Stevie Nicks ‘Stormed Out’ After Lindsey Buckingham Lyrics ‘Sparked Fights,’ Says Fleetwood Mac Producer
A former Fleetwood Mac producer shared what it was like making the Rumours album and said that Stevie Nicks used to “storm out” of recording sessions because of Lindsey Buckingham’s lyrics. Here’s which songs offended Nicks, and what it was like working with the turbulent couple.
A former Fleetwood Mac producer opened up about recording the Lindsey Buckingham song ‘Second Hand News’
Former Fleetwood Mac producer Ken Caillat worked with the band on their most popular album, Rumours. He opened up about making the song “Second Hand News,” written by singer and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Caillat told MusicRadar that the track originally had a different name.
“We called it ‘Strummer,’” he said. “Before Lindsey had the structure and the words, he would strum his guitar very very hard to these chords. I always thought he’d turn it all into a song.”
The track includes the lyrics, “I know there’s nothin’ to say / Someone has taken my place,” and “One thing I think you should know / I ain’t gonna miss you when you go.” The song was inspired by Buckingham’s bitter breakup with his bandmate, Stevie Nicks. At the same time, their fellow bandmates, John and Christine McVie, were also going through a rough patch in their marriage, which ended in divorce.
In Frank Moriarty’s book Seventies Rock: The Decade of Creative Chaos, Nicks is quoted from a Creem interview in July 1977, explaining the “Second Hand News” lyrics. “We were all trying to break up and when you break up with someone you don’t want to see him,” she said (via SongFacts). “You especially don’t want to eat breakfast with him the next morning, see him all day and all night, and all day the day after…”
The Fleetwood Mac producer said Stevie Nicks would ‘storm out’ of recording sessions over Lindsey Buckingham song lyrics
Ken Caillat said that while Fleetwood Mac recorded “Second Hand News” for Rumours, Lindsey Buckingham’s lyrics caused arguments with Stevie Nicks.
“A lot of Lindsey’s lyrics sparked fights with Stevie,” the producer said. “I didn’t know exactly what was happening at the time, but words were flying around, particularly Lindsey’s, about their breakup.”
Caillat said that Nicks used to “storm out” of recording sessions when her ex started singing about her. “Stevie hated when Lindsey got even a little literal,” he shared. “The minute Lindsey would start singing his lyrics, Stevie stormed out and the session would end.”
Stevie Nicks admitted she ‘resented’ the lyrics of another hit from the ‘Rumours’ album
“Second Hand News” wasn’t the only Fleetwood Mac song from the Rumours album Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham fought over. Nicks has admitted that she “resented” certain lyrics from the track “Go Your Own Way.”
The Buckingham-penned hit features the line: “Tell me why / Everything turned around / Packing up / Shacking up is all you want to do.”
Nicks, who had to sing backup vocals on the track, said the acrid lyrics were inaccurate. “I very, very much resented him telling the world that ‘packing up, shacking up’ with different men was all I wanted to do,” she told Rolling Stone in October 1997. “He knew it wasn’t true. It was just an angry thing that he said.”
The singer added, “Every time those words would come out onstage, I wanted to go over and kill him. He knew it, so he really pushed my buttons through that. It was like, ‘I’ll make you suffer for leaving me.’ And I did. For years.”
