Before ‘Dreams’, Fleetwood Mac created ‘Hypnotized’, combining hypnosis, jazz and a haunted house

Before Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac, Bob Welch’s songwriting had already brought supernatural themes into the band’s music. His 1973 song ‘Hypnotized’ drew on a spooky house where the group lived and recorded, showing an earlier path towards the mysticism later associated with Nicks.

Welch said the house’s tennis court felt eerie at night, and its atmosphere helped shape the lyrics. The song also references his interest in UFOs and Carlos Castaneda’s books, alongside a friend’s account of an unusual pond in North Carolina. Its jazz-influenced chords and acoustic guitar solo gave it a distinctive sound.