Fleetwood Mac are an influential and commercially successful rock band formed in 1967 that have had 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 much as two years.
The only member in the band from the 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.
The two most successful periods for the band were: during the late 60s British blues boom, when they were led by guitarist Peter Green, and from 1975-87, with the rock band that consisted of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham.
The following is from their 1969 BBC sessions:
Oh Well
Don’t ask me about the shape I’m in
I can’t sing I ain’t pretty
and my legs are thinDon’t ask me what I think of you
I might not give you the answers
that you want me toGod come to me ‘n said
Don’t you understand stick by me
I’ll be your guiding handDon’t ask me about the shape I’m in
I can’t sing I ain’t pretty
and my legs are thin
Fleetwood Max was a traditional blues band in the late 1960s, but their smash hit, Albatross had broader appeal.
‘Albatross’ and its follow up ‘Man Of The World’ were untypical of Fleetwood Mac’s stage material, but made the band famous.
Albatross
“Gold Dust Woman was a little bit about drugs ~ it was about you know keeping going. It was about cocaine. And, uh, you know after all these years ~ since I haven’t done any cocaine since 1986 I can talk about it now you know. But it was ,ah, at that point ~ it was ~ I don’t think I had ever been so tired in my whole life as I was when we were like - doing that. You know I think it was shocking me ~ the whole rock’n'roll life ~ was really heavy and it was so much work and it was so everyday intense you know. Being in Fleetwood Mac was like being in the army. It was like you have to be there. You have to be there and you have to be there as on time as you can be there. And even if there nothing you have to do, you have to be there. So Gold Dust Woman was really my kind of symbolic look at somebody going through a bad relationship, and doing alot of drugs, and trying to just make it ~ trying to live ~ you know trying to get through it to the next thing.”
~Stevie Nicks, VH1 The Making of Rumours, 1997
Gold Dust Woman
Rock on Gold Dust Woman
Take your silver spoon
And dig your grave
Well its a heartless challenge
You pick your path
And then you pray
You wake up in the morning
You see your sunrise, loves, to go down
Lousy lovers
They pick their prey
But they never cry out loud
No they don’t try out, cry outWell did she make you cry
Make you break down
Shatter your illusions of love
Well is it over now
Do you know how to pick up the pieces and go homeSo rock on, ancient queen
Follow those who pale in your shadows
They say rulers,
They make bad lovers
You’d better put your kingdom up for sale
Well you’d better sell it, sell itWell did she make you cry,
Make you break down,
Shatter your illusions of love
Well is it over now ,
Do you know how to pick up the pieces and go homeWell did she make you cry,
Make you break down,
Shatter your illusions of love,
Now tell me is it over now
Do you know how to pick up the pieces and go home
And go home
And go home….Ooh pale shadow of a woman
Ooh black widow, ooh yeah
Ooh pale shadow, shes a dragon
Gold Dust Woman
Ooh pale shadow of a woman,
Ooh black widow, ooh yeah
Ooh pale shadow, shes a dragon
Gold Dust Woman
Runnin’ in the shadows (woman)
Runnin’ in the shadows (woman)
Runnin’ in the shadows
Runnin’ in the shadows
Said something
Runnin’ in the shadows,
Gold Dust
Runnin’ in the shadows,
Gold Dust
Runnin’ in the Shadows,
Gold Dust
Runnin’ in the shadows
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