Ken Caillat Seeks Input for Book

[kencaillat]

Hi All, if you can remember what you were doing when you first heard Rumours, can you let me know?

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by kencaillat

Hi All, if you can remember what you were doing when you first heard Rumours, can you let me know?

My mom and I were driving down I-77 from Cleveland Ohio to Myrtle Beach, SC.... It was at night and very dark...

My dad and brothers were sleeping in the back of the van.. and we had the 8 track tape going... The fidelity sounded so good at low volume that we kept it on... it must have played like 5 or 6 times before we put in another tape...

There's just something about watching the white lines go by on the freeway listening to songs like Oh Daddy and Gold Dust Woman, The Chain... it was pretty haunting... I'll never forget the experience because I was allowed to stay up past 9pm which was a treat... I had no idea that these were almost the same people that were on Heroes are Hard to Find, which my uncle had.. I did know that this was the same as the white album however...

So here we were on the west virginia turnpike listening to these incredible harmonies and melodies... The sound of Fleetwood Mac was way bigger than any of the band members... as a kid I remember it sounded like a lot of people were in this band.... and singing along with the album was so much fun... Songbird, Dont Stop and The Chain were my favorites back then... my mom loved Dreams...

Side note, it was one of the best vacations our family ever had... and I never realized it but FMac was with us...

[desertangel]

When I first heard Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, I had been listening to The Eagles Hotel California for weeks.

There was so much hype and marketing surrounding the release of this line up's sophmore album, I didn't bother to run right out and buy it when it dropped because I knew all my friends and neighbors would.

That day, I was at a friend's house kicking back listening to albums when some dude came in clutching a Music Plus bag. He was really excited and obviously a big fan. He explained he'd just gotten a copy of the newly released Rumours after having "waited so long for the band to finally finish it." He walked over to the record player, removed Hotel California and put Rumours on. I liked the cover art. It wasn't like a lot of cover art of the day. It was mysterious and Edwardian. First time through, Gold Dust Woman was the stand out song for me. I didn't listen to Hotel California too much longer after that. I currently own 6 copies of Rumours; 3 on vinyl, 1 CD, 1 remastered CD and 1 DVD-A.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by desertangel

When I first heard Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, I had been listening to The Eagles Hotel California for weeks.

There was so much hype and marketing surrounding the release of this line up's sophmore album, I didn't bother to run right out and buy it when it dropped because I knew all my friends and neighbors would.

That day, I was at a friend's house kicking back listening to albums when some dude came in clutching a Music Plus bag. He was really excited and obviously a big fan. He explained he'd just gotten a copy of the newly released Rumours after having "waited so long for the band to finally finish it." He walked over to the record player, removed Hotel California and put Rumours on. I liked the cover art. It wasn't like a lot of cover art of the day. It was mysterious and Edwardian. First time through, Gold Dust Woman was the stand out song for me. I didn't listen to Hotel California too much longer after that. I currently own 6 copies of Rumours; 3 on vinyl, 1 CD, 1 remastered CD and 1 DVD-A.

That was really interesting! Thanks for sharing.

[Old Man Wise]

I remember like it was yesterday...

At a house party, I was having for a few High School friends, some brought their own albums for me to play. I never heard of Fleetwood Mac (this was in 1977 when RUMOURS was released) and was not a rock fan at all. That would explain why I never heard of FM - just wasn’t interested in rock music. When a friend handed me her own album of RUMOURS and asked me to play this next, I was drawn by the cover art - especially the fonts used on the album. ( I am now a graphic designer by profession, which explains my initial interest.)

When I played the album I never heard anything like it before and was an instant fan. I didn’t favor any particular cuts on the album at that time - I loved the whole sound of it. After the party I purchased the white FM album and RUMOURS and really thought these albums were just perfect in every way (that goes not only for the music but also for the photographs, inserts, fonts, etc.)

Later, when I used to go for pizza on Friday nights (glorious High School days!) I used to play the B-side to the single of GO YOUR OWN WAY on the juke box. Of course, it was SILVER SPRINGS and that must have confused the whole restaurant every time I played this masterpiece!

Because of RUMOURS and the songs of Stevie Nicks, I even started writing songs (at 17) which would later be used as the soundtrack to a fairy tale I published for friends. (This is another story not relevant here... just to illustrate how RUMOURS inspired me).

I am a new member and this is my first entry! Hello everyone!

[sleepless child]

I had really gotten into the White Album when it came out in '75. I listened to it religously. I think I first heard "Go Your Own Way" on the radio and was so excited. I was 15 years old. I got the album and played it all the time. I was at a friends house one day we were talking about how cool Fleetwood Mac was and he mentioned the song Silver Springs. I thought I was such an expert and kept saying "they don't do a song called Silver Springs" Well, he pulled out the single and sure enough there was Silver Springs on the B side. We played it over and over all night. I even heard the song on the radio once. I loved this album so much. Fleetwood Mac was THE group in 1977.

[sleepless child]

Here is a photos from the Rumours era

[desertangel]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

That was really interesting! Thanks for sharing.

srsly? or you dont' agree.. ? I was in So.Cali at the time (weren't you?) seemed to me the place was rather mad with hype at the time.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by desertangel

srsly? or you dont' agree.. ? I was in So.Cali at the time (weren't you?) seemed to me the place was rather mad with hype at the time.

Seriously, it was interesting. No, I wasn't in California. I was 7 when Rumours was released. So, it's fascinating to read the perspective about the hype from someone who can remember it first hand. Instead of all the "second hand news" we usually get...

