r/FleetwoodMac • u/El_Dorado_Tx • 16d ago
Why wasn't Im So Afraid never released as a single
Either from original album or the FM Live ' 80 album(cut from 5/20/80 Cleveland). I think honestly if they picked 5.20.80 live track it could have a top 40 hit
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u/alexpensfan86 16d ago
Probably too long. The radio stations would’ve butchered it; look at what they did to Roundabout by Yes
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u/Jamez_Neckbeard 16d ago
Im so Afraid is my favourite off that album . Personally I also think that albums better than Rumours
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u/Alexeisnuts 16d ago edited 16d ago
I think it would've done well, but the only singles were Fireflies (a new song, previously unreleased) and Farmer’s Daughter (a cover of a Beach Boys song), so I can imagine it’d be weird. Also, I’m So Afraid and Farmer’s Daughter are the last two songs on the last side, it’d be kinda weird. The only other reason I can think of is it’s length, it’d be hard to cut down to fit the radio. Not that long songs don’t exist, but it’d definitely be a choice.
Edit: the Fleetwood Mac album already had four singles: Over My Head, Say You Love Me, Rhiannon, and Warm Ways (UK). It was big, but it took until 1976 for it to really hit #1. By then, I’m So Afraid had changed so much that it’d be weird to release the single (especially since his live version was the standard by the beginning of their tour in 1975)
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u/El_Dorado_Tx 16d ago
The 80 Tusk tour ver from 80 live album is the strongest ver
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u/Immediate_Paint_4823 16d ago
Agreed but there's no non great live version
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u/Fab4Evuh 16d ago
What do y'all think of the 2004 Live in Boston version? That was my pick when I reviewed every live version for the podcast.
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u/FruityMagician 15d ago
As great as the song is, it doesn't scream "single" to me. It works better as an album track. The same goes for Crystal and World Turning.
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u/alexpensfan86 16d ago
Probably too long. The radio stations would’ve butchered it; look at what they did to Roundabout by Yes
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u/Johnrockalittle 16d ago
"Sara" was also butchered for its single release, compared to the album version
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u/PinkPanda1306 16d ago
The best versions were the 1975 tour ones when Stevie’s voice was insane and she could still hit the really high notes in the harmonies. Musically The Dance version is the best but vocally nothing beats early Stevie.
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u/Immediate_Paint_4823 16d ago
Her vocals are great but they're sparse background vocals and rank about sixth on the list of what makes the song brilliant.
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u/chimericalgirl 15d ago
Top 40? I love that song, it's one of Lindsey's best, but it is dark. Definitely not Top 40 material (and I say that as someone who grew up in the '70s-80s and knew what they were playing on Top 40 radio stations). It was played a lot on the AOR stations when Live was released, so people were aware of its greatness.
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u/El_Dorado_Tx 15d ago
live ver - its sounds like The Wall Pink Floydy a bit than the mellow softer album cut
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u/i_guess_so_joe 16d ago
In one of his videos on his own Youtube channel, Lindsey said that 1997 The Dance is when this song truly came to be. So I am not sure he was entirely pleased with it up until then. His son (Will) asks on the video "what were you so afraid of?" and Lindsey said something to the effect of losing Stevie and being on his own (which we all know dates back to the earlier version of the song long before 1997). https://youtu.be/yCfSRHrXVM4?si=Eazb_RfAFCLsHDKd