The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) – It was once Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers

At first everyone thought it was another LSD song, but Peter Green was adamant that it was about how money divides people.

‘The Green Manalishi’ was written by the great guitarist Peter Green, who was the initial driving force behind Fleetwood Mac.

Remember in their formative days they were ‘Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac’?

How good was Peter Green?

In July of 1966, after Eric Clapton decided to leave John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Decca Records producer Mike Vernon was discussing the band’s lineup with John Mayall.

As the band walked in the studio, I noticed an amplifier which I never saw before, so I said to John Mayall, “Where’s Eric Clapton?” Mayall answered, “He’s not with us anymore, he left us a few weeks ago.” I was in a shock of state [sic] but Mayall said, “Don’t worry, we got someone better.” I said, “Wait a minute, hang on a second, this is ridiculous. You’ve got someone better? Than Eric Clapton?” John said, “He might not be better now, but you wait, in a couple of years he’s going to be the best.” Then he introduced me to Peter Green.”

Mike Vernon

Peter Green’s colleagues referred to him as ‘The Green God’.

It was out of this act that Fleetwood Mac formed along with Jeremy Spencer and Mick Fleetwood. A short time later they were joined by John McVie (who replaced Bob Brunning).

This lineup would last through to 1970. In fact, ‘The Green Manalishi’ was the last song Peter Green recorded with Fleetwood Mac. Soon after it was released in May of 1970, Green left the band. More on that in a bit.

Let’s head back to the song’s creation which will offer a sense of Peter Green’s state of mind.

It’s true that at the time of writing Peter Green was indulging heavily in hallucinogens. It was a drug induced dream that spoke to him. Green maintains that he was visited by a green dog. The dog spoke to him from the afterlife through a series of barks. Green’s interpretation was that the dog represented the divisive forces of money and he was being ordered to write a song.

This dream may have been a subconscious message, but the theme of money, greed and the equal distribution of essential needs, such as food, shelter, education and healthcare was a bit of an obsession for Peter Green throughout his adult life.

It scared me because I knew the dog had been dead a long time. It was a stray and I was looking after it. But I was dead and had to fight to get back into my body, which I eventually did. When I woke up, the room was really black and I found myself writing the song.”

Peter Green

So shook by this experience, Green was unable to record ‘Hellhound on My Trail’ with Fleetwood Mac, nor even sing it when he recorded it as a solo artist.

It seems he felt the ‘Hellhound’ represented the green dog that haunted him in the dream.

The recording process for ‘The Green Manalishi’ was arduous because Green had a definite vision of how the presentation of the song needed to penetrate the soul.

When it was finally done, Green was very pleased.

Lots of drums, bass guitars,… Danny Kirwan and me playing those shrieking guitars together… I thought it would make Number One.”

Peter Green

Here is the poem, inspired by a wicked, drug induced dream. It was all driven home by the rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.

Now when the day goes to sleep and the full moon looks
And the night is so black that the darkness cooks
And you come creeping around, making me do things I don’t want to do

I can’t believe that you need my love so bad
You come sneaking around, trying to drive me mad
Busting in all my dreams, making me see things I don’t want to see

‘Cause you’re the Green Manalishi with the two-pronged crown
All night dragging us up, or you’re bringing us down
Just taking my love, and slip away
Leaving me here, trying to keep from following you”

Peter Green

To get a sense of the sinister origin of this creation, listen to this hard-edged live version, recorded in Sweden in April of 1970. This was shortly before the song was recorded and released.

This isn’t your Mom and Dad’s Fleetwood Mac. This is your cool uncle’s Fleetwood Mac

I share this because if you really get into it, you can feel how disturbing the dream must have been. Can you go so far as saying that it takes you into Peter Green’s mind?

You decide.

About 25 years later Peter Green formed a band called the Peter Green Splinter Group with Nigel Watson and Cozy Powell. During this live performance he introduces ‘The Green Manalishi’ and dispels the notion that it was strictly an LSD song. In this money monologue he shares the vision with the audience who ‘may not have known’ that he was once in Fleetwood Mac…Too funny.

It’s about having too much money… It got confused along the way. People thought I sort of had to give it all away…That’s not true. I feared that I would not be able to heal myself if I got sick.”

