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 with American guitarist Bob Welch and the first to feature Christine McVie as a full member. 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.^[3]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Woman of 1000 Years"	Danny Kirwan	5:28
2.	"Morning Rain"	Christine McVie	5:38
3.	"What a Shame"	Bob Welch, Kirwan, C. McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood	2:20
4.	"Future Games"	Welch	8:18

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sands of Time"	Kirwan	7:23
2.	"Sometimes"	Kirwan	5:26
3.	"Lay It All Down"	Welch	4:30
4.	"Show Me a Smile"	C. McVie	3:21

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.^[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.

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

Peak positions Chart Position US Billboard 200[5] 91

Certifications Region Certification United States (RIAA)[6] Gold

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Robert Christgau review
3. Live at the BBC 5-1-71 (CD running order). Fleetwood Mac. Reprise. 1971.
4. Future Games (CD booklet notes). Fleetwood Mac. Reprise. 1971.
5. "Allmusic: Future Games : Charts & Awards: Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
6. "American album certifications – Fleetwood Mac – Future Games". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH