Back in 1994, Fleetwood Mac hired replacements for three of their core members who went on a brief hiatus.
After Lindsey Buckingham departed in 1987 to focus on his solo career, in 1990, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks followed suit, reportedly caused by a desire to work on their own projects, but also due to rumoured tensions within the band.
The remaining members, however, pressed on, with drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie heading out on tour with three new recruitments, guitarists Billy Burnette and Dave Mason, and Bekka Bramlett, the daughter of '70s rock legends Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett.
Bramlett had previously worked alongside Mick Fleetwood as a member of his solo group Zoo, and following her invitation to join the band, she was enthusiastic, even though she knew that her tenure with Fleetwood Mac would most likely be short lived.
"I knew my job was to get Stevie back," she explains in conversation with Rolling Stone.
"I wasn't a moron. I also knew this was a dangerous job when I took it. I knew I was facing tomatoes. But I didn't want to wear a top hat. I didn't want to twirl around. I wanted to be me. I even dyed my hair brown just so people in the cheap seats would know that Stevie wasn't going to be here. I didn't want anyone to be discouraged or let down."
Worried that many fans would be disappointed by the new line-up and its lack of star quality, she continues, "There is no replacing Stevie Nicks. Everybody knows that."
Recalling her first time meeting Nicks at a show and what the vocalist thought of her, Bramlett says: "The first thing she said was, 'Oh, I didn’t know she was blonde. And she oversings.
"Everyone at the table said the same thing, so I know it’s true. But it's OK. I still love her. She probably felt like I pissed on her tree. I can understand that. I'm a woman. I dig it. I understand it. I get it. I don't dig it, but I get it."
Check out footage of the Bramlett-fronted Fleetwood Mac below:
