Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham Insulted Each Other While Recording This Fleetwood Mac Song

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had a tumultuous relationship while with Fleetwood Mac. The American duo joined Fleetwood Mac as a couple, but their on-and-off romantic relationship led to many tense recording sessions with the band. One song on Rumours saw the pair going at it while the microphones were off, but they managed to halt their insults to record the song. 

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham kept insulting each other while recording ‘You Make Loving Fun’

While Rumours is Fleetwood Mac’s most acclaimed and most successful album, it is riddled with stories of behind-the-scenes drama, especially with Nicks and Buckingham. At one point, the pair were a package deal. When Mick Fleetwood asked Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac, he refused unless Nicks could also join. 

After their relationship deteriorated, they were still able to create excellent music, but their rocky relationship made it hard for them to be in the same room. In an interview with Musicradar, producer Ken Caillat shared memories about recording each song from Rumours.  

One notable story came with “You Make Loving Fun,” which Caillat called his “favorite-sounding” song on the record. He recalled that, during the recording session, Nicks and Buckingham were involved in a heated yelling match, shouting curses and insults at the other. However, when it came time to sing, they immediately turned it off, and pretended like everything was normal. 

“I remember when we were doing background vocals, Stevie and Lindsey were having an argument,” Caillat said. “Vicious name-calling – ‘you motherf*****’ this, ‘you f***ing bastard’ that. Back and forth it went. The tape would start rolling and they’d sing, ‘Yooooooou make loving fun,’ just beautiful, two little angels. The tape would stop and they’d be calling each other names again. They didn’t miss a beat.”

Tensions between the band members were high while recording ‘Rumours’

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham weren’t the only Fleetwood Mac members dealing with relationship troubles. John and Christine McVie were getting divorced at the time, and Fleetwood was dealing with his own marital troubles outside of the band. 

“There were fights, breakups, drinking, drugs… We all indulged in substances,” Caillat said. “But I had to be a therapist and record producer. When everything was insane, I had to be sane. If there was a rule book, nobody game me one.”

The bandmates were also learning to work together, as Buckingham and Nicks were still relatively new additions. Fortunately, the drama didn’t affect the music too much, but Caillat said it often became too personal. Nicks had a hard time listening to Buckingham’s lyrics, as she found them too close to home.

“A lot of Lindsey’s lyrics sparked fights with Stevie,” Caillat explained. “I didn’t know exactly what was happening at the time, but words were flying around, particularly Lindsey’s, about their breakup. Stevie hated when Lindsey got even a little literal. The minute Lindsey would start singing his lyrics, Stevie stormed out and the session would end.”

How did ‘You Make Loving Fun’ perform on the charts?

“You Make Loving Fun” was released in 1977 as the fourth and final single from Rumours. The track became a top 10 hit, reaching No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. However, it wasn’t as popular in many other countries, such as the U.K., where it reached No. 45. 

Rumours was an incredibly successful album upon its release. It reached No. 1 and sold over 40 million copies worldwide. It featured the No. 1 hit “Dreams” and “Go Your Own  Way”, another fan-favorite. It remains the band’s most popular album, even though there was plenty of drama surrounding the album’s creation.