Fleetwood Mac tours early next year

Although no dates have been released, it appears that Fleetwood Mac will tour early next year. Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham will release a solo album, "Gift of Screws" on September 16, nine days after his tour starts on September 7 in Saratoga, CA. According to Billboard, "Fleetwood Mac will convene in January to begin rehearsing for the tour, whose itinerary is currently being assembled. It will be the group's first outing since promoting the 'Say You Will' album in 2003 and 2004." And while most groups tour after releasing an album, Mac will release an album after the tour.

"There was no sense we had to jump right in the studio," Buckingham told Billboard. "I think maybe there was even a sense that we would make a better album if we went out and hung out together first on the road ... maybe even sowing some seeds musically that would get us more prepared to go in the studio rather than just going in cold. It takes the pressure (off) from having to go in and make something cold."

A few months ago, singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow said that she would tour with Fleetwood Mac next year--a move that would bring more dynamics to the group with another female voice to Stevie Nicks now that Christine McVie is no longer a member. However, Billboard reports the tour will be sans Crow.

Buckingham told Billboard that the matter "kinda got out of hand", though there were discussions between the Fleetwood Mac members and Crow. "It just kind of lost its momentum."

Even while all members were doing solo projects over the years, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie were always available to be called on to lend their assistance, and both are on three songs on Buckingham's forthcoming album.