Hypnotized

[Lee]

I first heard this song on my local, classic rock radio station on two for Tuesday, when they play two songs by the same artist. I really like this song, & they usually play it after a song like "Go Your Own Way". I'll admit that I'm not too familiar with the Mac's older stuff, but I like to check them out once in a while. So I got on YouTube tonight & checked this song out. I've seen Lindsey sing it & I've sing Bob Welch sing it, but I know Lindsey wasn't the original singer on it because I think it came out before he & Stevie joined the band. So that's why I'm posting this here. Maybe someone familiar with the "Pre-Rumours" music could fill me in on the background of this song.

Thanks,

Lee :)

[slipkid]

I first heard this song on my local, classic rock radio station on two for Tuesday, when they play two songs by the same artist. I really like this song, & they usually play it after a song like "Go Your Own Way". I'll admit that I'm not too familiar with the Mac's older stuff, but I like to check them out once in a while. So I got on YouTube tonight & checked this song out. I've seen Lindsey sing it & I've sing Bob Welch sing it, but I know Lindsey wasn't the original singer on it because I think it came out before he & Stevie joined the band. So that's why I'm posting this here. Maybe someone familiar with the "Pre-Rumours" music could fill me in on the background of this song.

Thanks,

Lee :)


Hello fellow Delawarean. "Hypnotized" is a jazzy Bob Welch song (with a Jobim mood) that I heard from classic rock radio sometime in the 80's. It was one of those tunes that I thought didn't get it's due compared to the post 1975 band's success. Then I heard Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady" from the "Bare Trees" album. The later Bob Welch solo album version doesn't stand up to original with Christine McVie singing back-up vocals.

"Mystery To Me" isn't that expensive to purchase. That's the album with "Hypnotized". If you happen to like that album, move on to "Bare Trees". If you're still interested, try "Future Games". Then if you really want to hear what the original band left as their last album, buy "Then Play On". You need to work backwards, otherwise some of the music will probably come as quite a shock. Personally, one of my greatest discoveries was the original version of Fleetwood Mac, with Danny Kirwan joining a year after. Had that version remained, they would've been the British version of the Allman Brothers.

[nicepace]

Then I heard Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady" from the "Bare Trees" album. The later Bob Welch solo album version doesn't stand up to original with Christine McVie singing back-up vocals.

I agree with that opinion. The later, Lindsey Buckingham-produced version is too slick, too "commercial," for my taste. But let's make clear this is not a slam against Christine, who sings backing vocals on the original version too. I like her backing vocals on the original a great deal! She's in the band along with Bob Welch during his entire five-album tenure.

I second the advice, just go ahead and buy 'Mystery To Me.' There are a lot of us who love the album. I personally rank it among my two favorite FM albums of all time ('Bare Trees' being my other favorite).

[chiliD]

The later, Lindsey Buckingham-produced version is too slick, too "commercial," for my taste.

Plus, it's missing the all-important 2nd verse!!!!!!! :eek:

But, it DOES SOMEWHAT answer the question "What would Fleetwood Mac sound like had Welch NOT left and they added Lindsey & Stevie anyway?".

[mylittledemon]

I dont think anyone has ever posed this question... has anyone else noticed that on the recording (and the live performances) that Welch always says "Hyp-muh-tized"? :lol:

[jenniferuk]

I dont think anyone has ever posed this question... has anyone else noticed that on the recording (and the live performances) that Welch always says "Hyp-muh-tized"? :lol:

Yes!!! I've noticed that--love (LOVE!) the song but that little 'quirk' has always annoyed me a bit.

[louielouie2000]

Track down and buy Mystery To Me. It's the absolute best jumping off point for pre '75 Mac. If you're a Stevie fan, you will like this album. Outside of that, every single song is worth it's weight in gold. I think it's probably the highest quality Mac album of all time... absolutely NO filler. The album is worth it for Hypnotized and Why alone... amongst Bob Welch's and Christine McVie's best Mac contributions of all time. ChiliD is right... this is what Fleetwood Mac would have sounded like had Lindsey and Stevie never been hired. And it's surprisingly not all that different from post '75 Mac. Christine's songs are every bit as bubbly and head bobbing as they were in the Rumours era. GREAT music on this album!

