Song of the Day 9/21: Buckingham Nicks, “Crying in the Night”

Before they joined Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks performed as a duo. They released one folk-rock album in 1973 that got more attention for its cover than anything inside. It sold poorly, but Buckingham’s guitar playing caught Mick Fleetwood’s ear and he was asked to join the group. He said he and Nicks were a package deal – no Stevie, no Lindsey.

Fleetwood Mac already had a female singer-songwriter in John McVie’s wife, the former Christine Perfect, but as one waggish reviewer noted, saying yes was probably the smartest thing Fleetwood ever did. Nicks soon became the band’s biggest star, and her ongoing breakup with Buckingham became rock’s longest-running dysfunctional relationship.

With their quick integration into the group, the duo’s debut album was quickly forgotten, and it was never re-issued on CD or streaming services – until last week. The ex-lovers set aside their squabbling long enough to agree to a remastered re-release.

Neither the songs nor the production have the polish of their later work, but the potential is evident. Each singer wrote half the songs on the LP, and Nicks’ have the stronger melodies and hooks. The first track, “Crying in the Night,” is the poppiest of the bunch; Nicks’ voice isn’t as husky as it became later.

The album’s final track shows off the guitar work that so impressed Fleetwood. It’s the only song in their entire catalog that Buckingham and Nicks wrote together.