The Two Versions of 'Sentimental Lady' by Bob Welch & Fleetwood Mac Explained
- edgarstreetbooks
- May 18
- 2 min read
‘100 Greatest 70s Pop Songs’ Book Excerpt
Frank Mastropolo
“Sentimental Lady” was written by guitarist Bob Welch and first recorded for Fleetwood Mac’s 1972 album Bare Trees. The Fleetwood Mac version was 4:34 with backing vocals by Christine McVie.
Welch recorded a shortened version of “Sentimental Lady” in 1977 for his solo album, French Kiss. Released as a single, the song was a №8 hit.
“The lyric was probably referencing my first wife at the time, Nancy,” Welch told Songfacts.
“The original placeholder/dummy lyrics for the chorus — before I had ‘real’ lyrics — were, ‘My legs are sticks and my feet are stones.’ I have the old songwriting cassette I used, and that’s what I’m saying.”
The solo version featured Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham as backing singers and producers. Buckingham played multilayered guitars, and McVie sang counterpoint vocals.
“The Mac version of ‘Sentimental Lady’ is not as polished as the solo version,” Welch explained in The Penguin Archives.
“That wasn’t a necessarily conscious choice, though. Techniques and our own styles had evolved in the five years between the two versions, plus, a lot of the way version two sounds is due to Lindsey B., who produced it, and Fleetwood Mac’s engineers Richard Dashut and Ken Caillat.
“The second verse wasn’t in the solo version because the record company liked the shorter length of under three minutes; it was better for a single.
“Christine just invented a different counterpoint part for the solo version; it was all her idea. She’s great when it comes to vocal parts!”
Frank Mastropolo is the author of 100 Greatest 70s Pop Songs, part of the Greatest Performances series. For more on our latest projects, visit Edgar Street Books.
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