Quote:
Originally Posted by vivfox
For all that it is one of his staples, Black Magic Woman is actually a 1970 cover of a 1968 Fleetwood Mac rendition written by Peter Green. A medley with Gabor Szabo's 1966 Gypsy Queen, Santana's version works in exotic Hungarian rhythms with folk and latin strains. The album Abraxas, on which Black Magic Woman appeared, went to #1 and quadruple platinum, largely on the strength of the song.
It is possible, however obliquely, that the song was partly responsible for Peter Green leaving Fleetwood Mac. After it was released, Green reputedly befriended some people who were actually into black magic. In an interview with Cameron Crowe of Rolling Stone magazine, Christine McVie said these were the people who turned him on to acid, which led to Green leaving Fleetwood Mac.
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Out of respect, the story is Carlos Santana visited Peter Green while the band was recording "The Green Manalishi" in London, 4/70. He asked Peter Green's permission to cover "Black Magic Woman". The "black magic" came before in Munich, 3/70 on a tour of Europe.
I still say Munich is a Fleetwood Mac fairytale to explain the actions of a band leader who didn't want to be in a famous rock band, with a lot of phonies (agents, producers, managers). Peter saw through all that b.s. at the time. While his drug abuse at the time led to his mental breakdown (three-four years later), Peter Green was playing at the top of his game the day he left Fleetwood Mac. Green even came back to replace Jeremy Spencer later winter/early spring U.S. tour 1971. That infamous Fillmore East concert is legendary from those who attended.