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  #1  
Old 11-20-2003, 09:06 PM
greenfire greenfire is offline
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Default Why 'The End of the Game'...Pete?

I'm not quite sure what was happening with Pete in 1970. Fleetwood Mac was a success and 'Then Play On' was highly regarded by the fans. Pete's actions indicate that he was troubled or unhappy. I understand about the substance abuse but was this the main contributing factor for his leaving the band? He did the solo project 'The End of the Game' (1970) so soon after leaving, giving the impression that he still wanted to record. He also did the band a favor by returning briefly to fill in when Jeremy departed. "Man of the World" and "Green Manalishi" must have been some of the last songs he wrote as a member of FM. I think these were singles but could they potentially have been for the new FM album Kiln House in 1970? Looking at the lyrics for "Man of the World",

Pete wrote:

Quote:
...I don't say I'm a good man. Oh, but I would if I could. I could tell you about my life and keep you amused I'm sure. About all the times I've cried and how I don't want to be sad anymore...
Assuming Pete wrote these lyrics as a reflection of himself. I know I could be way off in saying that, but if they were, it seems obvious that he was trying to say he was disillusioned by his fame and success. I havn't heard "Green Manalishi" but it was described to me as a very intense song where Pete was on the verge of mental breakdown? Why Pete?

What happened with his album 'The End of the Game'? Did the title 'The End of the Game', imply that he intended it to be his last statement as an artist or can it be taken as metaphor for wanting to quit the music business? Again, this is all speculation on my part. I am very impressed by Peter's contributions to FM and only want to understand what had happened to him.


"The Earth is good, why do we abuse it?"....Ray Thomas

Last edited by greenfire; 11-21-2003 at 05:44 PM..
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  #2  
Old 11-21-2003, 07:40 PM
wetcamelfood wetcamelfood is offline
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Exclamation Re: Why 'The End of the Game'...Pete?

Quote:
Originally posted by greenfire
Pete's actions indicate that he was troubled or unhappy. I understand about the substance abuse but was this the main contributing factor for his leaving the band?
I don't think we'll ever know the REAL reason. The generally accepted reasons are the unhappiness, his drug use (many believe that after being spiked with bad acid in 1970 while the band was in Munich and he went to a party without them, he was never the same again), the rest of the band not wanting to go along with his idea of turning FM into a "charity band" (i.e. after running costs, giving all of their money away to charities etc.). Peter has said since then (and Clifford Davis' story is more or less the same) that Peter felt as though the others "weren't cutting it" (in other words, that they weren't able to do more "African style" sounds that he wanted to do with his music at that time).

Quote:
Originally posted by greenfire
What happened with his album 'The End of the Game'? Did the title 'The End of the Game', imply that he intended it to be his last statement as an artist or can it be taken as metaphor for wanting to quit the music business?
I think you're pretty close with what you say about "The end of the game". As far as I know, it was some sort of contractual obligation that Peter had to do the album. It's hard to say if he wanted to get out of the busniess at that time or not, I'd say yes, but then he did do the odd guest appearance and his 2 Reprise singles in 1972 (along with orginally agreeing to, and then pulling out of helping out Stone The Crows when they had to do a show at, I think it was the Lincoln Festival in 1974 after Crows guitarist Les Harvey had just been electrocuted on stage at their previous gig and died, Steve Howe had filled in for PG when he backed out at the last minute).

Apparently, the sessions for TEOTG took place from 10PM to 6AM one night where the guys Pete called in to join him for the album just free formed ideas off of each other with no rehearsal all night. Piano player Zoot Money had said that he felt there were "some good jams recorded that night and others weren't that good" and after hearing the finished album, he felt the "good stuff was left of the record". OOH To have Rhino Handmade release a 2 CD version of this album with the 2 Reprise singles and the REST of those tapes added to it...

Quote:
Originally posted by greenfire
He also did the band a favor by returning briefly to fill in when Jeremy departed.
I'm leaning more towards the theory that it was more out of friendship to Clifford Davis that he had done that, not so much for the band, but that is JMHO after all.

