Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham 1973 Duo Album Gets Reissue
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, publicly estranged since the former was ousted from Fleetwood Mac in 2018, surprised their fans on July 17, 2025, with simultaneous posts on their social media platforms, that revealed a potential thaw of their troubled relationship. At 1 p.m. ET that day, Nicks simply wrote, “And if you go forward…” Half an hour later, at 1:30, Buckingham responded, “I’ll meet you there.” Fans on the internet immediately started speculating as to its interpretation. Most seemed to settle on a long-awaited reissue, or even an expanded edition, of their long-out-of-print 1973 album, Buckingham Nicks.
Six days later, on July 23, all was revealed. The only studio album by Buckingham and Nicks as a duo, prior to them joining Fleetwood Mac, is being reissued on September 19. Originally released in 1973 and unavailable for decades, the album has been sourced from the original analog master tapes and will be available for the first time on CD. An Amazon-exclusive yellow vinyl edition is available for pre-order in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here. The CD can be pre-ordered in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.
Notes the official July 23 announcement: Released on September 5, 1973, Buckingham Nicks quickly faded from commercial view but never disappeared from the cultural conversation. Recorded at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Keith Olsen, the album introduced Nicks and Buckingham’s tightly wound harmonies and sharply contrasting songwriting voices across 10 tracks—ranging from the folk-rock shimmer of “Crystal” to the sunbaked strut of “Don’t Let Me Down Again.”
Listen to “Crying in the Night”
On July 21, the popular Fleetwood Mac News site shared photos of a billboard that had purportedly been erected on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles announcing the album’s reissue this September 19.
Clever pic.twitter.com/4vOt6NN9cK
— FLEETWOOD MAC NEWS (@Nickslive) July 21, 2025
The original LP features 10 tracks, most of which were written by one of them or the other. It was produced by Keith Olsen and includes guitarist Waddy Wachtel and drummer Jim Keltner among its many players.
Even though it flopped upon release, its legend only grew with time. In late 1974, Mick Fleetwood visited Sound City while scouting studios to record Fleetwood Mac’s next album. To showcase both his production work and the studio’s sound, Olsen blasted “Frozen Love” for Fleetwood in Studio A. The song reflected the full scope of the album’s ambition and chemistry—and immediately caught the drummer’s attention.
Soon after, when Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch left the band, Fleetwood reached out to offer Buckingham the spot. Instead of agreeing, Buckingham insisted that he and Nicks were a package deal. Fleetwood agreed, and on New Year’s Eve 1974, the two officially joined Fleetwood Mac—launching one of the most celebrated chapters in the band’s history.
Olsen went on to produce 1975’s self-titled Fleetwood Mac, the first album with Nicks and Buckingham in the fold. They may have been inexperienced when they made the album, Buckingham says, “but it stands up in a way you hope it would, by these two kids who were pretty young to be doing that work.”
— Stevie Nicks (@StevieNicks) July 17, 2025
— Lindsey Buckingham (@LBuckingham) July 17, 2025
Buckingham Nicks Album Track Listing
Side One
“Crying In The Night”
“Stephanie”
“Without A Leg To Stand On”
“Crystal”
“Long Distance Winner”
Side Two
“Don’t Let Me Down Again”
“Django”
“Races Are Run”
“Lola (My Love)”
“Frozen Love”
Many forget that on September 5, 2023, their social media accounts simultaneously acknowledged the 50th anniversary of the duo album in a coordinated effort. The verified Facebook accounts of both Buckingham and Nicks placed the same post of three photos: the album cover in which the then-romantic couple posed topless together, as well as the gatefold with lyrics and credits. The posts were accompanied by the identical, single sentence, “Happy 50th anniversary to Buckingham Nicks, released on this day in 1973.”
The September 5, 2023 post on Lindsey Buckingham’s Facebook page.
