Track Listing

1. Drifting
2. Leaving Town Blues (Take 5)
3. Watch Out (Take 2)
4. A Fool No More (Takes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8)
5. Mean Old Fireman Takes (1 & 2)
6. Can't Afford To Do It
7. Fleetwood Mac (Mono)
8. Worried Dream (Take 1)
9. Love That Woman (Alternative Original Mix)
10. Allow Me One More Show (Alternative Original Mix)
11. First Train Home (Mono)
12. Rambling Pony No.2 (Alternative Original Mix)
13. Watch Out (Take 1)
14. Something Inside Of Me
15. Something Inside Of Me (Take 2)
16. Something Inside Of Me (Take 3)
17. One Sunny Day (Master Version/Remix)
18. Without You
19. Coming Your Way (Take 6)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7809 in Music
• Released on: 2004-07-12
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered

CD Description
THE ORIGINAL FLEETWOOD MAC comprises previously unissued material by the Peter Green-led late-'60s incarnation of Fleetwood Mac. (The band would go on to great commercial success in the 1970s with a different line-up). Though Green's Fleetwood Mac was rooted in the tradition of electric Chicago blues on the order of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, the group developed a fiery sound that also featured a solid dose of '60s psychedelic rock. Green's fleet-fingered leads soar through his distortion-heavy amp and are complemented by the slide guitar of Jeremy Spencer, and the gut-punch rhythms of Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass).
The material on THE ORIGINAL includes a number of cuts from the sessions for the band's first album, false starts, alternate versions, between-song chatting, and remixes. But the set is far from a fans-only collector's item; the material is uniformly strong, displaying the ensemble's usual blend of exacting musicianship (especially on the part of Green) and edgy, ragged energy. Trivia fact: The tune "Worried Dream", included here, is one of the band's earliest recordings with pianist Christine Perfect, who would marry bassist McVie and become one of Fleetwood Mac's primary singer/songwriters.

Customer Reviews

"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 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 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 reissue of it has only added to that cool original in a really great way. Here's a detailed breakdown:

The original 12-track 1971 album 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]
(End of Side 1)
7. Fleetwood Mac (Mono, Peter Green instrumental recorded 1967) [3:57 minutes]
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]
(End of Side 2)

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 expanded reissue at 75:31 minutes is "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969" version from the 1999 6CD Box Set - now issued as a stand-alone disc in 2004. Tracks 1 to 12 are as above, but with 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 2 to 5 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)
(Original album, known as "Fleetwood Mac" in the USA)
2. Mr. Wonderful (1968)
(Original album, re-sequenced as "English Rose" in the USA, 1969)
3. The Pious Bird Of Good Omen (1969)
(compilation of non-album 7" singles, their B-sides, collaborations and other rarities)
4. Blues Jam At Chess (1969)
(Original 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)

PPS: I've reviewed over 20 of the excellent Blue Horizon CD reissues - see LISTMANIA for a full list

Rumours of things going astray...
Mike Vernon himself admits that this is a far superior selection of tracks than on the dog and bin LP. Worth it for 'Watch Out' and 'Drifting' by themselves. Blues from the East End of London and not a joanna in sight! Marvellous stuff!

some clarification
I'd like to share some information about this particular record.
It is NOT the first Fleetwood Mac record (called "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac" with a litter bin on the front cover and released in 1968)!
Originally this record was a part of a double LP "The Original Fleetwood Mac/English Rose". The record (LP) under review was called "The Original Fleetwood Mac", released in 1971 (though all material was recorded earlier in the late sixties) and contained 12 tracks (1 - 12 of this release) with liner notes by Mike Vernon who was a producer. I think it was released just after Peter Green left the group. On CD it was released in the middle of 90-ies by Castle records (in 1994) and later re-issued by Blue Horizon.
It is one of my favourite records of classic line-up with Peter Green.
Highly recommended!