for a career-spanning nearly three-hour show.
That lineup -- singer Stevie Nicks, keyboardist Christine McVie, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood -- initially came together in 1974.
Before that, Fleetwood Mac was a very different band.
Formed in 1967 by guitarist Peter Green and named after former John Mayall bandmates Fleetwood and John McVie, Fleetwood Mac Mach One was a noted outfit in the British blues revival of the late '60s/early '70s.
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After Green left the group and it passed through several lineup changes, Fleetwood, the McVies and then-guitarist Bob Welch relocated to Los Angeles. When Welch left the band, Buckingham was recruited to replace him. He insisted on bringing along his musical partner and girlfriend, Stevie Nicks. They joined Fleetwood Mac on New Year’s Eve 1974.
The next year saw the release of the album “Fleetwood Mac,” which triggered the band’s rise to the stardom that has endured since.
'Rumours'
In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released its 11th album, but just its second with its new lineup. Primarily written by Nicks, Buckingham and Christine McVie, the album chronicled the breakups of the two band couples with songs that were transformed into enduring pop anthems.
“Rumours” includes “Say You Love Me,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” all of them hits. It sold millions out of the box, turning Fleetwood Mac into an arena-filling band. It continued to sell strongly, eventually becoming one of the top-selling albums of all time.
As of 2009, “Rumours” had sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. It is one of four albums to receive the Recording Industry Association of America’s “Diamond” award, recognizing sales of 20 million copies in the U.S.