Mick Fleetwood, co-founder and father figure of Fleetwood Mac, has a vast collection of stories about the band’s history. He has been through the ups and downs of the band’s tumultuous career and provides engaging accounts of their conflicts, romantic relationships, and drug use. Fleetwood has witnessed many significant moments in the band’s history, making him the most knowledgeable historian of the group.
In 2018, Fleetwood witnessed the departure of Lindsey Buckingham from the band, and the following year, he talked about the band’s past in relation to this event. Fleetwood expressed regret for their naivety in the media during the wild days of creating their 1977 album “Rumours.”
He said:
“The truth is the truth. But in many ways, we shared too much information. Looking back, I can see an element of responsibility which I now regret not seeing before”.
In another interview, he stated:
“But now I just accept things how they are and try to be civil and open. All of these lovely people have put their hearts and souls into Fleetwood Mac, and the franchise should absolutely honour those people in every way, and it does. The music comes back to haunt everyone afterwards anyway — and usually that wins out in the end”.
He reflected:
“There’s no doubt those were hard-lived days. For a while, within Fleetwood Mac, there were romances, and that lifestyle and the other stuff got forgotten, and we asked for that trouble. We were too open about who we were and what we were doing, probably very naive”.
Fleetwood expressed:
“All anyone ever asked was, ‘Who is sleeping with who?’ or ‘Who is angry with who?’ You start to feel it’s a shame. Now they intelligently talk about what we did musically. That’s important to us. We never wanted to make fools of ourselves too many times”.
Mick Fleetwood has reflected on the past of Fleetwood Mac and the consequences of their openness and honesty with the media during their most hedonistic days. He expressed regret at sharing too much information but also recognized the responsibility he and the band had in that regard. Despite the challenges and conflicts the band has faced, Fleetwood believes in being civil and open with one another and honoring the contributions of all members. He recognizes that ultimately, the music is what matters and what will endure, and he is proud of the legacy of Fleetwood Mac’s musical achievements.