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Compilation
Fleetwood Mac started out as a blues band, one of the British groups to start playing American R&B in the 60s. They managed to find success under the leadership of guitarist Peter Green, before his departure and a flurry of line-up changes, after which they transformed into an entirely different band in the 70s.
From 1967 to 1970 Fleetwood Mac saw a great deal of success, from their beginnings as a pure blues outfit to their evolution into a distinctively artistic blues-rock group, all under the leadership of Peter Green. In those four years they released six Top-40 singles, including a #1, and three LPs. However as often was the case for British bands in the 60s, most of their singles were not put on to the albums. Their discography is made even more confusing by two compilation albums (one in the UK and one in the US), which weren't exactly greatest hits but mixed exsisting album tracks with singles and b-sides. What I have put together here is fifteen-song compilation which includes all their non-album singles, b-sides and other loose ends not to be found on their three original LPs (Fleetwood Mac, Mr Wonderful and the critically-acclaimed Then Play On). Thus it should act as a fourth album to accompany those three, and together they should bring together the entirity of the Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac's music.This compilation features many of the band's best-known songs, most of them being non-album singles. These are "Black Magic Woman" (Green's brilliant original blues song which set the foundations for much of what was to come) and "Need Your Love So Bad" (a stunning cover of a song originally by Little Willie John), both from 1968, 1969's hit singles "Albatross" and "Man Of The World" (the former got to #1, the latter #2), and Peter Green's final entry into the UK Top 10, 1970's "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown)". This song is one of Green's most haunting and psychedelic numbers, apparently inspired by a dream he had, and coming at the end of his tenure with the group. Shortly after its release it is claimed that he asked the band if they could give all their money away to charity. His mental health was deteriorating, reportedly due to too much LSD, and by the end of the month he had left the band.Alongside these singles are featured assorted b-sides and songs that originally turned up on the compilation albums (English Rose and The Pious Bird Of Good Omen). These are mostly from the latter Green / Kirwan -led era of the band, though there a few from their early days, with Jeremy Spencer doing his best Elmore James. One particularly interesting song is "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight", the b-side to "Man Of The World", a raucous rock & Roll number with Spencer sounding like Elvis Presley, in stark contrast to the single's tranquil a-side. It has since been covered by numerous punk bands.After Green's departure, the band went on with the lineup of Danny Kirwan, Jeremy Spencer, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, releasing the modest but surprisingly solid Kiln House in 1970. After that, Spencer was the next to leave, and what followed was a flurry of lineup of changes through the early 70s as they struggled to find a new identity. Eventually they re-emerged in the mid 70s as an almost unrecogniseable new band, with only McVie and Fleetwood still there to keep hold of the original name. They went on to be massively successful in both the UK and the US, leaving the original Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac in the shadows. However the original group are still remembered as one of the best bands to emerge from the British blues scene, and Peter Green's place as a musical legend is assured.
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Jefferson Airplane were one of the best-known bands of San Francisco’s legendary 60s psychedelic rock scene. They were pioneers of the genre and the first band from the area to achieve mainstream commercial success.
By the end of the 60s, Jefferson Airplane's heyday as one of the most prominent musical groups of the counter-culture was coming to a close. They had played all three rock music festivals of the decade - Monterey, Woodstock and Altamont, though it was at the latter that Marty Balin was knocked unconscious by a Hell's Angel, and the debacle of the Altamont Free Concert has since come to represent the death of the 60s. A disillusioned Spencer Dryden was then dismissed from the group, to be replaced on the drums by Joey Convington (Dryden re-surfaced a couple of years later with the New Riders Of The Purple Sage). Meanwhile various members were being distracted by side projects, with Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady working on their blues group Hot Tuna, and Paul Kantner releasing a science fiction themed solo album (credited to Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship, and featuring numerous musician friends).Though they kept touring, the band released no albums in 1970. However they did release the fantastic single "Have You Seen The Saucers" b/w "Mexico", perhaps the last great Airplane songs. These would later be included on the compilation album Early Flight. However shortly after this Marty Balin (the original founder of the group) departed, as he'd had enough of the non-stop drug use of the rest of the band.When it finally came to recording a new album, the Airplane consisted of Grace Slick (vocals/piano), Paul Kantner (vocals/rhythm guitar), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar/vocals), Jack Casady (bass) and Joey Covington (drums). Despite the growing tensions and distractions among the band, they succeeded in putting together a perfectly fine album, even if it didn't quite rate as highly as their classic 60s releases. Bark was perhaps a bit uneven, but some of its highlights were truly fantastic, most notably the dark, bluesy jam "Pretty As You Feel" (featuring an uncredited appearance from Carlos Santana) and Kaukonen's folky "Third Week In The Chelsea" (about the thoughts he was having about leaving the band). Bark also notably featured the electric violin of Papa John Creach, who was playing with Hot Tuna at the time. He joined the Airplane as a full member shortly after the album's release.
Volunteers (1969) <|> Long John Silver (1972)
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James Taylor is an American singer-songwriter.
By the end of 60s, James Taylor had seen many ups and downs in his life, and had released one promising but ultimately flawed album on Apple Records. However he left Apple when the company began to fall apart, taking Peter Klein with him as his manager. He was clearly going places though, as he headlined a six-night series of gigs at L.A.'s Troubadour, and played the Newport Folk Festival to a great reception. It was then however that he broke both hands and both feet in a motorcycle accident. Nevertheless he continued writing, and was signed to Warner Bros. Records. Once recovered he moved to California and recorded his second album.Sweet Baby James was released in 1970. Overall it was a much more consistent record than his debut, showcasing his talents in a more constructive way. It was a massive success, and earned him a legion of new fans. The single "Fire And Rain" got to #3 on the singles charts, and the album itself also charted at #3. It was this album which was responsible for breaking Taylor through into the mainstream, and placed him as one of the first of the new breed of mellow California-based troubadours that would soon come to dominate the charts.
James Taylor (1968) <|> Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon (1971)
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Blood, Sweat & Tears are an American band formed in 1967, known for their fusion of rock, R&B and jazz styles with horn arrangements.
After their fantastic debut album which established them as a pioneering band, Blood, Sweat & Tears lost their leader when keyboardist/lead vocalist Al Kooper departed (he went on to have an illustrious career as both a producer and solo artist). The group's trumpeters Randy Brecker and Jerry Weiss also left at this point, so the remaining members had to seriously rebuild the band if they were to continue.In the end they brought in Canadian David Clayton-Thomas as their lead vocalist, who proved to give the group a much more powerful vocal focus than Kooper had offered (Steve Katz and Bobby Colomby had been wanting to bring in a lead singer and move Kooper to just keyboard and songwriting duties before he had left). Dick Halligan, who had played trombone on the first album, took up most of the keyboard duties in the wake of Kooper's departure. They also found three new horn players, so that by the summer of 1968 the reconfigured Blood, Sweat & Tears consited of David Clayton-Thomas (vocals), Steve Katz (guitar/harmonica/vocals), Fred Lipsius (alto sax/piano), Dick Halligan (organ/piano/trombone/flute), Lew Soloff (trumpet), Chuck Winfield (trumpet), Jerry Hyman (trombone), Jim Fielder (bass) and Bobby Colomby (drums).Their second album was self-titled, perhaps to signal that they considered it a new start, even though it was released the same year as the first album. Stylistically things changed, moving away the psychedelia-tinged R&B/rock of the Kooper era to a more complex jazz-fusion sound, characterised by lots of intricate arrangements and instrumental virtuosity. However at the same time they were able to weave elements of radio-friendly pop into the mix, so that the album yielded three massive hits - "Spinning Wheel", "And When I Die" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" all hot to #2 when released as singles. The album itself topped the charts.Its worth noting that with Kooper's departure they lost their principle songwriter, and most of Blood, Sweat & Tears consisted of cover material (including Traffic's "Smiling Phases" and Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child"). The album was a massive success for the band, getting them much further than the original line-up had managed. They went on to play the Woodstock festival in 1969.
Child Is Father To The Man (1968) <|> Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 (1970)
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The Flying Burrito Brothers were a pioneering American country-rock band, founded in the late 60s.
A new incarnation of the Flying Burrito Brothers had emerged in 1975, and released the fantastic Flying Again album. However the record had been unfairly savaged by the critics and did not sell well, so bassist Chris Ethridge (originally a founding member of the group back in 1968) left for the second time, deciding that sticking with his session work was still a much better idea career-wise. He was replaced by Skip Battin, leading to the revised lineup of Gib Guilbeau (fiddle/guitar/vocals), Gene Parsons (drums/guitar/harmonica/vocals), Joel Scott Hill (lead guitar/vocals), Skip Battin (bass/vocals) and Sneaky Pete Kleinow (pedal steel guitar). Battin and Parsons had previously worked together as the rhythm section for the latter-day Byrds, and Battin had also recently been a member of the New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Kleinow was the only founding member of the group still involved.Immediately after Battin joined, they started work on another album, and Airborne was released in 1976. By then country-rock was an established part of American popular music, thanks to commercially successful artists such as The Eagles and Linda Rondstadt, and hints of Eagles flavours can be heard on this album. The original songs mostly came from Guilbeau and Parsons, with a few contributions from Hill, and some covers including Ray Sharpe’s “Linda Lu” and John Prine’s “Quiet Man” (where Battin was given his first lead vocal spot). Keyboards were provided by none other than Stevie Wonder, who was working in the same studio at the time of recording - he also gave the band his own composition “She’s A Sailor”. It also featured one of Guilbea’s best-known songs, “Big Bayou”, which he had originally recorded whilst with Swampwater (it had also been recorded by both The Dillards and Ronnie Wood, and Rod Stewart released his own version at the same time as Airborne).Like its predecessor, the album was mostly overlooked and sold badly, which is a great injustice. Nevertheless the band continued to persevere, and toured for many years through a confusion of lineup changes (live albums recorded at this time would surface many years later).
Flying Again (1975) <|> Live From Tokyo (1979)
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Compilation
Bobby Charles was an American singer-songwriter.
From 1957 to 1963 the young Bobby Charles had seen great successes as a songwriter, having penned such classics as “See You Later Alligator”, “Walking To New Orleans” , “Before I Grow Too Old“, “But I Do” and “The Jealous Kind”, for the most part providing hits for New Orleans R&B legends Fats Domino and Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry.However he never saw much success with his own singles, and by 1963 was without a record label after Imperial Records had been sold to Liberty and he had been left by the wayside. He was also left feeling bitter about the whole experience, as he had apparently not been paid nearly the amount of royalties he was owed. He was now determined to do things his own way, and after briefly attempting to release a couple of singles on his own label (which he christened Hub City), he met with former talent scout Stan Lewis, who had just launched his own Jewel label. Charles approached him with an offer of working together, and they agreed he could have half of Jewel Records in return for his song writing talents.He released five singles on Jewel and its ancillary label Paula. They didn’t sell in massive quantities, but were all excellent songs. However when he went to collect his money from Lewis, he found that his contract had been rewritten without his consent and Jewel now belonged exclusively to Lewis. Having had enough of the music business, he gave it up and effectively retired for several years.This album compiles fifteen recordings from the Jewel and Paula sessions, including the five singles (the a-sides being “Everybody’s Laughing”, “I Hope”, “Ain’t Misbehaving”, “One More Glass Of Wine” and “Worrying Over You”). It’s some great music, a mellow mix of R&B and country. If Charles had released an album during this period it could have been really good. Instead his debut LP would still have to wait until 1972.
The Imperial Singles (1958-1959) <|> Bobby Charles (1972)
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Neil Young is a prolific Canadian singer-songwriter who has been releasing records since the 60s.
Over his long recording career, Neil Young has amassed a large quantity of unreleased material, which has all been widely bootlegged by his fans. He has been stating his intention to release a series of archive releases for many years, but the first volume did not come out until 2009. A 9-CD box set, it chronicled the first period of his career (1963-1972), featuring his original album tracks (including the Buffalo Springfield days) interspersed with a vast array of outtakes, remixes, live recordings, demos and more.I have put this 11-track compilation together to showcase the most valuable recordings to have surfaced from the box set. Rather than include remixes that don’t differ that much from the original releases, I have just included songs that have never been releases before and alternative recordings of already familiar songs from his early solo career. These are mostly outtakes from his first four albums (Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush and Harvest) plus a couple of fantastic live recordings with CSNY. Clocking in at 32 minutes, it makes an excellent little album by itself. Many of these songs could easily have been highlights of those first four albums, and the reason for their fate remains a mystery.
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Creedence Clearwater Revival (often abbreviated as CCR) were a popular American rock band active from the late 60s to early 70s.
1969 had been a massively successful year for Creedence Clearwater Revival, as they had released three Top 10 albums, three #2 hit singles and a #3, and had played the Woodstock festival. They had become one of the most distinctive voices of American popular music, their down-to-earth roots-rock providing a welcome alternative to the psychedelic sounds so prevalent in the late 60s. They began the new decade with yet another #2 hit - “Travelling Band” b/w “Who’ll Stop The Rain”. This was then followed by “Up Around The Bend” b/w “Run Through The Jungle”, which got to #4. They then went on their first European tour. Their fifth album, Cosmo’s Factory, came out in the summer of 1970, featuring both hit singles, plus another (“Looking Out My Back Door”), which again made it to #2 (by now they had scored five #2 singles but strangely hadn’t yet got to #1 on the Billboard Top 100).The album itself was more classic CCR, though it broadened their palette somewhat as John Fogerty contributed not just guitar and harmonica but also dobro, piano and saxophone. Besides the singles and their b-sides, it had covers of Roy Orbison’s “Ooby Dooby” , Arthur Crudup’s “My Baby Left Me”, Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me” and Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (the latter turned into an epic 10-minute jam, one of the band’s best ever performances). It turned out to be their second #1 album, and is generally considered to be one of their best (or at least the one with the highest concentration of well-known songs).
Willy & The Poor Boys (1969) <|> Pendulum (1970)
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James Carr was an American soul singer.
Born in Mississippi in 1942, James Carr began singing gospel music at an early age. When he was young his family moved to Memphis, where he went on to sing with various gospel groups. When he started to move into secular R&B territory, he was discovered by Roosevelt Jamison (author of "That's How Strong My Love Is"), who recognised Carr's talent and became his manager. With Jamison's help he was signed to a small Memphis record label called Goldwax in 1964 (along with fellow singer O.V. Wright). His first few singles with Goldwax did not go anywhere, but in 1966 he recorded a song called "You've Got My Mind Messed Up" by O.B. McClinton which made it to #7 on the R&B charts, finally getting his career going, and establishing his distinctive style of deep-voiced, mournful country-soul. It was followed the same year by "Love Attack" (#21) and "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man" (#23). Then came the song for which Penn is best remembered for today - "The Dark End Of The Street", written by the duo of Dan Penn and Chips Moman (the latter having had engineered many of the Goldwax sessions). It was a #10 R&B hit, but it has earned itself a legacy much greater than its original chart position would suggest - simply put, it is one of the most sublime and perfect 60s soul records to be produced, Carr's anguished voice perfectly suited to the lyrics of illicit love. The song has since been recorded by a vast number of artists, but it is Carr's original that remains the defintive version.The album You Got My Mind Messed Up came out in '67, featuring all four hit singles alongside other similar material (including a further three songs by O.B. McClinton). Retrospectively it has often been called one of the greatest albums of the 60s soul genre.However Carr's brief run of success was doomed to not last long. He was a troubled man, suffering from bipolar disorder, and it soon became apparent to all around him that he had problems. Roosevelt Jamison became his caretaker as well as his manager, as he almost needed someone with him at all times lest he go missing. His recording sessions became increasingly difficult, and before long these problems would have serious effects on his singing career.
|> A Man Needs A Woman (1968)
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Quicksilver Messenger Service were an American rock band originally formed in the 1960s, part of San Francisco's famous psychedelic rock scene.
By 1975 the 'classic' lineup of Quicksilver Mesenger Service had not been together for a long time. Since 1971 the only members of this lineup left were guitarist Gary Duncan and drummer Greg Elmore, as singer-songwriter Dino Valenti had taken the reins. Valenti had been inolved in the band's early years before they recorded their debut album but had been sent to prison. He had rejoined the group in late 1969. Valenti led the latter-day Quicksilver through two albums, and toured with them until 1975. It was then that a reunion of the original band was organized, with Valenti included as well. Solid Silver was releaased in '75, featuring Dino Valenti (guitar/vocals), Gary Duncan (guitar/vocals), John Cipollina (guitar/vocals), David Freiburg (bass/vocals) and Greg Elmore (drums). Keyboards were provided by Nicky Hopkins, Pete Sears and Michael Lewis, and backing vocals came from Kathi McDonald (who had been with Big Brother & The Holding Company in the early 70s).The album did not sell well, and was unfairly dismissed by the critics (in much the same way that The Byrds' 1973 reunion album was). This is a great injustice, as it is a fantastic album. All members get a chance to shine, with excellent playing, and strong songwriting from Valenti, Duncan and Cipollina (all singing their own work). One song ("I Heard You Singing") was co-written by Freiburg and Robert Hunter (Hunter's version had appeared on his 1973 solo debut).The reunion was shortlived, and Freiburg and Cipollina went their own ways again (Freiburg was by now a member of Jefferson Starship). Valenti, Duncan and Elmore toured for a while longer with other members, but Quicksilver were effectively over, making Solid Silver the final, sadly overlooked chapter in the band's chequered history.
Comin' Thru (1972) <|
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Tim Hardin was an American singer-songwriter.
Tim Hardin's big break came in 1966, when singer Bobby Darin had a Top 10 hit with his composition "If I Were A Carpenter". This really put him on the map as a songwriter, and soon the song was being covered by a myriad of other artists. His second album came out in 1967, and featured ten excellent original songs including his own version "If I Were A Carpenter". Stylistically, it followed the same folk-based blueprint of his first album, but without the blues flavours and overall a more refined sound (the string arrangements used a bit more subtley). Again it didn't produce much chart success for Hardin himself, but by now he was comfortably making enough money through royalties earned by other artists' recordings of his material. Over the next year or so versions of his songs would be released by Joan Baez, Rick Nelson, The Small Faces, The Youngbloods, Three Dog Night, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, The Dillards, Nico, Sonny & Cher, Johnny Cash, The Four Tops and Glen Campbell.
Tim Hardin 1 (1966) <|> This Is Tim Hardin (1967)
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Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter who emerged out of the early 60s folk revival to become an informal chronicler and reluctant figurehead of social unrest. He famously made the move from folk music to electric rock in the mid-60s, and has remained a major figure in music for five decades.
Released in 1966, Blonde On Blonde was Bob Dylan's third 'electric' album, by which point he had pretty much burned his bridges with the folk community he had emerged from and embraced the world of rock & roll. He had released two Top 10 singles in 1965, the infamous "Like A Rolling Stone" and the acid-tongued "Positively 4th Street" (the first included on Highway 61 Revisited and the latter a non-album single).Both guitarist Mike Bloomfield and organist Al Kooper had then departed from his band, and so he had turned to a little-known group called Levon & The Hawks to back him for his upcoming live gigs. The Hawks consisted of four Canadians and one American, and in the early 60s had come together as the backing group of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. His live debut with The Hawks was in September 1965, after which he had gone into the studio to try and record another hit single - the result, "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window", was not much of a success. His performances with The Hawks around this time were loud and raucous, outraging much of his original folk fanbase. However the recording sessions with them were not going well, so in February '66 Dylan went to Nashville to record songs for his next album, taking with him Al Kooper and Hawks guitarist Robbie Robertson. Joined by a cadre of professional session musicians, they succeeded in recording most of Blonde On Blonde.It was released in the summer, being one of the first double-albums in rock music. In terms of songwriting, it followed in the footsteps of Highway 61 Revisited, with strange, modernist lyrics stretching out over numerous long verses. The music fused folk song structures with blues rhythms and rock instrumentation, though it was somewhat more laid-back in comparison to Highway 61. Dylan was particularly pleased with the sound he captured on Blonde On Blonde, referring to it as "that thin wild mercury sound".Of the singles released from the album, the highest charting were "Rainy Day Women #12 & 25" (#2), "I Want You" (#20) and "Just Like A Woman" (#33). The album itself was greatly praised and got to #9 in the US and #3 in the UK. Retrospecively it is now seen as the third installment in his trilogy of mid-60s electric albums, one of his greatest records, and indeed a monumental release in the history of rock music. It includes many of his best songs, including "Visions Of Johanna" and "Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands".Following its release, Dylan embarked on a European tour with The Hawks. It has gone down in history as a defining part of his career, his electric rock music provoking many of his former fans, most infamously leading to an angry confrontation with one fan who accused Dylan of being Judas, at Manchester Free Trade Hall. Afer the tour Dylan returned to New York, exhausted, and the most prolific chapter of his career came to an end.
Highway 61 Revisited (1965) <|> John Wesley Harding (1967)
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The Dillards were an American bluegrass group who in the mid-60s moved away from traditional music, becoming pioneers in the country-rock and 'progressive bluegrass' genres.
In the late 60s The Dillards had left their traditional roots behind and fused bluegrass with rock and pop music, becoming pioneers in the country-rock genre. 1970's Copperfields was the follow-up to their groundbreaking but underappreciated Wheatstraw Suite album from two years earlier, and featured the same lineup of Rodney Dillard, Herb Pederson, Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne. It followed in the same style, making even greater use of electric bass, pedal steel, drums and strings, and even a bit of electric guitar (though of course it was all built on the foundation of their bluegrass instrumentation). For the most part it consisted of very strong original material, though it did have some standout covers of Harry Nilsson's "Rainmaker", Eric Andersen's "Close The Door Lightly" and The Beatles' "Yesterday" (the latter sung a capella).The result was another really fantastic record, and like its predecessor was actually really quite commercial sounding, with a good dose of pop sensibilites. However, again like its predecessor, it failed to chart.
Wheatstraw Suite <|> Roots And Branches (1972)
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Doug Sahm was a Texan singer-songwriter and musician, best known as founder and leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet.
Born in Texas in 1941, Doug Sahm got involved in the music business at a young age. He first appeared on the radio aged just five, and as 'Little Doug Sahm' released several singles in the 50s, his first at age eleven. That same year he also got to play on stage with Hank Williams (incidentally it turned out to be Williams' last performance before his death). Throughout the rest of the decade he fronted various bands, and performed in San Antonio's R&B clubs. As well as being a singer, he was also a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, fiddle, pedal steel and mandolin.In 1965 he formed the Sir Douglas Quintet with Augie Meyes, Frank Morin, Jack Barber and Johnny Perez. They had a massive hit with "She's About A Mover" that same year, and went on to become very successsful.However by 1971 the band was drifitng apart, and Sahm moved back home to Texas. The band officially broke up in '72. The next year, he released his first solo album. Doug Sahm & Band was a fantastic mix of country, rock, Tex-Mex and blues, and featured both Dr John on piano and Tejano accordion virtuoso Flaco Jimenez, as part of an excellent band. Bob Dylan also appeared singing backing vocals on several songs, and gave Sahm his own then-unreleased song "Wallflower". It also featured lots of covers, including Bob Wills' "Faded Love" and Willie Nelson's "Me And Paul". Sahm pulled it all together fantastically (with a bit of help from the fantastic production), making it an excellent start to his post-band solo career.
|> Texas Tornado (1973)
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The 13th Floor Elevators were an American psychedelic rock band active from 1965 to 1969.
The 13th Floor Elevators emerged from Austin, Texas in 1965, with the line-up of Roky Erickson (vocals/guitar), Stacy Sutherland (lead guitar), Benny Thurman (bass), John Ike Walton (drums) and Tommy Hall (electric jug). The use of an amplified jug was hardly typical of a rock band; Hall's use of it as a lead instrument (albeit bubbling under the surface) even more so. He was also the band's primary lyricist.In January 1966 they went to Houston to record a single for Gordon Bynum's newly formed Contact label. "You're Gonna Miss Me" b/w "Tried To Hide" was released and became a great success in Texas. It was then picked up by International Artists who re-released it, and it became popular outside Texas (notably in San Francisco). The band followed its success by touring the west coast, and appeared on national TV. During the summer Thurman left, and was replaced on bass by Ronnie Leatherman.Back in Houston, International Artists gave the band a record deal, and their debut album came out in November '66. The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators (its title reportedly one of the first uses of the word 'psychedelic' by a rock band) was some seriously raw garage rock, and quickly became popular with the counterculture. Defining features of the album's sound were Erikson's sneering vocals and Hall's ghostly jug. Retrospectively it can be seen as some of the best early psychedelic rock to emerge from the 60s.
|> Easter Everywhere (1967)
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Lee Dorsey was an American R&B singer, mostly active during the 60s.
Born in New Orleans in 1924, Lee Dorsey moved to Portland with his family when he was 10 years old. He went on to serve in the US Navy, and for a time had some success with a prize-fighting career (boxing as "Kid Chocolate"). He returned to New Orleans in 1955, and started a successful car repair shop, while pursuing a singing career at night. In the early 60s he met Allen Toussaint, who was soon to rise to legendary status in the field of New Orleans R&B. This meeting led to him being signed to Bobby Robinson's Fury Records.On Fury, he co-authored the single "Ya Ya", which Toussaint arranged the instrumental backing for. Inspired by childrens' playground rhymes, it was a massive hit for him in 1961 - it got to #1 on the R&B charts and #7 on the pop charts, effectively launching his singing career. Its follow up, "Do Re Mi", was not as successful, but still made it to the Top 40 on both charts.The Ya Ya album came out in 1962. With both singles and other similarly-titled tunes ("Eenie Meenie Mini Mo", "Yum Yum", etc), it's some fantastic New Orleans R&B, loose and easy going with uncluttered arrangements and playful vocals. The songwriting was mostly shared between Toussaint and Robinson.However the Fury label folded shortly afterwards, and as Dorsey had failed to follow up the success of "Ya Ya" which his subsequent singles, he decided to quit his singing career and return to the car shop. His story was far from over, as Toussaint still had his eyes on Dorsey, but it would be a few years before they got to work together again...
|> Ride Your Pony (1966)
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Canned Heat is an American blues-rock band originally formed in the 60s.
Canned Heat's fourth album continued in the style with which they had made themselves a name with (and produced two hit songs with), mixing convincing blues authenticity with counter-culture cool (best exemplified on the anti-police tune "Sic 'Em Pigs", itself based on Bukka White's "Sic 'Em Dogs"). Keyboards were provided by guests Ernest Lane and Mark Naftalin. However despite being thoroughly consistent as an album, and typical of the Canned Heat sound, Hallelujah did not feature any hits like its two predecessors had, and so is often overlooked in their discography.After its release the band prepared to play the Woodstock Festival, but it was then that lead guitarist Henry Vestine departed after an on-stage fall-out with bassist Larry Taylor. He was replaced by Harvey Mandel in time for Woodstock, where they played a fantastic set, and their song "Goin' Up The Country" was used as the theme tune for the corresponding documentary film.
Living The Blues (1968) <|> Future Blues (1970)
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Tim Buckley was an American singer-songwriter.
Buckley's third album saw him move away from the folk-rock sound he had begun his career with and enter new, uncharted territories. Happy Sad featured an interesting instrumental lineup with more in common with jazz than folk or rock - Buckley's acoustic 12-string guitar was backed by Lee Underwood's electric Telecaster guitar, John Miller's stand-up bass and David Friedman's vibraphone and marimba. With the songs all clocking in at over five minutes (and two over ten minutes), he gave these excellent musicians plenty of room to improvise, resulting in a fantastic jazz-folk sound - laid-back and dreamy, the perfect accompaniment to his vocals. He also began to make even greater use of his splendid vocal range, using his voice as an instrument, and his songwriting took on more abstract themes (for the most part abandoning the traditonal verse/chorus song structure). Interestingly this was the first time a Tim Buckley album included nothing but solo compositions, as before most of his songs had been collaborations with lyricist Larry Beckett.All these factors added up to create a brilliant album, which marked Buckley out as a truly exciting singer-songwriter, unburdened by the conventions of pop music or the restrictions of genre.
Goodbye And Hello (1967) <|> Blue Afternoon (1969)
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Jim Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter, best known for being a founding member of Traffic.
Jim Capaldi's musical career began in Worcestershire, England, as the drummer for a band called The Hellions (which also featured guitarist Dave Mason). They were modestly successful, but the few singles they released did not chart. Somewhere along the way Capaldi moved from being drummer to lead singer, and the band was renamed Deep Feeling. Capaldi and Mason met and befriended Steve Winwood and Chris Wood, and before long Deep Feeling had disbanded and Traffic had been formed.With Traffic, Capaldi originally performed as drummer and percussionist. He also formed a writing partnership with Winwood, writing the lyrics to most of their songs (except the ones written by Mason). Traffic's first release was the Winwood/Capaldi composition "Paper Sun", a psychedelic pop song that got to #5 in 1967. They went on to become a great success, releasing a series of fantastic albums that blended psychedelia, jazz, rock and folk.By 1972 Traffic had lost Mason, and now consisted of Capaldi (percussion/vocals), Winwood (keyboads/guitar/vocals), Wood (sax/flute), Ric Grech (bass/violin), Jim Gordon (drums) and Rebop Kwaku Baah (percussion). Due to the presence of both Gordon and Baah, Capaldi's role as a musician in the band had lessened, though the Winwood/Capaldi songwriting team was still going strong. On 1971's The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys he had also got to sing lead vocals on two tracks, his own "Light Up Or Leave Me Alone" and "Rock & Roll Stew" (written with Gordon). When Traffic was then put on hold due to Winwood falling ill, Capaldi decided the time was right to try his hand at a solo album.Oh How We Danced saw him return to the role of lead singer, with fantastic results. He recorded it at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, and was backed for most of it by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (keyboardist Barry Beckett, guitarist Jimmy Johnson, bassist David Hood and drummer Roger Hawkins). Paul Kossoff of Free also played lots of fantastic lead guitar, and Winwood and Mason helped out too. "Open Your Heart" was an outtake from High Heeled Boys, and so featured Traffic in their entirity. The brilliant title track is actually a cover of "The Anniversary Song", i.e. "Waves Of The Danube", written by Romanian Ion Ivanovici in 1880.The album was well received by the critics, and encouraged Capaldi to continue with his solo career, even when Traffic reformed. When they did, he brought Hood and Hawkins from Muscle Shoals with him to act as their new rhyhtm section.
|> Whale Meat Again (1974)
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Manfred Mann were a popular British rock group active in the 1960s.
