Primarily a British blues band, Fleetwood Mac scored a UK number one with "Albatross", and had other hits such as the singles "Oh Well" and "Man of the World". All three guitarists left in succession during the early 1970s, to be replaced by guitarists Bob Welch and Bob Weston and vocalist Dave Walker. By 1974, all three of them had either departed or been dismissed, leaving the band without a male lead vocalist or guitarist. In late 1974, while Fleetwood was scouting studios in Los Angeles, he was introduced to American folk-rock duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood Mac soon asked Buckingham to be their new lead guitarist, and Buckingham agreed on condition that Nicks would also join the band.
The addition of Buckingham and Nicks gave the band a more pop rock sound, and their 1975 self-titled album, Fleetwood Mac, reached No. 1 in the United States. Rumours (1977), Fleetwood Mac's second album after the arrival of Buckingham and Nicks, produced four U.S. Top 10 singles and remained at number one on the American albums chart for 31 weeks. It also reached the top spot in various countries around the world and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978. Rumours has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums in history. The band went through personal turmoil while recording the album, as both the romantic partnerships in the band (one being John and Christine McVie, and the other being Buckingham and Nicks) separated while continuing to make music together.
The band's personnel remained stable through three more studio albums, but by the late 1980s began to disintegrate. After Buckingham and Nicks each left the band, they were replaced by a number of other guitarists and vocalists. A 1993 one-off performance for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton featured the lineup of Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham back together for the first time in six years. A full reunion occurred four years later, and the group released their fourth U.S. No. 1 album, The Dance (1997), a live compilation of their hits, also marking the 20th anniversary of Rumours. Christine McVie left the band in 1998, but continued to work with the band in a session capacity. Meanwhile, the group remained together as a four-piece, releasing their most recent studio album, Say You Will, in 2003. Christine McVie rejoined the band full-time in 2014. In 2018, Buckingham was fired from the band and was replaced by Mike Campbell, formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House.
Fleetwood Mac has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands. In 1979, the group was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1998 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Danny Kirwan, guitarist, songwriter and early member of Fleetwood Mac (1968–1972) died in London, England, on 8 June 2018, aged 68. An obituary in The New York Times said he had died in his sleep after contracting pneumonia earlier in the year. The British music magazine Mojo quoted Christine McVie as saying: "Danny Kirwan was the white English blues guy. Nobody else could play like him. He was a one-off ... Danny and Peter [Green] gelled so well together. Danny had a very precise, piercing vibrato – a unique sound ... He was a perfectionist; a fantastic musician and a fantastic writer." One of Kirwan's songs, "Tell Me All the Things You Do" from the 1970 album Kiln House, was included in the set of the 2018–19 An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour.
On 28 May 2020 Neil Finn, featuring Nicks and McVie, with Campbell on guitar, released the song “Find Your Way Back Home” for the Auckland, New Zealand homeless shelter Auckland City Mission.
Founding member Peter Green died on 25 July 2020 at the age of 73. In October 2020, Rumours again entered the Billboard top 10. The album received 30.6 million plays on streaming platforms the week of October 15, after a TikTok video of the song "Dreams" went viral.
On 30 November 2022, it was announced that band member Christine McVie died at the age of 79, after a short illness.
Buzz Me Baby
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me, why did you walk away?
When I saw you this morning, baby
Tell me, why did you walk away?
Can't believe that you don't love me
I thought our love was here to stay
Well, buzz me baby
Buzz me, buzz me baby
Yes, I'll be waiting for you when you call
And if you forgot my number
Come on over and don't call at all
I never lied to no one
I ain't gonna lie to you
Say I'm yours forever
Every word I say is true
Buzz me, buzz me, buzz me baby
I'm like a ship that's lost at sea
If I ever get my arms around you
I ain't gonna let go till 1973
Buzz me, baby
I said buzz me, buzz me, buzz me baby
Yes, I'll be waiting for you when you call
If you forgot my number
Come on over and you don't even have to call at all
The lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's "Buzz Me Baby" speak of a love lost and a desire to reclaim it. The singer expresses confusion over why their love interest walked away, stating that they believed their love was built to last. The chorus of the song features the singer urging the love interest to call them, promising to be waiting for them no matter what. The vocabulary used in the song's lyrics, such as "buzz me," gives it a distinctly retro feel, adding to the overall sense of longing and nostalgia.
The second verse suggests that the singer is honest and true to their word. They promise to never lie to their love interest and declare that they are theirs forever. The final chorus sees the singer comparing themselves to a "ship that's lost at sea," indicating a feeling of being lost without their love interest in their life. They conclude by stating that they will hold onto their love until the year 1973, indicating a sense of optimism and hope for the future.
Overall, "Buzz Me Baby" is a classic love song that speaks to universal themes of heartbreak, longing, and hope. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a relationship on the rocks, with the singer doing everything they can to hold onto their love and wait for their love interest to return.
Line by Line Meaning
Now when I saw you this morning
At the time I saw you this morning
Tell me, why did you walk away?
Please tell me the reason for your departure
When I saw you this morning, baby
At the time I saw you this morning, darling
Can't believe that you don't love me
I find it hard to comprehend that you don't have feelings for me
I thought our love was here to stay
I believed that our love was meant to last forever
Well, buzz me baby
Call me, my dear
I'll be waiting for you when you call
I'll eagerly anticipate your call
Yes, I'll be waiting for you when you call
Indeed, I'll eagerly anticipate your call
And if you forgot my number
In case you forgot my contact information
Come on over and don't call at all
Just come to me in person without needing to make a phone call
I never lied to no one
I have never been dishonest with anyone
I ain't gonna lie to you
I won't be dishonest with you
Say I'm yours forever
Declare that I belong to you forever
Every word I say is true
All my words are genuine and honest
I'm like a ship that's lost at sea
I'm feeling lost and adrift like a ship in the sea
If I ever get my arms around you
If I am lucky enough to embrace you
I ain't gonna let go till 1973
I won't release you until the end of 1973
I said buzz me, buzz me, buzz me baby
I implore you to call me, repeatedly even
If you forgot my number
In case you forgot my contact information
Come on over and you don't even have to call at all
Just come to me in person without needing to make a phone call
Contributed by Wyatt V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac
jesus this is a great tune , ive never heard it before , and boy are Greens BB King Dorian Blues phrases sounding almost horn like , whatta beauty here , and its a total unknown one. such a gifted blues virtuoso, and the great voice to match.. thank you ...
Edward Lawson
Sometimes one comes to realize, you can not improve on the original music of the real Fleetwood Mac will never die.
Rebecca
RIP my love Peter Green ❤
John, Writer, Poet
The walking bass keeps the song moving quite well.
A Face in the Crowd
It’s on BB’s best live album, Blues is King, from 67. Seems to be quite the revelation around here.
Jeffrey Giamario
What a voice and then his sweet tone.Really doesn't get much better. Just ask B.B.-I did. I always have at least one Les Paul with reversed neck pickup magnet to try and cop his tone and touch! bigbossgreen
sammy H
Still amazing 2021 and on the brink of who knows what..
Gary Dreyer
Blues masters
Tornfreedom
@thetubetone PG has been out and jamming for over a decade as The Splinter Group - where have you been, man?. Possibly since 1995 or before. He doesn't write new music, and I think he would agree that his voice is a bit unreliable, but his guitar playing is as sublime and relaxed as ever. Long live Peter Green.
JPRBlues
This a great tune awesome stuff. Thanks...Jake