"The Purple Dancer"

[becca]

I just reread the insert of Madison Blues and was amazed how much is mentioning the Rumours whatever it was/is to come. Not any info about Purple Dancer so much or if either of the live recordings might predate the studio one. The obsession some have with Rumours! Anyway, I think 'Jet' is pretty much reaching as to the three vocalists setting the stage for Rumours idea. Like some Beatles fans who claim no artists wrote or were allowed to write their own songs before them (Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, and Fats Domino sure as @#%&! did), some Mac fans are clouded by Buckingham & Nicks' dramatic rise to the heights of mythic immortality. Kiln House and Station Man/Purple Dancer specifically as a warm-up to a full west-coast harmony-pop sound? Nuh-uh! Some of it does remind me of the folk-rock around in England then, in drawing on older musical themes ala Music From Big Pink/The Band a bit. Fairport did some really neat versions of earlier Everlys songs along with the stuff from old English ballads/poems. Like I wrote earlier I wish there had been more of the Jeremy-Danny-Christine line-up and the Madison Blues set is a major reason for changing my mind on that.

[slipkid]

Originally Posted by becca

I just reread the insert of Madison Blues and was amazed how much is mentioning the Rumours whatever it was/is to come. Not any info about Purple Dancer so much or if either of the live recordings might predate the studio one. The obsession some have with Rumours! Anyway, I think 'Jet' is pretty much reaching as to the three vocalists setting the stage for Rumours idea. Like some Beatles fans who claim no artists wrote or were allowed to write their own songs before them (Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, and Fats Domino sure as @#%&! did), some Mac fans are clouded by Buckingham & Nicks' dramatic rise to the heights of mythic immortality. Kiln House and Station Man/Purple Dancer specifically as a warm-up to a full west-coast harmony-pop sound? Nuh-uh! Some of it does remind me of the folk-rock around in England then, in drawing on older musical themes ala Music From Big Pink/The Band a bit. Fairport did some really neat versions of earlier Everlys songs along with the stuff from old English ballads/poems. Like I wrote earlier I wish there had been more of the Jeremy-Danny-Christine line-up and the Madison Blues set is a major reason for changing my mind on that.

I think the liner notes are for those Mac fans that only know Nicks/Buckingham, and beyond. I agree the songs stand on their own, no need for the sales pitch.

You should read the liner notes for "Boston Blues". Here is the final paragraph:

"Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, of course soldiered on, hiring various American session muso's, eventually re-emerging as the most successful AOR band of the 70's and 80's. But despite their name on the door, they weren't a patch on the REAL Fleetwood Mac, never mind how many platinum records they were awarded!" This CD is of course the 2/70 Boston shows.

After Jeremy left, the band was the interesting Green/Kirwan/C. McVie/J. McVie/Fleetwood (Nigel Watson: congas) line-up for about six weeks. Though I think Green's LONG concert jams drove the group away from him as much as he didn't want to be there at the same time. If all parties allowed it, that would've been the streamlined Fleetwood Mac that would've continued its success, instead of being lost for four years. Yet there's always that 3 ton elephant in the room named mental illness.

[bretonbanquet]

Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk

Did / does she get any royalties for this??????

Sorry for dredging up an old thread - just found it

Wasn't the song credited to Spencer / Kirwan / Fleetwood? If so, that's where she got the credit, via Mick - that's my guess.

[GJK]

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

Sorry for dredging up an old thread - just found it

Wasn't the song credited to Spencer / Kirwan / Fleetwood? If so, that's where she got the credit, via Mick - that's my guess.

No, it was credited to 'M.J.K. Fleetwood, J.G. McVie & D.D. Kirwan'.

'The purple dancer' has been my favourite (official) FM song since the early eighties. I'm still hoping for a cd release...
To my knowledge, 3 versions are available: the two on the "Madison Blues" CD and the 'official' version, released as the B-side of 'Dragonfly' and on a German (?) lp: "The Best of Fleetwood Mac".
I have the single and 4 or 5 copies of the album.

GJK

(Going to see Peter Green on Saturday October 31st!)

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by GJK

No, it was credited to 'M.J.K. Fleetwood, J.G. McVie & D.D. Kirwan'.

(Going to see Peter Green on Saturday October 31st!)

Veel plezier!!

[bretonbanquet]

Originally Posted by GJK

No, it was credited to 'M.J.K. Fleetwood, J.G. McVie & D.D. Kirwan'.

'The purple dancer' has been my favourite (official) FM song since the early eighties. I'm still hoping for a cd release...
To my knowledge, 3 versions are available: the two on the "Madison Blues" CD and the 'official' version, released as the B-side of 'Dragonfly' and on a German (?) lp: "The Best of Fleetwood Mac".
I have the single and 4 or 5 copies of the album.

GJK

(Going to see Peter Green on Saturday October 31st!)

So I was close! It still might explain how Jenny Boyd could have received a credit for it.

Those are the three versions that I know of, and I guess they stopped playing it live when (or before) Jeremy left. The 'best of' LP is German for sure. Was it never released on CD?

