How “The Chain” Was Made
Fleetwood Mac was at their wits end in 1976. Christine (singer/keyboardist) and John McVie (bassist) were in the middle of a messy divorce and not on speaking terms outside the studio. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were in the midst of a tumultuous on-again-off-again relationship and Mick Fleetwood Was separating from his wife. On top of this, some members were nursing serious cocaine addictions and the media was hounding the band non-stop. Somehow amidst all this pressure, the band managed to record one of the greatest albums of all time; Rumours. At the center of this album sits what could possibly be the most important song of Fleetwood Mac's career. This is how the band created The Chain.
Rumours Is an album loaded with classics front to back. It produced four incredible singles that still get airplay today and has sold over 40 million copies. Perhaps part of the reason for this album's success is its universal appeal. We've all been through breakups and the album speaks to that lyrically. It's an airing of grievances about lovers from start to finish in songs like Go Your Own Way. You can hear the tension in the band through the lyrics but the music is incredibly inspiring and upbeat. Much of the album sounds like this. Band members taking shots at each other over the top of jaunty tunes and happy harmonies.
But halfway through the album, we encounter something different. The album's B-side opens with The Chain; the only track on the entire album to feature writing credits from all five band members. Instead of the upbeat rock that has dominated the album, The Chain starts out dark, mysterious, and heavy with tension.
Buckingham Nicks - Lola (My Love)
https://youtu.be/5CYncRAemg8
The song opens with a guitar lick recycled from Lola My Love, a track originally released on Buckingham and Nick's self-titled debut album. On top of the Lola riff, we get intense poetic lyrics by Stevie Nicks. Looking at the original demo of The Chain, it clearly starts out as Nick's venting her frustrations with Buckingham. By the time the song is complete, the lyrics have transformed almost entirely. They're much vaguer now, but still, paint a clear picture of tension and dissonance.
The verses are full of venom and frustration, but the chorus hints at what's to come when it name drops The Chain. For two verses and choruses, the song hangs in these tense emotions. Then we hit a drastic shift. Everything drops out and we hear a now iconic, bass riff. That John McVie Riff and Mick Fleetwood drum combination was originally used in a discarded Christine McVie song called Keep Me There. The Keep Me There lick builds tension and it grows to a breaking point where Buckingham explodes into a powerful and emotional guitar solo; A release of the anger and frustration that the band had with each other.
Finally, we reach the climactic outro with the repetition of two phrases: “Chain keep us together. Running in the shadows”. The band harmonized as they sing about unity, but beneath they have this undercurrent. They're running in the shadows. The darkness is all around them. These lyrics are the essence of the song
Despite the tensions in the band and despite the media pressure outside of the band, the chain is keeping the band together. At its heart, the chain is the music, the connection that brought those five members together and held them strong up until this point. It’s an intense statement. A dark and desperate unity amidst an album full of bright discord the song continues to repeat echoing as it fades out.
Everything about The Chain mimics the band's life at a time when the group was fragmented and kept together only by their music, the song structurally pulled together pieces from each of their creative minds. By harkening back to a song from Buckingham Nicks the Band reveals the Pain they're feeling for the better times that they've passed. Even the very nature of chains reflects the band. They’re a symbol of strength and togetherness but at the same time chains can be imprisonment. Fleetwood Mac is being torn apart by being forced to work together yet they know they're creating something absolutely transcendent. This unity pulled the band through another decade of music before the lineup changed again. In that time, The Chain was featured front and Center in their live performance often opening up their shows. When the lineup reunited in 2014 The Chain was right there again opening up their setlist. Growing from bits of three different songs and ideas from all five band members, The Chain tells an important message. Fleetwood Mac was more important than any one individual possibly could be and thanks to the strength of The Chain and the music that it helped them create, the band will live on forever.







