The one and only album Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks made together, 1973’s Buckingham Nicks, has long been out of print and never released digitally. But on Oct. 18, singer-songwriters Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird will release their own reimagined version of the album, titled Cunningham Bird.
Produced by Mike Viola, the album features only the two aforementioned artists, Griffin Goldsmith on drums and percussion and Mike Viola on wurlitzer, bass and drums. A press release notes that although the sequencing of the new album mirrors the original, the arrangements and sound itself does not.
“The best reason to cover anyone is that little part of you that thinks you might do it better,” Bird said in a statement. “This album epitomizes excess and confidence, and it only made sense to embody that spirit ourselves. The confidence, that is, to mess with an iconic, if underrated gem. Madison is the most talented musician I’ve encountered. She has a restless ear, always looking for a new sound or harmonic twist. Her voice is goosebump inducing, nimble and emotive at any volume. I just had to find the right project for us to go deep on and this is it.”
The first two singles from the album, “Crying in the Night” and “Crystal,” are available below, along with a complete track listing.
What Happened to ‘Buckingham Nicks’?
The original Buckingham Nicks earned the duo a small group of fans, but no solid commercial success. However, it was not long after the album was released that Mick Fleetwood heard the song “Frozen Love” while visiting producer Keith Olsen at Sound City studios in Los Angeles. Within just a few months, Fleetwood invited Buckingham and Nicks into his band, Fleetwood Mac.
READ MORE: Top 10 Pre-Lindsey Buckingham-Stevie Nicks Fleetwood Mac Songs
“This buried Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham record found us in a place where we were trying to figure out what we could do together,” Cunningham added of the new project. “Unfamiliar with it, but excited by its scarcity on streaming platforms, we decided to take it on from front to back, in our own way. It was unsurprising to me how it ended up becoming one of the most creatively satisfying record-making experiences I’ve had, but the unforeseen bonus was how relevant some of those lyrics would be to my own life in the time of making it. It became a lifeline for me, and I hope we’ve done it justice.”
Cunningham and Bird are slated to perform an album release show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Sept. 30.
Listen to Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird’s ‘Crying in the Night’
Listen to Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird’s ‘Crystal’
‘Cunningham Bird’ Track Listing:
1. “Crying in the Night”
2. “Stephanie”
3. “Without a Leg to Stand On”
4. “Crystal”
5. “Long Distance Winner”
6. “Don’t Let Me Down Again”
7. “Django”
8. “Races Are Won”
9. “Lola My Love”
10. “Frozen Love”
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Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp