The Chain

“The Chain” is one of British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac’s most well-known and well-loved tracks from their critically acclaimed 11th studio album “Rumours”, which was released in February 1977. It is the only song from the “Rumours” album that was written by all five members of the band.

“The Chain” features sound snippets from various miscellaneous objects, such as razor blades. In an interview with American rock radio station Lucky 98 FM, Mick Fleetwood spoke about the history behind “The Chain”:

“”‘The Chain’ basically came out of a jam. That song was put together as distinct from someone literally sitting down and writing a song. It was very much collectively a band composition. The riff is John McVie’s contribution – a major contribution. Because that bassline is still being played on British TV in the car-racing series to this day. The Grand Prix thing. But it was really something that just came out of us playing in the studio. Originally we had no words to it. And it really only became a song when Stevie wrote some. She walked in one day and said, ‘I’ve written some words that might be good for that thing you were doing in the studio the other day.’ So it was put together. Lindsey arranged and made a song out of all the bits and pieces that we were putting down onto tape. And then once it was arranged and we knew what we were doing, we went in and recorded it. But it ultimately becomes a band thing anyway, because we all have so much of our own individual style, our own stamp that makes the sound of Fleetwood Mac. So it’s not like you feel disconnected from the fact that maybe you haven’t written one of the songs. Because what you do, and what you feel when we’re all making music together, is what Fleetwood Mac ends up being, and that’s the stuff you hear on the albums. Whether one likes it or not, this is, after all, a combined effort from different people playing music together.”

The official music video for the song is a live performance of the track at the Warner Brothers Studios in California, on the 23rd May 1997. Uploaded by the Fleetwood Mac YouTube channel on the 27th September 2018, the video has almost 6 million views with 43 thousand likes. On Spotify, the track has 340.8 million streams across the globe.

Release Date: 4th February 1977

Songwriter/s: Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie & Stevie Nicks

Producer/s: Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat & Richard Dashut

Label: Warner Bros.

Music Video Release Date: 1997

Chart Rankings & Certifications: “The Chain” reached #81 on the UK Singles chart in 2011, as well as another version of the track reaching charts in 1997. “The Chain” is certified Platinum in the UK.

The lyrics to “The Chain” can be viewed here: LINK