FLEETWOOD MAC - 1967-1971

This article provides some background info and reviews on the early years of Fleetwood Mac from the time of their inception to the departures of Peter Green & Jeremy Spencer.
Last update = July 5, 2002

PETER GREEN'S FLEETWOOD MAC

recorded December 1967 (or possibly earlier)
released February 24, 1968 (UK), June 3, 1968 (US)
Peter Green (guitar, vocals & harmonica), Jeremy Spencer (slide guitar, vocals & piano), John McVie (bass, except track 3 Bob Brunning), Mick Fleetwood (drums)
  1. My Heart Beat Like A Hammer (Spencer)
  2. Merry Go Round (Green)
  3. Long Grey Mare (Green)
  4. Hellhound On My Trail (traditional)
  5. Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James)
  6. Looking For Somebody (Green)
  7. No Place To Go (Chester Burnett)
  8. My Baby's Good To Me (Spencer)
  9. I Loved Another Woman (Green)
  10. Cold Black Night (Spencer)
  11. The World Keep On Turning (Green)
  12. Got To Move (Homesick James Williamson)
Their first album blasts out of the gates with Jeremy Spencer singing "My Heart Beat Like A Hammer". His powerful voice & slide guitar coupled with characteristic Fleetwood Mac rhythmic backing sets the tone for a great rocking blues album. The album alternates songs with Spencer and the more subtle (but just as emotionally powerful) songs of Peter Green. Green highlights include the jaunty "Long Grey Mare", the haunting "I Loved Another Woman", the acoustic blues of "The World Keep On Turning". Spencer rocks out on "Shake Your Moneymaker", croons on piano for "Hellhound On My Trail", and slithers on "Got To Move". Spencer rarely played on Green's compositions, giving them a spare, authentic blues feeling; whereas Green's guitar playing on Spencer's songs fills out the rhythm section behind Spencer's excellent slide guitar. This first album is the essence of the bluesy Fleetwood Mac. Green & Spencer are given equal footing within the band, and both provide their respective highlights. John McVie & Mick Fleetwood demonstrate the abilities that made them one of the premier rhythm sections for many years to come. The sound of the recording is clear and direct, capturing the energy and spirit of the band.

Mick Fleetwood: "album basically recorded live show"

MR. WONDERFUL

recorded April 1968
released August 23, 1968 (UK only)
Green, Spencer, McVie, Fleetwood with Christine Perfect (piano), Steve Gregory & Dave Howard (alto sax), Johnny Almond & Roland Vaughan (tenor sax), Duster Bennett (harmonica)
  1. Stop Messin' Round (Green)
  2. I've Lost My Baby (Spencer)
  3. Rollin' Man (Green, Adams)
  4. Dust My Broom (Elmore James, Josea)
  5. Love That Burns (Green)
  6. Doctor Brown (B.Brown)
  7. Need Your Love Tonight (Spencer)
  8. If You Be My Baby (Elmore James, Josea)
  9. Evenin' Boogie [instrumental] (Spencer?)
  10. Lazy Poker Blues (Green, Adams)
  11. Coming Home (Elmore James)
  12. Trying So Hard To Forget (Green, Adams)
Unfortunately, the band's second album shows a clear sophomore slump. The addition of horns was supposed to liven up the sound, but most of the time, it feels intrusive. Blues doesn't have to be polished, but you have to hear the commitment and the feel of the playing and this recording doesn't capture very much of it. The quality of the sound is muddy (the sound quality on the remixed version released with The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969 is far superior and goes a long way towards improving this review), and Spencer's songs all sound very similar. Green provides some good moments on "Love That Burns" and his more rollicking "Rollin' Man", "Stop Messin' Round" & "Lazy Poker Blues", but overall the album is a disappointment. Christine Perfect (later McVie) makes her first appearance on piano, but she's mixed quite well, so there's no major impact on the music.