Peter Green

In this candid introduction, Peter Green alludes to the mental illness that caused him to leave the band.

In fact, this process occurred over a period of about three months.

Fleetwood Mac had been touring Europe and during a stopover in Munich, Green attended a party at a nearby commune. Fleetwood Mac manager Clifford Davis has spoken to the fact that it was this experience that signified Green’s intention to detach from the group, and the public spotlight. He attended the party with a roadie named Dennis Keane. When the party was over Keane couldn’t talk Green into leaving, so he headed back to Munich to let the band know. This resulted in Keane, Mick Fleetwood and another roadie named Dinky Dawson heading to the commune to talk Green into fulfilling his obligation to the group which included the Scandinavian tour shared above.

For Peter Green’s part, he has positive memories of his short stay at the Munich commune.

I had a good play there, it was great, someone recorded it, they gave me a tape. There were people playing along, a few of us just fooling around and it was… yeah it was great.”

Peter Green

You get the sense that Peter Green was a reluctant rock star and a man of few words. If it was only about the music he may have stuck around.

Sometimes things get complicated.

For the rest of Fleetwood Mac at that time, to a man they are convinced that this experience was the tipping point for Peter Green’s descent.

Now we move ahead to the anniversary that actually serves as the milestone that inspired this post.

On this day in 1978 Judas Priest released their album ‘Hell Bent for Leather’ which included a cover of ‘The Green Manalishi’.

To many, this version became the definitive recording of this song. A contentious point among music purists, but this served a purpose in propelling Peter Green’s status among the guitar greats.

Here is a quote from ‘Popmatters’.

(It) succeeded in such a way that the Priest version is now far more famous than the original. They make it their own, accelerating the pace just enough to achieve a better balance of force and menace, and the groove created by drummer Les Binks cinches it. Priest’s towering version is nevertheless an all-time heavy metal classic.”

Popmatters

The truth is, if you ask one hundred ‘80s metal fans who wrote/originally recorded ‘The Green Manolishi’ they would likely tell you it was Judas Priest.

Here you go.

None of this is being said to diminish the Judas Priest cover, because it is fantastic. Quite frankly, this song represents the bridge that takes music from the Black Sabbath/Deep Purple/Led Zeppelin hard rock era into the heavy metal realm.

Once you cross that bridge, if you look to the right you will go past the house of Judas Priest, and further on up the road you can pay a visit to Iron Maiden. This speaks to the evolution of music.

Part of the mission of Ted Tocks Covers is sharing the chapters that take us to the present day.

Here is Rob Halford offering up ‘The Green Manolishi’ to a few thousand metal maniacs during Live Aid in July of 1985.

Continuing the story of influence, listen to Melvins in 1999. They released ‘The Green Manolishi’ on their album ‘the Maggot’. The Melvins are considered to be one of the earliest examples of the grunge sound. They cut their teeth in the Seattle area and founding member Buzz Osborne is credited with introducing Dave Grohl to Kurt Cobain.

I share this because it effectively captures the spirit of today’s post. From blues, to psychedelic blues, to hard rock, to heavy metal to grunge, we can see how integral Peter Green was in the world of guitar driven music.

Before I conclude, here is a version by Fleetwood Mac where the great Lindsey Buckingham pays tribute to Green.

Walking in the footsteps of ‘The Green Manolishi’. This is from a 1975 show at the Capitol Theatre. Just fantastic. It comes complete with Stevie Nicks performing a shamanistic chant at the end.

Now enjoy Mick Fleetwood and Friends in 2020. Never forgetting where this band originated, Fleetwood billed this evening as ‘Mick Fleetwood and Friends: Celebrate the Music of Peter Green and the Early Years of Fleetwood Mac’. This lineup includes Billy Gibbons on guitar along with Kirk Hammett, and of course Fleetwood on drums. Hammett is actually playing Peter Green’s 1959 Les Paul guitar which he presently owns. The band is rounded out by Zak Starkey on drums, Dave Bronze on bass, Jonny Lang, Rick Vito and Andy Fairweather-Low on rhythm guitars and Ricky Peterson on keyboards. Peterson also served as the musical director.

