Fleetwood Mac, a rock band, best known for their album Rumours, has experienced several changes in their musical journey, like their infamous temporary disbandment and the fake Fleetwood Mac mishappening. But did you know there was so much controversy behind the album’s
Rumors, Fleetwood Mac’s smash hit album, was fueled by so much cocaine that the band attempted to add their cocaine dealer in the credits of the album.
The Rocky Start of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac is known for experiencing various ups and downs throughout its musical career ever since its establishment in 1976.
The roots of Fleetwood Mac are rooted back in 1976 when Peter Green and John McVie were still part of a blues band called John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. They’ve already known Mick Fleetwood then as they’ve already played with him in the past, inviting him to join their band as a drummer.
Green and Fleetwood then decided to form a new band named Fleetwood Mac, a name of an instrumental track they had. McVie only solidified his decision to join the two weeks after their first performance in August 1967. It was only a year after when Christine McVie and Danny Kirwan joined the band, expanding the diversity of the band’s songs.
In 1969, Fleetwood Mac released their first rock album featuring the hit Rattlesnake Shake. A year after, Green’s mental health took a toll for the worse, making him leave the band after their European tour. The same year, Christine McVie, now John McVie’s wife, joined as a fully dedicated member.
1971 came, and Fleetwood Mac hired a new full-time guitarist named Bob Welch as their former member, Jeremy Spencer, disappeared to join a religious cult. The same year, the release of the Future Games album brought them traction in the United States.
When 1972 arrived, band members lessened again as Fleetwood fired Kirwan due to his alcohol dependency and refusal to perform, making Bob Weston join the band as a guitarist. The following year, Fleetwood fired Weston when he discovered that Weston and Fleetwood’s wife, Jenny Boyd, had been having an affair. (Source: Planet Radio)
The Pressure of Producing a Hit Album
With such a successful recent album and a well-received tour, the band was under even more pressure to provide something special as a follow-up. They were on top professionally, but their personal lives were unraveling. All five members were in the thick of an emotional storm when they gathered near San Francisco to begin recording. (Source: Planet Radio)
How Did Rumours Become One of the Band’s Most Popular Albums?
Rumors was chosen for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2018 by many fans and reviewers as the band’s greatest release. It was ranked number 26 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, with the band described as converting inner angst into sparkling, lyrical public art.
Fleetwood Mac’s core five members would go on to record more studio albums and tours, as well as disband and reunite throughout the years. (Source: Rumours Album)