[desertangel]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

Seriously, it was interesting. No, I wasn't in California. I was 7 when Rumours was released. So, it's fascinating to read the perspective about the hype from someone who can remember it first hand. Instead of all the "second hand news" we usually get...

OH, okay! I was just out of high school and it totally seemed to me like So.Cali was FM-land in those days. From just after the white album (Rhiannon) to after Tusk. Frankly, I was getting a bit sick of it and is why I refused to jump on the bandwagon at the time, little rebellious imp that I was. It took the better part of a year before I joined that crowd.

[Spikey]

2 things:

1. Ken, kudos for that Q&A in 2001. Amazing read, just spend my Sunday learning about Rumours. Also, you have a pretty mean sales pitch for your DVD's, I wanna buy it now

2. I don't know if this counts, but I'm only 23, and first heard Rumours last year (CD rerelease), walking home from work, my wife having put me onto the band. I remember thinking "Man, this music is too good/detailed to listen to with these ambient sounds and car noise!" and had to listen to it again at home and spent the afternoon lying on my bed listening, and really was blown away, kinda wondering what I'd just listened to. Absolute musical inspiration in one album. I never thought I'd like albums. Now I regularly listen to them. Rumours converted me (White Album was OK, but didn't hook me).

Incidentally, I have a small home studio, and LOVED your tips.

- Spike

P.S. This isn't your question, but I have to say it anyway, Tusk was almost life-changing for me. I almost despised it the first time I heard it (because it wasn't Rumours? :P), but the second or third time, when I listened again, more carefully, it became my favourite album of all-time. Big kudos to you and Herman and the rest for such a phenomenal work of art, it really has changed my life in some ways.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by Spikey

2. I don't know if this counts, but I'm only 23, and first heard Rumours last year (CD rerelease), walking home from work, my wife having put me onto the band. I remember thinking "Man, this music is too good/detailed to listen to with these ambient sounds and car noise!" and had to listen to it again at home and spent the afternoon lying on my bed listening, and really was blown away, kinda wondering what I'd just listened to. Absolute musical inspiration in one album. I never thought I'd like albums. Now I regularly listen to them. Rumours converted me (White Album was OK, but didn't hook me).

I'll throw my story in since it's more recent too. I am sure Ken is looking for stories from '77 but...

I became interested in FM after seeing The Dance, being primarily a country fan up until that point. After seeing Destiny Rules and a repeat airing of the Making of Rumours, I decided I should check Rumours out. I purchased it and listened to it on a drive up to Nashville, about 4 or 5 years ago. I immediately was amazed that I knew almost every song, (exception being Oh Daddy). Then, I realized what a huge influence the band had in the landscape of pop-rock music. What a timeless album.

[daniellaaarisen]

I'm only seventeen so my story is relatively recent, but I'll share it anyway.

I first heard Rumours when I was around five. I was obsessed with the Dance around this same time and after wearing the CD out day after day (it was the first CD I ever owned), my mom got me Rumours. I distinctly remember sitting on my carpeted bedroom floor and putting the CD in my stereo. I just sat there and listened to the entire thing all the way through.... I think 5 or 6 times that first day. I had also just learned to read so I had a lot of fun deciphering the lyrics within the album booklet. Rumours taught me how to spell some hard third grade level words when I was only in kindergarten (examples: "heartless", "challenge", "together", "clean"....) If my newfound obsession wasn't concrete after The Dance, it sure was after Ruours. The album stuck to my bones and won't come off

[LB Freakazoid]

I was about 11 when Rumours came out and I remember my mom's best friend used to sing to it all the time - she sounded just like Stevie and us kids were always pestering her to sing cuz she sounded "just like the record". My friend (my mom's friend's daughter) and I would play Second Hand News over and over again - I think that's where my fascination with Lindsey started! Lindsey immediately squashed my obsession with Kris Kristopherson from A Star is Born at the time. Several years later, I remember listening to my 8-track of Rumours during a rather psychedelic evening, watching one of those wave machines and finally "getting it". That the music fit the words which amplified their meaning and not the other way around... yes, it was a luminous evening

Then, on the same day the Rumours DVD 5.1 came out -- that was in '01 I think --well, my TV and VCR both died! So I figured it was a sign from above for me to go out and get a home theater system so that I could listen to the new Rumours to test it out! You could hear things in the music that just got lost on vinyl or CD... and no psychedelics this time! None needed.

[Ghost_Tracker]

Originally Posted by daniellaaarisen

I'm only seventeen so my story is relatively recent, but I'll share it anyway.

I first heard Rumours when I was around five. I was obsessed with the Dance around this same time and after wearing the CD out day after day (it was the first CD I ever owned), my mom got me Rumours. I distinctly remember sitting on my carpeted bedroom floor and putting the CD in my stereo. I just sat there and listened to the entire thing all the way through.... I think 5 or 6 times that first day. I had also just learned to read so I had a lot of fun deciphering the lyrics within the album booklet. Rumours taught me how to spell some hard third grade level words when I was only in kindergarten (examples: "heartless", "challenge", "together", "clean"....) If my newfound obsession wasn't concrete after The Dance, it sure was after Ruours. The album stuck to my bones and won't come off

I don't think I've ever heard anyone before mention that Fleetwood Mac was so important in their childhood development (learning to read, being a pretty early memory etc.). That's an amazing, amazing thing when you really think about it...