Aug 03 2022 21 mins
Having the ability to write a sentimental love song like Songbird doesn't mean Christine can't write a song driven by anger and attitude. She certainly delivers with The Chain, which was first titled Keep Me There. This song is full of excitement and tension! The tag-out after the final chorus is the band's collective release of nerves, tensions, and frustrations as they tried to get the ball rolling on recording Rumours. Pressure to meet expectations was mounting as their previous album was climbing the American charts and their popularity amongst fans was skyrocketing. They had an unknown, and relatively new to the game producer named Ken who wasn't sure if he was up to the challenge of managing a complicated group of people with a lot to prove. Could they make it to the top, sensing they were so close to the pinnacle of success?
When you listen to The Chain, you're instantly transported to the recording studio in Sausalito California where tensions were mounting, frustrations were palpable, and everyone was wondering if they were going to make it. We wished there had been a full band in the room with us while recording this episode. Every instrument and every voice adds to the overall feeling of this song and man, was it fun to pretend we had been in the studio back in 1976.
Most of the research for this episode was done by reading Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel's book, Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album.