FLEETWOOD MAC 101
Lesson Seven: “Mirage”
Fleetwood Mac had been through
more in this incarnation than most other bands endure over the course of their
entire history. The success of "Fleetwood Mac,"
and the impact of "Rumours" made them the
most in demand band in the world. Then came the
experimentation of "Tusk," which critics did not approve
of. Then, after the "Tusk" tour, which was the longest and
largest in history to that point in time, having performed live for over 1.2
million fans, came the solo projects, which propelled vocalist Stevie Nicks
into super-stardom in her own right.
Several music pundits, fans and
maybe even a few of the band members themselves thought that these solo
projects might spell the end of Fleetwood Mac.
On the contrary, the fact they
were able to have a solo outlet seemed to feed their desire to work together
again, in an even more collaborative way.
Recording sessions began in April
of 1981 when the band traveled to France to cut basic tracks in an
intentionally isolated environment. Subsequent
recording, mixing, and mastering dates in Los Angeles delayed completion of the
new album until June 1982. The album was called "Mirage"
and it was like nothing Fleetwood Mac had ever done before.
Maybe it wasn't as brilliant as "Rumours"
or as adventurous as "Tusk," but "Mirage" turned out to be
a wonderful album nonetheless. In the United States the new album shot
almost immediately to #1, where it remained for five weeks. And they were
pleasantly surprised to find the album selling impressively in the UK as
well, peaking at #5. In the ensuing months four singles would be released
from the album. First there was Christine's 'Hold Me' which reached
#4 in the U.S. Next came Stevie's classic,
'Gypsy' went to number 12, which interestingly enough didn't place
as high on the charts as 'Hold Me'. Most fans who love 'Gypsy' will
probably tell you that it is one of their favorite Fleetwood Mac
classics. The third single, Christine's 'Love In
Store' was a moderate success in the States reaching #22. The final
release off of "Mirage," Lindsey's 'Oh Diane' really made its mark in
the UK reaching #9. The song never charted in the U.S.
After the "Tusk" tour, the members agreed that a more restrained tour
would be appropriate this time around, and the band only toured the U.S. for a
few short months and then decided to take another break from each other.
It almost seemed as if the band
couldn't put any more effort in to the band without getting plenty of time away
from the band. It worried fans and critics alike. Fleetwood Mac had
come back and proved that they could make another number 1 album. Could
they make a comeback again? What would happen now that they wanted to go
on hiatus again?
That is where we will pick up with
lesson 8!