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ALS signed “Mick, xx,” three pages, 8.25 x 11.75, no date [1995]. Fantastic handwritten letter from Mick Fleetwood to John McVie regarding his composition of the song ‘These Strange Times,’ the final song to be included on Fleetwood Mac’s sixteenth studio album, Time. The letter, in full: “Having reached somewhat of an impass with regards to my song I felt it appropriate to let you know my feelings and to try and have you understand why it has all left me hurt and suffocated. I find it hard to believe that after supporting the creative process of this band for nearly 30 years I am now being denied the right to express the thoughts that are pertinent to me, in the very forum I have persevered to keep alive. This just does not sit well with me.
I am aware of how you feel in regards to the subject matter of the song, yet I have hoped that you would go one step further and realize that it only reflects my own growth since the beginning of my sobriety 3 years ago. In regards to the use the word ‘God’ I think it is very clear that it is only being used as a metaphor for me finally being in a good place. Since the beginning of this band I have been known for being somewhat of an eccentric, and that alone gives me licence to create theatre with touches of my own reality. In other words, this heartfelt type of creativity is not out of character.
This whole scenario reminds me of the time when everyone thought it was a crazy idea to resurrect ‘Tusk’ from the waste bin, put the USC marching band on the track and film the whole event at Dodger Stadium. Due to the lack of support from the band I found myself having to prove the worth of my idea by paying for it myself and personally taking all other steps to make it happen. I wonder how many times I will have to do this in order to prove myself and be given the right to utilize my creative freedom within a band I have nurtured for many years.
You must understand John that for the last ten years most aspects of my life have been bloody awful and I’m glad that I can now finally say loud and clear, that I do feel as if I am walking in the ‘light’ and not in the ‘dark’!
Well John, I felt this letter was a way of clearing the air, and of letting you know just how deeply my feelings have been effected by this whole matter. Still this crazy world goes on. I do love you very much.” Fleetwood adds a small sketch of a smiley face man before adding a quick postscript: “I have sent pretty much the same letter to Chris, thought I should let you know.” In very fine condition. Accompanied by the original ‘Radisson Plaza Hotel Berlin’ transmittal envelope, signed and inscribed by Fleetwood, “To John McVie, from Mick,” and a full letter of authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services.
The song in question is most certainly, ‘These Strange Times,’ the thirteenth and final song on Fleetwood Mac's 1995 album Time, one of the few songs in Fleetwood Mac's discography to feature Mick Fleetwood on vocals, who performed the song through spoken word. The letter’s personal tone aligns closely with Fleetwood’s publicly stated motivations behind the composition, written in part as a tribute to Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green and reflecting both his struggles with addiction and his sobriety after years of substance abuse.
In the letter, Fleetwood writes that the song “only reflects my own growth since the beginning of my sobriety 3 years ago,” and defends his use of the word “God” as “a metaphor for me finally being in a good place.” Those remarks correspond to the song’s spiritual lyrics, which invoke themes of “light” and “dark” and “God” — “These strange times I think of a friend / They said was a man of the world… / Between the dark and the light,” eventually transforming the refrain “God is nowhere” into “God is now here.” Fleetwood later explained that the lyrics were neither religious nor political, but instead represented a personal ‘train of thought’ exploring recovery and perspective. His statement that he had supported “the creative process of this band for nearly 30 years” also helps date the letter to circa 1995, nearly three decades after Fleetwood Mac’s 1967 formation.
The letter also offers insight into the internal discord surrounding the inclusion of ‘These Strange Times’ on Time. Originally planned as a 12-track album, Time was expanded to include the song after Fleetwood pushed for its addition, feeling that Fleetwood Mac’s catalog insufficiently reflected his own creative contributions. The letter captures Fleetwood defending both the song and his artistic role within the band, comparing the resistance with ‘These Strange Times’ to the skepticism that surrounded the experimental Tusk project. His postscript noting that he had sent “pretty much the same letter to Chris” syncs with reports that Christine McVie declined involvement in the song’s development; aside from backing vocals by Bekka Bramlett, Fleetwood was effectively the only member of Fleetwood Mac to contribute substantially to the track. ‘These Strange Times’ became one of the more personal songs associated with the Time sessions, with Fleetwood’s ‘olive branch’ letter documenting the creative tensions surrounding its inclusion on the album.
