Fleetwood Mac was a band long before Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham signed on. In fact, they had released nine albums before then. But there is no doubt that their best work was with that lineup: Mick Fleetwood on drums, John McVie on bass — that would be the “Fleetwood” and “Mac” in the name — with John’s then-wife Christine McVie on piano and vocals, Lindsay Buckingham on guitar and vocals, and Stevie Nicks on vocals … and tambourine.

The group recorded their self-titled album, then Rumours, Tusk, Mirage, and Tango in the Night. Then Buckingham left in 1987. He came back in 1997, but Christine McVie left, ostensibly because she had a fear of flying and did not like to tour.

But now the whole “classic lineup”, as it is called, is heading back out together, which puts those great harmonies back together again.

Stevie Nicks recently received an Icon Award from BMI, one of the groups that manages music rights in the United States. On that occasion, Nicks talked about going back out on the road with the full lineup. She said Christine McVie had told her she wanted to tour with the band again.

“I’m like, ‘Well, you’ve convinced us over 16 years that you were never coming back. You finally, actually convinced us. So, are you kidding?'” Nicks said

McVie was totally serious.

“And I said, ‘Well, Chris, have you seen us in concert lately? Because you should see us, because it’s very physical,” Nicks said. “It’s almost three hours, and you kind of have to be an athlete. So, get a trainer.’ And she did! She did, totally!”

The tour kicks off September 30 in Minneapolis and will span 33 cities.

Christine McVie had joined the band onstage at the O2 Arena in London in September of 2013 for a performance of “Don’t Stop”, a song that she penned and sang on. It was considered a one-off. But the bug must have bitten McVie again.

Back then she had said, “I like being with the band, the whole idea of playing music with them,” she said. “I miss them all. If they were to ask me I would probably be very delighted … but it hasn’t happened so we’ll have to wait and see.”

Christine’s ex-husband, bassist John McVie, had been diagnosed with cancer, but they caught it early and he will be with the “classic lineup”.

Image via YouTube