The rumors were paid better than the blues
There are bands in pop-rock stories that have decades of musical careers behind them without changing their name, while their music has nothing to do with what they started off with. A typical example of this is Fleetwood Mac, which began with blues, but was most successful as a pop band. Now, the team which has seen many storms celebrates their pop career.
In the February of 1977 Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album appeared, one of the most successful albums of all time. Songs such as The Chain, Second-hand News, Dreams, Don’t Stop and the most popular Go Your own way are heard on the album. To date, more than 40 million copies have been sold, and can be heard on such hits as The Chain, Second-Hand News, Dreams, Do not Stop and the most popular, Go Your Own Way. This last one entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and achieved 120th place out of the 500 songs that are considered pillars of the genre (500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll). Album of the year Grammy winner, chosen by Rolling Stone, Rumours recieved 25th place as the best album.
When Rumours was released, the original Fleetwood Mac only had the two eponymous members of the band play in the band which was founded exactly 10 years earlier: the tall drummer Mick Fleetwood and John McVie bass player. The two had previously appeared in John Mayall Bluesbreakers with one of England's best blues guitarist, the slightly mad Peter Green, but Mayall didn’t tolerate alcohol abuse or drugs, he dropped all three of them. This was good for everyone, because Bluesbreakers went on new ways and British blues boom was increased by a great team. With the tiny Jeremy Spencer, guitarist, and supplemented by a third guitarist, Danny Kirwannel, FM – Next to Robert Johnson and Elmore James classics processed under everlasting songs were handed down to us, such as Black Magic Woman (which is more well known by Santana, but the original is no dog..), Need Your Love So Bad, the Oh Well, Rattlesnake Shake, which they sometimes performed with 20-30 minute improvisations (you can hear a good example of this in the February 1970 recording, published in 2004 triple album Live In Boston). But we can thank them for some psychedelic gems such as the Albatross, Man of the World and, above all, The Green Manalishit. Then, in 1970, Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer "snapped" and began a five-year comings and goings in the band. Finally, in 1975 they formed a success team, with two married couples, who later divorced, but the pop-business kept them intogether. McVie married the certified singer-keyboardist Christine Perfect from Chicken Shack, and signed the American singer and guitarist Lindsay Buckingham, and his sweetheart, the lovely and beautiful voice Stevie Nicks. This was a recipe for success, which culminated in Rumours, with completely different music. The original Fleetwood Mac fans, of course, didn’t like it, but remained in the minority ...
The Rumours now, a little late for the original 35 year anniversary luxury spending, celebrates the band’s biggest success with 4 CD’s, a DVD and two LP’s. You can hear the original music on the four CD’s, and the various versions of the songs from that period including unreleased recordings. On the DVD’s you can see details from the 1977 U.S. tour and a 30-minute documentary film by Michael Collins, the band's former cameraman.