ENGLISH ROSE

recorded at various times, see below
released January 1969 (US only)
Green, Spencer, McVie, Fleetwood, Danny Kirwan (guitar & vocals) with Christine Perfect (piano), Steve Gregory & Dave Howard (alto sax), Johnny Almond & Roland Vaughan (tenor sax), Duster Bennett (harmonica)
  1. Stop Messin' Round (Green)
  2. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues [instrumental] (Kirwan?)
  3. Doctor Brown (B.Brown)
  4. Something Inside Of Me (Kirwan)
  5. Evenin' Boogie [instrumental] (Spencer?)
  6. Love That Burns (Green)
  7. Black Magic Woman (Green)
  8. I've Lost My Baby (Spencer)
  9. One Sunny Day (Kirwan)
  10. Without You (Kirwan)
  11. Coming Home (Elmore James)
  12. Albatross [instrumental] (Green?)
This release compiles material from Mr. Wonderful (tracks 1,3,5,6,8,11) plus "Black Magic Woman" single (recorded February 1968, released June 1968 b/w "Long Grey Mare" from Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) and material from a October 1968 session with new guitar player Danny Kirwan (minus Jeremy Spencer who didn't participate) including "Albatross" single (released January 1969 b/w "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues"). It's hard to evaluate this release as a full album. I'll approach it in parts. First the Mr. Wonderful selections are chosen fairly well except I would have preferred one or two Green songs instead of Spencer, but I guess that's offset by the fact that Spencer doesn't appear on any of the other tracks. Second, "Black Magic Woman" stands as one of the great examples of Green's ability to take the blues beyond what he learned from his idols. The track smolders with intensity. Third, I am familiar with the "Albatross" single and it's a great song. More like Hawaii than Mississippi or Chicago, "Albatross" is completely removed from the blues, but has the same emotional power. "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" is a pleasant and short Kirwan composition showcasing his vibrato guitar style (although on other recordings he sounds very similar to Peter Green). The other three tracks I haven't heard yet, so I can not comment on them.

THE PIOUS BIRD OF GOOD OMEN

recorded at various times, see below
released August 15, 1969 (UK only?)
Green, Spencer, McVie, Fleetwood, Kirwan with Eddie Boyd (piano & vocals)
  1. Need Your Love So Bad (Little Willie John)
  2. Coming Home (Elmore James)
  3. Rambling Pony (Green?)
  4. The Big Boat (Boyd?)
  5. I Believe My Time Ain't Long (Robert Johnson)
  6. The Sun Is Shining (Elmore James?)
  7. Albatross [instrumental] (Green?)
  8. Black Magic Woman (Green)
  9. Just The Blues (Boyd?)
  10. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues [instrumental] (Kirwan)
  11. Looking For Somebody (Green)
  12. Stop Messin' Round (Green)
Another compilation of rarities. Material from Mr. Wonderful (2,12), their first single ("I Believe My Time Ain't Long" b/w "Rambling Pony" [same version as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac] recorded September 1967, released November 1967), two tracks from Green, McVie & Fleetwood backing Eddie Boyd (4,9), the classic Little Willie John cover of "Need Your Love So Bad" (recorded April-May 1968, released July 1968 b/w "Stop Messin' Round" [different version on the single, later released on The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969, version here is the same as Mr. Wonderful]), the "Albatross" single, the "Black Magic Woman" single, and one from Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (11).

THEN PLAY ON

recorded April-July 1969
released September 9, 1969
Green, McVie, Fleetwood, Kirwan with Christine Perfect (Spencer was still a member at this point, but did not participate in this album, originally they were planning on releasing a second album of Vince & The Valiants featuring Spencer's rock parodies/tributes, that eventually became an EP, and then ultimately was never released until The Vaudeville Years Of Fleetwood Mac: 1968 - 1970 in 1998)
  1. Coming Your Way (Kirwan)
  2. Closing My Eyes (Green)
  3. Show-Biz Blues (Green)
  4. My Dream [instrumental] (Kirwan)
  5. Underway [instrumental] (Green)
  6. Oh Well (Green)
  7. Although The Sun Is Shining (Kirwan)
  8. Rattlesnake Shake (Green)
  9. Searching For Madge [instrumental] (J.McVie)
  10. Fighting For Madge [instrumental] (Fleetwood)
  11. When You Say (Kirwan)
  12. Like Crying (Kirwan)
  13. Before The Beginning (Green)
  14. One Sunny Day  - (not on this version - included for indexing only - see comments) (Kirwan)
  15. Without You  - (not on this version - included for indexing only - see comments) (Kirwan)
This album was originally released in the U.S. without the song "Oh Well". It was later released again with "Oh Well" added and "When You Say" and "My Dream" removed. The listing above is for the latest CD version. To complicate matters the original British vinyl release contained two additional songs, "One Sunny Day" and "Without You". Showcasing the new direction for the Mac, the blues are largely abandoned for this rambling and introspective album. Green's stunningly direct singing & playing on "Closing My Eyes", "Show Biz Blues", "Before The Beginning" are stellar, as are the high powered guitar workouts "Rattlesnake Shake" & "Oh Well" (with delicate classical epilogue). Kirwan also contributes strongly to the proceedings with "Coming Your Way", "Although The Sun Is Shining"

