Future Games

Future Games
Studio album by Fleetwood Mac
Released	3 September 1971
Recorded	June–August 1971 at Advision Studios, London, England
Genre	Rock
Length	42:22
Label	Reprise
Producer	Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac chronology
Kiln House (1970) Future Games (1971) Bare Trees (1972)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B[2]

Future Games is the fifth studio album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1971. It was their first album to feature Christine McVie as a full member. This album was also the first of five albums to feature American guitarist Bob Welch . “He was totally different background – R&B, sort of jazzy. He brought his personality,” Mick Fleetwood said of Welch in a 1995 BBC interview. “He was a member of Fleetwood Mac before we’d even played a note.” ^[3]

Without the 1950s leanings of departed guitarist Jeremy Spencer, the band moved further away from blues and closer to the melodic pop sound that would finally break them into America four years later. After the band completed the album and turned it in, the record label said that it would not release an album with only seven songs, and demanded that they record an eighth. "What a Shame" was recorded hastily as a jam to fulfill this request.

In 2001, Sincer Records re-released the album on CD.

A heavily edited version of "Sands of Time" was an unsuccessful single in the United States and some other territories. However, the album did get airplay on FM radio. The title track "Future Games" was later re-recorded by Bob Welch for his 1979 solo album The Other One.

Future Games is featured in the 2000 movie Almost Famous.

There is an early version of "Morning Rain" with the title "Start Again", as recorded in a BBC session on 5 January 1971.^[4]

Cover

Early UK releases of this album, and some non-UK issues, have a yellow background to the picture of the two children and cover text. All subsequent releases have a green background. The 2013 vinyl reissue by Warner/Rhino available in the Fleetwood Mac: 1969 to 1972 4-LP box set restores the original yellow background to the album artwork.

Track listing

The song timings listed here are not as indicated on all CDs since the timings on some releases are inaccurate, in a few cases very inaccurate. On some versions of the album (depending on the country of issue), the notes state that the track "Woman of a 1000 Years" runs for 8:20 when in fact it runs for 5:28. Similarly, "Morning Rain" is listed as 6:22 and runs for 5:38, while the track "Sometimes" is listed to run for 6:25 and only runs for 5:26.^[5]

Personnel

• Danny Kirwan – guitar, vocals
• Bob Welch – guitar, vocals
• Christine McVie – keyboards, vocals
• John McVie – bass guitar
• Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• John Perfect – saxophone "What a Shame"

Production

• Producer: Fleetwood Mac
• Engineer: Martin Rushent
• Studio: Advision
• Sleeve design: John Pasche
• Cover photo by Sally Jesse
• Group photos by Edmund Shea

Charts

References