Big Love (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Big Love" is a song by Fleetwood Mac, that appeared on their 1987 album Tango in the Night. The song was the first single to be released from the album, reaching number 5 in the US, and number nine in the UK. The single was also a hit on the American dance charts, where the song peaked at number 7.
A 12-inch version featured an extended dance mix, with added vocals by Stevie Nicks. While the 12-inch version included "You & I, Part II" from the Tango in the Night album, the 7-inch version included a non-album track, "You & I, Part I". A limited edition 12-inch picture disc was released in the UK, as well as a double 7-inch pack, which contained the "Big Love" single, and an exclusive 7-inch featuring "The Chain" as an A-side. "Big Love" became a standard of the Balearic beat dance sound, and the object of an extended remix by Arthur Baker.
Background
"Big Love" was written by Lindsey Buckingham for a third solo album that he began in 1985, which instead became Tango in the Night. The song epitomised the album's stylised production, with its provocative "oh–ahh" vocal exchange. Though many assumed the "female" "ahh" to be Stevie Nicks, Buckingham performed both, his voice being sampled and altered to mimic that of a woman. "It was odd," he said, "that so many people wondered if it was Stevie on there with me."Solo version
After Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac in 1987, the band did not perform "Big Love" live until his return in 1997. It was in 1993, on his first solo tour, that Buckingham performed a guitar-only version of the song. When playing "Big Love" live, he uses a gutted Gibson Chet Atkins SST with a capo on the fourth fret and a synth pickup. In 1997, he performed it in the same style on Fleetwood Mac's live album and video The Dance. It also appeared on the second volume of Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown film soundtrack. Buckingham continues to perform the song on Fleetwood Mac and solo tours.Track listings
12" single- "Big Love" – 6:42
- "Big Love" – 3:03
- "Big Love" – 6:36
- "You and I, Part I" – 3:04
Personnel
- Lindsey Buckingham – vocals, guitars, bass guitar, Fairlight CMI, synthesizer, drum programming
- John McVie – bass guitar
- Mick Fleetwood – drums
- Stevie Nicks – vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
;Original| Chart | Position |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 16 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles | 12 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 8 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 8 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 59 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 29 |
| South African Top 20 | 11 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 14 |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 23 |
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock | 2 |
| West German Media Control Singles Chart | 17 |
;Remix
| Chart | Position |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Maxi-Single Sales | 11 |