Everything You Should Know Before the Buckingham Nicks Reissue

Photo by Jimmy Wachtel

Fleetwood Mac, one of the most well-known and influential bands of the 1970s, did not always come with all of the drama they’re notorious for today. The band had existed for years without two of its most recognizable members: Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. When the British blues band asked Nicks and Buckingham to join them in 1974, it wasn’t just the sound that changed; it was also the narrative that would inevitably define them. 

Beginnings:

Nicks met Buckingham in high school–1966 to be specific–and the encounter was nothing short of on-theme. Buckingham was singing at an after-school show, and the two began to harmonize together. Two years later, that chance meeting resulted in Buckingham asking Nicks to join his band, Fritz. After a stint of performances, with impressive openings for the likes of Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane, the duo decided to leave the band and seek success elsewhere.

While performing with Fritz, Buckingham and Nicks continued their education at San Jose State University. In 1972, after deciding to pursue music and their relationship full-time, the two dropped out and moved to Los Angeles, where Nicks waitressed and Buckingham continued writing. It was here that Buckingham Nicks was born. After writing a set of songs together and spending late nights putting together demo tapes, the album was at last picked up by Polydor Records in 1973. While their career was on the up-and-up, their relationship was beginning to unfold in the ways we know it today: fraught, complicated, and deeply woven into their music. 

Unfortunately, the album was not received in the way that Buckingham and Nicks had anticipated. Practically ignored by the record company post-release, the couple went back to working odd jobs to make ends meet. And while the album was not commercially successful, it did get noticed by some late-night radio stations– and by Mick Fleetwood.

Fleetwood Mac:

Photo by Richard E. Aaron

In 1974, Fleetwood asked Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac, and Buckingham agreed–on one condition: Stevie Nicks had to come with him. Years later, in an interview with Billboard Magazine, Nicks recounted her feelings about joining the larger band amid relationship troubles, stating, “I said, 'OK, this is what we've been working for since 1968. And so, Lindsey, you and I have to sew this relationship back up. We have too much to lose here.” And for about two years, things were manageable. Nicks continued in her interview, adding that, "It was OK for a while, until it wasn’t.”

With new members added to the mix, Fleetwood Mac began to climb the charts in ways they had never experienced before. Both their public and private lives captivated fans worldwide, though few were aware of what was going on behind the scenes. After two years with the band, Buckingham and Nicks found themselves struggling to keep up appearances. Their relationship was disintegrating–arguments, affairs, and the pressure of fame had torn what was left of their love apart. In 1976, just before recording Rumours, the couple put an end to their romance. 

From then on, the bandmates grappled with keeping their personal feelings separate from their professional lives. This endeavour proved challenging and resulted in even more musical animosity. Buckingham famously wrote “Go Your Own Way” about Nicks, who perhaps more famously responded with “Silver Springs.”

Touring was becoming difficult, and the band was having to make change after change to accommodate the continuous drama between Buckingham and Nicks, as well as other members. Things were becoming messier by the day, and it inevitably led to Buckingham leaving Fleetwood Mac in 1987. 

Today:

Photo by Kevin Mazur

While Fleetwood Mac never officially disbanded, the group was certainly left fractured by the relationships formed and broken during their time together. Buckingham did rejoin the band in 1997, but was asked to leave due to disagreements in 2018. When asked about the decision by CBS News, Mick Fleetwood explained that “it's like a marriage that came to an end and there are reasons why… but as a band we needed to move on, and we have.” While each member of the band seemed to have a slightly different account of what happened, it was clear that Buckingham was no longer welcome.

Buckingham and Nicks did not collaborate after 2018, and the idea of another Fleetwood Mac reunion became practically obsolete with the death of member Christine McVie in 2022. This is why fans were shocked when Nicks and Buckingham took to Instagram on July 17th, posting the lyrics of their 1973 song “Frozen Love.” As fans began to speculate what the posts could mean, the duo remained silent–until a Buckingham Nicks billboard appeared in Los Angeles on July 21st.

Now it’s official: A remastered edition of Buckingham Nicks will be available on all platforms and in all formats on September 19th. This will be the first reissue of the folk rock album since the Polydor release in 1973. In the meantime, fans old and new can listen to a single already released, titled “Crying in the Night.”

After all of the history and fame accumulated between the two artists, their debut album and ticket into Fleetwood Mac is finally receiving the recognition it has long waited for. Perhaps Buckingham and Nicks will reunite for another project in the future, perhaps not. Regardless, they’ve made it clear that their partnership is not quite over yet.

You can pre-save and pre-order the album here!