Forgotten guitar great Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
Posted on October 25, 2008
Filed Under Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
Peter Green (born Peter Allen Greenbaum, 29 October 1946, in Bethnal Green, London) was the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.
Green inspired B. B. King to say, “He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.”
In 1967, Green decided to leave Mayall’s Bluesbreakers after appearing on just one album (just as Clapton had done) and form his own blues band.
He was a heavy blues player, adored by his fans, who saw Fleetwood Mac as more edgy and faithful to the blues than The Rolling Stones.
Their self-titled debut album was a huge success in the UK and reached #4 in the charts. It also featured hit single “Black Magic Woman”, written by Green. The song was later covered by Santana and became a worldwide smash.
He could offer more than the blues: “Albatross” (Fleetwood Mac’s first number one hit), “The Green Manalishi” (almost heavy metal), “Man of the World” (although when Green sings “I wish I never was born” you believe him) and “Oh Well” (a riff to die for).
Peter Green was very uncomfortable with all the acclaim and as his mental stability deteriorated. He quit Fleetwood Mac in 1970 and faded into obscurity, taking on a succession of menial jobs and selling his trademark 1959 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard to Irish guitarist Gary Moore.
Green was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the mid 70s and he spent time in psychiatric hospitals undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.
There was a resurgence in the late 70s and early 80s but then suffered a relapse in 1984 a lived a tramp like existence for a further 6 years until being rescued by his brother.
Green has appeared on stage as recently as 2003 but now lives in Sweden where he has said that the medication he takes to treat his psychological problems makes it hard for him to concentrate and saps his desire to pick up a guitar.
Blues guitar hero. Not forgotten.
If you want to discuss further the first and best incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, join the forum here!
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36 Responses to “Forgotten guitar great Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac”
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What a sad story. I have always been a Fleetwood Mac fan, but didn’t know his full story. It’s good to hear where he is now too. It is a loss to the music world that his condition prevents him from playing! Thanks for the post!
yeah, i agree with lia im fan of fleetwood mac too. can you write his full story
Hey, very interesting post.
My written English is not so good so I write in German:
“Lieber den Spatz in der Hand, als die Taube auf dem Dach.”
Yours sincerely
Riester
I had known there were other members at times in the band but I didn’t realize that he was the founder of the band. I thought Mic Fleetwood was the original founder. Good post and thanks for the info.
Wow…there was so much in that post that I wasn’t aware of, like I wasn’t aware he was the founder of Fleetwood Mac…great post
I love musics and very eager to know about singers and musicians related articles. Thanks so much. Touching a lot
I love he’s music, but I didn’t know that sad story
.
I did not know his story. Thanks for sharing it.
I really love the early Fleetwood Mac and also his stuff with John Mayall. I did not know about the diagnosis. Thanks for the post!
Jens
I am a fan of Fleetwood Mac and sadly I didn’t know about him as the founder of Fleetwood Mac… Thanks for bringing up this amazing story. Great post!
Early Fleetwood Mac was the best, I wasn`t into their other Stuff at all.
I hadn’t heard of the great Guitarist Peter Green until a friend of mine told me the other day, and ever since I can’t get enough of him!
Peter Green was simply phenomenal!
It’s too bad that Fleetwood Mac has been pigeonholed as a pop band. Many more rock fans wouldn’t have been turned off by that label and dig back into their earlier stuff and discover what Peter Green was all about.
I have always loved Peter Green, more people need to know about him!
Fleetwood Mac is a classic group. If I remember right, they became models – or is it part owners – of a certain guitar brand before?
Love the group. It is a shame that medications have taken away such an important part of his life. We need to find ways to do things with less harm to quality of life.
Who can forget that guitarist of all time. In fact many new champ started to pick guitar after seeing his photo and I was also one of them.
Although I would love to play slow and calm … that can be effected because I am girl.
Its the same story – Pink Floyd had the same with Sid. Music isn’t about taking loads of drugs an going insane. Its not a Joke. Fleetwood Mac and especially their earlier works (from Albatross on was all downhill musically) created an immense amount of music that will never be forgotten. Rock on.
Peter Green was brilliant. One of his better known songs was performed by Santana…”Black Magic Woman”. Judas Priest covered Green Manalishi. Check out Rory Gallagher for another forgotten guitar player.
I knew that he was crazy, man!
I didn’t know that Green was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Informative +5
Oo, this is really a great news!
Fleetwood mac was so great, due in large part to the work of peter green. sad.
He’s music is great.
Fleetwood mac is one of my all time favorite bands! Great info, and great post – thanks.
He really rocks..!!
Hello,
Thanks for this post, it is really helpful.
Good luck
hey kanye love your love lock down remix
you really have a nice news to tell us intresting to knw abt such an guitarist
great Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac is one of the best guitarist but so many facts abt him you told us cheers to you
[...] jazz. Another of my favorites of his is “Need Your Love So Bad” which was covered by the original Fleetwood Mac and was a big hit in [...]
It was as if the voice of God spoke through the voice and fingers of Peter Green. Miracles occurred when he picked up a guitar. Well, not literally…..but you get my meaning. There has never been a guitarist who could evoke such a range of emotion. Every note, every tone, the silence between the notes, all played for keeps.
Well his playing again. I just saw him at the Basement in Sydney. His performance was sublime. Best performer ever.
Peter Green is a legend and he is well known for his love for the Gibson Les Paul guitar. What an excellent musician!
Well Peter Green is a Legend no doubt. But did he really love the Les Paul Guitars so much?
RIP Les Paul btw.