Fleetwood Mac to Release Three New Songs Before 2013 Tour
During discussions about their upcoming 2013 tour, the members of Fleetwood Mac huddled into Lindsey Buckingham's home studio to cut three new songs, but Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks don't seem to agree on if they'll be part of a full album.
Here's what we do know: 'Sad Angela,' 'Miss Fantasy' and a third song that was written years ago will become available before the tour begins in April. But Buckingham says the rest of the band was geared up for a new album, even going as far as to record eight new songs in an effort to engage Nicks.
He tells Rolling Stone he believes his bandmate might have been intimidated by the new material. "I think she was very defensive against the idea of making an album," he says in an interview that runs side-by-side with a conversation with Nicks.
The third song is one that didn't make the 'Buckingham-Nicks' album released in 1973. Both admit a reunion that includes either a re-release of the album or new music from the duo is possible, but don't agree on the timeframe. Nicks wants to somehow merge it with the 2013 Fleetwood Mac tour, while Buckingham says that's not logistically possible.
"I just feel like a lot of what she's talking about is kind of skimming and isn't necessarily well thought out. She does things from the heart, but you have to do things that have logic, too. And make some sort of sense on any number of levels. I don't know what she's thinking even."
It's clear that while the two have a solid working relationship, there are still echos of the drama that made songs from the 'Rumours' album so exciting to listen to. Both acknowledge that their relationship is complicated, but both also share how in recent years they've enjoyed working with each other. As for the a firm date for new music from Fleetwood Mac, Nicks says early 2013 seems appropriate.
"We wanted to have something to put out before we go out, January or February, in whatever way you do that -- iTunes or something," the singer tells Billboard. "And since nobody really cares about albums anymore, if you can come up with two or three great songs and just put them out there ... people can at least hear how we sound today when it comes to actually recording."
Nicks also admitted the tour was supposed to happen in 2012 but she wanted more time to promote her recent solo album 'In Your Dreams.' The band -- including John McVie and Mick Fleetwood -- also discussed their set list. Ten songs will be the biggest hits, with the other 10 coming from their catalog.
Additionally, Nicks said she hopes to play 'Soldier's Angel,' a song she recorded with Buckingham for the 'In Your Dreams' album. As for Chirstine McVie, Nicks says her participation is as likely as "an asteroid hitting the earth."
"She is done. You know when you look in somebody's face and you can just tell? She doesn't want to do it anymore. She doesn't want to fly. She doesn't want to come back to America. When she left, she left."