In 1973 Stevie Nicks wrote her first song about Lindsey Buckingham. Two years later, she finally felt understood
Stevie Nicks’ 1973 song “Long Distance Winner” described the strain of working closely with Lindsey Buckingham, whose talent she admired but whose manner she found difficult. The article argues that the song’s concerns gained wider recognition two years later, when the pair joined Fleetwood Mac and tensions became more visible, foreshadowing the conflicts associated with Rumours.
The track appeared on Buckingham Nicks, the duo’s only album together before Fleetwood Mac. Nicks said it was about “dealing with Lindsey” and staying with a difficult artist she adored. Their first Fleetwood Mac recording sessions began in 1975; the article says they validated her concerns, though the growing recognition did not repair their relationship.
In short
- Nicks wrote “Long Distance Winner” about working with Buckingham.
- The song appeared on their 1973 album.
- Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 sessions brought the tensions into view.
Explained simply
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were a musical and romantic partnership before they joined Fleetwood Mac. They released one album together, Buckingham Nicks, in 1973, with Nicks writing songs shaped by the demands of making music closely with Buckingham.
Fleetwood Mac, a British-American rock band, brought the pair into a larger group in 1975. The pressures of working together became more apparent there, providing context for the later conflicts associated with the band’s album Rumours.