Heroes Are Hard to Find (song)

Last updated
"Heroes Are Hard to Find"
Single by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Heroes Are Hard To Find
B-side "Born Enchanter"
ReleasedSeptember 1974 (US) [1]
7 February 1975 (UK) [2]
Recorded1974
Length
  • 3:35 (album version)
    2:46 (single version)
Label Reprise K 14403
Songwriter(s) Christine McVie
Producer(s) Fleetwood Mac, Keith Olsen
Fleetwood Mac singles chronology
"For Your Love"
(1973)		"Heroes Are Hard to Find"
(1974)		"Warm Ways"
(1975)

"Heroes Are Hard to Find" is a 1974 song performed by Fleetwood Mac written by British keyboardist Christine McVie. It is the opening song to the 1974 album of the same name. The song was released as the album's lead single but failed to chart. [3] Bob Welch, who was the band's guitarist during the recording of Heroes Are Hard to Find, said in a 1999 Q&A that he was surprised that the title track did not achieve commercial success, a sentiment that he held about McVie's other songs on the album. [4]

Contents

Critical reception

The song generally received positive reviews by music critics. In its review of the album, Ken Barnes of Rolling Stone described the title track as "intriguing". [5] Billboard labeled the title track as one of the strongest songs on the album. [6] Cash Box said that the "tight sweet harmonies" on the title track "back (Christine McVie) up with some excellent instrumentation". [7] Hal Horowitz thought that the song was a "blatant but failed attempt at a hit single" and highlighted its "aggressive" arrangement centered around brass instruments. [8]

Track listing

7" single

  1. "Heroes Are Hard to Find (Single Edit)" – 2:46
  2. "Born Enchanter" – 2:54 [9]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood Mac</span> British-American rock band

Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967 by guitarist and singer Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, who have remained with the band throughout its many lineup changes. Fleetwood Mac have sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine McVie</span> British musician (1943–2022)

Christine Anne McVie was an English musician and singer-songwriter. She was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists and songwriters of Fleetwood Mac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Fleetwood</span> British musician and actor (born 1947)

Michael John Kells Fleetwood is a British musician, songwriter and actor. He is the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of the group's bassist John "Mac" McVie to form the name of the band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998.

<i>Fleetwood Mac</i> (1975 album) 1975 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac is the tenth studio album by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 11 July 1975 in the United States and on 1 August 1975 in the United Kingdom by Reprise Records. It is the band's second eponymous album, the first being their 1968 debut album, and is sometimes referred to by fans as the White Album. It is the first Fleetwood Mac album with Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist and Stevie Nicks as a vocalist, after Bob Welch departed the band in late 1974. It is also the band's last album to be released on the Reprise label until 1997's The Dance; the band's subsequent albums until then were released through Warner Bros. Records, Reprise's parent company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Welch (musician)</span> American musician (1945–2012)

Robert Lawrence Welch Jr. was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. He had a successful solo career in the late 1970s. His singles included "Hot Love, Cold World", "Ebony Eyes", "Precious Love", "Hypnotized", and his signature song, "Sentimental Lady".

<i>Heroes Are Hard to Find</i> 1974 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Heroes Are Hard to Find is the ninth studio album by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 13 September 1974. This is the last album recorded with Bob Welch, who left the band at the end of 1974. It was the first Fleetwood Mac studio album recorded in the United States, in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1977 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Don't Stop" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written by Christine McVie. The song was sung by Lindsey Buckingham and McVie, and was released as a single from the band's album Rumours (1977).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over My Head (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1975 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Over My Head" is a soft rock song recorded by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac for their self-titled 1975 album. The song was written by keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie. "Over My Head" was the band's first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 since "Oh Well", ending a six-year dry spell on the American charts.

<i>Bare Trees</i> 1972 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Bare Trees is the sixth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in March 1972. It was their last album to feature Danny Kirwan, who was fired during the album's supporting tour. The album peaked at number 70 on the US Billboard 200 chart dated 3 June 1972.

