I once had a close encounter of the third kind with Peter Green's
Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac were playing at Idrottshuset in Orebro, Sweden,
on November 23, 1968. I met them backstage, and I played on Peter Green's
Les Paul in the dressing room as last time. We all laughed at the
memory of the "tuning incident" at Club 700, during their previous
tour in May 1968 - I was in their dressing room and took up Jeremy Spencer's
guitar. I was trying to tune his guitar when Jeremy asked me: "What the
hell are you doing?!!".
I told him "I'm tuning your guitar since it's out of tune". Jeremy laughed
his head off, and showed me that it was tuned to an open E-chord... Peter
opened their act with "Stop Messin' Around", he played a brutally intense
guitar solo, his playing had matured remarkably since last time. John McVie
and Mick Fleetwood was the tightest rhythm section you could imagine. Peter's
next song was "Driftin' " at a slow suggestive tempo.
When Danny played the intro on "Lawdy Mama" he took us all by surprise,
Danny had a wonderful warm finger vibrato and a nice tone. His second song
was his own "Something Inside Of Me". Now it was Jeremy's turn. He really
loved to do those Elmore James songs, and did it with a sincerity that
is unsurpassed yet. Jeremy did a truthful version of "Crossroads" and then
"My Baby's Sweeter".
Then Peter did a fervent version of Otis Rush's "Homework" he played
with a force that was unmistakable. His next was B.B. King's moody "Worried
Dream" and he played the blues like only he could. Danny played "Jigsaw
Puzzle Blues", it was nice, a change from the other 12-bars. The concert
had come to a close, and Jeremy delivered an extended version of their
tour-de-force "Shake Your Moneymaker".
It was round midnight but Fleetwood Mac didn't want to stop. Somebody
suggested that they should move the equipment to a local blues club called
Power House and have a jam session there.
Peter Green saw me and invited me to play with Fleetwood Mac. First
it scared the hell out of me, and I gently said "thanks, but no thanks",
but Peter insisted, and I found the courage to join them on stage. We did
"Stop Messin' Around", I played solo for one chorus, and stopped, Peter
nodded at me to go on, and so I did, with new gained conviction.
The feeling ofstanding on stage with my idols was almost surrealistic
and gave me such a kick that I
squeezed some fantastic licks from my guitar that surprised everybody
including myself. The audience was cheering and shouted for more, so we
did a fast12-bar blues in E in the style of "Shake Your Moneymaker".It
was a magic night and everybody experienced something that they would never
forget.
Understandably this was one of the happiest and most influential days
in my life. I understand how much I owe Peter for becoming a professional
musician, he was my pathfinder. Thank you Peter!
***
Peter Green and I have been in touch since then and have met a couple
of times over the years. I have a blues band called The Blue Pearls and
we have been called "the best blues band in the style Peter Green's Fleetwood
Mac" by music fans/critics all over the world. We have recently signed
a management contract with Stuart Taylor who also is Peter Green's manager.
Stuart will do his best to help us to "make it" in USA.
Bela Stephens