Peter Green: Discover the Untold Truths of Fleetwood Mac Founder

Introduction

Peter Green was a legendary rock musician whose guitar playing propelled the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac to British stardom. Sadly, he died in July 2020 at the age of 73. This blog post will explore his early influences, musical career achievements and influence on modern blues music as well as his personal struggles throughout his life.

So if you’re looking for insight into one of the most iconic figures in British Blues Music, then look no further!

Key Takeaways

• Peter was a British blues musician who had a transformative effect on the music scene when he joined John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers in 1966-67.
• He receives recognition as the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, where he penned some of their biggest hits, including “Black Magic Woman.” This song later became Santana’s most significant hit in the USA.
• As part his post – Fleetwood Mac era, Peter formed the Splinter Group during 1997 to 2009 and showcased an acoustic side through album “Destiny Road”.
• His influence continues until today due to his pioneering sound which combined elements from diverse influences such as Lead Belly and Hubert Sumlin with a modern twist and soulful guitar playing.

Biography and Early Life

Green began playing guitar at the age of 10 and taught himself to play, eventually going on to become a successful bass player before joining John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

1946–1965: Early life and career

Peter was born in London, England and grew up in the East End during World War II. Despite having limited access to music due to rationing, Green developed a passion for rhythm & blues listening records by Lonnie Johnson, Robert Williamson and Muddy Waters.

By age 10 he had started playing guitar from his stepfather’s collection of instruments. Self-taught throughout this period, Green would often sneak into blues clubs on weekends with fake ID cards that featured a “blues-stamped seal” given to him by veteran musicians such as Brian Jones and Cyril Davies.

His professional career began when John Mayall asked him to form a short-term band called the Bluesbreakers; Mayall praised his soulful singing voice and “faultless” guitar style which helped launch their debut album A Hard Road (1967).

Inspired by Eric Clapton’s rendition of “Continental Drifter,” Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer, and Bob Brunning came together to form Fleetwood Mac. They released songs such as ” “Black Magic Woman,” “Oh Well”, or “Man Of The World”.

Music Career

Green’s music career began with the legendary John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, who he then left in 1967 to co-found Fleetwood Mac. Read on to learn more about his incredible journey as an influential blues rock musician!

1966–1967: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers

Peter had a transformative effect on the music scene in 1966–1967 when he became the lead guitarist for John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. Under Peter’s direction, they released three studio albums; ‘John Mayall plays John Mayall’, ‘Crusade’ and ‘Bare Wires’.

Green injected blues with a modern twist of jazz-influenced chords and added new techniques such as minor chords, inventive soloing styles and syncopation to his own distinctive sound.

His achievements included noticing the potential of Fleetwood Mac co-founder Mick Fleetwood and recruiting him into The Bluesbreakers. Additionally, it was during this time that Eric Clapton ask Green to join Cream with Jack Bruce.

1967–1970: Fleetwood Mac

In 1967, Green co-founded Fleetwood Mac with bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. Before that, he had achieved success as the lead guitarist for John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

Peter Green played a pivotal role in the British blues band, Fleetwood Mac, combining electric guitarists and traditional acoustic styles to create music with a soulful appeal. From 1967 to 1970, he penned some of their biggest hits. One of these was “Black Magic Woman,” which Santana famously covered later, and it reached No.4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Fleetwood Mac also produced other notable songs like “Albatross,” which topped the UK charts, and “Oh Well,” which secured the #2 position on the 1969 UK Singles Chart. During these years, the band released three albums. Their debut album, “Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac,” garnered praise for its robust melodic foundation.

The follow-up album, “Then Play On,” is considered one of the top blues rock releases of all time, showcasing the significant musical strides Peter had made with the band. The highly acclaimed “Kiln House” marked their venture into different kinds of musical experimentation beyond their original blues material. Songs like “Great White Snake” and “Loving Kind” demonstrated their successful foray into folk-based pop numbers.

Peter Green’s extensive influence on British rock music has earned him deep reverence among modern-day musicians.

1970–1973: After Fleetwood Mac

In 1970, Green made the fateful decision to leave Fleetwood Mac after a disastrous LSD trip. With his solo album The End of the Game, adopted an acoustic folk sound and experimented lyrically for his last works with the band.

After this departure, Green’s behavior became more erratic due to mental health issues later diagnosed as schizophrenia. Despite facing these struggles, Green eventually returned with In The Skies in 1979 and continued this comeback by forming the Splinter Group between 1997-2010 where they toured and recorded songs until 2009.

