Who is David McIvor...
 

...and how can I hear his single?

On the site 45Cat.com I found label scans for an advance copy Warner Bros. Records single by a David McIvor, with ‘Closing My Eyes’ on the A-side, and ‘Love That Burns’ on the B-side. It is boldly stamped “Not For Sale” but has a release date of “26, 09, 69” (most likely the same day the Clifford Davis’ “Before the Beginning” b / w “Man of the World” single on Reprise was released) printed on label.
In his book “Strange Brew”, Christopher Hjort writes under an entry for September 30, 1969 (30, 09, 69):

“Session De Lane Lea studio, central London, with engineer Martin Birch and producer Clifford Davis. Mac manager Davis makes a second visit to the studio to star himself as a singer, this time recording another couple of Peter Green’s songs, ‘Love That Burns’ and ‘Closing My Eyes’. Green is presumably involved, but the songs will remain unreleased.”

The person posting on the 45Cat.com site wrote this description of the single:

“A side a dramatic ballad with orchestration and nice flute, not really commercial, while the B side is more bluesy, again with orchestra and a sax”

At first, I thought that David McIvor was a pseudonym that Davis chose to use as I could not find any other information on line for a performer with that name.
However, with a little more research I came across a listing for a Chilean guitarist named David MacIvor who put out a single and an LP with someone named Rupert Hines under the name Rupert & David circa 1969 / 1970
His work was described as "folk / progressive" (no, I didn't make that up) but I can easily see that description being applied to arrangements for the two Green songs without them straying too far from the originals –
So…if this was not a pseudonym for Davis (and now I don’t think that it was) was he a client? Was Davis representing him?
There are just too many coincidences here, with the same two songs, their being “released” (to radio stations at least) by the same company - Reprise is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records), and the date stamped on the label being the same as the release of the Davis single –
Interestingly, Davis’ name is nowhere on the single, and as he was not shy about taking a producer’s credit on the other, maybe he had nothing to do with these recordings – though from their descriptions, they sound exactly like the ones released under his name.
If he only produced the tracks, and MacIvor / McIvor did the vocals, might he have considered putting his own vocal on the tracks after finding out that the label was not going to release it? Thereby accounting for Hjort’s entry…?
Of course what we don’t know is where Hjort got this information….

The McIvor single does not appear to ever have been released, but copies of the advance single were at one time available for sale on line, but I have not been able to find any that are currently available.

So my question is: does anyone out there have this single? Would they be willing to share, or trade? (MP3, burned CD, cassette – doesn’t matter) Or could provide a link to it on-line? (I’ve looked but come up empty handed)

Anyone care to offer their theories as to what we might be looking at here?

Interesting. Never heard of this. If I hear anything I will post it. Hopefully others come along here that have some info to post about this.

John

Yes, very interesting!
I recently bought the two Clifford Davis singles (Homework is superb!), and would love to hear/know more about this McIvor single.

and Peter played all the instruments on it.....;)

Mario.

Any chance you could please upload them to youtube or something? I have been trying to hear those forever!

. . . well, should you be interested in a cd-r with the two clifford davis 45s on it - drop me a line . . . schribsel2@googlemail.com

Will do! Thanks!

Sorry, no connection between my turntable/hifi and computer...
But I see you got help anyway! :thumbsup:

A copy of the David McIvor single was sold in January:

http://www.rootsvinylguide.com/ebay_...969-uk-demo-45

:eek: You're killing me!

This is really a treasure! Never heard of it before.

Re: Homework

Well, yes...:D,
...according to your (old?) sessionography he did:

WITH CLIFFORD DAVIS - MAY 1970

COME ON DOWN AND FOLLOW ME§ b/w HOMEWORK (Reprise RS 27003)
(Clifford Davis v; Peter Green all instruments; Cliff Bennett backing vocals§)

This info(from The Ledge´s very own Discography) seems more realistic:

Date Performance 1970-00-00
Running Time 3:29
Performers Clifford (G.) Davis (Adams) (Vocals), Peter Green (Guitar), Danny Kirwan (Guitar), Jeremy Spencer (Keyboards), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass)

Though I wonder...
Cliff Bennett backing vocals? (on the A-side)
Jeremy keyboards?

Does anyone know more about this?

Wasn't the "Before The Beginning / Man Of The World" single listed as Clifford Davis, and the "Come On Down And Follow Me / Homework" single listed as Clifford Davis and friends... ?

I guess even according to Martin Celmins biography.......
;)

I probably put what is in the Penguin discog listings now more for indexing until we can get better documentation on this (If we ever do).

John

of course, but if you listen to the drums playing on "Homework", then you wll hear that it wasn't Mick Fleetwood style.

Peter played even the drums on it.....;)

Mario.

With all due respect, when we get something more iron clad than something "not sounding like his style" then we can change it, otherwise we'll be forever changing everything. What is your source on Peter playing drums on Homework?

John

as interesting as the discussion about the clifford davis 45s and the featured musicians is - we've run a bit off-topic here, haven't we?! ;)

Agreed. Hopefully someone will post it here soon. :)

John

Lazy Poker,
While I appreciate your comment, I believe it is safe to say that this particular thread had already died on the vine –
It would appear from the lack of response specifically related to the topic, that no one posting here has actually heard either of these two songs, even if they had heard about them.
The “off-topic” discussions of the Davis singles, and who may or may not be playing on them are too me, at least, somewhat related. They were presumably all recorded around the same time period: after they signed with Reprise, up until Green’s decision to no longer record.
Davis’ estate seems to have held on to the “rights” of much of this material recorded at this time, releasing it on first the “Vaudeville Years” and then the “Show-Biz Blues” collections (and we have no way of knowing how much else they still might have).
The Davis singles though were commercially released (on Reprise) and the McIvor single though not commercially issued was released as a radio promo on Warner Bros. Records so they would still control and presumably still have, the masters, and whatever recording info goes with them.
The powers that be lost a great opportunity to see at least some money out of these old recordings by not issuing them along with the re-release of “Then Play On”.
And it goes without saying that the Peter Green and the Nigel Watson and Peter Green singles should also have been part of that reissue package.
I truly believe that the information about those sessions is out there; and while we can make educated guesses (and that is all that they will be until "real" proof come along) as to who played on the Davis singles, it is possible (and probably likely) that neither Green or anyone else from Fleetwood Mac played on the McIvor session, (though Davis may have done the vocals) but without hearing the songs, it is impossible to know.
Meanwhile, I will continue to scour the Internet for any copies of the McIvor 45 that may come up for sale.

Of corse my mean source is Martin Celmin's book.........:shrug:

Thanks to both of you and yes, hopefully we can come up with real data soon on this. As stated I only have it as it is now in the listings here for indexing so I can find them in each FM members records in case we need to change them later (since the "legend" is that they are all on it so we are forced to go by that until the better information comes along).

As for Homework, I put in the comments section that Peter could be playing all the instruments on it.

John

Just a quick update: I received confirmation that the vocalist on the McIvor single is not Clifford Davis. I asked the person who has it to please compare the vocal with those on Davis’ singles and he tells me that they are not the same –
Does not really help us come any closer to solving most of the mysteries surrounding this number, but I just thought I would put that out there.

A regular (non-promo) copy of this David McIvor 7" has just been sold on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1625229985...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I bid on it, but didn´t win...hopefully someone here did!
Or at least we´ll get to know more about...?

. . . i wonder why my last post from a few days ago has been scrapped???
info from whoever responsible for this is more than welcome!

as a rather late note on this matter i just discovered that at least david mcivor's "closing my eyes" can be found on this cd:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-En...s=music&sr=1-1