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Fleetwood Mac was founded in mid-1967 in London, ENGLAND by two Blues-Rock
musicians: guitarist Peter Green and drummer Mick Fleetwood; the pair
enlisted second guitarist Jeremy Spencer and Bob Brunning on bass who
was soon replaced by John McVie, the band's live shows caused a buzz,
in Britain, which eventually lead to a record deal with Blue Horizon Records.
The group's eponymous debut, which arrived in early 1968, crashed into
the top 5 of the Official U.K. Albums chart; that same year the band added
a horn section and pianist Christine Perfect, releasing "Mr. Wonderful",
but the album failed to match the commercial success of their debut disc;
after the recording sessions for their second LP, the third guitarist
Danny Kirwan joined the group.
The following year, in January, Fleetwood Mac, released "English
Rose" which included two British hit singles including the #2 "Albatross"
and "Black Magic Woman"; in October appeared "Then Play
On", which reached the #109 in the U.S. Pop Albums chart thanks to
their first American charting single, "Oh Well", the track also
enjoyed success in the U.K. Pop chart reaching the #2 spot.
Peter Green left the band in May of 1970 to be replaced by Christine Perfect,
who later married John McVie, in September the group issued "Kiln
House" wich peaked at #69 in U.S. but in the middle of the American
tour Spencer quit to join a religious sect, the Children Of God, eventually
he was replaced by the Californian guitar player Bob Welch.
In late 1971, Fleetwood Mac's new line-up, released "Future Games"
which was followed the next spring by "Bare Trees", both the
albums entered the top 100 Stateside but in Europe didn't achieve the
same results as its predecessors.
One year later the group was rocked again when Kirwan entered a mental
hospital, Bob Weston was his immediate replacement; in early 1973, after
the addition of the singer Dave Walker, began the recording sessions for
"Penguin"; the line-up changed again as Walker left before the
release of "Mystery To Me"; Weston, who had been having an affair
with Fleetwood's wife, was fired in the middle of the American tour.
As a four-piece, in September of 1974, the group released "Heroes
Are Hard To Find", the record cracked the top 40 of the U.S. Pop
Albums chart for the first time, two months later Welch left the band.
During the following year, Fleetwood Mac, was revitalized by the arrival
of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and a charismatic frontwoman, the vocalist
Stevie Nicks, their eponymous effort was the turning point in the band's
history, the record climbed to the top in The U.S. Pop Albums chart selling
over five million copies thanks to three American Top 20 singles: "Over
My Head", "Say You Love Me" and "Rhiannon".
After the McVies were divorced and Buckingham and Nicks' romance ended,
the quintet returned in early 1977 with another strong effort, "Rumours",
which shot to #1 in the States spawning an endless series of top 10 hits
including the #1 "Dreams", "Don't Stop", "You
Make Loving Fun" and "Go Your Own Way"; "Rumours"
won a Grammy for Album Of The Year and by the time sold 25 million copies
becomig their best-selling album ever.
Two years later the group released the double-set "Tusk", which
hit #4 on the Official U.S. Pop Albums chart, it contained three top 20
smash singles: the #7 "Sara", the transatlantic hit "Tusk"
and "Think About Me".
At the start of the '80s the group issued their first live album which
featured two new tracks including the minor hit single "Fireflies",
shortly afterwards Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks recorded solo albums.
In the summer of 1981, Fleetwood Mac, returned at the top of the American
Albums chart with "Mirage", the record included two Mainstream
Rock top 5 hit: the #3 "Hold Me" and "Gypsy", both
the tracks also enjoyed a long chart run in the U.S. Pop Singles list
reaching respectively the #4 and #12 spots, another cut, "Love In
Store", peaked at #22 in the same chart.
The group resurfaced in early 1987 with "Tango In The Night"
which ranked in the top 10 of The Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, it spawned
numerous hit singles, "Big Love" hit #2 on Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart and #5 on The Billboard Hot 100, "Seven Wonders" also
peaked at #2 on Active Rock chart and entered the top 20 of The Hot 100,
"Little Lies" hit #4 on The Billboard Hot 100 and ranked in
the top 20 of Mainstream Rock Tracks list; followed three more top 30
hits in the same chart: "Isn't It Midnight", "Everywhere"
and the title-track.
The next year saw Buckingham leaving the band, that released "Greatest
Hits" which featured the previously unreleased songs "As Long
As You Follow" and "No Questions Asked", both the tracks
entered The Billboard Active Rock chart reaching respectively the #15
and #37 spots.
Buckingham was replaced by two guitarists Rick Vito and Billy Burnette,
the new line-up, in the spring of 1990 issued "Behind The Mask",
the first album without Buckingham reached the #18 in U.S. chart with
marked drop in sales but generated two Mainstream Rock top 10 hit: the
#3 "Save Me" and #7 "Love Is Dangerous".
Two years later the band released a four discbox set entitled "Selections
From 25 Years: The Chain" which collected their best work plus some
new songs, the extracted "Paper Doll" made #26 on Mainstream
Rock Tracks chart.
After Stevie Nicks and Rick Vito left, the group enlisted Bekka Bramlett
and Dave Mason, then released "Time" in 1995 receiving minimal
attention.
In August of 1997 the compilation "The Dance" climbed to the
top of The Billboard 200 chart on the strength of the 1977's line-up reunion,
the opening track, "The Chain", ranked in the top 30 of The
Mainstream Rock chart.
After nearly five years Fleetwood Mac resurfaced officially as a four-piece:
Nicks, Buckingham, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, recording "Say
You Will", Christine McVie collaborated on but opted to stay out;
the record rose to the #3 spot on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart, its
main single, "Peacekeeper", impacted at Adult Contemporary radio.
Fleetwood Mac biography is an exclusive of 100xr.com
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