Fleetwood Mac - "Over My Head"

 

Christine McVie, longtime member of Fleetwood Mac, died earlier this month.  As I've discussed earlier, most people don't recognize that Fleetwood Mac had released nine LPs prior to their 1975 LP "Fleetwood Mac", which was the first of their "classic" period, with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. 

Christine was actually a session musician with Fleetwood Mac from about 1968-1971, since she was then in Chicken Shack as well as releasing a solo LP.  She became an official member in 1971, credited as a full member on 1971's "Future Games" LP.  Prior to Fleetwood Mac, she also won the Melody Maker "best female vocalist" award in both 1969 and 1970.  

Of course, Fleetwood Mac really took off in 1975 with the addition of Buckingham & Nicks, effectively making Christine the George Harrison of Fleetwood Mac: the third best songwriter in the group, while still being a songwriter that most other groups would love to have. 

Of the various songs that Christine is credited with, my personal favorite is "Over My Head", from their 1975 eponymous LP.  It's a mellow song, and reminds me a turbulent but exciting period for me in the spring of 1991. 

I wonder what will happen with Fleetwood Mac.  Of the three principal singers from the classic period, the recent past has only featured two.  Assuming Buckingham and Nicks will never work together again, can Fleetwood Mac continue with only Nicks?  

Fleetwood Mac - "Over My Head"

Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman" (the song remains the same)

Peter Green, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, died last week.  I already covered Peter Green's contributions to Fleetwood Mac, including their existence long before prior to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joining in 1975, so I won't retell that story here.  Instead, I will focus on yet another popular song that you might not have known that Peter Green wrote, and the parallels between Peter Green and Syd Barrett.

First, the similarities with Syd Barrett.  Like Syd, Peter Green left a band that he founded after only a few years.  Also like Syd, his career afterwards was limited, in part by substance abuse and mental illness. And like Syd, Peter apparently briefly reappeared during a 1970s recording session with the old band. And like Syd, many artists list him as an influence.

One measure of influence is the number of covers you inspire.  This will news to most, but although Santana popularized "Black Magic Woman" in 1970, it was written by Peter Green and originally released by Fleetwood Mac in 1968 as a non-LP single.  Although you've heard the Santana version 1000 times, give a listen to the original (admittedly, Carlos Santana is one of my least favorite -- yet undeniably talented -- guitar players, but that's a story for another time).  Peter Green's version is heavier than the smooth Santana version.

It's been a long time since Peter Green was in Fleetwood Mac, but his influence was significant.

Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman" (live 1970)
Santana - "Black Magic Woman"

Fleetwod Mac - "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" (the song remains the same)

"Now, when the day goes to sleep and the full moon looks..." If you know the next line, chances are good that you are a Judas Priest fan. If you're a knowledgeable Priest fan, you also know that "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" is a cover of a 1970 Fleetwood Mac song. If you're more than a casual Fleetwood Mac fan, you know that FM released nine LPs prior to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joining in 1975 and releasing the breakthrough LP "Fleetwood Mac".

A non-LP single, "The Green Manalishi" was the last song written by Fleetwood Mac founder, guitarist and vocalist Peter Green before leaving the band. The Green Manalishi can be a symbol for drugs, monetary greed, evil, or perhaps even Peter Green himself. Green was dealing with drug-induced schizophrenia at the time and the lyrics reflect this: they don't strictly make sense, but they do paint a picture that is menacing, paranoid and erotic.

The original version is nearly a heavy metal song (especially when compared to their Rumours-era sound), so it should not be a complete surprise that Judas Priest covered the song on their 1978 LP "Hell Bent for Leather" (the US title, the UK title was "Killing Machine"). Judas Priest did not become big in the US until after their 1980 LP "British Steel" (corresponding with the NWOBHM), so casual fans might not be familiar with the song. Interestingly enough Judas Priest, at the height of their popularity, did choose "The Green Manalishi" as one of the three songs for their Live Aid set in 1985.

The song has been covered by numerous (but mostly obscure) metal bands. The only one that deserves mention here is the cover by Corrosion of Conformity (COC) on their 1983 debut LP, "An Eye for an Eye". COC became more metal with each successive LP, but their first is strictly hardcore.

Fleetwood Mac: Studio version; Live version (note Christine McVie as one of the keyboard players; she went from session player to official member during this time); live 1970 (with Peter Green), live 1974 (with Bob Welch), live 1975 (with Lindsey Buckingham)

Judas Priest: Studio version; Live Aid version, 1982 live version (where it appears Rob Halford has gone off his meds, but good nonetheless)

COC: Live version (ca. 1983, with vocalist Eric Eycke, approximately 1:35 into the video).

Bonus Link: The B-side to the original FM 7", World in Harmony.