The result is a distinct move toward folk-rock and pop; Future Games sounds almost nothing like Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Bob Welch's eight-minute title track, featuring lead guitar from Danny Kirwan, has one of Welch's characteristic haunting melodies, and with.
| Future Games | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 September 1971 | |||
| Recorded | June–August 1971 | |||
| Studio | Advision Studios, London, England | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 42:22 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | Fleetwood Mac | |||
| Fleetwood Mac chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[2] |
Future Games is the fifth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 3 September 1971. It was recorded in the summer of 1971 at Advision Studios in London[3] and was the first album to feature Christine McVie as a full member. This album was also the first of five albums to feature American guitarist Bob Welch. “He was totally different background – R&B, sort of jazzy. He brought his personality,” Mick Fleetwood said of Welch in a 1995 BBC interview. “He was a member of Fleetwood Mac before we’d even played a note.” [4] Welch's primary guitar at the time was a Gibson ES-335, which he played on the record along with a Fender Stratocaster.[5]
Without the 1950s leanings of departed guitarist Jeremy Spencer, the band moved further away from blues and closer to the melodic pop sound that would finally break them into America four years later. After the band completed the album and turned it in, the record label said that it would not release an album with only seven songs, and demanded that they record an eighth. 'What a Shame' was recorded hastily as a jam to fulfill this request.[citation needed]
Track notes[edit]
There is an early version of 'Morning Rain' with the title 'Start Again', as recorded in a BBC session on 5 January 1971.[6]
'What a Shame' featured saxophone from Christine McVie's brother John Perfect whose son Dan later co-produced and featured as guitarist/co-writer on McVie's 2004 album In the Meantime.
The title track, written by then-newcomer Bob Welch,[7] was later re-recorded for his 1979 solo album The Other One and again for His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond in 2003. The original version is featured in the 2000 movie Almost Famous.
A heavily edited version of 'Sands of Time' was an unsuccessful single in the United States and some other territories. However, the album did get airplay on FM radio.[citation needed]
An alternate version of 'Lay It All Down' appeared on the 1992 compilation 25 Years - The Chain.
Artwork[edit]
Early UK releases of this album, and some non-UK issues, have a yellow background to the picture of the two children and cover text. All subsequent releases have a green background. The 2013 vinyl reissue by Warner/Rhino available in the Fleetwood Mac: 1969 to 1972 4-LP box set restores the original yellow background to the album artwork and it would be released as a standalone LP two years later.
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 'Woman of 1000 Years' | Danny Kirwan | 5:28 |
| 2. | 'Morning Rain' | Christine McVie | 5:38 |
| 3. | 'What a Shame' | Bob Welch, Kirwan, C. McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood | 2:20 |
| 4. | 'Future Games' | Welch | 8:18 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 'Sands of Time' | Kirwan | 7:23 |
| 2. | 'Sometimes' | Kirwan | 5:26 |
| 3. | 'Lay It All Down' | Welch | 4:30 |
| 4. | 'Show Me a Smile' | C. McVie | 3:21 |
The song timings listed here are not as indicated on all CDs since the timings on some releases are inaccurate, in a few cases very inaccurate. On some versions of the album (depending on the country of issue), the notes state that the track 'Woman of 1000 Years' runs for 8:20, when in fact it runs for 5:28. Similarly, 'Morning Rain' is listed as 6:22 and runs for 5:38, while the track 'Sometimes' is listed to run for 6:25 and only runs for 5:26.[8]
Personnel[edit]
Fleetwood Mac
- Danny Kirwan – guitar, vocals
- Bob Welch – guitar, vocals
- Christine McVie – keyboards, vocals
- John McVie – bass guitar
- Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- John Perfect – saxophone 'What a Shame'
Production
- Producer: Fleetwood Mac
- Engineer: Martin Rushent
- Studio: Advision
- Sleeve design: John Pasche
- Cover photo by Sally Jesse
- Group photos by Edmund Shea
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Certifications[edit]
|
Fleetwood Mac Future Games Song Lyrics
References[edit]
- ^Allmusic review
- ^Christgau, Robert (1981). 'Consumer Guide '70s: F'. Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN089919026X. Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^Mick Fleetwood (30 October 2014). Play On: Now, Then and Fleetwood Mac. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN978-1-4447-5326-4.
- ^Swanson, Dave. '45 Years Ago: Fleetwood Mac Play 'Future Games''. Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^Saulnier, Jason (4 May 2010). 'Bob Welch Interview, Fleetwood Mac Guitarist on Nashville Flood'. Music Legends Online. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^Live at the BBC 5-1-71 (CD running order). Fleetwood Mac. Reprise. 1971.CS1 maint: others (link)
- ^Fricke, David (21 June 2012). 'Bob Welch's Missing Music: The Fleetwood Mac Years'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^Future Games (CD booklet notes). Fleetwood Mac. Reprise. 1971.CS1 maint: others (link)
- ^'Allmusic: Future Games : Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums'. allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^'American album certifications – Fleetwood Mac – Future Games'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.