Recorded 1981-1982 Length 2:33 | Genre Pop | |
B-side "Only Over You", "The Chain" [12"] (UK) / "That's Alright" (USA) Released 12 December 1982 (UK) / February 1983 (USA) Format 7" / 12" / 7" picture disc (UK) | ||
"Oh Diane" is a song by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. It was written by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut, for the 1982 album Mirage, the fourth album by the band with Lindsey Buckingham as producer.
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Background
Despite the previous two singles from the album ("Hold Me" and "Gypsy") being unsuccessful, the song became a surprise big hit for the band in the United Kingdom when released there in December 1982. It charted at #69 on 18 December 1982 and took 10 weeks to gradually climb the chart, peaking at #9 in February 1983, helping to push its parent album Mirage into the UK Albums Chart Top 10.
The sleeve for "Oh Diane" saw the band return to using the penguin trademark in a nod to the band's earlier years; their 1973 album was called Penguin. "Oh Diane" was released in Britain on 7" and 12" and also as a 7" picture disc of the penguin design. This was a popular format at the time and is now a collectable item.
In the USA, another track from Mirage, "Love in Store", was released as the third single instead and was a moderate success. "Oh Diane" was therefore the fourth single issued in the US; it was released in February 1983, but it failed to chart. However, it did become a minor hit on the American Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at #35. Despite being a Top 10 hit in Britain, "Oh Diane" is not included on the 2002 UK version of the album The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (or the 2009 re-issue).