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(return
to part 1)
These days, do you feel
a deeper understanding of the music that so excited you in your
youth?
Absolutely. Especially with the heart of sweet
blues, not the screaming, down-and-dirty, grunge-and-sweat kind
of modern blues that seems to be prevalent today. I still listen
to Elmore's "Sky Is Crying," B.B.'s "It's My Own
Fault," [or] Otis Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby,"
for instance, and appreciate these classics more than ever.
I'll quote an interesting passage from a recent
bio of Muddy Waters here. When he was asked why the white guys
can't play the blues, he said, "There are some beautiful
white bands. But they didn't go to the Baptist church like I
[did]. They didn't get that soul down deep in the heart like
I have. And they can't deliver the message."
I think he hit the core of it right there.
Real feeling in blues - and I don't think it's just grumbling
about your lot and complaining, but healing and empathetic emotion
- has to come from God. It's not a matter of color, but I think
most of those dear ol' black bluesers down in the Delta got the
point lots quicker 'n us whitey folks.
What are your expectations
for this album? The market for music isn't good these days, and,
as always, the emphasis is on youth.
I don't have big expectations for the album.
But on my travels in Europe, I have been pleasantly surprised
at the reactions of some young people to it, especially, believe
it or not, teen girls! I don't know what to attribute that to,
as I'm no Robbie Williams or Eminem.
Is it enough to know that
it will probably reach only a relatively small audience, but
that they will be pleased?
Absolutely. Precious little, precious few.
When I meet or hear from the people that have responded to it
deeply and sincerely, I am somewhat glad if it stays small. I
don't know if the record company will agree with me, of course!
Even if I never record again, it's an album I can finally say
I'd be happy to leave this world with.
When you were first starting
out, what made you want to be a musician?
As a kid, plaintive ballads such as "Unchained
Melody," "It's Only Make Believe," and "Young
Love" got to me the most, especially when I would hear a
solitary guitar in the distance echoing the emotion. That's what
got me about Elmore James when I heard "The Sun Is Shining"
- that extension of the voice through the guitar. It was just
incredible to me. That's why, when it comes to blues, I like
the singer and the guitarist to be the same person, even if the
two elements are maybe not as technically proficient as a separate
guitar player and singer in a supergroup-style lineup. Maybe
there'll be some disagreement about this, but I like to hear
the voice and the guitar "answers" breathing as one,
if you know what I mean.
Was playing music an answer
to something missing in your life, or just the natural thing
for someone young at the time?
I played the piano and organ at the time,
but when I began learning slide guitar, it was like I'd discovered
a way to express emotion, and it was very fulfilling.
Beyond Elmore James, who
excited you?
Homesick James [Elmore's cousin], Otis Rush,
Albert King, and early Buddy Guy. I also liked Blind Willie McTell
and Sleepy John Estes.
What was it like joining
a professionally experienced band like Fleetwood Mac in 1967?
Peter already had the beginning of his "Green God"
reputation as a guitar player, and John McVie and Mick Fleetwood
knew the ropes from their time with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
Strangely enough, I did not feel intimidated,
as it all just fell into place musically. I did feel a lack of
confidence, however, playing without a slide to do riffs to back
Pete. That's why I didn't, and he ended up having to recruit
Danny [Kirwan] to do that!
Tell us about the early
Mac repertoire. Who decided what in terms of the setlist? You
seem to have had plenty of "play" time onstage and
in the studio.
In the beginning, with just the four of us,
I chose the Elmore stuff and Pete chose his B.B. King-style material.
For sure, I was given a lot of play time at the beginning. Too
much, actually, and I wore out that Elmore riff.
Please tell us about the
early shows in the U.K. Were the shows as wild as the legend
has it?
They were as wild as legend had it,
but legends have a way of developing over the years.
Did things change after
Danny joined?
For Pete, John, Mick, and especially Danny,
things changed for the better. Danny and Pete were able to develop
together, explore new ideas, and the band took off successfully
as a result. For me, it changed for the worse, as I just didn't
find myself getting anything new. I tried, but you can't work
that sort of thing up. As they say, [success] is 10 percent inspiration
and 90 percent perspiration, but without that initial 10 percent,
it's dry and futile.
How did your reputation
for ribald stage humor come about?
I had - and still have to some extent - a
silly streak and a penchant for liking to shock people, especially
in those days with the staid British. It certainly wasn't all
in good taste, and I'm not proud of a lot of those antics [Fleetwood
Mac was banned from London's Marquee Club after Spencer appeared
onstage wearing a giant phallus]. But we were a bunch of silly
kids, really - boys in the band acting up. Nowadays that type
of thing no longer shocks anyone; vulgarity is par for the course
for supposedly controversial bands. You know, knighted punk stars
cursing at a Royal Command performance.
(continue
to part 3)
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