Without their spiritual and musical leader, the core musicians recruited a succession of players, starting with John McVie’s wife Christine, who, as Christine Perfect, had been keyboardist and co-lead vocalist in Chicken Shack, another UK blues band, whose biggest single hit was Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”, sung by Christine.
Their biggest success was with the Shadows-style instrumental “Albatross”, which hit number 1 in the UK in December 1968, but a further three Top 10 UK hits couldn’t temper the blow when Green abruptly quit the band in May 1970, apparently as a result of wanting to give up material things, exacerbated by the effects of LSD. The quintet went on to develop into an exciting and melodic rock band, and had a string of Green-penned hits in the UK, including “Black Magic Woman” and “The Green Manalishi” (with the Two-Prong Crown), covered subsequently by Santana and Judas Priest respectively. Originally a quartet completed by Elmore James-style slide guitarist and singer Jeremy Spencer, the band subsequently added another star guitarist, Danny Kirwan from Boilerhouse. For those who don’t know, Fleetwood Mac, named after drummer Mick Fleetwood and bass player John McVie, were formed by Peter Green as a British blues band in 1967, after Green had replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, the others having been Bluesbreakers: McVie since 1964 and Fleetwood for five weeks in 1967.
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