DISCUSSION: Danny's songs from Kiln House

[slipkid]

Originally Posted by chiliD

I was speaking strictly from a musical standpoint. Just because Jimmy McCulloch had a smack problem doesn't mean Danny would have, too. Being that he was having to FRONT Fleetwood Mac magnified his insecurities (that and having the "I'm a white man who SHOULDN'T be playing the black man's blues" syndrome). Being a sideman in Wings where the spotlight would rarely be on him, and playing POP music rather than "the blooze" probably would've HELPED his situation rather than been his downfall.

As far as the Stones are concerned, everytime they've been on a guitarist search, they recruit EVERYBODY (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, Steve Cropper, Wayne Perkins, etc; anyone with the slightest bit of "a name", they recruit), so I don't take much stock in their "recruiting Danny". I compare it to baseball fans talking hypothetical player trades..."Oh, it'd be great if the (enter favorite team here) got Ryan Howard." I could see that maybe some journalist was in the room when Keith hypothetically asked Mick, "Hey, what about Danny Kirwan?". I think that's about as far as it went.

A fair counter-argument. BTW my favorite team has Ryan Howard. Six games up on the Braves in the N.L. East with nine left to play.

I wasn't there, I never met the man, but from what you can read about him, Danny Kirwan was not an easy person to know or understand. He was socially awkward. This would not translate well either in a band fronted by Paul McCartney, or the Rolling Stones. Kirwan's behavior only became worse the more he became an alcoholic. I know Peter Green used to give him a hard time (ribbing, "busting balls"), but only out of friendship. I don't think Kirwan understood that level of interaction. I also believe Kirwan's behavior had a factor in Green's premature departure. From Green's perspective the original four piece band was very tight, then they hire the 18 year old prodigy, but he turns out to be a social misfit. They were great together writing songs, but everything else was too hard to live with.

As dansven points about pouring a beer on Green's head during his substitute tour replacement in early '71, I've read Kirwan threw a beer bottle in Green's direction only to miss. It followed the infamous four hour Fillmore East "Black Magic Woman" marathon. Kirwan was upset because Green decided to take over the band out of the blue without warning, and Kirwan felt lost.