Say You Love Me (Fleetwood Mac song)

McVie wrote "Say You Love Me" after her fifth year in the band while she was married to the group's bassist, John McVie. "Say You Love Me" was the first song the band rehearsed during the making of their self-titled 1975 album. McVie recalled that Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks impressed her with their vocal harmonies during the run-through of the first chorus. "I started singing the chorus and those two came in from nowhere with the most amazing harmonies. It was one of those moments you remember forever."{{Cite web|last=RCD Magazine |date=March 1, 1993 |title= If I Knew Then...|url=http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.php?page=index_v2&id=1134&c=2 |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=The Blue Letter Archives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101173901/http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.php?page=index_v2&id=1134&c=2 |archive-date=January 1, 2016 }} The version used on the single release has overdubbed additional guitar work and a faster fade-out.{{Cite journal|last=Everett|first=Walter|date=May 2010|title='If you're gonna have a hit': intratextual mixes and edits of pop recordings|jstor=40926920|journal=Popular Music|volume=29|issue=2|pages=239|doi=10.1017/S026114301000005X|s2cid=162240986}}

"Say You Love Me" has been performed on seven of Fleetwood Mac's tours since its release. During the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance of the song and on The Dance tour, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham played a cocktail drum kit and banjo respectively.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/see-fleetwood-mac-stevie-nicks-enter-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-1998-735212/|title=Flashback: Fleetwood Mac Enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=October 9, 2018|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=May 30, 2019}} Originally, Buckingham had suggested that the band perform "Say You Love Me" a cappella, but they instead gave the song a folk rearrangement.{{Cite web|last=Westbrook|first=Bruce |date=August 11, 1997 |title=Houston Chronicle Dance Interview |url=http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.php?page=index_v2&id=6686&c=9 |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=The Blue Letter Archives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230162104/http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.php?page=index_v2&id=6686&c=9 |archive-date=December 30, 2015 }} John McVie also sang a vocalized bass line over his bass guitar for these performances at the request of Christine McVie.{{cite web|title=John McVie, Q&A Session, September 27 - October 10, 2004|url=http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/qa/johnmcvie_qa1.htm|website=The Penguin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319024145/http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/qa/johnmcvie_qa1.htm |access-date=September 19, 2015|archive-date=March 19, 2019 }} Previously, John McVie's only other vocal contribution was on a cover of "Cool Water", the B-side to "Gypsy". Following Christine McVie's departure from the band, the song was performed on Fleetwood Mac's Unleashed Tour with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham sharing lead vocals.{{Cite web|url=http://fleetwood-mac.info/tour/2009-unleashed/|website=Fleetwood-mac.info|title=2009 Unleashed|access-date=May 30, 2019}}

In addition to its appearance on Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album, "Say You Love Me" appears on four of the group's compilation albums: Greatest Hits, The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac, 25 Years - The Chain and 50 Years – Don't Stop (with the single version featuring on the latter two).

Billboard praised McVie's singing, noting the "easy" guitar playing, and the "good, catchy bridge."{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=July 13, 2020|date=June 19, 1976|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1976/Billboard%201976-06-19.pdf|page=72}} Cash Box said that "it’s an intelligent and commercial single...the music seems to flow, in mid-tempo rock rhythm; the song has a fat sound" and that "the vocals are distinctive."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 19, 1976|page=18|accessdate=December 11, 2021|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-06-19.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}} Record World said that "Christine McVie takes the lead this time and belts out a gutty vocal which is underpinned by chiming guitars and a banjo."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=June 26, 1976|page=1|accessdate=March 4, 2023|title=Hits of the Week|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/76/RW-1976-06-26.pdf}}

• Christine McVie – lead vocals, piano
• Lindsey Buckingham – vocal harmonies, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string electric guitar, banjo
• Stevie Nicks – harmony vocals
• John McVie – bass guitar
• Mick Fleetwood – drums, tambourine

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Fleetwood Mac|title=Say You Love Me|award=Silver|relyear=2006|certyear=2023|id=13665-1472-1|access-date=November 17, 2023}}

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Shirley Eikhard covered the song in 1976. It became a hit in Canada, spending two weeks at number 34 on the pop singles chart and number four on the Adult Contemporary chart.

In the late half of the 1970s, the song proved to be a popular song to cover in country music. Singer Lynda K. Lance spent five weeks in the fall of 1976 on the American country singles chart with her version, peaking at No. 93. In the fall of 1979, singer Stephanie Winslow scored the only Top 10 country hit of her career, with her cover reaching number 10 on the country charts.

;Shirley Eikhard cover

{{Reflist}}

• The Great Rock Discography, 6th Edition. Martin C.Strong. Page 378.

• {{YouTube|qrU1Zg0wugE|Fleetwood Mac - Say You Love Me}}
• {{YouTube|Kf0xvQ2rFWE|Shirley Eikhard - Say You Love Me}}

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Category:1975 songs

Category:1976 singles

Category:Fleetwood Mac songs

Category:Songs written by Christine McVie

Category:Shirley Eikhard songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Keith Olsen

Category:Reprise Records singles