During this period, he focused on creating music using only acoustic guitars, tapping into genres such as jazz, soul, and reggae, and exploring elements previously unheard in blues rock music.

Artists like Santana and B.B. King, whose iconic sounds evolved from Green’s masterful compositions, visibly reflect his influence. This was despite the moments of difficulty he experienced throughout his life.

1974–2009: Illness and first re-emergence

Peter’s illness and first re-emergence in his music career began during the mid-’70s, when his behavior became increasingly erratic. Eventually, he received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, which presented significant challenges.

Despite facing these obstacles, Green determinedly made a comeback and released his album “In The Skies” in 1978. He then formed the Splinter Group which allowed him to tour and record until 2009.

Throughout this period of time, Green remained interested in acoustic music while maintaining a dedication to crafting beautiful pieces of work that reflected his personal journey.

His resilience shines through as demonstrate his ability to take difficult situation head on and keep creating meaningful work for himself was well as others despite mental health issues he experienced at points along this ride cycle of relapse & recovery.

1997–2009: Peter Green Splinter Group

In 1997, British blues musician Green joined forces with his friend Nigel Watson to form the band the Peter Green Splinter Group. During this 12-year period of association with the group, Green toured extensively and recorded four studio albums showcasing his soulful guitar playing.

Taking their cues from traditional blues but adding in a modern twist that was all its own, the music created by the Splinter Group proved to be both eclectic and genre-bending. Over time, they released albums such as “Destiny Road”, which showcased an acoustic side of Green’s artistry that had previously been unheard on record.

The passion and energy provided by Peter Green helped make their first three studio discs a big success amongst fans and fellow musicians alike; wherever they played one could sense that Blue’s flame still burned within him fiercely.

Musical Style and Equipment

Green was known for blending blues rock with a pop sensibility to create a unique style of music that reverberates through today’s popular culture. Read on to find out more about this guitar genius!

Musical style

Peter Green was a pioneer of the blues genre, well-known for his unique and often raw guitar playing. His style combined elements from diverse influences such as Lead Belly, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy to create something wholly original.

In particular, he had an affinity for slide guitar accompanied by complex musical phrasing characterized by unexpected chord combinations yet singularly melodic phrases that provided depth of expression.

Green enhanced his distinctive sound with his soulful voice, creating powerful resonances in songs such as “Black Magic Woman,” “The World Keep on Turning,” and “Albatross.”. With its flamenco-like feel featuring trebly notes interspersed with cascading riffs over a steady 4/4 beat, and at other times, hypnotic grooves layered to create remarkable sonic journeys driven by Green’s emotive singing lines, it’s no wonder that the music of this self-taught guitarist has been celebrated far beyond Fleetwood Mac’s considerable success.

Equipment used

Peter Green, known for his distinctive guitar-playing style and warm vocal tone, achieved his signature sound using a Fender Stratocaster, an amp, a fuzz box, a wah wah pedal, and effects pedals like the Takamine chorus.

He also used various guitars from the late 1960s to early 1970s such as Martin acoustic guitars and Gibson ES-355s. He heavily relied on unconventional techniques in his playing, such as taping off the fretboard with masking tape to mute certain strings while playing. This allowed him to hear only the distinct notes he wanted in the mix.

Additionally he used delay pedals extensively when recording solos creating a unique sound that modern guitarists often try to emulate. His slow blues songs utilized a vibrato bar pedal or manual tremolo arm and fingerpicking method of picking individual strings which created a soulful sound that represented his personality perfectly through music.

Influence and Legacy

Peter Green has had a lasting impact on the blues and British rock genres. He was one of the first guitarists to bring back a traditional approach to blues playing, with his mastery of mood and emotion.

It was during his tenure in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers that he fully developed this unique style, utilizing clean tones rather than resorting to distortion as many other players did at the time.

His influence can be heard in musicians such as Eric Clapton or Mick Taylor who admitted to being influenced by Green’s flying vibrato technique which resulted in an expressive touch-sensitive sound which often surprised listeners due their perception of how ‘unvaryingly fast’ most electric guitar parts were during that period.

Green wrote unforgettable songs like “Black Magic Woman” (later covered by Santana) and went on form one of the most influential bands ever – Fleetwood Mac where he wrote classics such as “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)” which echoed Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” apart from creating some simple yet memorable acoustic tracks such as “Albatross”.

