By Martin Hutchinson
There are rumours flying around that there is a superb tribute band to Fleetwood Mac doing the rounds…
For once, the rumours are, in fact – er – fact, and the celebrated Rumours of Fleetwood Mac are touring their acclaimed show in an exhaustive 26-date UK tour.
The original Fleetwood Mac had a string of hits from ‘Albatross’ through ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Little Lies’ and ‘Everywhere’ to name but a few.
Amazingly though, the tribute band came about by accident.
Drummer Allan Cosgrove told The BEAT: “It was never really planned that we be a tribute to Fleetwood Mac, even though we are all fans of their music. The five core members of the band – who, incidentally, are still the core of the band today – got together to record an American advert and had to sound like the US band Heart.
“When we heard the playback, the producer Brian Rawling, who has worked with the likes of Cher and Tina Turner, said we sounded more like Fleetwood Mac and we agreed.”
It was then that the idea of a tribute band came to Allan, but he needed the blessing of the original band.
“We later recorded a couple of songs off Mac’s album ‘Rumours’ and sent them off to Mick Fleetwood. He’d been a mate ever since I was in The Merseybeats, and he gave us the thumbs up. Since than he’s seen us perform and even joined us on stage.”
Another link with the original band comes with their forthcoming tour when they will be joined on stage at some gigs by former Mac guitarist Rick Vito.
Rick was in Fleetwood Mac from 1987, when he replaced Lindsey Buckingham, until 1991; and was a part of the line-up that recorded the albums ‘Tango in the Night’ and ‘Behind The Mask’.
“I had met and played with Mick (Fleetwood) a few times and I was a big fan of Fleetwood Mac, especially the early years with Peter Green.” Rick said.
“He liked the way I played, and when Lindsey left abruptly, my friend Billy Burnette was asked to join, but he wasn’t really a lead guitarist so he said he would join if they also included me – and I was named lead-guitarist.”
Even though he was a ‘newbie’, he had creative input on both albums he recorded.
“I was a bit late for ‘Tango’, but for the ‘Behind The Mask’ record, we were all writing and they all liked three of my songs which went on the album, plus another couple turned up on ‘The Chain’, the 25th-anniversary collection.”
Despite all that was going on in the band at the time, Rick said it was a good time for him.
“Well, yeah, people don’t normally get the chance to join a ‘supergroup’. I’d just done a year and a half with Bob Seger, so I was pretty much prepared for playing on the big stages.”
“It was a very happy time for me and I was instantly more famous than I’d ever been.”
So, how did he get to be involved with ‘Rumours of Fleetwood Mac’?
“Well, a mutual friend got me into the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain in Liverpool last year, they approached me and asked if I would make a couple of appearances with them while I was there.”
“They are such lovely people and it was really great fun, so we decided I would join them this year on some dates. They do the first half and I’ll come on in the second half for the Peter Green spot and stay on for the rest of the show.”
“I’ll probably be playing ‘Albatross’, ‘The Green Manalishi’, ‘Black Magic Woman’ and a lot of the blues tunes.”
Sadly, Rick is unable to do the whole tour.
“I have to get back at the end of November as I’m heading to Hawaii to work with Mick Fleetwood’s Blues Band, with whom I’ve been working since 2008.”
“Then I’ve got a German and Danish tour for myself next May with Blues festivals in Canada.”
Rick also released a new CD in the States.
“It’s called ‘Mojo on My Side’ and is full of blues roots and slide guitar, the place where I like to live.”
Of the Fleetwood Mac, there is one song he would like to
include in the set.
“Yes. I love ‘Love That Burns’ from their first album in 1967. I may suggest that we do that on the tour.”
And this tour may not be the only one that Rick does with this band.
“No, this is a trial really and we’ll see what happens. I’m really looking forward to playing live with ‘Rumours’. They’re a really lovely bunch of people and great musicians, and they’re northerners, and people in the north are very friendly, and they’re not afraid to have human contact with the audiences.”