Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album is one of the most iconic records in rock history. The record has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide including more than half of that in the United States.
The album contains mega-hits “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun,” and Rolling Stone rated it No. 7 on their list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The album’s cover art sees singer Stevie Nicks parade in dark robes as she holds hands with drummer Mick Fleetwood who is resting his foot on a stool and displays two wooden balls falling down from between his legs.
Those balls are actually pieces of “lavatory chains” that Fleetwood ripped from a toilet earlier in his career. Fleetwood told American Songwriter: “In truth, I started off as a blues player. The whole ethic of a lot of blues music is slightly suggestive, might I say. And suitably, I walked out on stage with these two lavatory chains with these wooden balls hanging down, and after that, it just stuck.”
The iconic balls were recently part of a Fleetwood Mac memorabilia auction, and someone bought them for a whopping $128K.
“Julien’s Auctions is honored to offer this exceptional collection of music history coming directly from the legendary three members of one of the most influential and rock and roll bands of all time,” Julien’s executive director and CFO Martin Nolan said before the sale.
He added, “These pieces from their storied five-decade career represent the mystique and magic of Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, whose renowned musicianship, songwriting, vocal harmonies and camaraderie, have given the world a lifetime of illustrious performances.”
Other items sold included a a Peter Green-gifted 1962 Fender VI six-string bass (which sold for $22,400), a DW Collector’s Series snare drum played on Rumours ($5,760), and an American Video Award given to Fleetwood Mac ($4,480).
Sadly, earlier this week singer/songwriter and keyboardist Christine McVie, best known as the prime mover behind some of the band’s biggest hits, passed away following a short illness. She was 79.