From 1963 to 1969 Manfred Mann were among the most successful and popular beat groups in Britain. They released twenty-two singles, of which thirteen were Top 10 hits in the UK (including three #1s). Alongside these singles they released four fantastic albums (The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann, Mann Made, As Is and Mighty Garvey), a soundtrack (for the film Up The Junction) and eight EPs. Throughout all this they mostly stuck to the same lineup, with the one big exception of lead singer Paul Jones being replaced by Mike d'Abo in 1966.Stylistically they were a diverse and creative group, with strong R&B roots and a good deal of jazz to mark them out from their contemporaries. Whilst their first two albums focused on the R&B side of their music, their singles had a more commercial pop sound, and with this formula they achieved their first hit in 1964. Later in their career both their albums and singles moved towards a more art-pop style.This collection compiles all twenty-two single A-sides, in chronological order. It features their best known songs, among them "5-4-3-2-1", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Sha-La-La", "Pretty Flamingo" and "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James". Three of these songs are Bob Dylan tunes - "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", "Just Like A Woman" and "Mighty Quinn". All three Dylan tunes charted highly, at #2, #10 and #1 respectively. Almost all of these songs were not released on their LPs, as the practice in the UK at the time was usually to keep singles and LPs seperate. This compilation therefore makes an excellent accompaniment to their four albums, showing the pop side of their music, with just three songs overlapping with the album tracks.
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Huey 'Piano' Smith is an American pianist who during the late 50s was an important figure in New Orleans R&B.
Born in New Orleans in 1934, Huey Smith took up the piano at an early age, influenced by the great Professor Longhair. By the age of 15 he was playing in clubs, and before long was working alongside such New Orleans legends as Little Richard, Guitar Slim and Earl King. In 1957 he formed his own band, Huey 'Piano' Smith & The Clowns, which featured among others singer (and sometime female impersonator) Bobby Marchan. They were signed to Ace Records, and that same year scored a Top 10 R&B hit with the fantastic "Rocking Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu", a brassy slice of New Orleans rhythm & blues driven by Smith's rollicking piano. They released several more singles in the same style, the highest charting being 1958's "Don't You Just Know It" b/w "High Blood Pressure", which not only made it to both #4 on the R&B chart but also broke though to the Pop chart at #9.
This album from 1959 compiled his recordings from the Ace days, featuring both hits and plenty of similarly styled tunes. Some excellent New Orleans R&B, upbeat and full of fun.
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Judy Collins is an American singer-songwriter.
Judy Collins' 1961 debut album was followed the next year by Golden Apples Of The Sun, which was much the same in terms of style and repertoire - acoustic guitar-based folk (again with help from guitarist Walter Raim and bassist Bill Lee), featuring mostly traditional material (including "Fannerio", "Lark In The Morning" and the Irish number "Shule Aroon"). Outside the traditional songs, she included Reverend Gary Davis' "Twelve Gates To The City", "Crow In The Cradle" by English poet Sydney Carter, and "Sing Hallelujah" by contemporary songwriter Mike Settle (later a member of The First Edition). The inclusion of such songs hinted at the eclecticism her music would come to be known for, as over the years she would move further and further away from the American folk she at first relied on.
A Maid Of Constant Sorrow (1961) <|> Judy Collins #3 (1963)
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Rick Nelson was an American singer-songwriter, who originally emerged out of the rock 'n' roll era as a teen idol, scoring nineteen top-ten hits between 1957 and 1973.
Ricky Nelson had a good head start to his music career, as he was born into a musical family (his father Ozzie was a big band leader, and his mother Harriet a singer). Not only that, but his parents starred in their own radio sitcom, The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet. Ricky joined the show himself in 1949 at age eight, and the show made the move to TV in 1952. In 1957 he told a friend that he was going to make a record to impress her, and then with his father's help he was signed to Verve for a one-record deal. He then made his musical debut on the TV show, performing Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'", and earned himself a host of devoted teenage fans. His single ("A Teenager's Romance" backed with "I'm Walkin'") was released shortly afterwards and made it to #2. His music career had begun!He was then signed to Imperial Records, where he recorded his first album aged just seventeen. He then formed his own band with musicians his own age, including electric guitarist James Burton. He had three more Top 10 hits, and then hit #1 with "Poor Little Fool" (incidentally it was the first #1 single on the newly-created Billboard Hot 100 chart). Nelson went on to have a total of thirty Top 40 hits from '57 to '62, making him one of the most successful musicians of the rock & roll era. However he began to feel unhappy with his 'teen idol' image, and in 1961 changed his recording name from Ricky to Rick, signalling his growing maturity and desire to be viewed as a 'serious artist' rather than just a pop star. His last big hit of the 60s was 1963's "For You", and from that point onwards his commercial fortunes dwindled as the changes happening in music throughout the decade left him somewhat behind. He spent many years in the wilderness, unsure of his musical direction, until he finally made a comeback of sorts in the early 70s with a maturer country-rock style.This compilation covers his early years, when he was at his commercial peak and seen as one of the young stars of the rock & roll genre. Includes such classics as "Poor Little Fool", "Hello Mary Lou", "Travelling Man", "It's Late", "Young World" and "Teenage Idol".
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The Animals were an English band active in the 60s, part of the 'British Invasion'.
In 1965 keyboard player Alan Price left The Animals, the first of the original members to depart. He started his own group, The Alan Price Set. He was replaced by Dave Rowberry, who was on board for their next four singles, all of which were great successes on the UK charts - "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" (#2), "It's My Life" (#7), "Inside Looking Out" (#12) and "Don't Bring Me Down" (#6) (all available on The Singles Collection). Along the way drummer John Steel also departed and was replaced by Barry Jenkins.The band's third album, Animalisms, came out in June 1966. Like its two predecessors, it showcased their knowledge of American R&B, with covers of songs by Joe Tex, Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and others, as well as a few good original songs in the same style. It was their most successful LP in the UK, getting to #4. It actually turned out to be their last one. Within a few months of its release Hilton Valentine, Chas Chandler and Dave Rowberry had all left (Chandler went on to manage Jimi Hendrix), leaving just Jenkins and lead singer Eric Burdon. The two of them moved to America and recruited musicians for a new group, which they called Eric Burdon & The Animals (sometimes referred to as The New Animals). Their style changed dramatically, as Burdon embraced psychedelic rock (with admittedly sometimes dubious results).The Animals had only been around for about three years, but during that time they had seen great success, with seven Top 10 singles and three excellent albums, and a reputation as being among the best British bands to play the blues.
