FLEETWOOD MAC ( LP ) UK

FLEETWOOD MAC - BBC2 SESSIONS 1968-69

Coming on vinyl are 14 live tracks that showcase the versatility of Fleetwood Mac, crossing r&b, electric blues, acoustic blues, psyche and US '50s pop. Originally recorded for a variety of TV and radio programmes, many of these songs were never issued on a studio LP. This selection complements both the official 'Live At The BBC' release and our previous releases from the label. Two tracks feature guest Christine Perfect, who as Christine McVie would feature heavily in Fleetwood Mac's future. The LP comes with complete recording details and full sleeve notes.

TRACKLIST

Radio and TV 1968-69

Side One

1. If You Be My Baby (Green, Adams)

2. Wine Whiskey And Women (Lightfoot)

3. Peggy Sue Got Married (Holly)

4. Evenin' Boogie (Spencer)

5. Intergalactic Musicians Walking On Velvet (Spencer)

6. Sheila (Roe)

7. Bee-I-Bicky-Bop Blue Jean Honey Babe Meets High School Hound Dog Hot Rod Man (Spencer)

Side Two

1. Shake Your Moneymaker (James)

2. Lazy Poker Blues (Green, Adams)

3. My Baby's Sweet (James)

4. Love That Burns (Green, Adams)

5. Oh Well (Green)

6. Like Crying (Kirwan)

7. Linda (Spencer)

Recording Dates

Side One.

Tracks 1– 7 recorded and transmitted for BBC radio Top Gear in 1968 as follows:

Recording Dates:

Tracks 1 & 2 August 27th

Track 3: April 9th

Tracks 5 & 6: May 27th

Track 7: January 16th

Transmission Dates:

Track 1: November 24th

Track 2: October 13th

Track 3: April 13th

Track 5: June 2nd

Track 6: July 7th

Track 7: January 21st

Side Two

Tracks 1 – 7 recorded for TV as follows:

Track 1 Bluesology Festival, Droitwich, September 2nd 1968

Tracks 2- 4 Colour Me Pop, BBC, 19th July 1968

Tracks 5 – 7 Monster Music Mash, BBC, October 7th 1969

Musicians

Peter Green – guitar, vocals, harmonica

Jeremy Spencer – slide guitar, piano, vocals, maracas

John McVie – bass

Mick Fleetwood – drums

Danny Kirwan – guitar, vocals ( Side One, Tracks 1 & 2: Side Two Tracks 1 & 5 – 7)

Christine McVie – keyboards, vocals (Side One, Tracks 1 & 2)

This a fine depiction of the band described by Brian Mathews as "undoubtedly the most versatile group in Britain" as they convincingly play r'n'b, electric blues, acoustic blues, psyche and 50's US pop.

If You Be My Baby is a song from second LP Mr.Wonderful, jointly credited to Peter Green and manager Clifford Davis aka C.G. Adams. This version is slower and has a simpler arrangement than the original. Wine Whiskey And Woman was originally released by Papa Lightfoot on a 78rpm 10" disc in 1954. Fleetwood Mac up the tempo and add a convincing Spencer vocal with Peter Green on harmonica. These two tracks feature the guest keyboards and vocals of Christine McVie, nee Perfect. Next up are two examples of Jeremy Spencer's Buddy Holly fixation.  Peggy Sue Got Married was written by Holly himself whilst Sheila was written by Tommy Roe in 1962 as a Holly pastiche. Both are performed with much affection and authentic Lubbock arrangements.  Spencer's fixation on USA 50's rock'n'roll reaches its apogee with the next track, most easily referred to as Hot Rod Man. The epic title contains elements of Gene Vincent's "Bi-Bickey-Bi, Bo-Bo-Go" and "Bluejean Bop" whilst the song itself features doo-wop vocals and period piano. "A classic" opines host John Peel. Evenin' Boogie is also from Mr Wonderful and is an instrumental written by Spencer in the style of Elmore James and features his slide guitar prominently. Finally with Intergalactic Musicians Walking On Velvet Fleetwood Mac enter Bonzos territory to give their verdict on the burgeoning Progressive 'scene' with all manner of sonic weirdness and vocal profundity. An interesting curio, but Jeremy Spencer would hit his target more accurately on his 1970 solo album with Take A Look Around Mrs Brown.

Elmore James' Shake Your Moneymaker  was a highlight of the first Fleetwood Mac LP and this version was recorded at the wonderfully-named Chateau Impney, Droitwich. Green tunes to a harmonica before the band launch into an impressively raunchy work-out, lead by Spencer on slide. The next three tracks are taken from the innovative BBC show Colour Me Pop, which existed between May 1968 and August 1969. In many ways the prototype for the better known The Old Grey Whistle Test, Colour Me Pop featured everyone from The Tremeloes to Giles, Giles and Fripp. Lazy Poker Blues and Love That Burns are both Green / Davis cowrites from Mr. Wonderful. The former shows Green capable of emulating the extended blues innuendo ("she puts some coal on the fire so I can keep my poker hot") whilst the latter intersperses his powerfully understated vocal with equally sparse lead guitar. Homesick James' My Baby's Sweet was a regular live favourite but was never included on a studio LP. Guitarist Danny Kirwan joined the band in August 1968 and he is heard on the last three tracks on Side Two. Monster Music Mash was another shortlived BBC TV music programme, running through October and November 1969 and hosted by Alan Price. The show was described by the Radio Times as "Pop, Blues, Folk, and Whoopee!". Not much "Whoopee!" in this performance of Oh Well, instead a brooding performance of the first part of the single. Peter and Danny recreate the latter's Like Crying as a duet and it is a delight. Finally a performance of Spencer's Linda, again very much in the style of Buddy Holly – it would appear on his solo LP the following year.