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.
Cold Black Night
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was a cold black night and the rain was falling down
Cold black night and the rain was fallin' down
I went out lookin' for my girl,
I knew she wasn't nowhere around
She left me early that morning, yes, with a suitcase in her hand
And she took off on a train this mornin'
And she was meetin' some other man, yes
She used to treat me real good and I wonder why I
Didn't treat her right
Yes, ah, you know I wonder why I didn't treat her right
And now all I can do, is walk those streets both day and night
“Cold Black Night” is a blues rock song by English-American band Fleetwood Mac. The song was written by Jeremy Spencer, the band’s lead guitarist, and was first released as a single in 1970. The song is about a man who lost his lover and is now searching for her. He knows she has left him for another man and he regrets not treating her well while she was with him.
The song begins with a somber tone, with the singer mentioning the cold and rainy night. The imagery of the rain falling down adds to the atmosphere of sadness and lost hope, setting the tone for the rest of the song. The singer then speaks about his quest for his girl, who he knows is not around even though he is out searching for her. He remembers the morning when she left with a suitcase in hand and went on a train to meet someone else. The singer is alone and now walks the streets day and night riddled with regret about how he treated his girl poorly.
The song's themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and regret are staples of classic blues music. Jeremy Spencer's guitar playing and vocals are both haunting and mesmerizing. “Cold Black Night” showcases his deep understanding of the genre and his ability to create timeless blues music.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a cold black night and the rain was falling down
The mood was somber and intense, with heavy rainfall reflecting the singer's emotions.
Cold black night and the rain was fallin' down
The repetitive lyrics are a verbal echo of the emotional cyclicality at play in the singer's state of mind.
I went out lookin' for my girl, I knew she wasn't nowhere around
The singer is seeking out a sense of closure over a void that he knows will remain empty.
She left me early that morning, with a suitcase in her hand
The artist's partner left him, and took all of her belongings with her, signaling a complete break in their relationship.
She left me early that morning, yes, with a suitcase in her hand
The repetition of this line emphasizes the finality of the situation, driving home the severity of the artist's loss
And she took off on a train this mornin' and she was meetin' some other man, yes
The singer's ex-partner has moved on, and is already beginning a new chapter of her life with someone else
She used to treat me real good and I wonder why I didn't treat her right
Despite the hurt the singer has endured, he is also capable of self-reflection over his own mistakes within the relationship.
Yes, ah, you know I wonder why I didn't treat her right
The repetition of this line further emphasizes the artist's regret over his past actions and how they contributed to his current state.
And now all I can do, is walk those streets both day and night
The artist is lost, with no clear direction or destination. All he can do is simply wander, both physically and emotionally.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY, FUN ATTIC MUSIC, LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID MULLEN, DAVID A. MULLEN, NICOLE C. MULLEN, NICOLE COLEMAN MULLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thecaveofthedead
Before discovering FM, I wouldn't have thought it possible for a band to have three of my favourite guitar players all at the same time. I love the languid expressiveness of Jeremy Spencer's playing. And he has the greatest voice - he sounds so young, naive, and optimistic, even when he's playing these sad blues.
Vladislav The Poker
This is why early fleetwood mac is one of a kind.. I mean what rock band serves 3 guitar and lead vocalist all at the same time
Ben Sokolow
Such a good description thank you.
rêves
I think Jeremy Spencer's the shit and the slide and vocals are him so hell yea. This is the song that got me into these guys love the band don't care who was the best out of them! lol I just wish they stuck it out as a blues band!
Zach Echols
I think my favorite thing about the original Mac is how much fun it seemed like they were always having while playing together
josedaylos
Eran excelentes. Su música permanece. Gracias
FlightoftheSpeedKing
While Peter is the superior guitarist, Fleetwood Mac would not be the same without Spencer, bottomline. Sure he did mainly covers and his slide material could get repetitive, but his blues imitations are pretty much unmatched by any other British groups/players. I for one can never get enough of Jeremy Spener and his slide songs.
Joe Mode
His voice has attitude, the kind of stuff you only from the classic blues players like B.B. king live. Great stuff.
vickeeble0
My all time favourite Fleetwood Mac song.
Joe Mcgovern
Jeremy Spencer at his best I would say