The purpose of this video is to share how deep the Peter Green influence is in the music world.

To further articulate this point, look no further than Jimmy Page.

 The original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green performed the music of people like Elmore James really well. Peter had such a beautiful touch on things like ‘Stop Messing Around.’ Just fabulous in the vein of B.B. King…”

Jimmy Page

For more on this, check out the connection between ‘Oh Well’ and ‘Black Dog’.

He goes on to say…

 I don’t think you’re going to find a better example of British blues than the original Fleetwood Mac, with Jeremy Spencer and Peter Green.”

Jimmy Page

And speaking of B.B. King, here is some more praise.

He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.”

B.B. King

If you want to watch a great documentary, check out ‘Peter Green: Man of the World’.

Peter Green’s struggles with mental health issues are well documented and eventually he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Treatments occurred through the mid-70s and he spent time in psychiatric hospitals where he underwent electroconvulsive therapy. Whether this approach had any positive effects is a matter of debate, but by the ‘80s he managed to get his life back on track.

In this quote, he alludes to the fact it may have been the LSD trips that had the most severe effect on his behaviour and mental health.

I’m at present recuperating from treatment for taking drugs. It was drugs that influenced me a lot. I took more than I intended to. I took LSD eight or nine times. The effect of that stuff lasts so long … I wanted to give away all my money … I went kind of holy – no, not holy, religious. I thought I could do it, I thought I was all right on drugs. My failing!”

Peter Green

Getting back to ‘The Green Manolishi, once again I state, that at first everyone thought it was another LSD song, but Peter Green was adamant that it was about how money divides people.

It says here, that the effects of an LSD trip may have inspired the actual writing, but the notion that money brings out the worst in people is quite accurate. If that is the underlying premise of ‘The Green Manolishi’, I for one would suggest Peter Green was of sound mind when he jotted down this three-stanza offering.

Because there is no doubt that he was right.

Black Magic Woman – The evolution of a classic rock staple #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #PeterGreen #FleetwoodMac #JohnMayallandhisBluesbreakers #OtisRush #Santana #GaborSzabo #ButtonBrownBrass #SnowyWhite #GreggRolie #SteveLukather #AylaTeslerMabe

He has the sweetest tone I have ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.”

B.B. King

B.B. King was talking about Peter Green when he issued this compliment. Very high praise indeed. This version of Ted Tocks Covers will focus on one of the many songs that guitarists point to when they express their appreciation for Peter Green. Within the post you will get a short glimpse at how he was influenced by the blues, and who he went on to inspire with his carefully crafted style of playing. This will focus mainly on the music, using ‘Black Magic Woman’ as the backdrop.

Peter Green’s emergence on the British music scene began in 1965 when he became part of a band called Peter B.’s Looners. It was in this band that he met a lanky drummer named Mick Fleetwood. At this time musicians were always looking for the next best gig, so Fleetwood and Green moved on to form Shotgun Express with Peter Bardens (Peter B.) and an aspiring singer named Rod Stewart. This group was short-lived because soon after its formation Peter Green was invited to play with a British blues legend, who had a vacancy. Here is producer Mike Vernon’s recollection of his conversation with John Mayall shortly after Peter Green joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

As the band walked in the studio, I noticed an amplifier which I never saw before, so I said to John Mayall, “Where’s Eric Clapton?” Mayall answered, “He’s not with us anymore, he left us a few weeks ago.” I was in a shock of state [sic] but Mayall said, “Don’t worry, we got someone better.” I said, “Wait a minute, hang on a second, this is ridiculous. You’ve got someone better? Than Eric Clapton?” John said, “He might not be better now, but you wait, in a couple of years he’s going to be the best.” Then he introduced me to Peter Green.

Mike Vernon

After about a year with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Peter Green formed the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood, and eventually John McVie. Obviously, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie remain to this day, but it was Peter Green who helped to establish the earliest version of the legendary band we all know today. Peter Green’s songs still remain as an important part of the band’s setlist. Here is a brief example of how the influence unfolded.

