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.
Purple Dancer
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dancing in the space of time
She can surely know the answer
Standing in the steps of mine
Will I waver? Will I wonder?
Will I fall down to the ground?
Is it love that is the answer?
Must I stay a minute longer?
Eyes bewitching me does more
Tries to keep me from my wonder
Knowing her, though I must go
Will I waver? Will I wonder?
Will I fall down to the ground?
Is it love that is the answer?
Will she lift me to the sound?
I love the purple dancer
Dancing in the space of time
She can surely know the answer
Standing in the steps of mine
Will I waver? Will I wonder?
Will I fall down to the ground?
Is it love that is the answer?
Will she lift me to the sound?
Will I waver? Will I wonder?
Will I fall down to the ground?
Is it love that is the answer?
Will she lift me to the sound?
The lyrics to "Purple Dancer" by Fleetwood Mac explore the theme of love and uncertainty. The singer is enamored with the purple dancer, who represents a sense of mystery and allure. The dancer possesses wisdom and insight, as symbolized by her ability to know the answer. The singer is drawn to her, standing in awe of her presence and the steps she takes.
The lyrics convey a sense of hesitation and vulnerability from the singer. They question whether they will waver or wonder, suggesting a fear of taking risks or making decisions. The reference to falling down to the ground symbolizes the fear of failure or rejection. The singer wonders if love is the answer to their uncertainties, and if the purple dancer will be the one to lift them up with her actions and the sound of her presence.
Throughout the song, there is a conflict between the singer's attraction to the purple dancer and their own sense of wonder and exploration. The dancer tries to keep the singer from their own sense of curiosity, but the singer acknowledges that they must go and continue their own journey.
Overall, "Purple Dancer" reflects the complex emotions and desires associated with love and the struggle to find answers and direction in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the purple dancer
I am deeply enamored with the mesmerizing performer who radiates a purple aura
Dancing in the space of time
Gracefully moving through the continuum of existence
She can surely know the answer
She possesses a profound understanding or insight
Standing in the steps of mine
In alignment with my personal journey or path
Will I waver? Will I wonder?
Am I susceptible to faltering or experiencing doubt?
Will I fall down to the ground?
Might I succumb to a state of failure or defeat?
Is it love that is the answer?
Could love be the ultimate solution or resolution?
Will she lift me to the sound?
Is she capable of elevating me to a higher state through the power of music?
Must I stay a minute longer?
Should I prolong my presence for a little while?
Eyes bewitching me does more
Her captivating gaze exerts an even stronger enchantment
Tries to keep me from my wonder
Attempts to hinder or obstruct my sense of awe and curiosity
Knowing her, though I must go
Despite having an understanding of her, I must depart
Lyrics © TuneCore
Written by: Danny Kirwan, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChevKen
RIP Danny Kirwan. Gone but not forgotten.
Rob Hansult
LOVE this Danny tune! Just found yesterday & can't stop listening ... think I found a horrible quality live version a while back, but too poor to really listen too. #WHYDIDNTSOMEONETELLME!?!
Valeria Victrix
one of the great points of FM in this era is the overlaying guitars at work. Like the waves in the ocean, adding and subtracting.
Gert Jan Kuiper
I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan since 1977 and this is my favourite song. As this never was released on CD, I'm very happy with this great version; it sounds awesome! Thank you very, very much!
Hans Bos
Okee .. leuk . Ik verzamel cassettedecks en zeldzame bandjes maar ik
moet minderen ;-) M'n laatste elpee kan wel 5 jaar terug zijn , Iets
klassieks . ik heb er niet zoveel .. stuks of 140 .. Gelukkig heb ik
niet teveel platen weg gedaan in de jaren 80 ,, 'n stuk of 20 schat ik .
M'n Fleetwood Mac elpees heb ik uiteraard nog . Paar jaar geleden nog
CD gekocht van Fleetwood Mac , Future Games
Gert Jan Kuiper
Yes, cat fan54, and that's the same as on the double CD 'Madison Blues', but that is a BBC version, not the original studio version. There's also a live version on MB.
cat fan54
its on a cd called fleetwood mac live and studio perfect days
Gert Jan Kuiper
+Hans Bos Van die lp heb ik er wel 6, Duitse en Nederlandse persingen. De single heb ik ook (met 'Dragonfly' als A-kant). Maar ik ben ook al 35 jaar bezig met verzamelen...
Hans Bos
+Gert Jan Kuiper .. Te gek he .. Dit is ook een van mijn absolute favorieten. Die hoes met die vakjes , dat verzamelalbum schijnt ook zeldzaam te zijn . Franse persing . Die elpee zou ik ook nooit weg doen.
Skelet3n
Interesting tidbit I just read about Jenny Boyd and the composition of The Purple Dancer:
Though the band added a woman to their ranks, the supremely talented Christine McVie (wife of bassist John McVie), she was considered by them to be “one of the guys”. The album they recorded took its name from the place where they lived, Kiln House. For its sessions, Boyd wrote all of the lyrics for the song Purple Dancer, and some of them for Jewel Eyed Judy. But she wasn’t given any credit. “Their manager wanted his band to be ‘the guys’,” Boyd said. “To have Mick’s wife have credit, he wouldn’t want that. So, he gave it to Mick.”