Stuck In The Past with Jeremy Spencer

[vivfox]

Jeremy Spencer was one of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac. Back in the 60s they began their career as a blues band, and Spencer shared guitar and vocal duties with Peter Green. For their first two albums (Fleetwood Mac and Mr Wonderful) the songs were divided between those led by Spencer and those led by Green. Most of Spencer's songs were variations on the signature theme of his idol - bluesman Elmore James. When Green began to advance and step outside the blues genre (writing progressive tunes such as "Black Magic Woman"), Spencer was still resolutely hammering out the "Dust My Broom" lick. Eventually the band recruited a third guitarist, Danny Kirwan, with whom Green went on to produce their magnum opus Then Play On (1969). Though still a member of the band, Spencer did not play on this album. Their live concerts around this time were usually split between intense, explorative jams with Green and Kirwan, and a set where they were joined by Spencer for a host of high-energy 50s rock and roll covers (Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc). Concert recordings of this schizophrenic period in Fleetwood Mac's early history can be heard on the Live In Boston albums.

In 1970 Jeremy Spencer released a self-titled solo album. He was still a member of Fleetwood Mac at the time; indeed they are his backing band on this record. It consists of twelve tounge-in-cheek impersonations of all his favourite 50s and 60s stars. He proves to be really good at mimicry, and tries his hand at Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers and more. The funniest one has got to be "Mean Blues", where he effectively sends up his own band (as part of the British blues boom). Though it has an obvious element of humour, it doesn't detract from the album's strengths. It's some generally good music, and Spencer clearly had a real love for the artists he was impersonating. The songs are all great and at times simply charming.

Spencer stayed with Fleetwood Mac for one more album after Peter Green left - Kiln House sees more of his 50s-styled songs alongside those of Danny Kirwan. Surprisingly it works, resulting in a great record.
He infamously left the band, disappearing before a gig after going out to a bookshop. When the others found him days later, he declared that he had joined the religious group The Children Of God.

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