A Brief Reflection On Peter Green’s Legacy
Samantha Colleran, July 2020
As someone who is an avid fan of Fleetwood Mac, the passing of co-founder and guitar legend Peter Green this past weekend left me shocked and truly devastated. He was 73 and passed peacefully in his sleep, according to a statement made by his family. In 1967, Green and then Bluesbreakers drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie played in the studio together outside of Bluesbreakers, they had a chemistry that was nothing like what they had in Bluesbreakers. Green thought of what it would be like to form his own band, and to make a long story short, the three left Bluesbreakers and went on to form what was then called ‘Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac’. (The “Peter Green” title was dropped eventually, as we all know).
The original Fleetwood Mac is a lot different from the Fleetwood Mac everyone is familiar with today, but it’s important to understand the roots of where the band’s iconic sound comes from. Peter Green was a total musical genius. He could play the guitar like nobody had ever seen, he wrote powerful lyrics and had one of the most incredible voices. He was so talented and skilled in his ways that he was nicknamed “Green God” by his musical colleagues. Peter Green shaped Fleetwood Mac into an English blues group and kickstarted what would evolve into one of rock and roll’s greatest bands to exist. Green is such an important part of their legacy despite only being active in the band for three years, there’s simply no Fleetwood Mac without the foundation Peter Green created. Some of the earlier Fleetwood Mac albums are among their best works, and that’s thanks to Peter.
Peter Green left the band in 1970. Green didn’t enjoy the musical direction the band was heading in, and he began to clash with member Jeremy Spencer. He unfortunately had poor experiences with drugs, LSD in particular, and began to feel that the band was making an unfair amount of money. He once famously said to Mick Fleetwood “Let’s give our money away. All of it”, and one of the Mac’s most well known Peter Green songs called “The Green Manalishi” is about money and greed. Peter began showing early signs of schizophrenia, and after leaving the band spent time in and out of mental health institutions. In 1998, Green was one of the eight members of Fleetwood Mac inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although instead of performing with the band he performed “Black Magic Woman” with Santana.
The Green God’s music has been reworked a number of times. Santana’s smash hit “Black Magic Woman” is actually a cover of the Peter Green penned work originally performed by Fleetwood Mac, which shocks people whenever I inform them that Santana is not the original singer of the beloved song. I also recently learned from an article written by Rob Sheffield honoring Peter Green’s work that The Beatles reworked the Fleetwood Mac UK instrumental hit, “Albatross”, into their song “Sun King” for the famous Abbey Road album in 1969.
In a Facebook post, Fleetwood Mac drummer and other co-founder Mick Fleetwood honored his late friend and former bandmate, calling the loss “monumental” for the Fleetwood Mac family. “I will miss you, but rest easy your music lives on. I thank you for asking me to be your drummer all those years ago. We did good, and trail blazed one hell of a musical road for so many to enjoy,” Mick said in his post. Stevie Nicks, although never having the chance to perform with Peter herself, always refers to the beautiful and oddly specific Fleetwood Mac sound as “mystical”, citing Peter as the source of that beauty. “When I first listened to all the Fleetwood Mac records, I was very taken with his guitar playing. It was one of the reasons I was excited to join the band. His legacy will live on forever in the history books of Rock n Roll. It was in the beginning, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and I thank you, Peter Green, for that. You changed our lives…” Stevie wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post.
There’s so much that could be said about the Green God and his impact not only on Fleetwood Mac, but on British blues as a whole, but I would be writing for ages so I’ll keep it short. I thank you, Peter Green, for leaving behind an incredible legacy and for being the brains behind Fleetwood Mac. Thank you for your music, for turning your pain and emotions into beautiful works and allowing the world to listen to the things you had to say. Your words and impeccable ways of playing the guitar will carry on for generations, your legend will certainly never be forgotten. Take a listen below to a select few of the many incredible songs Peter Green wrote in his time. Rest in peace, Peter Green.