I remember back in the early 70's Peter was just leaving Fleetwood Mac and spent some time partying and jamming at my house near Detroit. Peter will remember this for sure, he had Nigel with him. We had a giant American flag draped across the ceiling and down the front window. Peter was playing his last gig in town with Fleetwood Mac, and Harry Perry the lead singer of my band invited him over to jam. The first night of jamming our guitar player Randy Medick was on guitar (a Red Gibson Les Paul SG) along with Peter. Randy is one of the best guitarists I've ever heard, the last time I talked to him many years ago he was touring with the Spinners (Remember "Sadie"?). On bass was Tony D'Orio (Fender Precision Bass), again one of the best - he studied with James Jamerson (the famous Motown bassist). On drums was Mark "Tinker" Carithers, the last time I talked to him he was playing keyboards with the presently deceased ukelele player Tiny Tim - of all things. Oh well, it's work... And, of course, Harry Perry sang (he was in the Detroit cast of "Hair", with Meatloaf and Shaun Murphy of "Little Feat" and Eric Clapton's band; you can now find Harry on roller blades with a guitar in Venice Beach California). A buddy named John Ogen did some singing too. Peter was playing his old amazing sounding Flame maple Les Paul (a 1959 I believe), the one he gave to Gary Moore (It is ironic because I once sent Larry McCray on a European tour with Gary Moore, back when I recorded Larry with Bobby Hankins and David Robinson for "Virgin Records" with our company "N.S.A. Productions"; as Bobby and I, along with John Wooler started the blues label "Pointblank Records" for "Virgin Records". In this project Bobby and I got John Wooler to sign Larry McCray along with Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Winter, and the Kinsey Report). Anyway enough digression... The second night of jamming it was just Peter on guitar, me on bass (in my torn blue jeans, with my old black Fender Jazz Bass), and Tinker on drums; with Harry and John singing. The first night was funky rock grooves, the second night was only blues. During the day we went with Peter back to the hotel where he met in the ajoining room with Mick Fleetwood and the others about leaving Fleetwood Mac. The last day Peter gave Carlos Santana a call, and I guess he took off to California to hang out with Carlos. Peter is truly one of the finest players I've had the pleasure of playing with (and he was a super nice guy, as was Nigel - Remember the night about a dozen of us sat around banging on boxes and cans doing jungle chants?). In retrospect, I'm sure Peter kept on hanging with us because we didn't want anything from him - we thought of him as just one of the guys. When it is all said and done Peter (along with Randy) inspired me to switch from bass to guitar. As playing with them spoiled me - they were irreplacable. Although I have since retired from the music business, I still get out from time to time and jam the blues guitar with Jimmy McCarty (Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels, Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, the Rockets, and presently Jimmy McCarty and the Mystery Train), and former fellow Grandmaster guitarist Jeff Grand (Butler Twins, the Howling Diablos) and others. Tell Peter and Nigel I owe them a case of of Carling Black Label beer (If they still drink beer, that is). Regards, John Barnwell
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