In the early days he was their manager, hiring and firing musicians like a soft rock Alan Sugar.

By the late 70s, he was the bandage that stopped them falling apart amidst drug abuse, infidelity and betrayal.

And sitting behind his “back to front” drum kit, Fleetwood is the band’s beating heart, constructing dozens of unforgettable rhythms – from the syncopated shuffle of Go Your Own Way, to the fidgety cowbell riff of Oh Well.

But surprisingly, the 70-year-old doesn’t rate his own drumming.

“There’s no discipline,” he says. “I can’t do the same thing every night.”

Anyone who’s listened to the deluxe edition of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk will know otherwise. There, you can hear multiple outtakes from the title track, with Fleetwood sitting doggedly on the song’s distinctive groove for more than 25 minutes.

Still, he insists: “I am very not conformed, I change all the time.”

The confession is prompted by a discussion about Fleetwood’s lavish new picture book, Love That Burns, which chronicles his early career and the first incarnations of Fleetwood Mac. Continue reading Mick Fleetwood on the early days of Fleetwood Mac and why he’s a terrible drummer | BBC News →