Not Just Second Hand News: Fleetwood Mac to Release ‘Rumours’-Era Live Show
Over the course of four legs between February 24, 1977 and August 30, 1978, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood traveled across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Japan touring Rumours. Fleetwood Mac released their seminal album on February 4 and would perform most of it on the road. Now, a full concert performance recorded on August 29, 1977 at The “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California is coming to CD, vinyl and digital platforms. On September 8, Rumours Live will arrive on two discs from Warner Records and Rhino – in stores justs a couple of months before the recently-announced pair of solo reissues from the late, much-missed Christine McVie.
Since its formation in 1967, Fleetwood Mac had endured radical personnel changes, a stylistic shift from blues to rock, and even a challenge from a “fake Mac” claiming to be the band in concert. When guitarist-songwriter-vocalist Bob Welch became the latest member to pass through the Fleetwood Mac revolving door, drummer Mick Fleetwood and husband-and-wife duo John (on bass) and Christine McVie (on vocals and keyboards) invited two young Californians to bolster the line-up. Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and his then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks first appeared on 1975’s self-titled album, which signified a new start for the identity crisis-stricken band. With “Rhiannon,” “Landslide,” “Over My Head,” and “Say You Love Me,” the all-new Fleetwood Mac launched the group into the stratosphere. Its slow ascent up the charts culminated in a No.1 berth on the Billboard 200 over one year after entering the chart. The stage was set for Rumours, which would handily surpass its predecessor’s great success.
The relationship between Buckingham and Nicks was coming apart at the seams, while the threads of Christine and John McVie’s marriage were also fraying. Not long after the album’s release, Nicks found herself in the arms of Fleetwood, his own marriage having recently crumbled. In other words, all five members of the band were involved in break-ups and other torrid affairs of the heart while crafting one of the best-selling albums of all time. They brought all of the attendant emotions into their songwriting and performances on Rumours. The seeds for dissension were there, especially once the culture of music biz hedonism took its toll, but so were the seeds of great strength. The two-woman, three-man band boasted three strong songwriters, who also happened to be its three vocalists. Buckingham and Nicks were from California; the other three members were from the United Kingdom. Each member’s sensibilities were singular, but when they marshaled their powers, it was clear that the sum of their parts was greater than any one individual’s. The power of Rumours would translate well to the road, in effect transforming Fleetwood Mac into the concert powerhouse it remains today even with further changes to the group’s makeup.
The set, recorded by original album engineer Ken Caillat, is composed primarily of tracks from the Fleetwood Mac and Rumours albums (with the addition of Peter Green-era favorite “Oh Well”). Only one of the tracks was released before on the expansion of the group’s Live album from 2021. It’ll be available on two CDs and two 180-gram LPs cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering; in America, Walmart will carry a crystal clear vinyl variant as well. Sam Graham has penned liner notes for the package.
Look for Rumours Live on September 8 at the links below!
Rumours Live (Warner/Rhino, 2023)
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Disc 1
- Say You Love Me
- Monday Morning
- Dreams
- Oh Well
- Rhiannon
- Oh Daddy
- Never Going Back Again
- Landslide
- Over My Head
- Gold Dust Woman *
Disc 2
- You Make Loving Fun
- I’m So Afraid
- Go Your Own Way
- World Turning
- Blue Letter
- The Chain
- Second Hand News
- Songbird
All tracks recorded live at The Forum, Inglewood, CA – 8/29/1977. Previously unreleased except * issued on Live (Deluxe Edition) – Warner/Rhino R2 643445, 2021
You Might Also Like
16 thoughts on “Not Just Second Hand News: Fleetwood Mac to Release ‘Rumours’-Era Live Show”
Leave a Comment
Has this stuff been released before on any of the box sets or whatever?
You should read the text. It says “Only one of the tracks was released before”!
Lol thanks
They need to release full The Dance on 2 cd
Any word about the Buckingham-Nicks album? I am pretty sure most people would want that instead of another live album.
Sure, but not holding my breath for that.
For me, I’m intrigued because they are FINALLY releasing a vintage show with “World Turning” on it.
One of their best live jams, and somehow it seems to have passed over again and again. I may buy it just for that, though I expect the whole thing will be good.
Yes!!!!
It’s great that this Live Rumors CD is coming out. But 2023 marks 50 years since the Buckingham Nicks album was first released in 1973. A reissue is very long overdue. It is a crying shame that this classic album has never been reissued . It is definitely time for a reissue, hopefully in a deluxe edition with the original album and any unreleased recordings. This is something we fans have been hoping for, waiting for and wanting for years. Now is the time.
Fleetwood Mac Live 1980 is great. Live versions from both albums, different cities.
The Rumours special edition from 10 years ago also had a live disc from the tour. Were those recordings before or after these?
What i found they seem to be recordings from spring 1977. So they are from concerts before this!
I grew up listening to this band. One of many song.’s We’re written and collaborated with the band. By one talented musician Christie McVie Don’t get me wrong, Stevie Nicks was a powerhouse in herself. But you make loveing fun, say you love me. And the iconic song Songbird Is what captured my heart. I have to Give thank to the founder of this band Even though I haven’t seen The band live In concert. Have to give Thanks to creating Such a band that test the time and kept coming back for more. Thank you Mick Fleetwood
Let’s not forget Peter Green
Love all of Fleetwood Mac, but especially Mick❤️
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA CHING= in to the pockets of the fleetwood mac cash machine. it will never cease but a nother money grab will soon follow.
As a fan of Fleetwood Mac, I would love to see a remastered deluxe or expanded edition of Behind the Mask, as they’ve done with the superb expanded editions of Rumours, Tusk, Mirage, etc. in recent years.