Animal Tracks (1965) <|
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The Byrds were an influential American rock band who in the 60s were pioneers in the genre of folk-rock, and later both psychedelic rock and country-rock.
After the terrible reception 1971's Byrdmaniax had recieved, The Byrds were keen to win back the favour of both their fans and the critics. They quickly started work on the next album whilst they were on tour in England, recording most of it in London. They got rid of producer Terry Melcher, who they blamed for the failure of Byrdmaniax, and produced the new record themselves.However the resultant album, Farther Along, was another strange one which did little to please the fans and gave the critics plenty of ammunition. It was actually almost a complete stylistic turnaround, much of it being in the style of 50s rock & roll. With a cover of The Fiestas' "So Fine" and several band originals in a similar style, it must have confused many listeners who were hoping for some Byrds-style folk-rock or country-rock. The only single from the album was bassist Skip Battin's vaudeville-styled novelty song "America's Great National Pastime", and it went nowhere on the charts. There were a few exceptions though. Guitarist Clarence White (who previously had only sung on a few songs for the band) sang two excellent pieces of rootsy country-rock, Larry Murry's "Bugler" and the traditional gospel song "Farther Along", complete with mandolin. These numbers are often considered the highlights of the album.Overall it's certainly not a bad album, but its understandable that it was not received well at the time, especially as it was an attempt to patch up the damage done by Byrdmaniax. Despite the failure of their last two albums, The Byrds continued to tour, as they were still considered a top live act. In the summer of 1972 Roger McGuinn fired drummer Gene Parsons, and he was replaced by John Guerin, who toured with them into 1973 before he too left. Next McGuinn fired Battin, and called on original founding bassist Chris Hillman to help for a few gigs, who also brought with him percussionist Joe LaLa (who Hillman was playing with in Manassas) to take the drum seat. However the gigs with this lineup were shambolic, and at last McGuinn called it quits and cancelled their remaining concerts. Clarence White went on to join bluegrass group Muleskinner, but sadly died later that same year. The five original members (McGuinn, Hillman, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke) then reunited for a final album before The Byrds were put to rest.
Byrdmaniax (1971) <|> Byrds (1973)
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The Butterfield Blues Band were an American blues group fronted by vocalist and harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who was one of the first well-known white blues singers.
By the end of 1968 Paul Butterfield was the only original member left of his band, as guitarist Elvin Bishop had left that year, along with keyboard player Mark Naftalin and bassist Bugsy Maugh. Naftalin was replaced by Ted Harris, Maugh by Rod Hicks, and Bishop by a young Howard 'Buzzy' Feiten. They joined Butterfield, drummer Phillip Wilson, and the three-piece horn section of David Sanborn (alto sax), Gene Dinwiddie (tenor sax) and Keith Johnson (trumpet).Before they recorded together, the new line-up got to play at the Woodstock Festival, although their performance wasn't featured on the resultant film (they did appear on the the soundtrack). Their new album came out in October '69, produced by Jerry Ragavoy. It continued in the direction of their last two albums, moving further away from pure blues and into soul territory. The horn section was used to full effect, and Buzzy Feiten proved himself perfectly capable of filling the shoes left by Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. The songwriting was also shared around the band, with two also contributed by Ragavoy, and a couple of covers.
Though it's not generally considered one of the band's best releases (generally the opinion of those who didn't approve of their move away from blues), it's still a fine record.
In My Own Dream (1968) <|> Live (1970)
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Arlo Guthrie is an American singer-songwriter, the son of Woody Guthrie.
1973's Last Of The Brooklyn Cowboys was the fourth in Arlo Guthrie's fantastic series of rootsy folk-rock albums. It was even more diverse than its predecessors, opening with the unaccompanied fiddle playing of Irish musician Kevin Burke, and going on to touch on various styles including folk, ragtime, bluegrass, traditional country and gospel. The cover material includes Bob Dylan's "Gates Of Eden", the traditional folk number "Gypsy Davey" and the country standard "Lovesick Blues", as well as Woody Guthrie's "Ramblin' Round" (continuing Arlo's tradition of always including one of his father's songs on each of his albums). The second side of the album also includes some fantastic original songs - "Last Train", "Cooper's Lament" and "Cowboy Song".As usual, there is some spectacular instrumental backing, courtesy of guitarists Ry Cooder, Clarence White and Jesse Ed Davis, drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Lee Sklar, Gene Parsons and Gib Guilbeau, banjo player Doug Dillard, plus members of Buck Owens' band The Buckaroos (Don Rich, Jerry Brightman, Doyle Kurtsinger, Jim Shaw and Jerry Wiggins).
Hobo's Lullaby (1972) <|> Arlo Guthrie (1974)
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Allen Toussaint is an American musician, songwriter and record producer, an influential figure in New Orleans R&B since the 1960s.
A native of New Orleans, Allen Toussaint started his music career as a much in demand session pianist, his playing inspired by his hero Professor Longhair. At an early age he got to work with such New Orleans musical legends as Fats Domino and Earl King, and recorded an album of piano instrumentals called The Wild Sound Of New Orleans in 1958.Throughout the 60s he worked as a producer and songwriter, and this way truly rose to the status of legend. His guiding hand helped define the sound of New Orleans R&B throughout the decade, interrupted only by a brief stint in the army from ‘63 to ‘65. The artist he was most notably associated with was singer Lee Dorsey, who had hits with the Toussaint compositions “Ride Your Pony”, “Get Out Of My Life, Woman“, “Holy Cow”, “Working In The Coalmine” and “Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On)”. Other songs of his to be hits through other artists were “Fortune Teller” (Benny Spellman) and “Pain In My Heart” (Otis Redding).His next album, simply titled Toussaint, didn’t come out until 1971, thirteen years after The Wild Sound Of New Orleans. It was here that he first debuted as a singer, the first side of the album consisting of vocal songs and the second half consisting of piano-driven instrumentals. The music was spectacularly produced, with lots of great instrumentation (including Dr John on organ and guitar) and the brassy horn arrangements typical of New Orleans R&B. It was laid back, cool, and inescapably funky. He also proved to be an excellent singer, and offered his own versions of “Working In The Coalmine” and “Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky”.The album was a great artistic success, long overdue at the time. Unfortunately it didn’t make much of a commercial impact.Toussaint has been re-issued numerous times over the years, often under the title From A Whisper To A Scream, which is how you are most likely to find it nowadays. Later versions feature a bonus instrumental which I have put in here as well, as it’s too good to leave out.