Being a North Carolinian, I asked Bob Welch in his Penguin Q&A several years back about Hypnotized... and the significance of the verse talking about the pond in North Carolina with walls of glass. Bob said he and a friend were riding dirt bikes in a heavily forested area near Winston-Salem, and they came upon what they believed was a meteor crater which was filled with water. He said it had a weird vibe, and totally creeped them out, and they high tailed it out of there. It seems like Bob was just taking stories of the supernatural and weaving them together for Hypnotized... and kind of looking at them all collectively in a philosophic way.

Bob is without a doubt my favorite Macster outside of the Rumours line up. He had a deep love for the mystical... and you could argue he had a much more intellectual way of looking at mysticism than Stevie Nicks for instance. I have often wondered what the Mac would have sounded like with Stevie, Lindsey, and Bob. Crowded probably... but they could have made some damn cool music! :thumbsup:

[chiliD]

It seems like Bob was just taking stories of the supernatural and weaving them together for Hypnotized... and kind of looking at them all collectively in a philosophic way.

In one of the Q&As he said something about reading books by Carlos Casteneda around that time which he drew from

I have often wondered what the Mac would have sounded like with Stevie, Lindsey, and Bob. Crowded probably... but they could have made some damn cool music! :thumbsup:

Ummm...Louie? Re-read my last post regarding Bob's French Kiss version of "Sentimental Lady"....


But, it DOES SOMEWHAT answer the question "What would Fleetwood Mac sound like had Welch NOT left and they added Lindsey & Stevie anyway?".

[louielouie2000]

In one of the Q&As he said something about reading books by Carlos Casteneda around that time which he drew from



Ummm...Louie? Re-read my last post regarding Bob's French Kiss version of "Sentimental Lady"....

Ahh, that makes sense! I've read a couple of my Dad's Carlos Castenada books on Don Juan myself. Neat, albeit "out there" stuff!

And who'd a thunk it... you and I having similar trains of thought on the same subject! :p

[chiliD]

Ahh, that makes sense! I've read a couple of my Dad's Carlos Castenada books on Don Juan myself. Neat, albeit "out there" stuff!

Welch even references "Don Juan" by name during "Miles Away" ("....Don Juan goes up in a cloud of smoke; and all those Hari Krishnas turned out to be a joke....")

And who'd a thunk it... you and I having similar trains of thought on the same subject! :p

Hey, even weirder things happen around here at times. :thumbsup:

[nicepace]

Not all of Christine's songs from this era are "bubbly." Her great "Why" is very, very sad.

I personally don't see the connection between liking Stevie and liking 'Mystery To Me.' I think it makes more sense to say that if you like Christine, you'll like 'MTM.'

As for Bob Welch ... is he the most cerebral writer in the history of Fleetwood Mac?

[louielouie2000]

Not all of Christine's songs from this era are "bubbly." Her great "Why" is very, very sad.

I personally don't see the connection between liking Stevie and liking 'Mystery To Me.' I think it makes more sense to say that if you like Christine, you'll like 'MTM.'

As for Bob Welch ... is he the most cerebral writer in the history of Fleetwood Mac?

You're totally right... Why and Way I Feel are good examples of Christine's pre '75 Mac music not being entirely bubbly. She definitely had a deeper, more serious side to her than she perhaps had post '75. But there are songs like Just Crazy Love, Believe Me,and Keep On Going that could have been on any of the Buckingham Nicks era Mac albums.

The reason I said why anyone who likes Stevie would like this album is twofold. Firstly, the thread starter has a Stevie avatar... so comparing this album to Nicks was the best route. Secondly, this album has a very pop oriented, yet extremely mystical sound... very approachable for Stevie fans. All of Christine's Mac songs from any era are worth their weight in platinum... that's a given. Nobody is ever let down by her material, period. :D

[doodyhead]

Welch even references "Don Juan" by name during "Miles Away" ("....Don Juan goes up in a cloud of smoke; and all those Hari Krishnas turned out to be a joke....")