Even today artists like Noel Gallagher cite Peter’s songwriting prowess among their main sources of inspiration – confirming how powerful his musical legacy is; proving himself timeless more than four decades after leaving Fleetwood Mac.

Personal Life and Legacy

Peter Green was an iconic and renowned musician whose influence on the music industry has endured long after his passing. He was a British blues legend, a highly talented songwriter and vocalist, as well as a groundbreaking guitarist.

Green’s style of playing combined elements of blues and jazz, earning him acclaim in the world of rock music. Throughout the ’60s and early ’70s he played with some of the most legendary bands of his era – most notably Fleetwood Mac – reinventing their sound for generations to come.

Green’s legacy continues to live on through several notable accomplishments; aside from being one of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac, his best-known composition “Black Magic Woman” became a Top 10 hit in America when Santana covered it in 1971.

His unique approach to music was notable for its soulful lyrics as well as innovative instrumentation — influencing fellow guitarists such as B.B King. Sadly due to mental illness Peter left behind an enduring musical legacy at just 33 after spending three years away from public life before returning with The Splinter Group where they performed until 2009.

Unfortunately Peter took no further part in making recorded music he will never be forgotten despite having left us far too soon .

Tribute to Peter’s Life and Music

On February 25th, 2020, just days before Covid-19 shut down the global concert industry, Mick Fleetwood teamed up with Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, Noel Gallagher, Steven Tyler, Kirk Hammett, Billy Gibbons, Christine McVie, and many others to honor the legacy of Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green with a special concert at the London Palladium.

Backed by an amazing house band that included Dave Bronze, Jonny Lang, Andy Fairweather Low, Ricky Peterson, Zak Starkey, and Rick Vito, the guests took turns tearing through early Mac classics like “Rattlesnake Shake,” “The Sky Is Crying,” “Albatross,” and “Sandy Mary,” many of which hadn’t been played since Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined the group and they turned away from their blues roots.

The event was dubbed Mick Fleetwood and Friends Celebrate the Music of Peter Green and the Early Years of Fleetwood Mac

Conclusion

Peter Green was an influential blues-rock musician who left an indelible impression on the music industry. As a co-founder and lead guitarist of Fleetwood Mac, Green’s pioneering sound combined with Mick Fleetwood’s powerful drumming propelled the band to become one of the most popular international rock acts of their time.

During his heyday, Green wrote some timeless classics such as “Black Magic Woman,” which became Santana’s biggest hit within the United States. Despite facing various mental health issues during his career and having limited solo success post-Fleetwood Mac era, Peter received recognition for his immense legacy in 1997 with his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Many modern musicians today echo his profound influence, solidifying Peter Green as a true pioneer of rock & roll music.

FAQ’s

Q: Who is Peter Green?

A: Green, a guitar virtuoso, is renowned for shaping British blues. He was a former member of the band Fleetwood Mac.

Q: What were some famous songs by Peter ?

A: Some famous songs by Peter Green include “Black Magic Woman,” “Albatross,” and “The Green Manalishi.”

Q: What is Peter Green’s discography?

A: Peter Green has an extensive discography that includes albums such as “Peter Green and Friends,” “The End of the Game,” and “In the Skies.”

Q: What was the significance of “Black Magic Woman”?

A: “Black Magic Woman” is a popular song written by Peter Green. It gained considerable recognition when Santana covered it and achieved international success.

Q: What was the story behind Peter leaving Fleetwood Mac?

A: Due to struggles with mental health issues, Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and eventually received a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Q: Was Green known for his guitar playing?

A: Yes, Peter Green is known for his exceptional lead guitar skills. He is considered one of the greatest guitarists in the history of British blues.

Q: Did Peter Green contribute to the formation of Fleetwood Mac?

A: Yes, Peter Green was one of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac and played a significant role in shaping the early sound of the band.

Q: Who are some notable musicians that had associations with Peter Green?

A: Some notable musicians associated with Peter Green include Danny Kirwan, guitarist Jeremy Spencer, and members of Fleetwood Mac.

Q: Did they honor Green for his contributions to music?

A: Yes, as a member of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam

Q: Did Peter Green gain recognition for his songwriting?

A: Yes, Peter Green gained recognition for his songwriting skills, contributing many original compositions to Fleetwood Mac’s repertoire.