Led by the brilliant, London-born guitarist and songwriter Peter Green (1946-2020), Fleetwood Mac (initially Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac) formed in 1967 after Green left John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
Recruiting Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, with whom he had played in Mayall’s band, as well as fellow guitarist Jeremy Spencer (and in 1968 adding the talented Danny Kirwan), they signed to Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon label and instantly became a major presence on the UK blues-rock scene, producing a remarkable run of classy records including ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Need Your Love So Bad’, ‘Albatross’ and ‘Oh Well (Parts 1 and 2)’, mostly written by Green.
The initial phase of this storied band had run its course by 1970, and in May the following year The Original Fleetwood Mac was issued. It featured unreleased masters and outtakes from their 1967-8 sessions, including the blistering instrumental ‘Fleetwood Mac’ among many other gems.
Remastered and expanded with seven previously unreleased tracks and notes by Vernon, the album was reissued in 2004, and it is this 19-track version, cut to lacquer by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios, that makes its vinyl debut for Record Store Day.
LP 1
SIDE A
A1. DRIFTING
A2. LEAVING TOWN BLUES
A3. WATCH OUT
A4. A FOOL NO MORE / INCLUDING TAKES 1-7*
SIDE B
B1. MEAN OLD FIREMAN / INCLUDING TAKE 1*
B2. CAN’T AFFORD TO DO IT
B3. FLEETWOOD MAC (MONO)
B4. WORRIED DREAM
B5. LOVE THAT WOMAN
LP 2
SIDE C
C1. ALLOW ME ONE MORE SHOW
C2. FIRST TRAIN HOME (MONO)
C3. RAMBLING PONY NO.2
C4. WATCH OUT / TAKE 1*
C5. SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME
SIDE D
D1.SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME / TAKE 2*
D2.SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME / TAKE 3*
D3.ONE SUNNY DAY
D4.WITHOUT YOU
D5.COMING YOUR WAY*
*BONUS TRACKS