Hey, even weirder things happen around here at times. :thumbsup:

A further reference to Carlos Casteneda. There is a very large Carlos Casteneda recovery group out there due to the fact that he got his doctorate on the basis of his anthropological studies of Don Juan and his band of Indian mystics. He went on to "write several best sellers on the basis of this mystical connection.
It was later revealed that he and his communal brothers and sisters just made up the **** to an eager receptive audience. "The comedy group "Firesign Theater" did a tremendous parody of the hucksters a long time ago. I must admit to one of those who scarfed up several volumes of the stuff. It slowly became harder and harder to believe as they tried to keep their story straight. To this day the University that granted his doctorate has had to grapple with their role in validating Carlos's cashcow.

doodyhead

doodyhead

[nicepace]

One of the famous FM stories is the one that says that Stevie, when invited to join the band, listened to all the previous albums, and found an element of mysticism that existed throughout the band's history, no matter who the personnel were.

She jumped right in and continued that element of mysticism.

So, I can see the connection between the mystical Bob and the mystical Stevie. But I think Stevie's mysticism is emotionally based, whereas his is more cerebral. (To use a word I used earlier in this thread.)

If you can "trick" a Stevie fan into listening to 'Mystery to Me' by assuring the fan there is something Stevie-like about the record, then that's good. You'd be bringing a musical delight into somebody's life. Who knows, their eyes might open and they might even realize there is more to Fleetwood Mac than Ms. Nicks!

[Wouter Vuijk]

One of the famous FM stories is the one that says that Stevie, when invited to join the band, listened to all the previous albums, and found an element of mysticism that existed throughout the band's history, no matter who the personnel were.

No matter who the personnel was: How about the very first line-up, Peter, Mick, Jeremy and Bob (Brunning). I can't sense any mysticism in their studio recordings as well as the in the Marquee live recording.
OMG, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???????:laugh:

[doodyhead]

They did not need to be mystical. If my memory serves me there were folks calling someone in the band "THE GREEN GOD".

:angel:

[nicepace]

No matter who the personnel was: How about the very first line-up, Peter, Mick, Jeremy and Bob (Brunning).

Hey ... I'm only quoting what Stevie (supposedly) said. She oughta know mystical when she hears it. (lol)

[slipkid]

Hey ... I'm only quoting what Stevie (supposedly) said. She oughta know mystical when she hears it. (lol)

Actually from what I've read, Peter Green, and his girlfriend Sandra Elsdon were heavy into the mystical hippie BS of the time. Since Stevie Nicks is two months older than Jeremy Spencer, maybe she should've been the one to replace Spencer in 1971, if that could've happened.

"Black Magic Woman." Do I need to say more? :] (this saves me from serious vs. sarcasm, and the insane).

[SteveMacD]

No matter who the personnel was: How about the very first line-up, Peter, Mick, Jeremy and Bob (Brunning). I can't sense any mysticism in their studio recordings as well as the in the Marquee live recording.
OMG, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???????:laugh:
While technically not THAT line-up, just prior to that line-up, Pete did have The Supernatural with Mayall.

And then there was Black Magic Woman...

And the The Green Manalishi...

Of course, it was Lindsey and Christine that all but ripped of Peter with World Turning.

[aleuzzi]

Of course, it was Lindsey and Christine that all but ripped of Peter with World Turning.

Not so much of a rip-off as a jumping off point for an entirely new conception. Welch's "Safe Harbour" has more in common with Green's "Albatross" than the white album's "World Turning" does with Green's earlier version...

