B-side "Ricky" Recorded 1986 Length 3:38 | Released 31 August 1987 | |
Format 7", 12", Cassette single | ||
"Little Lies" is a song by the English/American rock band Fleetwood Mac. It was the third single to be taken from their 1987 album Tango in the Night. As of 2017, it is their final top 10 hit in the US.
Contents
- Track listing
- Released versions
- Personnel
- Hilary Duff version
- Background and recording
- Critical reception
- References
The song was composed by the band's keyboard player and vocalist, Christine McVie and her then-husband Eddy Quintela. When released, the song reached number 1 for four weeks on the Billboard adult contemporary chart and number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1987. It also hit #5 on the UK Singles Chart. It continues to be played on radio stations as a classic hit of the late '80s, along with "Everywhere" and "Seven Wonders" released a year later. It was also accompanied by a music video, filmed on a farm, in and around its rustic buildings and fields. In "Little Lies" the singer would rather hear little lies than the unhappy truth from her lover, although near the end she admits "We're better off apart. Let's give it a try." Fleetwood Mac was known for singing about the group members' rocky relationships.
The single was also available on the 12-inch format, featuring an extended dance version, a dub version, and the single's B-side, "Ricky", a non-album track penned by Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham. A limited 12-inch picture disc was also released in the UK, and it was also the first Fleetwood Mac single to be issued on the cassette-single format.
Track listing
12" US single (Warner Brothers Records 0-20761)
- "Little Lies" (extended version) – 6:07
- "Little Lies" (dub) – 4:04
- "Ricky" – 4:21
Released versions
Personnel
Hilary Duff version
Hilary Duff recorded a cover of the song, produced by Peer Astrom and Adam Anders, in promotion of the second season of her TV Land comedy series, Younger. It was released January 13, 2016 through RCA Records and Sony Music Entertainment.
Background and recording
"TV Land called me," Duff told People, "They were like, 'We want you to cover a song for the promos for the second season.' And I’m like, 'Oh my God. Yes, of course, I would love to.'" A preview of her rendition of the song was made available through the magazine in December 2015. The recording was produced by Peer Astrom and Adam Anders, with vocal engineering and production from Alex Anders, the same team responsible for the music behind the popular Fox musical comedy-drama, Glee.
Duff's recording has been described as synthpop, with additional influences of dance genres, especially dubstep.
Critical reception
Duff's genre-altering recording has received mixed reviews from critics. "This cover doesn’t work for me," writes Mike Wass of Idolator, "The plodding electronic production ... completely overwhelms Fleetwood Mac’s delicate Tango In The Night smash and makes the "Sparks" diva sound like Siri's older sister." Lucas Villa of AXS TV was more complimentary, writing that Duff "rises above the synths to emerge as the dance floor queen she's been since the release of her 2007 album, Dignity."