The Dragonfly / Purple Dancer single came out in the UK with no picture sleeve, and in Germany and Holland with a couple of cool sleeves. Does anyone know if it was released anywhere else?

Enjoy the gig

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

The 'best of' LP is German for sure. Was it never released on CD?

I believe it was, but was taken out of print in fairly short order. I have the LP and have been looking for a CD copy for a number of years.

Another "rarity" on that LP is the original 45 mix of "World In Harmony". I don't think that has seen the light of day on CD (those Vaudeville Years and ShowBiz Blues set versions are outtakes or alternate mixes)

[bretonbanquet]

Originally Posted by chiliD

I believe it was, but was taken out of print in fairly short order. I have the LP and have been looking for a CD copy for a number of years.

Another "rarity" on that LP is the original 45 mix of "World In Harmony". I don't think that has seen the light of day on CD (those Vaudeville Years and ShowBiz Blues set versions are outtakes or alternate mixes)

So basically, that CD, however rare it is, is the only CD with those two tracks in their original forms. Definitely one to keep an eye out for. If anybody ever finds it, it may well be reasonably priced because most sellers would not necessarily know about its unique properties

[GJK]

Originally Posted by chiliD

I believe it was, but was taken out of print in fairly short order. I have the LP and have been looking for a CD copy for a number of years.

Another "rarity" on that LP is the original 45 mix of "World In Harmony". I don't think that has seen the light of day on CD (those Vaudeville Years and ShowBiz Blues set versions are outtakes or alternate mixes)

While we're on the subject: there are 11 tracks from the pre B/N period that are not (easily) avilable on CD.

From the 'Jeremy Spencer' album:

Linda
Mean blues
Here comes Charlie (with his dancing shoes on)
Teenage love affair
Jenny Lee
Take a look around Mrs. Brown
Surfin' girl
If I could swim the mountain
Teenage darling # (B-side form the 'Linda' single)

Fleetwood Mac:

World in harmony
The purple dancer

Also, 6 tracks from the B/N period (all B-sides).

GJK

[chriskisn]

Originally Posted by GJK

While we're on the subject: there are 11 tracks from the pre B/N period that are not (easily) avilable on CD.

From the 'Jeremy Spencer' album:

Linda
Mean blues
Here comes Charlie (with his dancing shoes on)
Teenage love affair
Jenny Lee
Take a look around Mrs. Brown
Surfin' girl
If I could swim the mountain
Teenage darling # (B-side form the 'Linda' single)

Fleetwood Mac:

World in harmony
The purple dancer

Also, 6 tracks from the B/N period (all B-sides).

GJK

That first Jeremy Spencer solo album is really a great album, perhaps showcasing Jeremy's amazing talent for mimicry more than any other album. I'm still very pleased that I managed to obtain a CD copy of it. Nothing better than listening to "Take A Look Around Mrs Brown".

[THD]

Originally Posted by chriskisn

Purple Dancer & Dragonfly are certainly two of the better songs to come out of this period (and there were plenty). I don't understand why they aren't more readily available.

I saw them perform Purple Dancer on a BBC prog broadcast on New years Eve 1970(?) The prog may have been a Top of the Pops special There were many singers and groups I don'trecal FM doing any other numbers , but I do remember ,when the end titles rolled ,they were standing with the studio audience , who were dancing to whoever was performing ,and Jeremy was bopping away too ,whilst the others stood still.

[chiliD]

Well, since we're digging up old threads, might as well add some more, too.

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

.. and I guess they stopped playing it live when (or before) Jeremy left.

"Purple Dancer", yeah, probably, but they kept "Dragonfly" in the set well after Bob Welch joined. There's a video clip (BBC? Top Of The Pops?) of the Future Games/Bare Trees lineup playing "Dragonfly".

[bretonbanquet]

Originally Posted by chiliD

"Purple Dancer", yeah, probably, but they kept "Dragonfly" in the set well after Bob Welch joined. There's a video clip (BBC? Top Of The Pops?) of the Future Games/Bare Trees lineup playing "Dragonfly".

That's the awesome Beat Club programme from Germany. Bit like the British TOTP but probably better, plus they didn't wipe all their tapes during the 1980s There's footage of "Lay It All Down" from the same show.

[sharksfan2000]

There is the live recording of "The Purple Dancer" from shortly after Jeremy left the band, from San Bernardino in February 1971. Peter Green on rhythm guitar on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etBRc_RUZx4

Wow, everything is on YouTube these days.

[sharksfan2000]

Back to "The Purple Dancer"...

Found this on YouTube awhile ago - it's labeled there as "purple dancer acetate":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CLyqWweTKc

Not the best sound quality - to be expected if this is really from an acetate. For the most part, this sounds to me pretty much identical to the Madison Blues studio version of the song with a few exceptions. There is a short guitar intro which is not present on the Madison Blues version (maybe just edited out of that version), while the ending is different and sounds cut off on the "acetate" version.

Here's the Madison Blues version for comparison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRDRR00REOk

And FWIW, here's the single version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuRyVom9ftI

Any thoughts on the "acetate" version vs. the Madison Blues version?