[chriskisn]

I dont think anyone has ever posed this question... has anyone else noticed that on the recording (and the live performances) that Welch always says "Hyp-muh-tized"? :lol:

Funnily enough I was only thinking that on Friday night on my way back from the concert when I was listening to Hypnotized. :lol:

[michelej1]

By Kit O'Toole on Blog Critics.Org, March 25, 2010

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/enter-another-world-through-fleetwood-macs/
Enter Another World Through Fleetwood Mac's "Hypnotized"

Recently, as I was enjoying a Frappuccino at Starbucks, a haunting song began blaring from the store's P.A. system. Instantly I was sucked into its foot-tapping beat, laid-back vibe, and mysterious lyrics. Other than thinking that Starbucks was perhaps engaging in subliminal advertising (one of the lyrics talks about "two friends having coffee together"), I knew I had to discover the song's identity: "Hypnotized" by — to my surprise — Fleetwood Mac.

The song derives from the 1973 album, Mystery to Me, recorded after members Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer left the group. Guitarist Bob Welch (also known for his '70s ballad, "Sentimental Lady") and singer/keyboardist Christine McVie greatly influenced the sound of the band, which was gradually shifting from a blues-roots rock sound to a middle-of-the-road, soft rock feel. Welch left the band after Mystery to Me and the rest of the band relocated to Los Angeles to restart their flagging career. But "Hypnotized" represents some of Fleetwood Mac's greatest work.

According to Wikipedia's entry on the tune, Welch wrote the mystical lyrics while staying at the Benifold Mansion in Hampshire, England. Before Fleetwood Mac purchased the home, the previous owners of the mansion during the 1960s were part of a monastic order. Welch and the band recorded Mystery to Me in the mansion, which he believed "rather spooky and strange even in summertime," presumably due to its history. The album peaked at number 67 on the Billboard charts, but "Hypnotized" found a home on adult contemporary stations.

Fleetwood's drumming first draws in the listener, with John McVie's bass entwining each beat. Welch's jazz-like riffs add to the song's tone, which sounds like the perfect accompaniment for a late night drive. Then the creepy lyrics kick in, which start out innocently enough; two friends are enjoying coffee, "when something flies by their window." Welch refuses to explain this strange presence, leaving it to the listener to conjure their own images: "because there’s no explaining what your imagination/Can make you see and feel." By the time the chorus kicks in, Welch's voice is accented by background vocals, stressing the words "seems like a dream/Got me hypnotized."

The mystery deepens when Welch sings of North Carolina and "a strange, strange pond" and "a forest without a road." To add to the song's slightly disturbing aura, he adds that in Mexico, there is a place "where a man can fly over mountains and hills/And he don’t need an airplane or some kind of engine/And he never will." As the gentle guitar lines and steady drum beat swirl in the background, Welch finally discourages the listener from trying to make sense of any of these scenes: "Now you know it’s a meaningless question/To ask if those stories are right/'Cause what matters most is the feeling/You get when you’re hypnotized." As the song fades out, one gets the sense of leaving some kind of strange world and reentering everyday life.

"Hypnotized" represents a single at its best — one that can transport the listener into another world through creative wordplay and ear-catching guitar and drums. Welch's vocal performance, while low-key, only enhances the song's otherworldly feeling. It may have only been a modest hit, but "Hypnotized" remains a hidden treasure that grabs the listener and will not let go.

While "Hypnotized" is the standout, Mystery to Me also contains some catchy '70s rock that represents the band's change from its blues origins. While not available as a download, the CD can still be purchased, and is worth seeking out.

[luckydimecaper]

I've just recently started working my way back through the Bob Welch era albums and MTM is an excellent. Like someone earlier said, there's no filler on there whatsoever. Definately one of FMs most consistent albums, more so than the White album I reckon.

[Lee]

By Kit O'Toole on Blog Critics.Org, March 25, 2010

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/enter-another-world-through-fleetwood-macs/
Enter Another World Through Fleetwood Mac's "Hypnotized"

Recently, as I was enjoying a Frappuccino at Starbucks, a haunting song began blaring from the store's P.A. system. Instantly I was sucked into its foot-tapping beat, laid-back vibe, and mysterious lyrics. Other than thinking that Starbucks was perhaps engaging in subliminal advertising (one of the lyrics talks about "two friends having coffee together"), I knew I had to discover the song's identity: "Hypnotized" by — to my surprise — Fleetwood Mac.

