Clifford Davis

[dansven]

Hi,

I know this is sort of a touchy subject, but I know very little about Clifford Davis. Of course I know about him being the bad manager and everything. But what has he done since he was fired from FM?

Is he alive? I don't think I've ever even seen a picture of the man!!

And most important: Has he ever told HIS story? Are there any interviews, books etc where he tells about his memories with early FM? I guess he must have a LOT of information and (good?) memories from that time.

After all he and Peter were quite good friends in the beginning, and he had sympathy with Peter's desicion to give away some money...

Daniel

[sharksfan2000]

I don't know a thing about Clifford Davis other than what's been written in the various Mac books. Bob Brunning's book is way more sympathetic to him than anything else I've read, and he pretty much tells his side of the story in that book. Quite a bit of first-hand info direct from him. Interesting thing about Bob's book - Davis is the first person he lists to thank in the book's acknowledgements. (BTW the book mentions why he changed his name from Clifford Adams to Davis, in order to avoid confusion with another Clifford Adams in the music business in the late '60s)

I know that he worked with Danny Kirwan on Danny's solo records in the '70s - and in fact Danny's backing band included menbers of the band Stretch, which had earlier been Davis's "bogus" Fleetwood Mac. And of course Davis continued to manage Peter Green into the mid-'70s (presumably they split after the "shotgun incident" but I'm having trouble finding any clear mention of their actual split). I did a Google search for Clifford Davis but I didn't come up with anything beyond his '60s & '70s association with Mac, Danny, and Peter.

So I'd say pick up a copy of Bob Brunning's book if you want to read Clifford Davis's version of events - whether or not his version is accurate is another matter.

[wetcamelfood]

Also according to Brunning's book, he went into the real estate business after the music related stuff he had worked on (that Sharksfan mentioned) fizzled out.

John

[dansven]

Thanks for your replies, sharksfan2000 and wetcamelfood!
I have to get that Brunning book!

Somehow I feel that Clifford Davis, in the same way as Danny Kirwan, must have a lot of memories and tales of the band that we haven't heard yet

Daniel

[chiliD]

Originally posted by sharksfan2000
And of course Davis continued to manage Peter Green into the mid-'70s (presumably they split after the "shotgun incident" but I'm having trouble finding any clear mention of their actual split

I've read & heard that the "shotgun incident" is really an urban myth....it never happened...at least the way it was reported.

[SteveMacD]

Originally posted by chiliD
I've read & heard that the "shotgun incident" is really an urban myth....it never happened...at least the way it was reported.

I could swear I've heard Peter and Davis both talk about the incident.

[sharksfan2000]

Originally posted by SteveMacD
I could swear I've heard Peter and Davis both talk about the incident.

Yes, in fact Martin Celmins' book has a whole chapter about it. ChiliD is right that it was misreported / blown out of proportion, but apparently Peter did threaten Clifford Davis over the phone. From what Celmins' book says, Peter owned a gun but it was in a box, and 50 miles away from where he was at the time. Celmins still refers to this as the "shotgun incident" since it's become known as that, although Peter never personally came after Davis with a gun as the story has sometimes been told.

[Mario]

That's right!

And all in all, contrary to most of the people believe, Peter was asking for money, as he was totally broke, and not refusing money from his old royalties.

Mario.