Pete comes back

DavidMn · #1 01-06-2006, 03:46 PM

Ok, I've read the stories about when Jeremy suddenly left the band in L.A in 1970, and Mr Green came back for a short time after having left. How long did he comne back for, and I wonder what THAT was like.

sharksfan2000 · #2 01-06-2006, 04:36 PM

Peter just came back to help the band complete their US tour after Jeremy left (early 1971, not 1970). Not sure how long he was back with them - maybe around 6 weeks?

There are 3 bootlegs I'm aware of from that tour - the first one is supposedly from the first show Peter joined the band for, in San Bernardino in mid-February. There's another one that's supposed to be from late February and the third from late March. I don't know whether the dates are accurate. On the San Bernardino recording, other than the fact that you can hear a second guitarist, you'd be hard-pressed to identify the guitarist as Peter. Nigel Watson (who came with Peter to join the touring band) can be heard on congas during an extended jam of "Tell Me All The Things You Do". I guess you would expect Peter to be somewhat tentative if that was indeed his first show back with the band. Peter's guitar is much easier to identify in the other two fragmentary recordings, both of which are unfortunately of terrible sound quality. Both feature extended jamming - on one show it reminds me of The End Of The Game, with a lot of wah-wah playing, while the other reminds me more of the "Madge" jams from Then Play On.

Beyond that, there are a few brief written accounts of that tour, basically mentioning that the band would do mostly jamming rather than playing a lot of their then-current or past songs (though it seems they did play some of those during their sets).

chiliD · #3 01-06-2006, 04:39 PM

Only for a few weeks...Jeremy bailed in mid-February 1971; Peter (with Nigel Watson in tow, playing congas) caught up with the band a week or so later...supposedly their first gig with the band was March 24th in San Bernardino, California...but they'd played gigs between those times (7 nights at the Fillmore West, a couple Fillmore East shows...opened for Black Sabbath on a number of dates), so that claim is not substantiated. I suspect Peter was with them earlier than that claim.

There's a bootleg circulating of the March 24th (the date of the show is questionable, as well) Swing Auditorium show...not the greatest sound quality, but a VERY interesting set:

Station Man
Get Like You Used To Be
Dragonfly
Purple Dancer
I'd Rather Go Blind
(and a lengthy) Tell Me All The Things You Do

Also, supposedly, the recordings from this show of "Station Man" & "Tell Me..." make up side 2 of the bootleg LP Merely A Portmanteau.

EDIT: If I hadn't stopped to "check my sources" I would've beat you to the punch, Ken.

robm · #4 01-06-2006, 04:47 PM

I concur with ChiliD, and Sharksfan2000...too bad the shows where Peter can be better heard are not of very decent sound quality.
Jeremy left to join the "Children of God" religious cult, while they were in LA, CA...from what I remember, and mentioned in Mojo Magazine.

sharksfan2000 · #5 01-06-2006, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

Only for a few weeks...Jeremy bailed in mid-February 1971; Peter (with Nigel Watson in tow, playing congas) caught up with the band a week or so later...supposedly their first gig with the band was March 24th in San Bernardino, California...but they'd played gigs between those times (7 nights at the Fillmore West, a couple Fillmore East shows...opened for Black Sabbath on a number of dates), so that claim is not substantiated. I suspect Peter was with them earlier than that claim.

I've seen the date for this show also given as February 19th, and I tend to believe that's more likely to be the correct date, since it fits with the date of Jeremy's leaving the band. I've read Nigel's account (can't recall which book it was in) that he & Peter flew in from England, and were driven directly to the Swing Auditorium for the show.

ChiliD - notice that I spelled San Bernardino correctly this time!

chiliD · #6 01-06-2006, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

ChiliD - notice that I spelled San Bernardino correctly this time!

Good job...that is one elusive "r", isn't it?

bretonbanquet · #7 01-06-2006, 07:19 PM

I'd go with Feb 19th for that bootleg date too - Jeremy went walkabout on the 15th (the 14th being his last gig), and I can't imagine Mac would've played many (any?) gigs as just Danny, Chris, Mick and John. Give them a day or two to phone Peter, and for him and Nigel to put themselves on a plane, and you've got Feb 19th, give or take a day or two. The Sabbath gigs were the first 10 days or so in March.

I always think this must have been very difficult for the band, who'd just got used to the idea of being without Peter, and starting afresh with new songs and a new album, and suddenly they have to ask him back. I'm pretty sure Danny took it badly, especially the night he threw a beer bottle at Peter backstage - Peter's improvisational skills made Danny look a bit second-class, just as Danny was trying to get used to being some kind of frontman. It must have been so frustrating for him

Wouter Vuijk · #8 01-06-2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

I'd go with Feb 19th for that bootleg date too - Jeremy went walkabout on the 15th (the 14th being his last gig), and I can't imagine Mac would've played many (any?) gigs as just Danny, Chris, Mick and John. Give them a day or two to phone Peter, and for him and Nigel to put themselves on a plane, and you've got Feb 19th, give or take a day or two. The Sabbath gigs were the first 10 days or so in March.
(

Wouldn't Mick and/or John be able to give a clue to the (approximately) exact date? I mean, they must have known how many days they were without Jeremy when Peter flew in????

BTW Happy new year to all of you

dino · #9 01-07-2006, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk

Wouldn't Mick and/or John be able to give a clue to the (approximately) exact date? I mean, they must have known how many days they were without Jeremy when Peter flew in????

BTW Happy new year to all of you

Either way, there must be a tour plan somewhere, including all stops on the tour.

The March date for Swing Auditorium is certainly wrong if that's supposed to be the first show: I traded the Fillmore 26/02/71 show (featuring Peter) from a woman who got it first-hand from the guy who taped it.
He worked as a security guard at the Fillmore, I think the date is fairly accurate.
The tape got warped when it was played back to be transferred to cd, so the original recording wasn't that bad, probably.

A good guess would be that Peter joined the tour in late Februari (possibly 19th)
and the his last gig was in early April, according to this "fan" review from Fm Legacy:

"One Fan's Story:
by Randy Foley

April 10th 1971, Sports Arena, Toledo.

The Mac headlined; Catfish Hodge opened.

Catfish, a local Detroit boogie band, opened the show to a small crowd (perhaps 500 people, or fewer--less than 10% of the arena's capacity). The band was enthusiastic, and the modest crowd enjoyed the performance, which ran long.

Towards the end of Catfish's show, frontman and guitarist Bob "Catfish" Hodge said he wasn't going to leave the stage until Peter Green came out and jammed with his group, and Catfish launched into a lengthy Canned Heat-like boogie. This went on for some time, with Hodge making every effort to get Green to take the stage with his group, but to no avail. Finally, Catfish ended a nearly 90-minute set, allowing Mac to finally take the stage.

Fleetwood Mac took the stage with little fanfare, and played a few familiar older tunes but in a jam-like fashion, with Green meandering all over the place on most tunes they played. After about 35 minutes, the group started the opening riffs of "Oh Well," when the plug was pulled by the arena's management, and the show came to an abrupt and anti-climatic end, no apologies.

Though it was interesting to see Green back with Mac, the performance was so-so, and none of the band members seemed to really be into it. Line-up: Fleetwood, McVie, Christine, Kirwan, and Green. "

Also there's a tour itinerary (incomplete probably) on the Legacy page. The Swing Auditorium date must be wrong:

Date Venue City (Fleetnotes are highlighted in blue)
February 11, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 12, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 13, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 14, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 18, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 19, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 20, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 21, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 22, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 23, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 24, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 26, 1971 Fillmore East New York, NY
February 27, 1971 Fillmore East New York, NY
March 2, 1971 . Chapel Hill, NC
March 6, 1971 Pirates World Dania, FL
March 7, 1971 Painters Mill Music Fair Owings Mills, MD
March 12, 1971 East Town Theatre Detroit, MI
March 13, 1971 East Town Theatre Detroit, MI
March 19, 1971 Palladium Detroit, MI
March 24, 1971 Swing Auditorium San Bernardino, CA
March 27, 1971 . Long Island, NY
April 10, 1971 Sports Arena
(see above fan review) Toledo,OH

sharksfan2000 · #10 01-07-2006, 11:32 AM

Thanks for that account of the Toledo show, dino - I hadn't seen that before. A couple of books state that the last date on the tour was at the Fillmore East - don't know if there are other sources that might confirm whether that's true? And perhaps the date given for the Toledo show is incorrect?

The tour itinerary is obviously wrong. As bretonbanquet noted, February 14th was probably the date for Jeremy's last gig with the band (at the Fillmore West in San Francisco). They were booked to play at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in LA following that (one book I have says that they were scheduled to play 4 nights there), so the rest of the Fillmore West dates are almost certainly incorrect. It makes perfect sense that the band would still be in Southern California a few days after Jeremy's departure when Peter and Nigel arrived to play in San Bernardino. The February 19th date fits perfectly following the four missed dates in LA.

SteveMacD · #11 01-07-2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino

April 10th 1971, Sports Arena, Toledo.

After about 35 minutes, the group started the opening riffs of "Oh Well," when the plug was pulled by the arena's management, and the show came to an abrupt and anti-climatic end, no apologies.

YET ANOTHER REASON TO HATE TOLEDO'S SPORTS ARENA!!!

(Sorry, the Toledo Storm, who STILL play in the Sports Arena, are the Dayton Bombers' biggest rival...)

DavidMn · #12 01-08-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino

Either way, there must be a tour plan somewhere, including all stops on the tour.

The March date for Swing Auditorium is certainly wrong if that's supposed to be the first show: I traded the Fillmore 26/02/71 show (featuring Peter) from a woman who got it first-hand from the guy who taped it.
He worked as a security guard at the Fillmore, I think the date is fairly accurate.
The tape got warped when it was played back to be transferred to cd, so the original recording wasn't that bad, probably.

A good guess would be that Peter joined the tour in late Februari (possibly 19th)
and the his last gig was in early April, according to this "fan" review from Fm Legacy:

"One Fan's Story:
by Randy Foley

April 10th 1971, Sports Arena, Toledo.

The Mac headlined; Catfish Hodge opened.

Catfish, a local Detroit boogie band, opened the show to a small crowd (perhaps 500 people, or fewer--less than 10% of the arena's capacity). The band was enthusiastic, and the modest crowd enjoyed the performance, which ran long.

Towards the end of Catfish's show, frontman and guitarist Bob "Catfish" Hodge said he wasn't going to leave the stage until Peter Green came out and jammed with his group, and Catfish launched into a lengthy Canned Heat-like boogie. This went on for some time, with Hodge making every effort to get Green to take the stage with his group, but to no avail. Finally, Catfish ended a nearly 90-minute set, allowing Mac to finally take the stage.

Fleetwood Mac took the stage with little fanfare, and played a few familiar older tunes but in a jam-like fashion, with Green meandering all over the place on most tunes they played. After about 35 minutes, the group started the opening riffs of "Oh Well," when the plug was pulled by the arena's management, and the show came to an abrupt and anti-climatic end, no apologies.

Though it was interesting to see Green back with Mac, the performance was so-so, and none of the band members seemed to really be into it. Line-up: Fleetwood, McVie, Christine, Kirwan, and Green. "

Also there's a tour itinerary (incomplete probably) on the Legacy page. The Swing Auditorium date must be wrong:

Date Venue City (Fleetnotes are highlighted in blue)
February 11, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 12, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 13, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 14, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 18, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 19, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 20, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 21, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 22, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 23, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 24, 1971 Fillmore West San Francisco, CA
February 26, 1971 Fillmore East New York, NY
February 27, 1971 Fillmore East New York, NY
March 2, 1971 . Chapel Hill, NC
March 6, 1971 Pirates World Dania, FL
March 7, 1971 Painters Mill Music Fair Owings Mills, MD
March 12, 1971 East Town Theatre Detroit, MI
March 13, 1971 East Town Theatre Detroit, MI
March 19, 1971 Palladium Detroit, MI
March 24, 1971 Swing Auditorium San Bernardino, CA
March 27, 1971 . Long Island, NY
April 10, 1971 Sports Arena
(see above fan review) Toledo,OH

WHat a bunch of assholes!

I wonder why they would pull the plug like that? Especially during Oh Well.

robm · #13 01-09-2006, 11:11 AM

I suspect because the 1st band was probably scheduled to play 30 minutes or so, and the Mac an hour and a half...many arena's have to follow these time constraints due to the security hired, local police being on overtime around the arean, and city ordinances...it's not like toledo, ohio is a major metro. city that has an ongoing nightlife...aka, NYC, LA, Boston, Vegas, etc. I'd bet they had to pull the plug after a certain time 11pm, etc. Just my best guess, as in college I was on our concert commitee, and these time constraints are real! And it's too bad that this has to happen.

DavidMn · #14 01-09-2006, 02:30 PM

Something really good happened between the Detroit show on March 19 and the San Bernardino show on March 24. I was born March 22 1971. Just thought I'd throw that in for comic relief.

Wouter Vuijk · #15 01-09-2006, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMn

Something really good happened between the Detroit show on March 19 and the San Bernardino show on March 24. I was born March 22 1971. Just thought I'd throw that in for comic relief.

Now here we can find the truth.
David, were you there at the San Bernardino show? If so it must definitely have been taken place on march 24. If not, then definitely it took place on february 19.
How's this for a (comic) deduction???
BTW, 1971 was a good year: I finished high school.......