Peter Green
Posted by: samo7 on 11 November 2001
I've been spinning a disc lately that I can't seem to put down. It's title is "Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits Live". It is an excellent recording in a small venue. It was taped at "The Boston Tea Party", a small club in Boston I presume. Fantastic cd. Does anybody know the date of this show?? It is all blues and was pre-pop F.M. Definitely the best stuff to come from that band. Perhaps not as popular as there later stuff, better just the same.
Another band that comes to mind is Genesis. There early stuff with Gabriel and Hackett blows me away...the later stuff just blows. Can you think of other bands that did a one-eighty like that and came out more successful commercially but not quite up to snuff??
Posted on: 12 November 2001 by von zipper
Coincidence-I've just been playing 'Then play on' & 'Mr Wonderful'.I love the early 'Green' version of Fleetwood Mac - less Breeze FM for a start!I rate Greens playing above Clapton when it comes to playing the Blues - there was always that hint of danger about his style.Unfortunately, he always seems to get overlooked -probably due to the fact he all but disappeared in the early 70's.Be sure to check out his 'Hard Road ' with John Mayalls Bluesbreakers as well.
Posted on: 12 November 2001 by Jez Quigley
I don't think Peter Green decided to give it up, he suffered a serious mental health problem (which allegedly was brought on by too much acid)He was fine last time I heard and was touring with the Peter Green band, I have a double CD of them which is good, but not of course up to the early FM brilliance, he was just magnificent then.
Posted on: 13 November 2001 by von zipper
Especially as he played with The Splinter Group at the Ocean,Hackney last Monday.The venues web site has a nice little summary of his career:
Peter Green Splinter Group
Peter Green is for many the greatest white blues guitarist ever (Mojo readers put him in their top three of all time). For others his life has been a cautionary tale of incredible highs and deperate lows. It's a story of legend and rumour, greatness, resilience and searing hulmility. Born in Bethnal Green, East London, Green was ten when he first picked up a guitar and began playing with his brother. His first break was substituting Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers while the guitarist went on holiday. "I took my chances with the blues because I couldn't see anything else around with any sort of soul in it," he says, "I just got the message and that's what inspired me." He eventually became a permanent fixture when Clapton left to form Cream. In 1967 Green left the band to form Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood. Once the band was complete, and with an unusual 3 guitar frontline, Fleetwood Mac went on to outsell both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones by 1969. Following bad experiences with LSD and dabblings in religious activities, Green left the band having been accused of squandering their money. The early eighties saw him gradually slip out of the business, almost to disappear altogether. It wasn't until 1992 - almost twenty years later he walked into a guitar shop in Essex and announced he was making a comeback…..
…….Peter Green's story is one of the great popular music stories of our time. A legend amongst guitar players, a drug casualty who made his way back - that he survived all that is truly remarkable. The Peter Green Splinter Group was formed in 1995 and recorded new material to acclaim. In 1999 he was awarded the prestigious W.C Handy Award (more commonly known as the blues Grammy) for the 'Robert Johnson Songbook' - the first time the award had gone to a british album.
The new album 'Time Traders' is out now on Eagle Records and a major worldwide tour is scheduled for next year. This time Peter Green really is back!
Posted on: 13 November 2001 by Jez Quigley
Zipper mate, you made my day!
Posted on: 13 November 2001 by von zipper
Well, mine at least, because I just found out he's playing two nights at the Jazz Cafe, London in April (2nd/3rd).Could be an excellent venue to see him at as its just the right size to keep it nice and personal.The sound is usually pretty good there as well.Should sell out pretty quickly, I'd imagine.
