This month, 43 years ago, on October 10, 1979, Fleetwood Mac would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The same day, Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles declared it “Fleetwood Mac Day.” Two days later, the anticipated follow-up to the band’s album Rumors was released. It was called Tusk.
The album title was one that Mick Fleetwood had wanted to use. Fellow band member Stevie Nicks had objected to it, but she was ignored. Recalling to Mojo in 2015, Nicks said, "I didn't understand the title, there was nothing beautiful or elegant about the word 'tusk.' It really bought to mind those people stealing ivory. Even then, in 1979 you just thought, the rhinos are being poached and that tusks are being stolen and the elephants are being slaughtered and ivory is being sold on the black market. I don't recall it being (Mick's slang term for the male member), that went right over my prudish little head. I wasn't told that until quite a while after the record was done, and when I did find out I liked the title even less!"
The title track included The University of Southern California Trojan marching band playing on the song. They had been recorded at Dodger Stadium earlier that year in June, a few weeks after graduation. The scene was filmed to make the music video. Notably, a cardboard cutout of the band’s bass player John McVie was used, as prior to shooting he had a falling out with guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and never made it to the stadium for the filming.
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