"The Chain" is a song from Fleetwood Mac's best-selling album Rumours. "The Chain" is the only song credited to all five members of the Rumours-era lineup: Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks.
According to interviews on the writing of Rumours, the final section of "The Chain"—beginning with a bass progression—was created by John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Stevie Nicks had written the lyrics separately and thought they would be a good match; she and Christine McVie did some reworking to create the first section of the tune. To complete the song, Lindsey Buckingham recycled the intro from an earlier song from his duo with Nicks, "Lola (My Love)", originally released on their self-titled 1973 album. Thanks to its use as a popular TV theme tune (for the BBC's Formula One coverage), the ending bass line is highly recognisable, and although not released as a single, it does get air play.
The song itself has a basic rock structure, although it has two distinct portions: the main verse and chorus, and the outro. The song shows influences of hard rock, folk, and country. The song also uses a banjo to play the famous riff.
Read more about The Chain: Personnel, Re-releases, Cover Versions, Television, Other Uses
Famous quotes containing the word chain:
“The name of the town isn’t important. It’s the one that’s just twenty-eight minutes from the big city. Twenty-three if you catch the morning express. It’s on a river and it’s got houses and stores and churches. And a main street. Nothing fancy like Broadway or Market, just plain Broadway. Drug, dry good, shoes. Those horrible little chain stores that breed like rabbits.”
—Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993)