Buckingham Nicks Finally Reissued After 52 Years

When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks walked into Sound City Studios in 1973, they couldn’t have known their debut album together would become one of rock’s most enduring cult records. Buckingham Nicks, the only release under their joint name, quietly arrived in September of that year, sold poorly, and disappeared almost as quickly. Yet the record became the unlikely gateway to one of the greatest success stories in rock history-Fleetwood Mac’s mid-1970s rebirth.

Now, after 52 years of rumors, bootlegs, and dashed hopes, the long-lost album will finally see a proper reissue. Remastered from the original tapes, Buckingham Nicks will return on September 19, 2025, via Rhino Records on vinyl, CD, and streaming platforms. A new video for the album’s sprawling closer “Frozen Love” has also been released, giving longtime fans a chance to revisit the moment where everything began.

The story of Buckingham Nicks begins years earlier in San Francisco’s Bay Area, when Buckingham and Nicks performed together in the psychedelic outfit Fritz Rabyne Memorial Band. Opening shows for the likes of Jefferson Airplane and Janis Joplin gave the young musicians valuable experience, but it was clear their chemistry as a duo held the real magic. By 1972, they had relocated to Los Angeles, scraping by on part-time jobs while recording demos late into the night.

Producer Keith Olsen, who would later become an important figure in Fleetwood Mac’s history, secured them a deal with Polydor Records. Together with session musicians such as Jim Keltner and Waddy Wachtel, Buckingham and Nicks cut their debut album at Sound City. The record showcased the duo’s blend of Buckingham’s intricate guitar work and Nicks’ haunting voice-already the yin and yang that would define their future.

Despite its quality, the record barely received promotion. Polydor’s marketing push was minimal, and the album disappeared from shelves within months. Nicks later recalled not even being able to find it in local record shops.

The nude cover photo of the pair also caused tension, with Nicks reluctantly agreeing to the shoot under protest.

Oddly, while the album failed in Los Angeles and New York, it found an unlikely audience in Birmingham, Alabama, where late-night FM DJs championed tracks such as “Crying in the Night” and “Frozen Love.” The modest regional success was not enough to save the project, however, and Polydor quietly dropped the duo.

If the album’s release marked the end of one chapter, it also lit the fuse for the next. Mick Fleetwood, scouting Sound City as a possible studio, happened to hear “Frozen Love” blasting through the monitors. Impressed, he invited Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham insisted Nicks be included too, and on New Year’s Eve 1974, the duo officially joined the British blues-rock veterans.

The rest is rock history. Within two years, Fleetwood Mac had reinvented themselves with their self-titled 1975 album, and in 1977, Rumours cemented them as one of the biggest bands in the world. Several songs from the Buckingham Nicks live set carried over, including “Crystal,” “Monday Morning,” and “Rhiannon,” reshaping them into Mac classics.

Why was there only one album? The short answer is circumstance. The commercial disappointment of Buckingham Nicks left the duo without a label or management. Financial struggles weighed heavily, with Nicks juggling multiple jobs to support Buckingham’s musical focus. Before they could regroup, Fleetwood Mac came calling. Once inside that machine, there was no looking back.

The album lived on in myth. Bootleg copies circulated for decades, and fan demand for a reissue never waned. Songs occasionally resurfaced-Nicks re-recorded “Crystal” for the Practical Magic soundtrack, while “Without You,” an early demo, was dusted off for Fleetwood Mac’s 2013 Extended Play EP. Still, an official re-release seemed cursed by inertia until now.

Buckingham and Nicks’ time in Fleetwood Mac was as tumultuous as it was successful. Nicks was the first to leave, stepping aside in 1991 to focus on her solo career. She returned in 1997 for The Dance, a reunion that reignited Fleetwood Mac’s popularity. Buckingham’s first exit came in 1987, after Tango in the Night. He rejoined a decade later, only to depart again in 2018 following internal conflicts.

Despite the breakups and reunions, the gravitational pull between Buckingham, Nicks, and Fleetwood Mac has remained one of rock’s most compelling dramas.

That’s what makes the 2025 reissue of Buckingham Nicks so significant. It closes a circle that began with two struggling musicians trying to make their way in Los Angeles. Half a century later, the songs finally get the spotlight they always deserved.