25 Years – The Chain

Untitled

25 Years – The Chain is a compilation album (boxed set) by British-American band Fleetwood Mac originally released in 1992. It consists of four CDs, covering the entire history of the band from its formation in 1967 up to 1992. The set features several previously unreleased studio tracks, new remixes, live recordings, and a different version of the international hit single "Tusk".

The extended version of Stevie Nicks' "Gypsy" was also included for the first time on a commercial release, and this collection also marked the first time Nicks' "Silver Springs" had appeared on a Fleetwood Mac collection. It was originally intended for inclusion on the international multi-mllion selling album Rumours, however, it was removed from the tracklisting at the last minute. It was issued in 1976 as the B-side to the single "Go Your Own Way" but the song had never been released commercially since. The inclusion of "Silver Springs" on this collection marked Nicks' first departure from the band in 1992 when Mick Fleetwood refused to allow the track to appear on Nicks' retrospection compilation Timespace - The Very Best of Stevie Nicks, instead intending it for 25 Years – The Chain. The disagreement was ultimately resolved and the song itself was eventually released as a single five years later in 1997, taken from the album The Dance after a live performance from the sell-out tour of the same name.

A condensed 2-CD version of the compilation was also available containing highlights from the 4-CD set. The popular hit single "Hold Me" was only available on this format. The new track "Love Shines" was released as a single in the UK, whereas the track "Paper Doll" was released in the US instead.

Track listing

CD 1

1. "Paper Doll" (Stevie Nicks, Rick Vito, John Herron) † – 3:56
2. "Love Shines" (Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela) † – 4:48
3. "Stand Back" (live) (Nicks) – 5:00
4. "Crystal" (Nicks) – 5:09
5. "Isn't It Midnight" (alternate mix) (C McVie, Quintela, Lindsey Buckingham) – 4:02
6. "Big Love" (Buckingham) – 3:39
7. "Everywhere" (C McVie) – 3:43
8. "Affairs of the Heart" (Nicks) – 4:20
9. "Heart of Stone" (C McVie, Quintela) † – 4:39
10. "Sara" (full-length version) (Nicks) – 6:26
11. "That's All for Everyone" (Buckingham) – 3:02
12. "Over My Head" (C McVie) – 3:34
13. "Little Lies" (C McVie, Quintela) – 3:38
14. "Eyes of the World" (Buckingham) – 3:42
15. "Oh Diane" (Buckingham, Richard Dashut) – 2:33
16. "In the Back of My Mind" (Billy Burnette, David Malloy) – 7:00
17. "Make Me a Mask" (Buckingham) † – 4:02

CD 2

1. "Save Me" (C McVie, Quintela) – 4:14
2. "Goodbye Angel" (Buckingham) [Mirage outtake] † – 3:06
3. "Silver Springs" (Nicks) – 4:29
4. "What Makes You Think You're the One" (Buckingham) – 3:30
5. "Think About Me" (C McVie) – 2:40
6. "Gypsy" (alternate unedited version) (Nicks) – 5:21
7. "You Make Loving Fun" (C McVie) – 3:30
8. "Second Hand News" (alternate mix) (Buckingham) – 2:50
9. "Love in Store" (alternate mix) (C McVie, Jim Recor) – 3:24
10. "The Chain" (alternate mix) (Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, C McVie, John McVie, Nicks) – 4:20
11. "Teen Beat" (Buckingham, Dashut) [Mirage outtake] † – 2:43
12. "Dreams" (alternate mix) (Nicks) – 4:14
13. "Only Over You" (C McVie) – 4:05
14. "I'm So Afraid" (live) (Buckingham) – 7:27
15. "Love Is Dangerous" (Vito, Nicks) – 3:16
16. "Gold Dust Woman" (alternate mix) (Nicks) – 5:00
17. "Not That Funny" (live) (Buckingham) – 7:56

