The Chain

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see The Chain (disambiguation).

"The Chain"
Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Audio sample

"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album Rumours.[1][2][3] It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood).

"The Chain" was created from combinations of several previously rejected materials, including solo work by Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie. The song was assembled, often manually by

razor blade, at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, with engineers Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut.[4]

Following the critical and commercial success of Rumours, "The Chain" has become a staple of the band's live shows, typically the opening song. It was featured as the opening track on

theme tune for the BBC and Channel 4's television coverage of Formula One.[5][6]

Background

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.[4] "The Chain" began as Christine McVie song, titled "Keep Me There", which was the first track Fleetwood Mac recorded for Rumours. Initial tracking took place on 2 February 1976, with Fleetwood on drums, John McVie on an Alembic bass, Christine McVie on organ, and Buckingham on a Fender Stratocaster. Ten microphones were placed around Fleetwood's drums, two were used to capture the bass guitar and the organ, and another three microphones captured Buckingham's guitar. After the band rehearsed the song twice, Ken Caillat, who served as the producer for Rumours, recorded the band's third run-through of the song. In the middle of this take, John McVie played the bassline that was ultimately used in the final version of "The Chain".[7] The ending section was the only part from the original recording that the band kept for "The Chain".[8] McVie recorded a vocal take that session and replaced it with a new vocal the following day.[7]

When Fleetwood Mac reworked "Keep Me There" into "The Chain", they removed the blues-style motif originally found on the verses and retained the chord progression.[4] Lindsey Buckingham recycled the intro of an earlier song from a duet with Nicks, "Lola (My Love)", originally released on their self-titled 1973 album.[9] During the verses, Buckingham instructed Fleetwood to play a straight quarter note pattern on the kick drum. The Dobro, a type of resonator guitar, supplied the verse riff.[10]

Stevie Nicks had written the lyrics separately, which were originally part of an entirely different song that included the lyrics "if you don't love me now, you will never love me again". Buckingham asked Nicks to donate these lyrics for the verses, which she agreed to.[11][12] Nicks and Christine McVie then reworked lyrics to create the first section of the tune.[4] Nicks' lyrics referenced the breakup of her relationship with Buckingham, a theme of many of Nicks' and Buckingham's lyrics on Rumours.[13]

Due to the spliced nature of the record (the drums and guitar were the only instruments recorded in each other's company)[14] and its sporadic composition and assembly from different rejected songs, "The Chain" is one of only a few Fleetwood Mac songs whose authorship is credited to all members of the band at the time.[4] Nicks maintained that "The Chain" was primarily her song and claimed ownership of the melody and a large portion of the lyrics.[12] In an interview with Paul Zollo, Buckingham questioned whether Fleetwood contributed significantly to the song, but acknowledged that all five members nonetheless received writing credits.[15] The finished song has a basic rock structure, although it has two distinct portions: the main verse and chorus, and the outro. Influences of hard rock, folk, and country are also present.[4]

Release and reception

"The Chain" has received favourable reviews from music critics. The Guardian and Paste ranked the song number ten and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 30 greatest Fleetwood Mac songs.[16][17] Billboard placed the song sixth out of eleven on its list ranking every track on Rumours. They deemed the song a cornerstone of Fleetwood Mac's discography and highlighted the "heartbeat-like bass drum" and John McVie's bass playing during the coda.[18]

In 1997, Fleetwood Mac released a live album called

Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Additionally, the studio version began appearing on the British charts in 2009, where it debuted at number 94. Two years later, the song peaked at number 81.[19] In October 2023, the song was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams of over 2,400,000 units.[20]

Personnel

Charts

The Dance version

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] 51
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[22] 22
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[23] 30

Original version

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[32] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[33] Gold 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[34] 7× Platinum 210,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[35] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] 4× Platinum 2,400,000‡
United States
digital 		— 721,186[36]
United States
digital Remastered LP version 		— 260,541[37]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other media

The ending of "The Chain"
The ending as used by the BBC's Formula 1 coverage and other media outlets
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The BBC's Formula One coverage used the ending bass line as a

2011 Formula One season.[5] Excerpts from The Chain were also used in the official trailer for the film F1 (2025) a film based around Formula One.[39]

In the 2017

HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death, and featured prominently in the 2017 film I, Tonya
.

