Peter Green guest artist appearances

[sharksfan2000]

I've made a list below of Peter Green's appearances on other artist's recordings. I'm not including live appearances that were not released on vinyl or CD, just albums by other people on which he appears. Thanks to Mario and others for their great discographies!

In addition to the simple list of appearances, I've tried to make the connection between Peter and the artists on whose albums he appears. Some are fairly obvious, some are not. After a bit of research, I've come up with at least some connection in almost every case, but there are a couple of them that still puzzle me (like with Peter Gabriel for example). Other connections, while certainly apparent, seem somewhat thin - Chris Coco, Debbie Davies, Rudy Rotta for example - why did Peter choose to play on their albums?

I'm thinking that a guitarist of Peter's reputation must have been in great demand over the years - presumably there were a number of other people who approached him to play on their albums. So why did he choose to work with the specific people listed below and not others? Or maybe I'm wrong about him being in demand as a guest guitarist?

Of course, corrections and additions to the list below are most welcome!

Eddie Boyd - 1967, 1968
Blue Horizon artist
Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation – 1967
Peter played with Dunbar in the Bluesbreakers
John Mayall - 1967, 1968, 2000
Bleusbreakers founder & leader
Duster Bennett - 1968, 1969
Blue Horizon artist
Gordon Smith - 1968
Blue Horizon artist
Otis Spann - 1969
Blue Horizon artist
Jeremy Spencer – 1969
Fleetwood Mac member
Clifford Davis - 1969, 1970
Fleetwood Mac manager
Brunning Sunflower Blues Band – 1969
Brunning was the original bass player with Fleetwood Mac
Peter Bardens – 1969
Peter played in Bardens’ band (Peter B’s Looners)
Memphis Slim - 1970
Peter was admirer of his work (and of his guitarist Matt Murphy)
Toe Fat - 1970
Peter was friend of Toe Fat leader Cliff Bennett
Country Joe McDonald - 1970
Unknown connection, but album (recorded in England) also featured Nick Buck & Alex Dmochowski from The End of the Game
Gass - 1970
Gass drummer Godfrey Maclean played on The End of the Game
Dave Kelly - 1970
Bob Brunning was the bass player on this album
B.B. King – 1971
Peter was admirer of his work
Fleetwood Mac - 1973, 1979
Peter’s former band
Richard Kerr – 1973
Album produced by Martin Birch, Fleetwood Mac engineer (recorded same time as Peter’s Penguin session?)
Brian Knight - 1979
Noted British blues musician, but unknown specific connection to Peter
Duffo – 1979
PVK artist, also Ronnie Johnson played rhythm guitar for both Duffo and Peter
Mick Fleetwood - 1981
Fleetwood Mac member
The Enemy Within - 1986
Peter was neighbor of band leader Lawrie Gaines (known as "The Raven") in Richmond, Peter’s brother Michael also on album
The SAS Band - 1996
Spike Edney’s (original Splinter Group keyboard player) band
Dick Heckstall-Smith – 2001
Played in Bluesbreakers, but not together with Peter (he also played on same Brian Knight album as Peter)
Peter Gabriel – 2001
Unknown conneection
Chris Coco – 2002
Covered “Albatross”, otherwise unknown connection
Debbie Davies – 2002
Album featured John Mayall covers (Mick Taylor plays on one track)
Rudy Rotta - 2004
Covered “Black Magic Woman”, otherwise unknown connection

[dansven]

Hi sharksfan2000 !
That's a great list you've made!

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

Brian Knight - 1979
Noted British blues musician, but unknown specific connection to Peter

Wasn't Brian Knight also a PVK artist?

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

The Enemy Within - 1986
Peter was neighbor of band leader Lawrie Gaines (known as "The Raven") in Richmond, Peter’s brother Michael also on album

I didn't know about the neighbor connection between Peter and Lawrie. Are you sure that is Peter's brother, Michael, who's on the album? I've always thought it was Mike Green from the Pirates...

Daniel

[sharksfan2000]

Originally Posted by dansven

Wasn't Brian Knight also a PVK artist?

You may be correct on this - I looked up the listing in Martin Celmins' discography and it didn't look this particular album was on PVK, but that may indeed be the connection. Some Brian Knight trivia I found out - in the early '60s he was briefly in a band with Brian Jones and Ian Stewart that eventually became the Rolling Stones.

Originally Posted by dansven

I didn't know about the neighbor connection between Peter and Lawrie. Are you sure that is Peter's brother, Michael, who's on the album? I've always thought it was Mike Green from the Pirates...

Green and Lawrie do both seem to have lived in Richmond, how close they really were I'm not sure - I got this info second-hand. And I think you may right on Mike Green, now that I think about it. The info I saw (and maybe I'm interpreting it incorrectly or Peter's memory is poor) was actually from Peter Green's Penguin Q&A session in 1999: Peter Green Q&A

[dansven]

I checked out Brian Knight's "A Dark Horse" album on allmusic.com, and they list the label as Creole Records. And on the back of my vinyl copy of "In The Skies" it says: "PVK Records Manufactured & Marketed by Creole Records Ltd." So it's probably a connection there.. On the other hand, I guess they probably knew eachother from the blues boom era too.

