New book explores early Fleetwood Mac
Mick Fleetwood was 16 when he left school, told his parents he wanted to pursue a career in rock ’n’ roll, and went to London in search of gigs. Fleetwood fell in with some talented blues enthusiasts, paid (barely) his dues and soared to stardom with the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, and then into the rock ’n’ roll stratosphere with the second, more pop-oriented version of the band.
“School was not a good thing for me,” Fleetwood said. “I had a learning disability, no doubt, and no one understood what those things were . ... My parents were like, ‘Go and do it.’ ”
Fleetwood had the good fortune to make friends with Peter Green, the talented guitarist whose blues sound shaped the band’s early years. Green receives the lion’s share of the credit, and the dedication, in Fleetwood’s memoir of the band’s formative period: “Love That Burns: A Chronicle of Fleetwood Mac, Volume One: 1967-1974” (Genesis Publications).
At 70, Fleetwood is eager to acknowledge his debt to Green, who left the band in 1970. Fleetwood and bassist John McVie were later joined by Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham for a new lineup that hit the jackpot with “Rumours,” one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Fleetwood said the band’s very name reflects Green’s self-effacing approach. “Peter was asked why did he call the band Fleetwood Mac. He said, ‘Well, you know, I thought maybe I’d move on at some point, and I wanted Mick and John to have a band.’ End of story, explaining how generous he was.”