December 5, 2022

"In a 2009 interview with Maui Times, Fleetwood, now 75, said the original pair [of wooden balls] were 'lavatory chains' he stole from a toilet while drunk."

"'I came out — and I must admit I had a couple of glasses of English ale — and came out of the toilet with these, I ripped them off the — you know, I was very destructive — I ripped them off the toilet and had them hanging down between my legs'.... Although he would later lose that pair at a gig, he had a replacement pair made by a carpenter for the cover of Rumours. 'The original, original ones I do not have — but the ones that I have are very, very old. I won’t say they’re as old as me. But, it starts getting into X-rated commentary here, my balls are quite old,' said Fleetwood. "

From "Mick Fleetwood’s wooden balls from Rumours cover auctioned for $128,000" (London Times).

35 comments:

Howard said...

I never noticed the balls on the albumin cover before

Iman said...

Those would be click-clacking away during a rattlesnake shake.

Carol said...

Howard, you and me both.

Saint Croix said...

Mick Fleetwood Has Been Sued

Attorney: "And what happened next?"

Woman: "He made me suck his balls. It was awful."

Attorney: "And what did his balls taste like?"

Woman: "They tasted like aluminum. And, and, and zinc."

Attorney: "What?"

Woman: "I'm just kidding. They tasted like wood. They were wood balls. Wood balls that he got out of a toilet. It was disgusting. He made me suck on his toilet wood balls."

Attorney: "Why did you suck on his wood balls?"

Woman: "He made me! He coerced me! He ruined my life!"

Attorney: "It just so happens, these balls did not come from a toilet."

Woman: "What?"

Attorney: "Those wooden balls were lost in 1979. These wooden balls, the wooden balls you had in your mouth, were made by a carpenter in 1981. And we have a chemical analysis done and there is no toilet water in these little wooden balls. None. Zip. Nada."

Woman: "Oh my God! He lied to me!" (Screaming at Mick Flootwood). "Why would you lie to me?!"

Judge: "Order. Order in the court."

Attorney: "Your Honor, we have the wooden balls in question. They were recently auctioned off for $128,000."

Woman: "What? What? All I had to do was keep the balls? Are you kidding me?"

Attorney: "And there are teeth marks in the balls, your Honor. We think, well, our dentist thinks that we can match up the marks on the wooden balls with her teeth--"

Woman: "No! No!"

Judge: "Order! Order in the court!"

Woman: "These are not my real teeth! I have dentures!"

Judge: "Order in the court!"

Woman! "Dentures! I had to get dentures! He ruined my teeth! Mick Fleetwood!"

rhhardin said...

He's imitating a pickup truck.

Anthony said...

I never noticed them either, but then, I never had the album and they weren't one of my favorites anyway.

Similarly, it wasn't until I actually bought the LP for The Who's Who's Next that I noticed they had supposedly wee'd on the big concrete thing.

(Apparently, none of them were able to wee on command during the photo shoot and they just dribbled some water out of a can instead)

Enigma said...

I avoided Fleetwood Mac like the plague and never looked at the album cover except to avoid it. However, edgy sex themed covers were certainly the norm in the 1970s and 1980s.

Classroom assignment for up and coming Wokesters: Why must this album cover be cancelled? How would you cancel this album to ensure that it received no further airplay and that this type of JK Rowling-esque performers will never earn a living?

Next up for cancellation training, Blind Faith's underage nudity with a suggestive metal toy, and the Scorpions "Love at First Sting"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Faith_(Blind_Faith_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_at_First_Sting

robother said...

It takes brass balls to sell real estate. Wooden balls suffice to be a Rock God.

narciso said...

I remember mick fleetwood looked ancient in 1986 in running man.

Howard said...

A guy was just telling this story in the locker room about his Boss taking a female coworker to dinner in Colorado. The Boss ordered Rocky Mountain Oysters as a joke he played on all newbies. When she got back to the office, the guys asked her how did the "oysters" taste? Great, she said, they tasted just like balls.

dbp said...

My elder sister purchased this album when it came out. We all assumed the balls were a toy, popular around the time, called "clackers". The toy was, common for the time, (see lawn darts) probably too dangerous to be approved for children now. It was composed of two lucite balls connected with a cord. You would hold the cord in the middle and by occillation up and down, cause the balls to richochet off of each other at the top and bottom of an arc.

Lurker21 said...

I am still wondering if he was castrated by a toilet seat.

That could explain why his marriage broke up.

He no longer made lovin' fun.

Gusty Winds said...

Listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac over the last few days.

Christie McVie's voice was silk. Even live she could pull off "You Make Lovin' Fun".

Check out some of the live performances available on YouTube.

In my humble opinion, the band's best songs were hers.

Ralph L said...

I used to be thin, but he was Princess Kate skinny.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

So it was exactly what it looked like.

Lexington Green said...

As an adolescent, all I could see was Stevie’s black-clad leg.

Joe Smith said...

Couldn't see the balls for the trees...

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I thought they were decorative pom poms. Didn't know they were wood balls.

Mr. D said...

Lexington Green said...
As an adolescent, all I could see was Stevie’s black-clad leg.


Yeah, that was my focus, too.

Lurker21 said...

Nice castanets, Mick.

I always liked Stevie better. Maybe it was because her voice was so distinctive. Maybe it was just her looks.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Mrs. Wolf had same reaction as Howard. “Never noticed them.” Geez it’s one of her favorite albums.

PM said...

Never noticed them #1,203,9253
However, I did like Tusk because Trojans.
No relation to wooden balls.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The Maui Times - For those of you who are curious - he has a home on Maui and he has a restaurant with his name on it on Front Street in Lahaina.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

deez nuts jokes aside. Is there any truth to the rumors that when Mick Fleetwood met Harvey Weinstein back in 99, Mick asked Harvey “How’s it hanging”?

Brian Johnson said...

Wow, Mandella effect in action. Like others said, never saw those before, never talked about it, nothing.

traditionalguy said...

I guess I am an atheist as to Rock Gods. I guess recreational drugs are a required initiation sacrament. Alas I refused them.

Fred Drinkwater said...

"Never noticed them" WOW.

Stevie Nicks: Yup.

Political Junkie said...

Is it worse to steal wooden balls while sober?

Dangerous Dreamer said...

Never actually noticed them or if I did just thought they were hanging off of his belt.

William said...

I can see how an inordinately wealthy fan might be willing to shell out $128,000 for these treasures. I wonder though if this is an investment that will offer long term growth. What happens when the last inordinately wealthy Fleetwood Mac fan dies? What's the price for one of Bing Crosby's pipes? Is it memorabilia if no one shares the memory or wishes to share it?

Jim at said...

As an adolescent, all I could see was Stevie’s black-clad leg.

Seconded.

Jamie said...

I always thought this was a weird-ass cover, but so many were.

tim in vermont said...

I have seen that album cover dozens of times and had never noticed those balls until today...

Gusty Winds said...

Blogger traditionalguy said...

I guess I am an atheist as to Rock Gods. I guess recreational drugs are a required initiation sacrament. Alas I refused them.

First time I heard Rumors was in 4th Grade, driving with my step-dad's cousin Bernardo on a mountain road in Costa Rica. 8-Track. 11 years old. 1979. He was a cool dude. I remember I thought it rocked.

And I wasn't on any recreational drugs.

That didn't start until Jr. High.

MadisonMan said...

I agree with Howard right out of the gate. Never noticed them either.