Vinyl Boxed Set Spanning Fleetwood Mac's First Four Albums Available August 20th

Revisit The Mighty Mac’s Roots With Expanded And Remastered Version Of 1969’s Then Play On And Vinyl Boxed set Spanning The Group’s First Four Albums For Reprise Records

Both Will Be Available On August 20th

- 4LP 1969-1972 Vinyl Box Set: Amazon
- "Then Play On" Expanded Edition: Amazon

This summer, revisit the Fleetwood Mac’s early years with two special releases from Reprise Records.

The first is an expanded and remastered edition of THEN PLAY ON, Fleetwood Mac’s 1969 debut on Reprise. This reissue features the original U.K running order and track segues, with “One Sunny Day” and “Without You” making their first appearance on a CD issue of the album, as well as new liner notes by veteran rock journalist David Fricke and four bonus tracks, including the revered single “Oh Well – Pt. 1,” which boasts one of the great guitar riffs in rock history and has been covered by likes of Billy F Gibbons, Jimmy Page, and Tom Petty.

The second release is FLEETWOOD MAC: 1969-1972, a beautiful vinyl boxed set that collects four of the band’s classic albums, each lovingly reproduced on 140-gram vinyl. As a bonus, the set comes with an exclusive replica of the original 1969 7-inch single of “Oh Well – Pt. 1” b/w “Oh Well – Pt. 2.”

THEN PLAY ON: EXPANDED EDITION and FLEETWOOD MAC: 1969-1972 will both be available August 20.

Fleetwood Mac was already a popular blues band in 1969 when they released THEN PLAY ON, the group’s stellar third studio album. It was the first with guitarist-songwriter Danny Kirwan and ultimately its last with founding member Peter Green. The album’s powerful mix of blues and rock includes standout tracks like “Rattlesnake Shake,” “Searching For Madge” and “Coming Your Way.” Rhino’s newly re-mastered and expanded edition includes four bonus tracks originally released as singles: parts one and two of “Oh Well,” “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)” and “World In Harmony,” which is available on CD for the first time.

FLEETWOOD MAC: 1969-1972 features four complete albums – Then Play On (1969), Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971) and Bare Trees (1972) – housed in a striking black slipcase. To ensure superb sound quality, Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering cut the lacquers for all four albums. The records look as good as they sound thanks to authentically reproduced packages, including gatefolds for Then Play On and Kiln House and single sleeves for Future Games and Bare Trees.

The set follows the band through an early transitional period. With Kiln House, Fleetwood Mac began moving toward a more melodic pop sound on songs like “Mission Bell” and “One Together.” At the time, the band included: Jeremy Spencer (guitar, vocals, piano), Kirwan (guitar, vocals), John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums). Christine McVie was at the recording sessions and contributed backing vocals and the album’s cover art, but she did not join the band until shortly after the album was finished.

The band’s shift toward pop and folk styles continued on Future Games with songs like “Show Me A Smile” and “Morning Rain.” This marks the first Fleetwood Mac album with Christine McVie as a full band member as well as the Mac debut of Bob Welch on guitar.

The line-up stayed the same for Bare Trees, which boasts a consistently strong collection of songs like McVie’s “Spare Me A Little Of Your Love,” Kirwan’s “Dust” and Welch’s “Sentimental Lady.” Although Kirwan was a dominant figure during the recording, penning half of the songs, this would ultimately be his last appearance on a Fleetwood Mac album.

