The Story Of Kate Bush Rejecting Fleetwood Mac

Rumours, Fleetwood Mac‘s eleventh album, was released in 1977. The album, which includes hits like “Dreams,” “The Chain,” and “Go Your Own Way,” was recorded amid a period of upheaval for the band. They were dealing with interpersonal troubles and substance misuse concerns, which heavily inspired the topic of Rumours.

Rumours went on to become Fleetwood Mac’s masterpiece, a renowned breakup album, and one of the most celebrated and successful albums ever. Its success was further enhanced by a tour of the same name, during which the band performed 96 shows across Europe, the UK, Japan, Oceania, and North America.

The Epic Fleetwood Mac US Tour

The band’s tour of the United States was exceptionally ambitious, with nearly 80 shows spread across three legs. The first, and smallest, leg carried Fleetwood Mac from New York to Kansas in early 1977. The second part was significantly longer because the band spent the summer touring from Miami to Vancouver.

Following a brief hiatus to record their follow-up album, Tusk, Fleetwood Mac resumed their US tour the following summer. The Penguin Summer Country Safari was the name given to the final portion of the journey.

Kate Bush’s Tour of Life

When planning their tour, Fleetwood Mac approached English artist Kate Bush, known for her pop music art, as their opening act. However, Bush declined the offer. Despite being in the early stages of her career in the late 1970s, Bush was already achieving recognition and success.

She signed with EMI Records and was preparing to release her debut album, The Kick Inside. The lead single from the album, Wuthering Heights, written by Bush at the age of 18, became the first song by a female artist to top the UK charts.

In addition to working on her record, Bush was organizing her own tour, dubbed The Tour of Life, which included 24 shows in the UK and Europe in the spring of 1979. Dancers, mime, magic, projections, costume changes, and readings were all part of the spectacular show on the tour.

Bush was too preoccupied with organizing her own ambitious tour to accept the invitation to join Fleetwood Mac. She wanted more than a brief supporting role, which would have constrained the vast spectacle she had planned for her live performances.

The majority of the dates for The Tour of Life sold out, and extra dates were added as a result of great demand. However, it turned out to be Bush’s only concert tour. Bush later paid tribute to Bill Duffield by writing a song called “Blow Away,” but many theories have surfaced regarding her decision not to tour again, including her dislike of traveling, placing family obligations first, or the tragic death of her lighting director, Bill Duffield, during The Tour of Life.