About the Enemy Within project, I don't think Peter remembes much of it. Allmusic.com writes that Mick Green (from Johnny Kidd & The Pirates) worked with Peter Green in the 80s. And the photo of the guy on the "Two Greens Make A Blues" CD looks more like him than Peter's brother Michael.

[kowk]

Hello.
I’m a beginner on The Ledge Forum, so I’d like to introduce myself.
I live in Poland and I’m a big fan of Peter Green of course ) I’ve collected some CDs, CD bootlegs, Videos, DVD, LP – about 90 items (on which Peter is performing) and I’m still looking for other recordings.

Now about Peter’s guest apperances.

Brian Knight – A Dark Horse
1) Brian Knight was a PVK artist. His LP “A Dark Horse” was published by PVK.
Brian Knight
A Dark Horse
1981 LP UK
PVK Records
2) Kris Gray (bass player cooperated with B. Knight) from Citadel Records in note to CD version “A Dark Horse” 1998 wrote: “I first met Brian (Knight) in 1980 at a record company (PVK) party for Peter Green.”

Rudy Rotta & Friends
There’s no special conection apart from friendship and a great admiration for Peter. The subtitle of CD is “Some of my favorite songs” and Peter is the only composer, which was invited to play. Other guest (J. Mayall, R, Ford, B. Auger) were only players. R. Rotta has many music friends but acquintance with Peter is a great honour for him (like for many others musicians).
Best regards
Krzysztof
Poland

[dansven]

Hi Krzysztof, and welcome to The Ledge

Originally Posted by kowk

2) Kris Gray (bass player cooperated with B. Knight) from Citadel Records in note to CD version “A Dark Horse” 1998 wrote: “I first met Brian (Knight) in 1980 at a record company (PVK) party for Peter Green.”

Yes, I forgot about that! I also have the CD version of "A Dark Horse", I should have checked it!

Daniel

[sharksfan2000]

Daniel & Krzysztof - thanks for your input! That helps clarify a couple of those connections to Peter. And another welcome to the Ledge, Krzysztof! Always good to have another Peter Green fan here, and hope to see more posts from you.

I should have remembered that it was Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' Mick Green on The Enemy Within, not Peter's brother. I believe there was a discussion about that some time ago but I'd forgotten all about it.

[dansven]

...of course Peter's brother could have been involved in the sessions, though.. I mean, like arranging for Peter to get out and play with these guys (and not playing himself)... But I haven't seen it anywhere else than Peter's mention of it in the Q&A session...

[Neb-Maat-Re]

Originally Posted by dansven

I've always thought it was Mike Green from the Pirates...

Daniel

Isn't the Pirates guitarist generally known as Mick Green?

[dino]

The guy on the cover of "two greens make a blues" is actually the Pirates'
drummer! Mick Green was a bit upset about that.
Peter must indeed have a weak recollection of his mid 80's years. I don't think his brother was involved in the Enemy within sessions. The latest reissue, "post modern blues" has good liner notes, about how Peter came round to Lawrie's house for tea, and was persuaded to play some, although he only wanted to play bass at first. Lawrie was an English teacher at college or something, that's why he didn't want this real name on the record. So when reporters called him and asked for "The Raven" he just replied that the Raven wasn't in!
Gaines recall that Peter's on bass on "Chinese white boy", and I think we concluded that he plays guitar on "Ephrom song". "Post modern blues" is listed in Mario's discography as Peter being on it, wonder what the info comes from?

By the way, seems like Duster Bennett's Complete Blue Horizon sessions is out in the UK.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

Jeremy Spencer – 1969
Fleetwood Mac member

Hmmm...since it actually was Fleetwood Mac in their entirety; and it was the Then Play On companion album, does this really count as a "guest appearance"?

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

Peter Gabriel – 2001
Unknown conneection

Ummm...could the connection be that their initials are both "PG"??

[dino]

Ummm...could the connection be that their initials are both "PG"?? [/QUOTE]

Who knows?
I got this from a Canadian music site, an interview with Peter Gabriel:


Another great guitarist enticed into playing on Sky Blue was British bluesman Peter Green, the founder of Fleetwood Mac in the late '60s, before he pursued a solo career in the '70s, and subsequently fell off the radar.

"I used to go watch John Mayall as a teenager and he had these great guitarists with him -- Clapton, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Mick Taylor -- but Peter Green, I think, was probably my favourite," Gabriel said. "He was the most soulful and understated. And then he went on to do this great sort of writing with early Fleetwood Mac. And it was quite adventurous. So then, when he was written off as a drug casualty, I was delighted to see him coming back and starting again. I always like when people who have been discarded and discounted find their way back."

Peter's parts were recorded during the Time Traders sessions. Maybe there will be more on Gabriel's new album, as much of it is from the sessions for
"Up".

[sharksfan2000]

Thanks for digging up that Peter Gabriel interview, dino! I guess my question remains how Peter Green was "enticed" into playing the session for Gabriel, what made him decide to take up the invitation to play. I'm sure it will be more difficult to find the answer to that.

It really would be interesting to find out the invitations to play on a session or to play live that Peter Green turned down. Martin Celmins mentions at least a couple of them from the early '70s in his book (Noir and Stone the Crows come to mind). Were there other instances of this during that period? And what about during the late '70s - early '80s, and since '96? Anyone know of other offers to play that Peter turned down? And the reasons why?