Tantric cover

"The Chain"
Maverick Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Toby Wright
Tantric singles chronology
"Hey Now"
(2003) 		"The Chain"
(2004) 		"After We Go"
(2004)
Music video
"The Chain" on
YouTube

In 2004 the

US Mainstream Rock chart for the week of May 15, 2004.[41]

Background and recording

Tantric initially completed recording their second album After We Go after two extensive

Maverick Records was not entirely satisfied with it and insisted that the band return to the studio for a third session to record at least three more songs. This final round of recording resulted in more tracks, including the eventual singles "Hey Now" and "The Chain."[42]

Lead singer

radio station and picking the first song that played. That song happened to be Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain."[43]

Guitarist Todd Whitener recalled the gamble in an interview with the Houston Chronicle saying, "This could be a very bad thing by taking this approach." He explained that the band had trouble agreeing on a song where all four members had only positive things to say, so they let fate decide. Fortunately, they all felt that "The Chain" could be molded into their sound.[44]

Tantric's cover of "The Chain" was produced by long-time Alice in Chains producer Toby Wright.[45]

Appearances

Tantric's cover of the song was used as the theme song for the 2004

Family Bonds.[46]

Charts

Chart performance for "The Chain"
Chart (2004) Peak
position
US Mainstream Rock Airplay (Billboard)[47]
 36
Active Rock (Billboard)[48]
 37
Heritage Rock (Billboard)[49]
 22

Three Days Grace cover

"The Chain"
Song by Three Days Grace
from the EP Lost in You
Released15 March 2011
Recorded2011
Length3:50
LabelJive Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

The song was recorded by the Canadian rock band Three Days Grace, released from their EP, Lost in You. It was released on 15 March 2011.[50] The song peaked at number 45 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart.[51]

Charts

Chart performance for "The Chain"
Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Rock Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[51]
 45

Evanescence cover

"The Chain"
Single by Evanescence
Released22 November 2019
Recorded2019
Length4:12
LabelBMG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bobby Tahouri
Evanescence singles chronology
"Hi-Lo"
(2018) 		"The Chain"
(2019) 		"Wasted on You"
(2020)
Music video
"The Chain" on
YouTube

American rock band Evanescence released a cover version of the song. The song was released as a standalone digital download on 22 November 2019 by BMG.[52] (This cover version had been used to promote the Xbox game Gears 5 – part of the Gears of War franchise –, which was released in early September 2019.)[53][54]

Background

Amy Lee, the lead vocalist of Evanescence said, "This cover was so fun to make. We love Fleetwood Mac and wanted to paint a dark and epic picture with our take on 'The Chain'. The lyrics make me feel the power of standing together against great forces trying to pull us apart, perhaps even from the inside. I really wanted to drive that home in our version, and even made everyone in the band sing by the end of it! We're beyond excited to share this with our fans and I'm really looking forward to playing it live."[55]

Music video

An official music video to accompany the release of "The Chain" was first released onto YouTube on 9 January 2020.[56]

Track listing

Digital download[52]
No.TitleLength
1."The Chain" (From "Gears 5")4:12

Charts

Chart (2019–20) Peak
position
Czech Republic (Modern Rock)[57] 16
Scotland (OCC)[58] 61
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[59]
 53
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[60] 53
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[61] 20
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[62] 9
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[63] 36

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United States 22 November 2019[52] Digital download BMG

CHINCHILLA cover

"The Chain"
Single by CHINCHILLA
Released16 June 2024
Recorded2024
Length3:45
LabelCHINCHILLA Music (Island Records)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • CHINCHILLA
  • Jordan Cosmos
Music video
"The Chain" on
YouTube

British multi-genre artist CHINCHILLA released[64] a cover version of the song for the soundtrack of Amazon Prime's original series My Lady Jane. The song was released as a digital download on 14 June 2024 by CHINCHILLA Music (Island Records).

Track listing

Digital download[65]
No.TitleLength
1."The Chain" (From the Prime Video Original Series, My Lady Jane)3:45

