The Story of Fleetwood Mac

GARAGE TO STADIUMS

Step into the whirlwind journey of Fleetwood Mac, where relationships intertwine, songwriting flourishes, and musical evolution knows no bounds. We delve deep into the band's captivating narrative with host Dave Anthony and author Mark Blake, a master story teller and author of the upcoming book Dreams: The A to Z of Fleetwood Mac. Blake has conducted several interviews with the band over the years and gives us the inside stories behind the drama that often permeates this group.

In this rollicking episode, you'll learn:

• The origins of the band in England in the 1960s as a blues band featuring a very different lineup
• How the original founder suffered a serious mental health decline that altered the course of the band
• How the aristocratic son of a Royal Air Force commander went from a window cleaner to Fleetwood Mac leader
• How one band member left the band to join a cult
• How a trip to the grocery store led to the discovery of soon-to-be superstars Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham
• The revealing true meaning of 5 of their most famous songs based on Mark Blake's interviews with the band

Join host Dave Anthony and guest Mark Blake, author of Dreams: The A to Z of Fleetwood Mac for the fascinating story behind Fleetwood Mac's journey from the pubs of England to become a US and global phenomenon. Picture this: a plot straight out of a gripping soap opera, where band members forge romantic connections, battle with addiction, weather breakups, and witness a revolving door of musical talent. And at the heart of it all lies Fleetwood Mac, a band synonymous with drama and musical brilliance.

In this episode, you will experience the sight and sounds of the mid 1960s London scene version of Fleetwood Mac typified by this performance on Monster Mash, the BBC television show from the era. We'll next take you to their early US period from 1970 to 1975 where songs like Sands of Time begin to foretell the vocal harmonies that will become a staple of Fleetwood Mac.

Blake then reveals the incredibly random way in which Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were discovered and went from a folk performing duo on their first album Buckingham Nicks to become additional members of the band, contributing powerful songwriting, vocal harmonies ad Buckingham's blazing guitar. These two were directly responsible for massive hits like Rhiannon seen in a scorching live performance in 1976 from NBC’s music show Midnight Special

Amidst the musical triumphs, Fleetwood Mac's journey was not without its share of challenges. Mark Blake paints a vivid portrait of the band's dynamic personalities, fueled by passion, breakups, tension, drug use and the occasional thrown drink. Yet, from this cauldron of creativity emerged Rumours, an album born from chaos yet etched into the annals of music history as one of the Top 10 albums of all time.

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Guest: Mark Blake, author of Dreams: The A to Z of Fleetwood Mac

Songs Featured in Episode: Smokestack Lightnin', Watch Out, Albatross, Green Manalishi, Sands of Time, Future Games, Rhiannon, Landslide, Over My Head, Say You Love Me, Dreams, Go Your Own Way, You Make Loving Fun, Gold Dust Woman, The Chain, Don't Stop, Silver Springs, Beautiful Child, Little Lies

Guest Mark Blake's song picks: Future Games, Silver Springs, Beautiful Child

Air Date: 2024

Host: Dave Anthony

Produced by Podstarter