CD 3

1. "Warm Ways" (C McVie) – 3:50
2. "Say You Love Me" (single mix) (C McVie) – 3:45
3. "Don't Stop" (C McVie) – 3:11
4. "Rhiannon" (Nicks) – 4:09
5. "Walk a Thin Line" (Buckingham) – 3:44
6. "Storms" (Nicks) – 5:27
7. "Go Your Own Way" (Buckingham) – 3:39
8. "Sisters of the Moon" (Nicks) – 4:37
9. "Monday Morning" (live) (Buckingham) – 3:35
10. "Landslide" (Nicks) – 3:16
11. "Hypnotized" (Bob Welch) – 4:47
12. "Lay It All Down" (alternate mix) (Welch) – 4:34
13. "Angel" (alternate mix) (Nicks) – 4:52
14. "Beautiful Child" (alternate mix) (Nicks) – 5:18
15. "Brown Eyes" (alternate mix) (C McVie) – 4:56
16. "Save Me a Place" (Buckingham) – 2:39
17. "Tusk" (USC intro mix) (Buckingham) – 3:12
18. "Never Going Back Again" (Buckingham) – 2:02
19. "Songbird" (C McVie) – 3:17

CD 4

1. "I Believe My Time Ain't Long" (Jeremy Spencer) – 2:51
2. "Need Your Love So Bad" (Mertis John Jr.) – 3:53
3. "Rattlesnake Shake" (Peter Green) – 3:29
4. "Oh Well, Pt. 1" (original mono version) (Green) – 3:29
5. "Stop Messin' Round" (Green, C.G. Adams) – 2:19
6. "The Green Manalishi" (Green) – 4:36
7. "Albatross" (Green) – 3:11
8. "Man of the World" (Green) – 2:51
9. "Love That Burns" (Green, Adams) – 5:00
10. "Black Magic Woman" (Green) – 2:54
11. "Watch Out" (Green) – 4:12
12. "String-A-Long" (Jimmy Duncan, Robert Doyle) * – 2:16
13. "Station Man" (Danny Kirwan, Spencer, J McVie) – 5:41
14. "Did You Ever Love Me" (C McVie, Welch) – 3:40
15. "Sentimental Lady" (Welch) – 4:32
16. "Come a Little Bit Closer" (C McVie) – 4:48
17. "Heroes are Hard to Find" (C McVie) – 3:34
18. "Trinity" (Kirwan) [Bare Trees outtake] † – 4:07
19. "Why" (C McVie) – 4:55

^† Previously unreleased songs
^* "String-A-Long" was a track from Jeremy Spencer's first solo album Jeremy Spencer, with backing from Fleetwood, Kirwan, Green and John McVie.

Selections from 25 Years – The Chain

Condensed version of the box set, featuring selected tracks. Note the inclusion of "Hold Me" which is excluded from the 4-CD set.

CD 1

1. "Paper Doll"
2. "Love Shines"
3. "Love in Store" (alternate mix)
4. "Goodbye Angel"
5. "Heart of Stone"
6. "Silver Springs"
7. "Oh Diane"
8. "Big Love"
9. "Rhiannon"
10. "Crystal"
11. "The Chain" (alternate mix)
12. "Over My Head"
13. "Dreams"
14. "Go Your Own Way"
15. "Sara"
16. "Hold Me"
17. "Gypsy"
18. "Make Me a Mask"

CD 2

1. "Don't Stop"
2. "Everywhere"
3. "Tusk" (USC intro mix)
4. "Not That Funny"
5. "Beautiful Child" (alternate mix)
6. "Teen Beat"
7. "Need Your Love So Bad"
8. "Did You Ever Love Me"
9. "Oh Well (Part 1)" (original mono version)
10. "I Believe My Time Ain't Long"
11. "Bermuda Triangle" (Welch)
12. "Why"
13. "Station Man"
14. "Albatross"
15. "Black Magic Woman"
16. "Stop Messin' Round"
17. "Trinity"
18. "Heroes Are Hard to Find"
19. "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Prong Crown)"

Credits

• Stevie Nicks – vocals
• Peter Green – guitars, vocals, banjo
• Jeremy Spencer – guitars, vocals
• Danny Kirwan – guitars, vocals
• Bob Welch – guitars, vocals
• Bob Weston – guitars, vocals
• Lindsey Buckingham – guitars, vocals
• Billy Burnette – guitars, vocals
• Rick Vito – guitars, vocals
• Christine McVie – keyboards, vocals
• John McVie – bass
• Mick Fleetwood – percussion, drums

• Executive Producers – Mick Fleetwood and John McVie
• Anthology produced and engineered by Ken Caillat
• Historical research and coordination – Frank Harding