Warner Bros, 23607
Producers: Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut, Ken Caillat, Fleetwood Mac
Track listing: Love in Store / Can’t Go Back / That’s Alright / Book of Love / Gypsy / Only Over You / Empire State / Straight Back / Hold Me / Oh Diane / Eyes of the World / Wish You Were Here
August 7, 1982
5 weeks
Following the success of Rumours, Fleetwood Mac earned the right to experiment and took advantage of it on the 1979 two-record set Tusk. The album’s tribal, rhythm-driven title track was recorded live at Dodger Stadium with the USC Trojan Marching Band. Of course, Tusk, which reached number four, and the 1980 double-album Fleetwood Mac Live, which made number 14, were no match for Rumours, which eventually reached sales of more than 14 million.
Mirage was meant to be a return to the sound Fleetwood Mac had mastered on Rumours. “It was a reaction to Tusk,” says Mick Fleetwood. “We all felt, ‘Let’s get back and not be so experimental and be less esoteric in our approach.’ It’s a little cruel to say it was a step back, but Mirage was certainly a reflection of doing things the same sort of ways we had done on Rumours.”
For Mirage, Fleetwood Mac once again recorded and wrote as a band. “Lindsey [Buckingham] was very much part of the band, whereas on Tusk, Lindsey did a lot of creative work at his house. There were even three or four things that he played drums on,” says Fleetwood, the band’s usual drummer. “Mirage was a departure [from that approach], because it was back to more of a band format.”
All this talk of Fleetwood Mac working closer as a band on Mirage is somewhat ironic, since Stevie Nicks had completed her solo debut Bella Donna, which would go on to tremendous success almost right after the band wrapped up the Mirage sessions. “Stevie’s solo career was not really problematic at the time,” Fleetwood says. “Stevie is an honest enough person where she wouldn’t arbitrarily hold back songs [for her solo albums]. She’s very prolific.” Indeed, “Gypsy,” one of the biggest hits from Mirage, was written by Nicks.
Mirage was recorded primarily at the Le Chateau studio in France, which was made famous by Elton John’s Honky Chateau. The album was completed in seven months — fast compared to the time the band had spent recording its two previous studio efforts.
However, the sessions weren’t completely smooth. “There were ghosts at the Chateau,” Fleetwood says, “things would end up on tape and we had a lot of trouble with some of the machines. My drum roadie was reduced to tears.” In the long run, however, a few gremlins were nothing for Fleetwood Mac. Says Fleetwood, “After we got through the emotional boot camp of Rumours, we could get through anything.” When Mirage reached Number One in a mere four weeks, becoming Fleetwood Mac’s third Number One album, it was proof positive.
THE TOP FIVE
Week of August 7, 1982
1. Mirage, Fleetwood Mac
2. Asia, Asia
3. Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
4. American Fool, John Cougar
5. Pictures at Eleven, Robert Plant