MacNuggets

[michelej1]

Variety, October 13, 1997

HEADLINE: Reprise duo gets hard sell

BYLINE: PHIL GALLO

BODY:
HOLLYWOOD Large-scale marketing is being called upon as Reprise Records positions itself with two high-profile releases: Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance" and Green Day's "Nimrod." "The Dance," which reunites Fleetwood Mac's most popular lineup from the mid-'70s, debuted at No. 1, selling almost 200,000 copies in its first week (Aug. 18-24) and benefiting greatly from exposure on VH1 and MTV.

"You have to do a lot of planning and we felt that whatever we could do to expose this project would pay off," says Reprise president Howie Klein. "Fleetwood Mac has an upper demo and there was nervousness (because) sometimes the audience doesn't want to come back."

Thomases wrong


The return of the Mac was greeted by a chorus of Doubting Thomases who suggested the band would be lucky to sell out 6,000-seat halls and that the disc/tour would pale in comparison to the vaunted Eagles reunion three years back. Fleetwood Mac is currently selling out 18,000-seaters with a top ticket of $ 75, grossing nearly $ 1 million per night.