Rhino releasing Fleetwood Mac early years box sets

Eight CD set includes remastered version of seven studio albums and unreleased 1974 concert

After Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, John McVie, and Jeremy Spencer started Fleetwood Mac in 1967, they quickly found an audience eager for their British-style blues. Over the next seven years, the band would sign with Reprise Records, release seven studio albums, and release many classic tracks that are still beloved today. Fleetwood Mac’s early rise to fame takes centerstage on two upcoming Rhino releases that spotlight the group’s deep-blues roots. All sets available September 4th.

The first release is an eight CD boxed set called Fleetwood Mac 1969-1974 that includes remastered versions of all seven studio albums the band recorded between 1969 and 1974, several bonus tracks, and an unreleased 1974 concert recorded just a few months before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band.

The set covers a five-year time frame that encompasses several different band lineups, from founding members Fleetwood, Green, McVie and Spencer; to later additions like Danny Kirwan, Christine McVie, Dave Walker, Bob Welch, and Bob Weston.

The collection includes seven studio albums: Then Play On (1969), Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971), Bare Trees (1972), Penguin (1973), Mystery To Me (1973), and Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974). Those records fueled Fleetwood Mac’s early popularity in the U.K. and propelled them into the Top Ten with singles like “Man Of The World,” “Oh Well – Pt. 1,” “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown),” and the No. 1 hit “Albatross.”

The CD set concludes with an unreleased recording of the band’s December 15, 1974 concert at The Record Plant in Sausalito, California. The performance captures the band – Fleetwood, Welch and the McVies – on tour supporting their latest album, Heroes Are Hard To Find. Originally, the show was simulcast on the legendary rock radio station KSAN-FM in San Francisco.

For the second release, Rhino continues to bring Fleetwood Mac’s early albums back into print on vinyl with a 4 LP/7” boxed set called Fleetwood Mac 1973-1974. The collection includes the unreleased 1974 live album along with Penguin (1973), Mystery To Me (1973) and Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974).

To ensure superb sound quality, Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering cut the lacquers for all the albums from the original analog masters, which are pressed on 140-gram vinyl and presented in replica sleeves made to look like the original pressings. As a final touch, the set also includes a 7” single with “For Your Love” (Mono Promo Edit) on one side, and the previously unreleased “Good Things (Come To Those Who Wait)” on the flipside.

Finally, a limited edition, colored-vinyl edition of Fleetwood Mac 1973-1974 will be available exclusively from rhino.com. The studio albums, live recording, and 7” single will each be pressed on a different colored vinyl: Penguin (yellow), Mystery To Me (orange), Heroes Are Hard To Find (gold), Live from the Record Plan 12-15-74 (white), and 7” (blue).

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com