The Wild Sound Of New Orleans (1958) <|> Life, Love And Faith (1972)
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Barrett Strong is an American singer and award-winning songwriter.
Born in Mississippi, Barrett Strong was one of the first artists to be signed to Berry Gordy's Tamla record label. His first single, 1959's "Let's Rock", did not chart, but it was his second, Gordy's own "Money (That's What I Want)" that gave the label their first ever hit. "Money" got to #2 on the R&B charts, and almost broke into the Top 20 on the pop charts too. It has since been covered by all sorts of other artists including both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Strong had four more singles with Tamla, but none of them were hits. During this time Gordy founded a second label, Motown, and merged it with Tamla to become the Motown Record Corporation, and the rest is history. Though Strong only ever gave the company one hit, the fact that it was their first has got to be worth something.Eventually Strong found work as a songwriter, teaming up with Norman Whitfield. Together they wrote numerous massive hits for Motown, including "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" for Marvin Gaye, "Cloud Nine", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Just My Imagination" for The Temptations, and "War" for Edwin Starr. This excellent compilation covers his early days as a recording artist, featuring "Money" and the five other singles, their b-sides, and various previously unreleased numbers from the same era, all consistently good. Some really brilliant early 60s R&B.
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Ry Cooder is an American musician, best known for his skill as a slide guitarist and his interest in American roots music.
For album number seven, Ry Cooder decided to focus on one theme - jazz. However his approach to the genre was typically idiosyncratic, approaching it in the same way his previous albums had approached American folk and blues music - bypassing any popular modern views of what the genre was to reach back into its dusty and forgotten roots. It wasn't modern jazz, but the ragtime and vaudeville music of the early 20th century. Even then it wasn't merely a homage, but his own unique take on the genre - never before had bottleneck slide guitar been used in a jazz ensemble. Most of the music was instrumental, but it did feature a few vocal cuts, most notably his fantastic take on Bert Williams' "Nobody", which sees him backed by the vocal quartet of Jimmy Adams, Bill Johnson, Simon Pico Payne and Cliff Givens.Cooder supported the album's release with a concert at Carnegie Hall, featuring a full jazz orchestra and tap dancers.
Show Time (1977) <|> Bop Till You Drop (1979)
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Peter Rowan is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, having worked in bluegrass, country and rock genres.
This excellent self-produced Peter Rowan album from 1980 is one of his more diverse one, mixing up different folk, bluegrass, gospel, Tex-Mex and rock sounds into a country-roots stew. It features nine excellent original songs alongside a cover of Jimmie Rodgers' "Prairie Lullaby". Among the backing musicians featured are such roots music luminaries as David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Flaco Jimenez and Mike Auldridge.
Texican Badman (1980) <|> Peter Rowan & The Wild Stallions (1981)
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The Soul Stirrers were a pioneering and highly influential American gospel group.
The history of the Soul Stirrers goes way back to 1926, with Roy Crain forming his first vocal quartet in Trinity, Texas. In the early 30s he moved to Houston and joined up with a group led by R.H. Harris. Their musical style transformed, taking on a hard gospel sound, and they named themselves The Soul Stirrers. They made changes to the traditional quartet style of singing, loosening up the original rigid arrangements to feature more improvisation, broadening their repertoire to feature newer gospel compositions, and expanding to feature five or more members. Without knowing it at the time, they were laying the foundations for soul music. Their extensive touring throughout the 40s and 50s earned them a large following across the country.
After signing to Speciality Records, lead singer R.H. Harris left the group. In 1950 he was replaced by a young singer by the name of Sam Cooke. With some pretty big shoes to fill, Cooke worked hard to emulate Harris, but before long he developed his own unique style, giving the group a renewel of youthful energy, bringing a younger crowd to their fanbase. Their first single with Cooke on lead, "Jesus Gave Me Water", was a massive success and brought them great acclaim. Throughout most of the 50s the Soul Stirrers prospered under Cooke's leadership, until he eventually left the gospel field in 1957 to pursue a career in secular music, going on to become one of the most successful and influential African-American singers in the history of popular music. The Soul Stirrers went on without him, but their heyday was effectively over.
This compilation covers the Sam Cooke years of the group's exsistence, easily their most commercially successful, and the period that produced their most sublime recordings. Cooke sings lead on most of the songs, though some feature Paul Harris on lead instead (another brilliant singer). These 22 recordings are essential listening, effectively representing the gospel roots of soul music. Cooke's voice is stunning, and arguably full of much more fire and passion here than on his later pop recordings. The songs themselves include both classic spirituals such as "Peace In The Valley" and "Farther Along" as well as lots of Sam Cooke originals. Interestingly it features two songs that he would later re-do with secular lyrics, "That's Heaven To Me" and "Wonderful".
This is powerful music, raw and emotional, and must be heard to be believed.
From 1967 to 1970 Fleetwood Mac saw a great deal of success, from their beginnings as a pure blues outfit to their evolution into a distinctively artistic blues-rock group, all under the leadership of Peter Green. In those four years they released six Top-40 singles, including a #1, and three LPs. However as often was the case for British bands in the 60s, most of their singles were not put on to the albums. Their discography is made even more confusing by two compilation albums (one in the UK and one in the US), which weren't exactly greatest hits but mixed exsisting album tracks with singles and b-sides. What I have put together here is fifteen-song compilation which includes all their non-album singles, b-sides and other loose ends not to be found on their three original LPs (Fleetwood Mac, Mr Wonderful and the critically-acclaimed Then Play On). Thus it should act as a fourth album to accompany those three, and together they should bring together the entirity of the Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac's music.
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