Fleetwood Mac

Band members               Related acts

- Bekka Bramlett - vocals (1984)
- Lindsey Buckingham - vocals, guitar (1975-90 + 97-)
- Billy Burnette - vocals, guitar (replaced Lindsey Buckingham) (1990-94)
- Mick Fleetwood - drums, percussion
(1967-)
- Peter Green (aka Peter Greenbaum)
- vocals, guitar (1967-70)
- Danny Kirwan - vocals, guitar (1967-73)
- David Mason - vocals, guitar (1984)
- Christine Perfect McVie - vocals, keyboards (1970-90 + 97-)
- John McVie - bass (1967-)
- Stevie Nicks - vocals (1975-90 + 97-)
- Rick Vito - vocals, guitar (replaced Lindsey Buckingham (1990-91)
- Jeremy Spencer - vocals, guitar (1967-70)
- Dave Walker - vocals, harmonica (1973)
- Bob Welch - vocals, guitar (71-74)
- Bob Weston - guitar (1973-74)
 

- Alexis (Dave Walker)
- Ashkan (Bob Weston)

- Buckingham - Nicks
- Lindsey Buckingham (solo efforts)
- Billy Burnette (solo efforts)
- Chicken Shack (Christine McVie)
- Mick Fleetwood (solo efforts)
- Peter Green (solo efforts)
- Danny Kirwan (solo efforts)
- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Mick Fleetwood, John McVie) 
- Christine McVie (solo efforts)
- Stevie Nicks (solo efforts)
- Paris (Bob Welch)
- Savoy Brown (Dave Walker and Bob Weston)
- Select
- Jeremy Spencer and the Children
- Bob Welch (solo efforts)

 

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Fleetwood Mac

Company: Epic

Catalog: BN 26402

Year: 1968

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: minor corner wear

Available: 1

Price: $20..00

 

 Having played with a slew of early-'60s R&B groups (The Bo Street Runners, The Cheynes, Peter B Looners, Shot Gun Express), in 1967 drummer Mick Fleetwood was asked to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. As a member of the band, Fleetwood quickly became tight with guitarist Peter Green and bassist John McVie. The three even found time to cut some demo tapes, but before anything could happen, Mayall canned Fleetwood and Green.

Working sessions for producer/Blue Horizon Records owner Mike Vernon, Fleetwood and Green were introduced to former Levi Set guitarist Jeremy Spencer. The chemistry proved right and with the addition of bassist Bob Brunning the quartet began playing London pubs. Sharing a common love of the blues, the band began to attract considerable attention, including dates at London's Marquee Club and a slot at the 1967 Windsor Blues and Jazz Festival. They also underwent the first in a long series of personnel changes; Brunning leaving to form the Sunflower Brunning Blues Band (see separate entry). Recently fired from Mayall's Bluesbreakers (common theme running here), McVie quickly stepped into the vacancy.  Now billed as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac the line up continued to supplement tour wages by working as Blue Horizon's house band, supporting a slew of American acts recording for the label. They were also given an opportunity to record on their own - their debut being the 1968 single "I Believe My Time Ain't Long" b/w "Rambling Pony".

With English audiences again enamored with the blues, Blue Horizon decided to try to cash in on the fad by financing a Fleetwood Mac album. Produced by Mike Vernon, 1968's cleverly-titled "Fleetwood Mac" offered up a mixture of Green and Spencer penned genre originals and classic blues covers (Elmore James, James Williamson, etc.). While there was no doubting the band's dedication to the blues, by and large the set simply wasn't that exciting. The performances were all professional and competent, but with the possible exception of Spencer's blazing slide guitar on "Shake Your Money Maker", original bassist Brunning's bass pattern on "Long Grey Mare" and Green's greasy harmonica-propelled "Looking for Somebody" there wasn't much to get excited over. Backed by a brief American tour (including an appearance on the Ed Sullivan television show), the album hit #198. (Nice to see Epic spending so much on the album's cover art ...)

"Fleetwood Mac" track listing:
1.) My Heart Beat Like a Hammer (Jeremy Spencer) - 2:56
2.) Merry Go Round (Peter Green) - 4:05
3.) Long Grey Mare (Peter Green) - 2:13
4.) Hellhound On My Trail (traditional - Peter Green) - 1:57
5.) Shake Your Money Maker (Elmore James) - 2:53
6.) Looking for Somebody (Peter Green) - 2:50
7.) No Place To Go (C. Burnett) - 3:19
8.) My Baby's Good To Me (Jeremy Spencer) - 2:44
9.) If I Loved Another Woman (Peter Green) - 2:58
10.) Cold Black Night (Jeremy Spencer) - 3:15
11.) The World Keep On Turning (Peter Green) -2:27
12.) Got To Move (Homesick James Williamson) - 3:21

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Vintage Years

Company: Sire

Catalog: SASH-3706

Year: 1975

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: double LP; minor ring wear; minor sleeve scuffing; gatefold sleeve

Available: 2

Price: $12.00

 

 In hindsight one of the year's most poorly timed releases, early 1975 saw Sire issue "Vintage Years". A transparent effort to cash in on the band's growing popularity, the double album set pulled together 24 previously released tracks. Focusing on the band's mid-to-late-'60s catalog, the album featured a mixture of original (11 tracks written by Peter Green) and covers. Exemplified by material such as "Coming Home", "Dust My Broom" and "The Sun Is Shining" the collection underscored the group's blues roots. While tracks such as "Albatross" and "Black Magic Woman" represented the band's isolated commercial successes, fans expecting to hear the band's more recent pop-rock sound were in for a rude awakening. The disappointment was reflected in the album's poor sales; the set faltering at #138. (Clearly sales would have been much higher had the set been released in the wake of "Fleetwood Mac".) (The collection was originally released with a gatefold sleeve. Elsewhere, Sire's liner notes department deserved special praise for crediting several tracks to 'Danny Kirwen' - aka Danny Kirwan. 

"Vintage Years" track listing:
1.) Black Magic Woman (Peter A. Green) - 2:52
2.) Coming Home (Elmore James) - 2:32
3.) Rambling Pony (Peter A. Green) - 2:41
4.) Something Inside of Me (Danny Kirwan) - 3:53
5.) Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson) - 2:58
6.) The Sun Is Shining (Elmore James) - 3:12
7.) Albatross (instrumental) (Peter A. Green) - 3:11
8.) Just the Blues (E. Boyd) - 5:36
9.) Evening Boogie (Jeremy Spencer) - 2:40
10.) The Big Boat (E. Boyd) - 2:37
11.) Jigsaw Puzzle Blues (Danny Kirwin) - 1:34
12.) I've Lost My Baby (Jeremy Spencer) - 4:15
13.) Doctor Brown (Waymon Glasco) - 3:44
14.) Need Your Love So Bad (Little Willie John) - 3:54
15.) Looking for Somebody (Peter A. Green) - 2:50
16.) Need Your Love Tonight (Jeremy Spencer) - 3:27
17.) Shake Your Moneymaker (Elmore James) - 2:54
18.) Man of the World (Peter A. Green) - 2:52
19.) Stop Messin' Around (Peter A. Green - C.G. Adams) - 2:18
20.) Rollin' Man (Peter A. Green - C.G. Adams) - 2:52
21.) Love that Burns (Peter A. Green - C.G. Adams) - 5:02
22.) If You Be My Baby (Peter A. Green - C.G. Adams) - 3:52
23.) Lazy Poker Blues (Peter A. Green - C.G. Adams)- 2:35
24.) Trying So Hard To Forget (Peter A. Green - C.G. Adams) - 4:47

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