Quote:
Originally posted by greenfire
Man of the World" and "Green Manalishi" must have been some of the last songs he wrote as a member of FM. I think these were singles but could they potentially have been for the new FM album Kiln House in 1970?
Well, "Oh well" shouldn't be overlooked here and the "Green manalishi" single was the last record to be released while PG was in FM. MOTW had already been released by FM in early 1969 during their short stay at Immediate Records (after leaving Blue Horizon and before joining Warner/Reprise) so no, I don't think these would've been on the "next FM album" (which turned out to be "Kiln House").

In fact, MOTW & GM were both recorded specifically for being singles tracks, something that just doesn't happen anymore so I know it's hard for younger fans to understand this as I can see why it would seem an odd thing for a band to do but that's the way it was at the end of the day.

Also, it has been rumored since that a song called "Sandy Mary" would've been the band's next single had Pete stayed in the band but all that is known about ALBUM plans after TPO (if PG stayed in the band) is that FM were planning to release a live album culled from the February 5-7, 1970 Boston Tea Party concerts. Since Peter left the band, that plan was shelved and the Tea Party tapes didn't surface again until 1984 (and then again in 1998 when Snapper started remastering and releasing what they could of the entire tapes (though they did use an edited "Green manalishi" and the first 2 tracks on disc 2 of "Show biz blues" are also from those concerts and not released by Snapper)).

Live versions of "Sandy Mary" can be found on the Boston Tea Party recordings and on "Live at the BBC" though I think, IF they were planning on releasing SM as a single, they would've gone in to the studio to do it (instead of releasing a live version of the song as a single) and who knows, maybe there are tapes of it lying around the WB vaults but as of this date, we just don't know if they had recorded it in the studio or not, hopefully someday, we'll find out for sure.

As a side note, I was going through Lewry's "Complete recording sessions" book and saw that FM had apparently done SM for a BBC session AFTER PG left, that's sure would be interesting to hear.

Quote:
Originally posted by greenfire
Assuming Pete wrote these lyrics as a reflection of himself. I know I could be way off in saying that, but if they were, it seems obvious that he was trying to say he was disillusioned by his fame and success.
Yeah, this has been speculated on and some say they think it can even be traced back further to "Trying so hard to forget" from "Mr. Wonderful".

Quote:
Originally posted by greenfire
I havn't heard "Green Manalishi" but it was described to me as a very intense song where Pete was on the verge of mental breakdown?
I admit that I'm not a lyric guy myself so I'm sure someone will come along here and straighten this one out for you better but I've read that GM is about the devil and how the "green" in the song refers to money and his notions of it being evil etc. thus multiplying his feelings about stardom not being for him and so on... I think.

I hope some of this made sense anyways.

John

Last edited by wetcamelfood; 11-28-2003 at 09:56 PM..
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  #3  
Old 11-22-2003, 07:23 AM
ShamHy89 ShamHy89 is offline
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Thanks for that analysis. I must have taken you a long time! Peter Green is beginning to make more sense to me now.

Shamus
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  #4  
Old 11-22-2003, 10:43 PM
greenfire greenfire is offline
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Thanks John, It was very beneficial for me also. When I had my Blue Horizon Box Set, I almost felt I was right there in the studio. I enjoyed listening Pete's personality, which was good humored with those ocassional outbursts when things wern't going quite right. He seemed like a perfectionist and never lost the objective of getting the best performance from everyone. I can admit to chuckling a few times at the discussions and Pete sometimes giving Vernon a hard time, but above all, he always serious about the music and putting it down just right. He had a warm personality and basically seemed really "down to earth". I sensed that he was the dominant personality of the band. Needless to say, it's tragic that the drugs diminished this great artist with his functioning and playing ability.



"The Earth is good, why do we abuse it?"....Ray Thomas

Last edited by greenfire; 11-22-2003 at 10:49 PM..
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