FLEETWOOD MAC IN CHICAGO

recorded January 4, 1969
released December 5, 1969
Green, Spencer, McVie, Fleetwood, Kirwan with Otis Spann (piano & vocals), Willie Dixon (string bass), J.T. Brown (tenor sax & vocals), Walter "Shakey" Horton (harmonica & vocals), S.P. Leary (drums), Honey Boy Edwards (guitar), Buddy Guy (guitar)
  1. Watch Out (Green)
  2. Ooh Baby (C.Burnett)
  3. South Indiana - (Take 1) (Horton)
  4. South Indiana - (Take 2) (Horton)
  5. Last Night (W.Jacobs)
  6. Red Hot Jam (Green)
  7. Worlds In A Tangle (J.Lane)
  8. Talk With You (Kirwan)
  9. Like It This Way (Kirwan)
  10. Someday Soon Baby (Spann)
  11. Hungry Country Girl (Spann)
  12. I'm Worried (Elmore James)
  13. I Held My Baby Last Night (Elmore James)
  14. Madison Blues (Elmore James)
  15. I Can't Hold Out (Elmore James)
  16. I Need Your Love (Horton)
  17. I Got The Blues (Horton)
  18. Black Jack Blues (Brown)
  19. Everyday I Have The Blues (P.Chatman)
  20. Rockin' Boogie (Spencer)
  21. Sugar Mama (C.Burnett)
  22. Homework (A.Perkins, D.Clark, O.Rush)
Recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago, Fleetwood Mac records their purest and last blues recording with some veterans of the blues. Again the Mac are still treading water (unlike the forward looking "Albatross" and to a lesser extent "Black Magic Woman") but in this case, it's worth it to hear the band record with some blues legends. Green kicks things off with a slow take on "Watch Out" (the faster, original studio version was released The Original Fleetwood Mac a couple of years later).

THE ORIGINAL FLEETWOOD MAC

recorded at various times, see below
released May 14, 1971
Green, Spencer, McVie, Fleetwood
  1. Drifting (Green)
  2. Leaving Town Blues (Green)
  3. Watch Out (Green)
  4. A Fool No More (Green)
  5. Mean Old Fireman (traditional)
  6. Can't Afford To Do It (James Williamson)
  7. Fleetwood Mac [instrumental] (Green?)
  8. Worried Dream (Green)
  9. Love That Woman (Leake?)
  10. Allow Me One More Show (Spencer)
  11. First Train Home (Green)
  12. Rambling Pony No. 2 (Green)
A compilation of unreleased material from sessions for the first album and other studio recordings during late 1967. More raw and bluesy sounds. There's a lot of depth and variety here. 5 & 7 showcase Spencer's acoustic blues playing and they're great songs while 9 features Spencer stomping away on piano. The majority of the album features more prime Green. The fast shuffle of 3, the rhythmic pulse of 7, and many slow blues. While not as consistent as the first album it's an excellent companion piece.

LIVE AT THE BBC

recorded 1967-1970
released September 23, 1995
Green, Spencer, McVie, Fleetwood, Kirwan, with Christine Perfect
  1. Rattlesnake Shake  
  2. Sandy Mary  
  3. I Believe My Time Ain't Long  
  4. Although The Sun Is Shining  
  5. Only You  
  6. You Never Know What You're Missing  
  7. Oh Well   
  8. I Can't Believe You Want To Leave  
  9. Jenny Lee  
  10. Heavenly  
  11. When Will I Be Loved  
  12. When I See My Baby  
  13. Buddy's Song  
  14. Honey Hush  
  15. Preachin'  
  16. Jumping At Shadows  
  17. Preachin' Blues  
  18. Need Your Love So Bad  
  19. Long Grey Mare  
  20. Sweet Home Chicago  
  21. Baby Please Set A Date  
  22. Blues With A Feeling  
  23. Stop Messin' Round  
  24. Tallahassee Lassie 
  25. Hang On To A Dream  
  26. Linda  
  27. Mean Mistreating Mama  
  28. The World Keep On Turning  
  29. I Can't Hold Out  
  30. Early Morning Come  
  31. Albatross [instrumental]  
  32. Looking For Somebody  
  33. A Fool No More  
  34. Got To Move  
  35. Like Crying  
  36. Man Of The World   
Some great BBC sessions from Fleetwood Mac. Most of these sound excellent and are excellent additions to the Mac back catalogue. The weaker tracks are the ones that sound very similar to the original studio recordings. This is most apparent on the early tracks like "I Believe My Time Ain't Long" & "Looking For Somebody". Other tracks highlight the rock and roll version of Fleetwood Mac.

REFERENCES / WEBLINKS

The Penguin - website for all things Fleetwood Mac (all eras)
Chrome Oxide's Music Collector Pages - excellent sessionography detail
Fleetwood Mac trades - some more detailed info about the songs on The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967 - 1969 and 25 Years: The Chain box set releases
Liner notes for The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967 - 1969 - written by Mike Vernon
Liner notes for The Vaudeville Years 1968 to 1970 - written by 'Jet" Martin Celmins