References

  1. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  2. ^ "100 Greatest Albums Of All Time - No.2 - Rumours". The Sound. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  3. ^ "How Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' Became One of the Best Albums Ever". Observer. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  4. ^
    ISBN 1-55652-545-1
    .
  5. ^ a b "BBC Formula One coverage to bring back Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain'". The Daily Telegraph. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  6. ^ Klein, Jamie (12 February 2016). "Channel 4 to keep 'The Chain' as F1 theme song". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  7. ^
    ISBN 9781118218082.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  8. ^ Crowe, Cameron (24 March 1977). "The True Life Confessions of Fleetwood Mac". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 14 December 2024 suggested (help)
  9. ^ "Penn's Picks: Fleetwood Mac – The Chain". Hit Songs Deconstructed. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  10. ^ Bosso, Joe (13 December 2022). "Fleetwood Mac Rumours track-by-track with co-producer Ken Caillat". MusicRadar. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  11. ^ Willman, Chris (25 October 2020). "Stevie Nicks on Her New Concert Film, the Crazy Resurgence of Dreams and Staying in Touch With the Spirits of Prince and Tom Petty". Variety. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  12. ^
    ISBN 978-1-63936-732-0
    .
  13. ^ Zeiler, Millie (9 December 2022). "Top 10 Lindsey Buckingham Fleetwood Mac Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  14. ^ Johnson, Heather. "First hand news: Fleetwood Mac co-conspirator Richard Dashut reflects on recording and mixing Rumours". EQ. General Reference Center GOLD. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  15. ^ Zollo, Paul (1997). "Songwriters On Songwriting, Expanded Edition (1997), (Book Excerpt)". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on 30 December 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  16. ^ Petridis, Alexis (19 May 2022). "Fleetwood Mac's 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  17. ^ Mitchell, Matt (7 August 2023). "The 30 Greatest Fleetwood Mac Songs". Paste. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  18. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (4 February 2017). "Every Song on Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Fleetwood Mac full Official Chart History Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
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  21. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3396." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3402." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
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  25. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 October 2020". The ARIA Report. No. 1598. Australian Recording Industry Association. 19 October 2020. p. 4.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Singles: Week Ending 16 Oct 2020". IRMA – Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100: Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  28. ^ "Fleetwood Mac Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  29. ^ "Billboard Global 200: October 24, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  32. ^ "Danish single certifications – Fleetwood Mac – The Chain". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  33. ^ "Italian single certifications – Fleetwood Mac – The Chain" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 November 2023. Select "2023" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "The Chain" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  34. ^ "Official Catalogue Singles 06–12 December 2024". aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Fleetwood Mac – The Chain". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  36. Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  37. Nielsen SoundScan
    . Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  38. ^ "BBC unveils 2009 F1 coverage – and return of The Chain". crash.net. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  39. ^ Jazz Tangcay; Angelique Jackson; Matt Donnelly (13 March 2025). "F1 Trailer: Brad Pitt and Damson Idris Electrify the Racing Circuit in Heart-Pounding New Footage". Variety. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  40. ^ Hiatt, Brian (19 April 2017). "Inside the 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Soundtrack". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  41. ^ "Tantric's cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic "The Chain" debuts at #46 on Billboard Mainstream Rock chart". Genius. Outcast Media. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  42. ^ "Tantric - The Chain on Allmusic". Allmusic. Maverick Records. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  43. ^ "Tantric Released Fleetwood Mac Cover Song The Chain". MTV. Jon Wiederhorn. Retrieved 30 December 2003.
  44. ^ "Tantric pulled its 'Chain' by chance from the radio". Chron. Bard Barnes. Retrieved 13 January 2004.
  45. ^ "Tantric - The Chain (Production Credits)". Apple Music. Maverick Records. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  46. ^ Zahlaway, Jon Tantric takes another swing on U.S. club circuit Archived 25 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine LiveDaily.com (26 August 2004). Retrieved 22 March 2008.
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  50. ^ "Lost in You - EP by Three Days Grace". Apple Music. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  51. ^ a b "Three Days Grace Chart History (Rock Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  52. ^ a b c "The Chain (From "Gears 5") - Single by Evanescence". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  53. ^ Hampp, Andrew (17 December 2019). "Songs for Screens: Amy Lee Talks 'Gears 5' and Evanescence's First Album in Nine Years". Variety. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  54. ^ Kaufman, Gil (25 November 2019). "Listen to Evanescence Transform Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' Into a Turbulent Goth Epic for 'Gears of War 5'". Billboard. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  55. ^ Scott Munro (9 January 2020). "Evanescence share video for their epic cover of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain". Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  56. ^ "Evanescence - The Chain (from Gears 5) [Official Music Video]". YouTube. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  57. ^ "CZ - RADIO - TOP 20 MODERN ROCK - EVANESCENCE - The Chain" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  58. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  59. ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
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  62. ^ "Evanescence Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  63. ^ "Evanescence Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  64. ^ Taylor, Sam (14 June 2024). "CHINCHILLA has covered of Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' for Amazon Prime Video's upcoming series My Lady Jane". Dork. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  65. ^ "The Chain from the Prime Video original series "My Lady Jane"". Apple Music. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
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