Fleetwood Mac made it big twice over: first as young kings of the late 1960’s British blues boom – blues fanatics who nonetheless made the pop charts with a batch of memorable songs penned by founder Peter Green. Then secondly, as the band that with its Rumours album Californian line-up, tapped into a whole new market in the mid-1970’s which became known as AOR - adult oriented rock.
The music is from a pivotal eighteen months in Mac’s history as it lost its original if-it-ain’t-blues-we-don't-wanna-know attitude and looked to its own songwriters - and America’s West Coast sound - for inspiration.
After Peter Green’s exit in May 1970 the rest of the band bravely decided to carry on as a 4-piece, and so rented an oast house called Kiln House to try and ‘get it together in the country
Christine McVie joined, and one of the stand-out songs, ‘Station Man’, would endure for Mac in the bleak years before they moved to California in 1974 where they struck gold with their eponymous white album and then Rumours. ‘Station Man’ eventually found its way into the live set-list of the Buckingham/Nicks line-up and listening to it again here you can hear why: in there, as far back as 1970, are some trademarks of the Rumours sound: three-voice harmonies, in-song tempo changes and ringing guitar sounds. Similarly, ‘The Purple Dancer’ and ‘Jewel Eyed Judy’ showcase a vocal harmonies and melodic sense of things to come for Fleetwood Mac many miles down the line.
This limited edition Numbered three album set of Fleetwood Mac live and studio tracks on Blue Vinyl recorded after the departure of Peter Green and before the arrival of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham features:
Christine McVie: Vocals, Piano
Danny Kirwan: Vocals, Guitar
Jeremy Spencer: Vocals, Guitar
John McVie: Bass
Mick Fleetwood: Drums
Also include 4 tracks from the Christine Perfect Band of:
Christine Perfect: Vocals, Piano
Top Topham: Guitar
Rick Hayward: 2nd Guitar
Martin Dunsford: Bass
Chris Harding: Drums
Also available as a Double CD SECIGODD003 02