Time (Fleetwood Mac album)


Time is the 16th studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 10 October 1995. This album features a unique line-up for the band featuring the addition of former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason and country vocalist Bekka Bramlett. Lindsey Buckingham, who had left Fleetwood Mac in 1987, makes an appearance as a backing vocalist on one track, but Time is the first and only Fleetwood Mac album since 1974's Heroes Are Hard to Find not to feature any contribution from Stevie Nicks.

Background

Mick Fleetwood mentioned in his autobiography that Christine McVie did not originally intend to participate on the album but that Warner Bros. had insisted she appear. As such, her five featured songs were recorded separately from the full band and all guitar parts on these were played by session musician Michael Thompson, although Billy Burnette is featured on the album's only single, "I Do", which only charted in Canada. "Hollywood" alludes to the homesickness that would cause her to retire temporarily from the band, while "Nights in Estoril" celebrated time spent at Estoril in Portugal with her then-husband Eddy Quintela, who was Portuguese himself.
Within a year this band line-up had split, with Mason, Bramlett and Billy Burnette all leaving the band. Bramlett and Burnette recorded the Bekka & Billy album together in 1997, the same year Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks rejoined Fleetwood Mac.
The band did not tour following the album's release in October 1995, but had toured from July to December 1994, and again from April to September 1995. The only songs from Time to be performed at these shows were "Blow by Blow" and "Dreamin' the Dream". "All Over Again" received its first live performances on the An Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour in 2018 as a live duet between Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, with new guitarist Neil Finn playing keyboards.

Album content

Another version of "Blow by Blow" had featured on the album for the 1994 World Cup the previous year. The five-piece lineup fronted by Billy Burnette, Mason and Bramlett performed it at the tournament's launch concert along with "Dreamin' the Dream", "The Chain" and "Oh Well".
"Nothing Without You" had originally been recorded by Delaney Bramlett, the father of Bekka, on his 1975 album Giving Birth to a Song which had featured writing contributions from Billy Burnette. An additional verse written by Bekka ensured she got a writing credit. Aside from this her only writing contribution was "Dreamin' the Dream".
The album also featured a rare lead vocal from drummer/band leader Mick Fleetwood on the seven-minute spoken piece "These Strange Times", produced by Duran Duran producer John Jones and written with Beach Boys co-writer Ray Kennedy. The spoken-word piece paid tribute to Peter Green and openly alluded to his songs "Man of the World" and "The Green Manalishi". The third verse also alluded to Stevie Nicks' "Dreams" and Lindsey Buckingham's "Walk a Thin Line". Fleetwood's only previous vocal/lyrical contribution to the group had been another spoken piece, "Lizard People".
It was voted number 10 in the All-Time Worst Albums Ever Made from Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

Track listing

Personnel

;Fleetwood Mac
;Additional musicians
;Production
;Singles chart
YearSingleChartPosition
1995"I Do"--
1995"I Do"Canada singles chart62
1995"I Do"--
1995"I Do"--
1995---
1995---
1995---
1995---
1995---