Big Love (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Big Love


Artist = Fleetwood Mac
from Album = Tango in the Night
B-side = "You & I Part 1"
Released = 1987
Format = 7"single
Recorded = 1985-7
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:42
Label = Reprise
Writer = Lindsey Buckingham
Producer = Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut
Certification =
Last single = "Can't Go Back"
(1982)
This single = "Big Love"
(1987)
Next single = "Seven Wonders"
(1987)
Misc =

"Big Love" is a song by Fleetwood Mac, that appeared on their 1987 album "Tango in the Night". The song was the first single to be released from the album, reaching #5 on the US charts and #9 in the UK.

Background

"Big Love" was written by Lindsey Buckingham, and was originally going to be part of his third solo album which he began working on in 1985, but the project became a Fleetwood Mac album instead. The song epitomised the stylised production techniques used on the album, with its provocative "oh - ahh" male/female vocal exchange. Though many assumed the female "ahh" to be Stevie Nicks, it was actually Lindsey Buckingham performing both, created by way of his voice being sampled and altered in the studio to mimic that of a woman. The sound was ubiquitous, eventually making the rounds on 1987 episodes of "Late Night with David Letterman" where David told viewers they were hearing the sounds of CPR.

olo version

Since Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac in 1987 (shortly after "Tango in the Night" was released), the band never performed "Big Love" live until his return in 1997. It was in 1992, on his first solo tour, that Lindsey performed a stripped down guitar-only version of the song. In 1997, he performed it in the same style on Fleetwood Mac's live album and video "The Dance", as well as also appearing on the second volume of Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown" film soundtrack. Buckingham to this day continues to perform the song on Fleetwood Mac and solo tours, most recently on his tour to support "Under the Skin".

Music video

The stylish and innovative promo video for "Big Love" was reported (by Mick Fleetwood himself) to have cost half a million dollars - a considerable amount for a three and a half minute clip, even by today's standards.

Personnel

1987 version
*Lindsey Buckingham - Guitar, vocals
*John McVie - Bass
*Christine McVie - keyboards, synthesizer
*Mick Fleetwood - drums

*Stevie Nicks (Nicks was absent during the original album recording of this song, though she is heard on the 12" extended version of the single and also appears in the video)