That would not normally be such a remarkable occurrence. But their relationship is far from ordinary. After Buckingham’s 2018 departure, he filed a lawsuit in which he accused the band of breach of fiduciary duty and other charges. It was settled sometime that fall.
When asked by CBS This Morning‘s Anthony Mason if it felt he “had been kicked out of the family,” the musician said, “I do.” In measured words, he added, “I don’t feel that it was something that was my doing. It hurt for a while.”
Buckingham pointed the finger at Nicks: “It appeared to me that she was looking for something to hang on me in order to instigate some kind of a coup. Either I had to go or she was going to go. None of it makes sense to me.”
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac in Las Vegas, 2014.
Buckingham did a solo tour toward the end of 2018 that coincided with the start of Fleetwood Mac’s own tour, in which they added the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn. In February 2019 came the shocking news that Buckingham had open heart surgery. (Buckingham and Nicks have both had subsequent solo tours.) And in November 2022 came the devastating news that Christine McVie had died. In a February 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mick Fleetwood acknowledged that with the beloved Songbird’s death, the band was likely done. (Several weeks earlier, Fleetwood, Nicks and Buckingham attended a celebration of McVie in Malibu.)
Months went by and then entertainment blogger Roger Friedman wrote an item published on July 20, 2023, headlined “Fleetwood Mac Could Reunite with Lindsey Buckingham for One Last Reunion Tour.” The focus of the story was on the farewell tours from many of classic rock’s biggest stars including Elton John, Eagles, Paul Simon, Aerosmith and others. Wrote Friedman, “There is even talk, sources say per Mick Fleetwood, of reuniting with Lindsey Buckingham, who was fired from the group a couple of years ago. But with the passing of Christine McVie, it makes sense to get Buckingham back in the fold. He and Stevie Nicks can fight once the tour is over and they’re in nursing homes, frankly.”
Buckingham turned 75 last October 3. Nicks turned 77 on May 26. John McVie, who turns 80 on November 26, has previously announced his retirement. Fleetwood turned 78 on June 24, and is still dealing with the devastation of the loss of his restaurant from the Lahaina fires.
So could there be a Fleetwood Mac-Buckingham reunion? Unlikely. Still, a 1977 live Rumours album, released in 2023, would have required a sign-off from all involved.
13 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationI think the band (the remaining 4) will tour. If for no other reason than to honor the late, great Songbird. Someone’s passing often is the catalyst to the most unlikely of reunions. My fingers are crossed as my wishful thinking becomes contagious!
This album has never seen an official digital release. Not streaming anywhere and it’s never even been on CD.
It’s somewhat of a ignominiously sad end to a once mighty band. I often wish these long running acts wither slowly and dissipate with grace, rather than crash and burn, ending with fits and bitterness.
R.I.P Fleetwood Mac
But didn’t someone once say “It’s better to burn out than to fade away”?
Mystery for decades why Buck/Nicks will not be mastered and re released. We want it and no answer has EVER been given why? Is it label, linds or Stevie ? Come on people your fans deserve this. Yes, deserve this!
I still have the original LP…as good or better than anything Fleetwood Mac put out!
Lindsey Buckingham stated he wants to release the album on CD but Nicks will not give consent.
They need to get back together one more time. If only Christine was still here.
Who’s gonna do Christine’s vocals and harmony parts, not to mention her keyboards (although that would be easier to duplicate) on a reunion tour?
I think Vanessa Carlton could master this for Christine!
It’s been 50 years and this STILL isn’t on CD or digital. Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac are two of the most popular artists in music history and yet STILL not officially released. How is that possible?
What a great story, I’ve lived in the valley all my life and in 1973 I had two copies of the Buckingham Nicks’ album I was at celebrity theater in 1973 I believe to see fleetwood mac when Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie nicks just joined the band. I remember the theater played the entire album before the band took the stage.
There is a superb cd issue from South Korea. Superbly packaged like a Japanese mini lp sleeve. It has lots of bonus tracks.