Fleetwood Mac perfected turning drama into hits
EPISODE 393
In 1973, before their ascent to rock superstardom with Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were just two young lovers making music in Los Angeles. Their debut album, Buckingham Nicks, though commercially unsuccessful at the time, would prove to be the catalyst that changed their lives. When Mick Fleetwood happened to walk into Sound City Studios and overheard Buckingham's masterful guitar work, he knew he'd found what his band desperately needed given the departure of their guitarist Peter Green. Fleetwood invited Buckingham to join the group, and Buckingham agreed on one condition: his musical and romantic partner, Stevie Nicks, would come too. This fateful meeting would birth the legendary lineup that created Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, albums that would define a generation.
Yet all this time, the band's origin story, captured in Buckingham Nicks, has remained locked away in aging vinyl archives – until now. Grammy-winning guitarist Madison Cunningham and virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird have breathed new life into this historic recording with their interpretation, Cunningham Bird. Cunningham, celebrated for her sophisticated fingerpicking and intricate compositions, joins forces with Bird, whose distinctive violin work and plaintive vocals have earned him critical acclaim.
Their reimagining of this pivotal album offers fresh insight into both Fleetwood Mac's enduring influence and the rocky romance that sparked their success. I sat down with the duo to discuss their approach to this legendary material and what drew them to resurrect these long-lost songs. Switched On Pop spoke with Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird about how they adapted Buckingham Nicks into Cunningham Bird
Songs Discussed
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon, Don’t Stop, Everywhere, Landslide, The Chain, Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Black Magic Woman
Buckingham Nicks - Crying in the Night, Without a Leg to Stand On, Races Are Run, Long Distance Winner, Lola (My Love), Don’t Let Me Down Again, Stephanie, Crystal, Frozen Love
Cunningham Bird - Crying In The Night, Without a Leg to Stand On, Races Are Run, Long Distance Winner, Lola (My Love), Don’t Let Me Down Again, Stephanie, Crystal, Frozen Love
Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man
The Doors - Light My Fire
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
Daisey Jones & The Six - The River
Stereophonic - Masquerade
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
Britney Spears - Everytime
Beyoncé - Sorry
Olivia Rodrigo - Driver’s License
Sabrina Carpenter - Skin