Jemella Piersol-Freedman
Contributing Writer
On Sept. 5, 1973, the debut — and, as it would later turn out, only — album from up-and-coming musical duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks hit record shops. The songwriting (and at that time romantic) partners, working under the name “Buckingham Nicks,” had managed to secure a record deal within less than a year of moving to Los Angeles, their tight folk-rock songwriting capturing the attention of Polydor Records. However, despite critical acclaim and a provocative cover, their self-titled debut flopped. Later that same year, it was already out of print, and for the last five decades has remained a coveted yet unattainable commodity for vinyl fiends and Fleetwood Mac fans everywhere. 52 years after its original release, a remastered “Buckingham Nicks” has finally returned to record stores and streaming platforms.
Buckingham and Nicks met as teenagers at a youth group event in San Francisco and later performed together in Fritz, a psychedelic-oriented group that attained some success opening for big-name late ’60s acts like Jefferson Airplane and Janis Joplin. After attracting the attention of producer Keith Olsen, who encouraged the two songwriters to record demos of some of their own material, they dropped out of college. They relocated to Los Angeles to live together and begin working as a duo. There, they refined their material, writing and music recording. In addition to her musical efforts, Nicks worked three jobs to financially support their household while Buckingham remained at home perfecting his guitar technique. After nearly a year of advertising their demos, they obtained a record deal, and sessions for “Buckingham Nicks” began at Sound City Studios.
At Sound City, Buckingham and Nicks brought 13 songs to life. Olsen, a partial owner of the studio, produced the record. One of the session musicians he hired, guitarist Waddy Wachtel, would become Nicks’ lifelong friend and collaborator. Despite being billed as songwriting partners, Buckingham and Nicks co-wrote just one of the album’s 13 tracks — the anthemic closer “Frozen Love” — with the rest of the album featuring songs composed by one or the other (minus the instrumental jazz cover “Django”). This trend would continue after the duo joined Fleetwood Mac, with Nicks penning tracks like “Rhiannon” and “Landslide,” while Buckingham contributed classics like “Go Your Own Way” and “Never Going Back Again.”
Listening to these recordings that are finally available after so much time, the seeds of the punchy folk-rock sound that Buckingham and Nicks brought to Fleetwood Mac are evident. Fleetwood Mac re-recorded one of Nicks’ tracks on the album, “Crystal,” after she and Buckingham joined the lineup. Both of their songwriting styles — Buckingham’s edgier and more guitar-based, Nicks’ more lush and melodic — emerge clearly on this record as contrasting but complementary musical forces. Among other numbers, Nicks contributes the catchy “Crying in the Night” and the groovy, moody “Long Distance Winner,” while Buckingham offers both touching love songs, like the guitar instrumental “Stephanie,” and embittered takedown “Without a Leg To Stand On.”
While many critics saw the album’s musical content as strong, the label’s minimal marketing resulted in poor sales and limited reception, except in the Birmingham, Alabama area, where radio play by local DJs resulted in an unexpected following. However, Fleetwood Mac’s drummer, Mick Fleetwood, happened to hear the record while touring Sound City Studios. When Fleetwood Mac needed new members, he remembered the music he had heard at Sound City, inviting Buckingham and Nicks to join, a collaboration that revitalized Fleetwood Mac’s career and resulted in decades of iconic hits.
“Buckingham Nicks” is now available to listen to on streaming services and to purchase in physical formats via Rhino Entertainment.