The drummer Mick Fleetwood called a “master”
Drummer Mick Fleetwood is undeniably one of the driving forces behind the name Fleetwood Mac. Their eponymous name is a fusion of his surname and that of bassist John McVie, resulting in the iconic title of the blues-infused pop-rock band. The band’s inception occurred in 1967 when Fleetwood formed the group with Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, and Bob Brunning.
Of course, Fleetwood Mac has experienced multiple alterations in its lineup throughout the years. The exit of Peter Green marked the arrival of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and yet, amid these changes, one constant factor has remained: the enduring drumming of Fleetwood himself. When it comes to his drumming inspirations, Fleetwood looks to the prowess of several figures across rock and blues.
Included in Fleetwood’s list of most cherished drummers, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin holds pride of place. “People who are really super-talented may overuse their skill,“ Fleetwood explained. “[Bonhmam] had both, which is why, as a contemporary rock-and-roll drummer, he had all of it. And huge power. The signatures that Led Zeppelin used, whether people know it or not, are quite complicated, and he made those signatures feel very normal. That’s a real skill, and that’s all about feel.”
In terms of directly impacting the signature Fleetwood Mac sound, Fleetwood credits a significant amount of this direction to the works of B.B. King and Sonny Freeman. According to Fleetwood, Freeman was the “master of the shuffle“.
He said: “I listened until my eardrums fell out. He just was so swingin’, and of course, B.B. King became a huge favourite of mine. He was one of our heroes.”
In the 1950s and ’60s, Fleetwood had a penchant for jazz-infused rock, particularly when Sandy Nelson took the drumming role. Nelson contributed his drumming talents to numerous well-known hits, including the 1958 track ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ by The Teddy Bears, ‘Alley Oop’ by The Hollywood Argyles, and ‘A Thousand Stars’ by Kathy Young and the Innocents.
“Sandy Nelson was someone who was played on the radio, and I couldn’t believe you’d have a drummer with a hit record. He became a hero,” Fleetwood said. “My dream was to be Sandy Nelson. And all I’ve done is drum, so I have no complaints.” Throughout his career, Nelson released a selection of charting instrumental tracks as a solo artist, including ‘Let There Be Drums’.
Louie Bellson is renowned for his pioneering use of a double bass drum setup and holds the distinction of having made the second-highest number of musical appearances at the White House, following only Bob Hope. Bellson is another drummer highly esteemed by Fleetwood, who once said: “His tom-tom work was so melodic. I’ve tried to pay attention to that in the way I play, just trying to make it musical.”