Rhino.com

THEN PLAY ON: EXPANDED EDITION
Track Listing

The Top 20 Concert Tours rank: Fleetwood Mac NEW at No.5

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.08.
2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,072,961; $84.02.
3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,829,281; $76.47.
4. (4) Bon Jovi; $1,622,485; $106.01.
5. (New) Fleetwood Mac; $1,426,254; $111.75.
6. (5) Maroon 5; $879,457; $62.99.
7. (6) Jason Aldean; $754,571; $51.28.
8. (7) Brad Paisley; $578,398; $36.74.
9. (8) Carrie Underwood; $497,868; $62.07.
10. (9) Leonard Cohen; $489,734; $106.77.
11. (10) Green Day; $469,164; $50.47.
12. (11) Motley Crue; $332,400; $78.37.
13. (New) Widespread Panic; $281,496; $42.36.
14. (12) Bassnectar; $179,128; $36.44.
15. (13) Diana Krall; $176,499; $83.60.
16. (15) Chris Tomlin; $163,206; $28.29.
17. (17) Shinedown / Three Days Grace; $156,081; $39.40.
18. (16) Il Divo; $152,184; $76.21.
19. (19) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; $142,644; $52.23.
20. (20) Willie Nelson; $133,423; $55.67.

SF Chronicle

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM Reveals Planning Behind Fleetwood Mac Setlist

Fleetwood Mac is winding down its massive North American tour before taking a well deserved couple of months off until its 30-date European and Australian leg. The band's recent setlists have been chock-full of the band's greatest hits from the '70s and '80's, but with absence of Christine McVie -- and most of her songs -- the band's setlist has been able to shine a light on some deep album cuts and personal favorites.

Lindsey Buckingham told us that a Fleetwood Mac show is pretty much pre-designed due to the band's hits -- but that filling in the gaps between the blockbusters takes real passion and artistry: "There was a kind of an openness to let people try what they want to try, so there's a few other songs that are a little bit more off to the left in the set this time, too, aside from new stuff. So, y'know, if you sort of come to the conclusion that maybe 75 percent of what you're going to do every time is, y'know, those things you can't get away without doing -- for lack of a better term -- it's really what you do around the edges. And I think we really found some interesting edges between some more obscure stuff and some of the newer stuff."

Fleetwood Mac's Remaining North American tour dates

June 29 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena - Ticketswest
June 30 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena - Comcast Tickets
July 3 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center - Ticketmaster
July 5 - San Diego, CA Viejas Arena - Ticketmaster
July 6 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Arena - Ticketmaster

WMMR

Review: Fleetwood Mac rocks Long Island, tours the U.S.

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE

WANTAGH, NY - JONES BEACH

JUNE 22, 2013 

The band’s summer tour of classic rock and roll continues
Erika Norton | Echo

Between festivals like Bonaroo and Firefly, to country-wide and world tours from artists such as Bruno Mars and the Dave Matthews Band, summer is overflowing with smash-hit concerts for every musical taste.

Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands on tour this summer, and The Echo was onsite during the group’s stop at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater in New York on June 22.

With a full moon overhead, the lead singers Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham sang classic hit after hit.

Skyrocketing to rock and roll fame in the 1970’s with their Grammy-winning album Rumours, songs from the legendary album were featured heavily throughout the night. Nicks, who penned many of the hits from the album, kept to her gypsy persona, dancing across the stage wearing platform boots, flowy skirts and a top hat.

As she welcomed the audience to the show she exclaimed, “Let’s get this party started!” and began singing the band’s number one hit, “Dreams.” The amphitheater, which is located on a beach, gave lyrics such as “drowning in the sea of love” new meaning.

Some highlights of the night included Nicks’ and Lindsey Buckingham’s acoustic duet of “Landslide,” a song many artists have covered over the years due to its cross-generational lyrics. As the giant screen behind the stage sparkled with twinkling lights, Nicks and Buckingham’s famous chemistry exploded onstage.

Nicks and Buckingham surprised superfans with “Without You,” a song written before they were asked to join the band. Nicks’ enthusiasts got their fill as well, with hits written for the band such as “Rhiannon,” “Gypsy” and a rousing rendition of “Stand Back” from her solo career.

Buckingham showcased his unique plucking style of guitar playing with solos during “Go Your Own Way,” even wiping out onstage during his solo in “I’m So Afraid.” Thankfully he got right back up and kept shredding on his axe.

As Buckingham explained some of the meaning behind his lyrics, he spoke about the importance of transition.

