Studio sessions can pose a challenge for most drummers. Playing percussion and blending into the music may appear effortless, but truly capturing the essence of a great song is what sets apart a true artist from someone who simply makes noise and earns a paycheck. Mick Fleetwood, the leader of Fleetwood Mac, faced a challenging experience with Lindsey Buckingham before successfully recording the track ‘What Makes You Think You’re The One‘.
Buckingham had a reputation for being quite demanding in the studio. Buckingham was known for his bravery in criticizing poor work at The Mac in the 1970s, despite being a rookie. He insisted on achieving a precise sound for his songs.
If someone experienced the same treatment as Fleetwood, likely, they would still be in the process of recovering. Outside of the straightforward tracks on Rumours, Fleetwood was truly challenged to perfect every single song. He went to great lengths, even breaking sheets of glass while working on ‘Gold Dust Woman‘. Ultimately, he dismantled his initial groove for ‘Go Your Own Way‘ to align it more closely with Buckingham’s vision.
After the success of Rumours, the band decided to take a similar approach for Tusk. However, the true essence of their significance remained elusive, leaving everyone to speculate about the sound of their upcoming album.
In contrast to the other tracks on the record that lean towards the classic Fleetwood Mac sound, Buckingham went all out in his efforts to make his songs stand out. Imagine if Brian Wilson’s wild experimentation on Smile collided with the infectious energy of new wave music. This is the realm that Buckingham has been exploring.
One of the more peculiar tracks on the record was ‘What Makes You Think You’re The One‘. It showcased a level of genuine anger that he has rarely displayed on previous recordings. Buckingham reportedly wrote the song about Stevie Nicks, but Fleetwood’s performance captivated him.
Lindsey Buckingham regarded this as the pinnacle of Fleetwood’s drumming career, expressing to Rolling Stone, “That drum track is truly exceptional.” That’s on par with “Instant Karma.” That moment was truly remarkable. It was just Mick and myself, alone in the studio late at night. I was seated at the piano…He transformed into a creature.
In contrast to the accusations of being a soft rock band, Fleetwood unleashes his full energy on the rest of the track. He evokes a powerful drumming style reminiscent of the 1960s. Given the meticulous attention to detail in perfecting the song, it gives off a reminiscent vibe of the Peter Green era of the band. However, this time, the melody is even more delightful.
However, Buckingham’s creative spirit knew no bounds when it came to capturing unique sounds on his records. A prime example of this is his decision to incorporate the sound of him doing pushups on the studio floor into the song ‘Not That Funny‘. Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks may have had some uncertainty about Buckingham’s creative direction. Occasionally, such artistic exploration can yield truly brilliant results.
