DJ Allyn – The Soundtrack for my Life

Big Love ~ Fleetwood Mac  

Fleetwood Mac are a British/American rock band formed in 1967, that have experienced a high turnover of personnel and varied levels of success. From the band’s inception through the end of 1974, no incarnation of Fleetwood Mac lasted as long as two years.

The only member present in the band from the very beginning is its namesake drummer Mick Fleetwood. Bassist John McVie, despite his giving part of his name to the band, did not play on their first single nor at their first concerts. Keyboardist Christine McVie has, to date, appeared on all but two albums, either as a member or as a session musician. She also supplied the artwork for the album Kiln House.

The two most successful periods for the band were during the late 1960s British blues boom, when they were led by guitarist Peter Green; and from 1975-87, with more pop-orientation, featuring Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The band enjoyed more modest success in the intervening period between 1971 and 1974, with the line-up that included Bob Welch, and also during the 1990s which saw more personnel changes before the return of Nicks and Buckingham in 1997, and more recently, the departure of Christine McVie.

Big Love

“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. The song epitomised the stylised production techniques used on the album, with its provocative “oh – ahh” male/female vocal exchange. Though many assumed the female “ahh” to be Stevie Nicks, it was actually Lindsey Buckingham performing both, created by way of his voice being sampled and altered in the studio to mimic that of a woman. The sound was ubiquitous, eventually making the rounds on 1987 episodes of Late Night with David Letterman where David told viewers they were hearing the sounds of CPR.

Since Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac in 1987 (shortly after Tango in the Night was released), the band never performed “Big Love” live until his return in 1997. It was in 1992, on his first solo tour, that Lindsey performed a stripped down guitar-only version of the song. In 1997, he performed it in the same style on Fleetwood Mac’s live album and video The Dance, as well as also appearing on the second volume of Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown film soundtrack. Buckingham to this day continues to perform the song on Fleetwood Mac and solo tours, most recently on his tour to support Gift of Screws.

Looking out for love
In the night so still
Oh I’ll build you a kingdom
In that house on the hill

Looking out for love
Big, big love

You said that you love me
And that you always will
Oh you begged me to keep you
In that house on the hill
Looking out for love
Big, big love

I wake up alone
With it all
I wake up
But only to fall

Looking out for love
Big, big love
Just looking out for love
Big, big love

• Audio from the 1997 album, The Dance (Live):

Other Songs Posted for this Artist

• November 11, 2009 -- Hypnotized – Fleetwood Mac
• May 3, 2009 -- The Chain ~ Fleetwood Mac
• September 17, 2008 -- Oh Well ~ Fleetwood Mac