“We need illusions to dream, but we need to discard some illusions to grow,” he said.

Mick Fleetwood, drummer and original founder of the band, showed he hasn’t lost his touch despite turning 66 years old on Monday. In between the first of two encores, Fleetwood, sitting on what the band has dubbed “his throne,” went into an impressive drum solo.

Despite the absence of Christine McVie, songwriter of “Don’t Stop” and former piano player for the band, the song still had the same energy as ever, turning into a giant audience sing-along.

The Mac still had one more trick up their sleeves. “Silver Springs,” a Nicks song originally intended for the Rumours album, has become a crowd favorite and was the second-to-last encore.

Before the band closed with “Say Goodbye,” Nicks left the audience with some parting words.

“You guys are the dreamcatchers,” she said. “I wish you love, I wish you happiness, and I wish you catch all your dreams in that dreamcatcher.”

Fleetwood Mac’s next two tour stops are the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC and the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kickstarter: The untold story of Waddy Wachtel, and the unsung heroes of Rock and Roll.

KING OF THE SIDEMEN

The untold story of Waddy Wachtel, and the unsung heroes of Rock and Roll.

This project will only be funded if at least $32,500 is pledged by Wednesday Jul 24, 5:03pm EDT.

KING OF THE SIDEMEN

Directed & Produced by Gary Simson. Edited & Produced by Andy Willinger.

They are the silhouettes on stage- far from the spotlight. Churning out the licks and holding down the beat- creating the musical magic that make the stars shine brighter. 

They are the SIDEMEN... ...The unsung heroes of Rock and Roll. 

These multi-talented virtuosos are some of the most sought-after musicians in the world. Yet, by playing exclusively in other people's bands, they are often unnoticed and under-appreciated. 

This is their story, and we need your help to tell it.

From skid row bars to massive coliseums and legendary recording studios, a rock sidemen’s life is like a wild, unpredictable rollercoaster ride, with soaring highs sandwiched between deep lulls.

Some thrive- and maintain long-standing relationships with hugely popular musicians. Some barely scrape out a living. And others have faded away. But ONE has survived the pitfalls of the brutal music industry and remains as relevant today as when he his career began in the late 1960s.  

WADDY WACHTEL’s resumé reads like a who’s who of rock and roll. He has played guitar on hundreds of hit records and has performed, recorded and collaborated with nearly every rock superstar imaginable, earning their respect and admiration along the way.

KING OF THE SIDEMEN is his story: a full-length documentary film that chronicles the struggles and successes of a rock-and-roll maestro and the making of some of the greatest songs ever recorded. The film spans his early days breaking into the business, to outrageous world tours with rock royalty, to Waddy’s pet project: the creation of an unlikely Supergroup made up of some of the best sidemen in the industry. The film documents the rise of one of rock’s greatest guns-for hire, with live performances from his band, vintage footage, personal photos, classic live and recorded music and exclusive interviews with rock icons including Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Jackson Browne, George Thorogood, Dave Stewart, Joe Walsh and more.

KING OF THE SIDEMEN includes the stories of the members of what may be the world’s greatest cover band: long-time Rolling Stones backup singer Bernard Fowler, guitarist and keyboardist Brett Tuggle (Fleetwood Mac), ex-Tom Petty drummer Phil Jones and Neil Young alum Rick “the bass player” Rosas, and others. They play to a packed house in an unassuming bar in Los Angeles. But this is no ordinary club. On any given night, legendary rockers like Robert Plant, Roger Daltry, Ron Wood, and Neil Young stop by to kick out the jams.

They may not have had all the glory, but the sidemen get what others dream about: the chance to rock with the best.

Contribute here

Stevie, Mick and Brett Tuggle appear in the documentary

Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham Get Cultured

 Whilst in Charlotte, Lindsey took in The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.  Here he's photographed with  Museum President John Boyer.  Mick below was spotted visiting the Nascar Hall of Fame with his Grandson.  Photos by: The Bechtler and Nascar Hall of Fame