<i>Future Games</i> 1971 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Future Games is the fifth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 3 September 1971. It was recorded in the summer of 1971 at Advision Studios in London and was the first album to feature Christine McVie as a full member. This album was also the first of five albums to feature American guitarist Bob Welch. "He was totally different background – R&B, sort of jazzy. He brought his personality," Mick Fleetwood said of Welch in a 1995 BBC interview, "He was a member of Fleetwood Mac before we'd even played a note."

<i>Mystery to Me</i> 1973 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Mystery to Me is the eighth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 15 October 1973. This was their last album to feature Bob Weston. Most of the songs were penned by guitarist/singer Bob Welch and keyboardist/singer Christine McVie, who were instrumental in steering the band toward the radio-friendly pop rock that would make them successful a few years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Make Loving Fun</span> 1977 single by Fleetwood Mac

"You Make Loving Fun" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and sung by Christine McVie. It was released as the fourth and final single from the band's 1977 album Rumours. "You Make Loving Fun" peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the album's fourth top-ten hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tusk (song)</span> 1979 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Tusk" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from the 1979 double LP of the same name. The song peaked at number eight in the United States for three weeks, reached number six in the United Kingdom, number five in Canada, and number three in Australia. Lindsey Buckingham wrote the song and is the lead singer on the track.

<i>25 Years – The Chain</i> 1992 box set by Fleetwood Mac

25 Years – The Chain is a box set by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac originally released on 24 November 1992. The set contains four CDs, covering the history of the band from its formation in 1967 to 1992. The set features four new tracks as well as several previously unreleased studio and live tracks from the archives, while some of the classic tracks were included in different and new mixes. The four new songs were "Paper Doll", which was recorded earlier than the others as it was written by and recorded with Stevie Nicks and Rick Vito, both of whom had left the band in 1991, "Love Shines" and "Heart of Stone", both Christine McVie songs, and "Make Me A Mask", contributed by then-former member Lindsey Buckingham. "Love Shines" was released as a single to promote the box set in the UK, whereas "Paper Doll" was the single in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentimental Lady</span> 1972 single by Bob Welch

"Sentimental Lady" is a song written by Bob Welch. It was originally recorded for Fleetwood Mac's 1972 album Bare Trees, but was re-recorded by Welch on his debut solo album, French Kiss, in 1977. It is a romantic song, originally written for Welch's first wife. Welch recorded it again in 2003 for his album His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypnotized (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1973 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Hypnotized" is a song written by Bob Welch. The song originally featured on Fleetwood Mac's 1973 album Mystery to Me. The track was released on a single as the B-side of "For Your Love" and has been described as "gorgeous and lyrically strong", and referred to as the album's best track.

<i>O.K. Ken?</i> 1969 studio album by Chicken Shack

O.K. Ken? is the second studio album by the blues band Chicken Shack, released in February 1969. O.K Ken? reached number 9 in the UK Albums Chart, three places higher than its predecessor, 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think About Me</span> 1980 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Think About Me" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in the US in March 1980. The song was composed by Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie. "Think About Me" was slightly remixed for single release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not That Funny</span> 1980 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Not That Funny" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1980. Composed and sung by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was written as a response to the punk movement in the late 1970s. The song shares some lyrics with "I Know I'm Not Wrong", another Buckingham penned song that appeared on the Tusk album.

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Mike (2011). Fleetwood Mac - The Definitive History. New York: Sterling. p. 284. ISBN   978-1-4027-8630-3.
  2. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 34.
  3. ↑ Swanson, Dave (13 September 2014). "When Fleetwood Mac Ended an Era With 'Heroes Are Hard to Find'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Q&A Sessions - Bob Welch". The Penguin. November 1999. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Barnes, Ken (October 24, 1974). "Fleetwood Mac Heroes Are Hard to Find > Album Review". Rolling Stone . No. 172. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  6. ↑ "Top Picks". Billboard. Nielsen Business. 28 September 1974.
  7. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 7, 1974. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  8. ↑ Horowitz, Hal. "Heroes Are Hard To Find - Fleetwood Mac". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac - Heroes Are Hard To Find". UK Charts. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.