The song derives from the 1973 album, Mystery to Me, recorded after members Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer left the group. Guitarist Bob Welch (also known for his '70s ballad, "Sentimental Lady") and singer/keyboardist Christine McVie greatly influenced the sound of the band, which was gradually shifting from a blues-roots rock sound to a middle-of-the-road, soft rock feel. Welch left the band after Mystery to Me and the rest of the band relocated to Los Angeles to restart their flagging career. But "Hypnotized" represents some of Fleetwood Mac's greatest work.

According to Wikipedia's entry on the tune, Welch wrote the mystical lyrics while staying at the Benifold Mansion in Hampshire, England. Before Fleetwood Mac purchased the home, the previous owners of the mansion during the 1960s were part of a monastic order. Welch and the band recorded Mystery to Me in the mansion, which he believed "rather spooky and strange even in summertime," presumably due to its history. The album peaked at number 67 on the Billboard charts, but "Hypnotized" found a home on adult contemporary stations.

Fleetwood's drumming first draws in the listener, with John McVie's bass entwining each beat. Welch's jazz-like riffs add to the song's tone, which sounds like the perfect accompaniment for a late night drive. Then the creepy lyrics kick in, which start out innocently enough; two friends are enjoying coffee, "when something flies by their window." Welch refuses to explain this strange presence, leaving it to the listener to conjure their own images: "because there’s no explaining what your imagination/Can make you see and feel." By the time the chorus kicks in, Welch's voice is accented by background vocals, stressing the words "seems like a dream/Got me hypnotized."

The mystery deepens when Welch sings of North Carolina and "a strange, strange pond" and "a forest without a road." To add to the song's slightly disturbing aura, he adds that in Mexico, there is a place "where a man can fly over mountains and hills/And he don’t need an airplane or some kind of engine/And he never will." As the gentle guitar lines and steady drum beat swirl in the background, Welch finally discourages the listener from trying to make sense of any of these scenes: "Now you know it’s a meaningless question/To ask if those stories are right/'Cause what matters most is the feeling/You get when you’re hypnotized." As the song fades out, one gets the sense of leaving some kind of strange world and reentering everyday life.

"Hypnotized" represents a single at its best — one that can transport the listener into another world through creative wordplay and ear-catching guitar and drums. Welch's vocal performance, while low-key, only enhances the song's otherworldly feeling. It may have only been a modest hit, but "Hypnotized" remains a hidden treasure that grabs the listener and will not let go.

While "Hypnotized" is the standout, Mystery to Me also contains some catchy '70s rock that represents the band's change from its blues origins. While not available as a download, the CD can still be purchased, and is worth seeking out.

Hey, thanks for posting this. I just heard this song again on Tuesday. I haven't been able to find the album that this song is on while I'm out & about, so I'm probably going to have to order it through Barnes & Noble on-line.

Lee :)

[michelej1]

Rapid City Journal by By John Maron and Bradford Brady

http://rapidcityjournal.com/blackhillstogo/arts-music/on-the-record-finding-the-origins-of-a-vietnam-war/article_c9b5aa59-dd69-5c8b-b72d-483d67a18959.html


Q: In the old Fleetwood Mac song, “Hypnotized,” there’s a line about a place in North Carolina. Where is the place?

A: “Hypnotized” is one of Fleetwood Mac’s early ’70s hits before they changed their lineup and became superstars. Written by Bob Welch, the song from the 1973 album, “Mystery to Me,” is about strange, unexplained events. The lyrics were inspired by a conversation Welch had with a friend who was from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. According to Welch, the friend told him of a crater about 20 miles from town that had “smooth sides like melted glass.” There were no visible access roads to the site so the friend thought the crater might have been caused by a meteor. Welch was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. Other than “Hypnotized,” he is best known for his top-10 solo hit “Sentimental Lady” from 1978.

[dino]

Not so much of a rip-off as a jumping off point for an entirely new conception. Welch's "Safe Harbour" has more in common with Green's "Albatross" than the white album's "World Turning" does with Green's earlier version...

New conception? Not really, World Turning is both lyrically and musically a rip off World Keeps On Turning.