"…I Hung My Head Boys…I Cried
Just Like A Child…"
With "Kiln House"
having all but tanked in the UK charts in October 1970 at number 34 and the
"Future Games" album not even breaking the top 50 in September 1971 -
this slapped together ragbag of Blue Horizon period outtakes featuring Peter
Green aroused little interest when it was finally released in November 1971.
Even with the highlighted
blue box on the front cover promising 'All Tracks Previously Un-issued' - the
gangly decidedly budget-looking looking LP "The Original Fleetwood
Mac" went largely unloved and unnoticed. Which is a shame because in my
books it's a bit of a lost gem - and this expanded CD reissue of it has only
added to that cool original in a really great way. Here's a detailed breakdown:
Released in May 1971 - the
original UK 12-track of "The Original Fleetwood Mac" on CBS Records S
63875 ran as follows (43:40 minutes):
1. Drifting (Peter Green song
recorded 1967) [3:33 minutes]
2. Leaving Town Blues (Peter
Green song recorded December 1967) [2:56 minutes]
3. Watch Out (Peter Green
song recorded November 1967) [4:38 minutes]
4. A Fool No More (Peter
Green song recorded November 1967) [4:37 minutes)
5. Mean Old Fireman (Arthur
'Big Boy' Crudup cover recorded November 1967) [3:49 minutes]
6. Can't Afford To Do It
('Homesick' James Williamson cover recorded 1967) [2:05 minutes]
7. Fleetwood Mac (Mono, Peter
Green instrumental recorded 1967) [3:57 minutes] - SIDE 2
8. Worried Dream (B.B. King
cover recorded April 1968) [5:24 minutes]
9. Love That Woman (Lafayette
Leake cover recorded 1968) [2:32 minutes]
10. Allow Me One More Show
(Jeremy Spencer song recorded 1967) [3:01 minute]
11. First Train Home (Peter
Green song recorded 1967) [4:06 minutes]
12. Rambling Pony No. 2
(Peter Green song recorded 1967) [2:55 minutes]
All above tracks with Lead
Vocals and Guitar by PETER GREEN except 5, 6, 9 and 10 with Lead Vocals and
Guitar by JEREMY SPENCER; Piano on 8 is by CHRISTINE PERFECT; Harmonica on 7
and 12 is by PETER GREEN; JOHN McVIE on Bass and MICK FLEETWOOD on Drums for
all except 5 and 10 which feature JEREMY SPENCER on Vocals & Guitar only.
This 19-track CD reissue of
"The Original Fleetwood Mac" by FLEETWOOD MAC is "The Complete Blue Horizon
Sessions 1967-1969" Expanded Version from the 1999 6CD Box Set that runs
to a whopping 75:31 minutes - now issued as a stand-alone disc in July 2004 on
Sony/Blue Horizon 5164482 (Barcode 5099751644828).
Tracks 1 to 12 are as above
with some additions: Track 2 is the Take 5 Master Version with a Previously
Unissued False Start and runs to 3:09 minutes; Track 4 is all 8 Takes (first 7
are all false starts) and runs to 7:59 minutes; Track 5 has a Previously
Unissued False Start on Take 1 with Take 2 being the Master Version running to
4:06 minutes; Track 8 is the Master Take with a previously unreleased
incomplete Take; Tracks 9, 10 and 12 are Alternate Original Mixes.
Tracks 13 to 19 are the
bonuses as follows:
13. Watch Out [Take 1
Incomplete – Previously Unreleased] (Peter Green song recorded November 1967)
14. Something Inside Of Me
[Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968, this master version was used on the
USA LP “English Rose” on Epic]
15. Something Inside Of Me
[Take 2/Previously Unreleased] [Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968]
16. Something Inside Of Me
[Take 3/Previously Unreleased] [Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968]
17. One Sunny Day (Danny
Kirwan song recorded October 1968) [this master version was used on the USA LP
“English Rose” on Epic]
18. Without You (Danny Kirwan
song recorded October 1968) [this master version was used on the USA LP
“English Rose” on Epic]
19. Coming Your Way [Take
6/Previously Unreleased] (Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968
The remastering is absolutely
ace – live and in your living room – warm, clear and ballsy. On the original
album highlights include the BB King cover of “Worried Blues”, a fabulous slow
work out with sweet piano fills provided by Christine Perfect. The two Jeremy
Spencer solo tracks are also eerily great too, while a longer and an actually
more soulful version of “A Fool No More” turned up on Green’s big comeback “In
The Skies” album in 1979 on PVK Records. The bonuses turn out to be excellent
too - especially the last three Danny Kirwan tracks. It’s not surprising that
both “One Sunny Day” and “Without You” were used for their 2nd US album
“English Rose” – they’re both blinders! “Coming Your Way” turned up in a different
form of course on the 1969 Reprise album “Then Play On”.
As a stand-alone disc, “The
Original Fleetwood Mac” is great value for money - I'd say BUY IT and then go
for he other 4 listed below as well...they're all magical in their own way...
PS: For those wishing for
more - the Blue Horizon label Fleetwood Mac UK albums are:
1. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (1968) – debut
album, known as "Fleetwood Mac" in the USA
2. Mr. Wonderful (1968) – second album,
re-sequenced as “English Rose” in the USA in 1969
3. The Pious Bird Of Good Omen (1969) -
compilation LP of non-album 7" singles, their B-sides, collaborations and
other rarities
4. Blues Jam At Chess (1969) - 20-track 2LP set
- its full credit is to: Fleetwood Mac, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Shakey
Horton, J.T. Brown, Guitar Buddy (Buddy Guy), Honey Boy Edwards, S.P. Leary.
Originally a double on release, it’s the two re-issued US singular volumes that
are being used for the "Complete" box set, "Blues Jam In Chicago
Volume 1" and "…Volume 2". It is ONLY these singular
re-sequenced releases that are available today.)
5. The Original Fleetwood Mac (1971) - released
on CBS, this 1971 LP has Blue Horizon recordings from August 1967 through to
October 1968, all of which were previously unreleased at the time)
All of the above available in the box set pictured below...