When Peter Green was with the Bluesbreakers, he was drawn to the music of Otis Rush. Mayall was a teacher, and every recording session was like a lesson in blues history. Here is ‘All Your Love’ by Otis Rush. Listen closely and you will hear the beginnings of the ‘Black Magic Woman’ sound.

Out of the ‘All Your Love’ cover by John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, that actually featured Eric Clapton on guitar, Peter Green produced his own creation called ‘I Loved Another Woman’ and brought it to the early Fleetwood Mac sessions. Once again, the sound evolves.

For comparison, here is the studio version of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Black Magic Woman’ from 1968. Note the very similar sound.

‘Black Magic Woman’ hit the U.K. top 40, but it became more prominent for how it managed to inspire. While Fleetwood Mac was touring the United States west coast Carlos Santana was captured by Peter Green’s style. He was particularly moved by the band’s rendition of ‘Black Magic Woman’, and the band recorded it, and included it on their classic album ‘Abraxas’.

Ever the visionary, Santana opted to blend ‘Black Magic Woman’ with the incredible jazz and Hungarian folk stylings of Gabor Szabo and his own Latin rhythm influence. This came out in the medley that included ‘Gypsy Queen’ bookending ‘Black Magic Woman’. Here is Gabor Szabo and his instrumental ‘Gypsy Queen’ that went on to add so much to the Santana version.

Over 50 years later ‘Black Magic Woman’ exists as a Santana favourite. At the time of its release, it rose to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ‘Abraxas’ hit #1 on the album charts. The combination of Carlos Santana’s guitar work, the eclectic Latin rhythms plus Gregg Rolie’s keyboards and melodic voice is captivating.

As you read and gather the names, the list becomes more intriguing as the lineage unfolds. Otis Rush inspired John Mayall, who shared the sound with Eric Clapton, who left it for Peter Green who presented a sound to Carlos Santana, who then merged it with a combination of Latin sound and Hungarian Jazz/folk. Music is so much about artistic vision and every one of these names took the best of what came before and built something so impressive it is still revered today.

Let the covers continue.

So often, I begin a post with one thing in mind, but then I am led on a world of discovery. Here is a band called Button Down Brass featuring Ray Davies. This grabbed my attention because I immediately thought it was a side project of Ray Davies of The Kinks. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This Ray Davies was a highly regarded Welsh trumpeter and band leader who, in addition to his work in the big band and easy listening genre, managed to cross over into the pop scene where he worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry. His projects included The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Petula Clark (see ‘Downtown’), just to name a few. Here is their unique version of ‘Black Magic Woman’. It speaks to the range of possibilities.

One of Peter Green’s best friends in the music industry was Terence ‘Snowy’ White. White is renowned for his studio and live work with Pink Floyd. He also enjoyed stints with Thin Lizzy and Mick Taylor as well as being an integral part of Roger Waters and the Bleeding Heart Band. He has even recorded with rap superstar Meek Mill. Here is Snowy White and the White Flames doing ‘Black Magic Woman’ in the 2005 release ‘The Way It Is’. This is all ‘Black Magic Woman’. There is no visit from the ‘Gypsy Queen’. The feel is right there though. Quality playing from Snowy White, and the band is top notch.

As I continue to write Ted Tocks Covers and research the origin of great songs and present cover versions, I see names come up frequently, and they are universally regarded. In this case I refer to Steve Lukather. Listen to this version of ‘Black Magic Woman’ that is presented as part of Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band. This is the most recent incarnation of the band which for the purposes of this post features Gregg Rolie on keyboards and ‘Luke’ on lead guitar. Watch the interplay between Rolie and Lukather as the guitarist wails on the soulful sound. This is just a special moment that needs to be shared.

I am going to end this post with a little ‘CanCon’. This is in the form of an impressive guitar talent named Ayla Tesler-Mabe who caught my eye on YouTube because of her clear commitment to her craft and devotion to some of the finest guitar players ever. Once again, it all speaks to influence and that lineage seems to be moving on to new generations. Here, Ayla plays along with the Carlos Santana lead and nails it. It is fun to watch this recording from four years ago. She suggests her focus for the future will be concentrating on her own writing. At the time of this video, she was 16. She is now 20 and in a band called Ludic. Out of curiosity I looked her up and she is featured in the July, 2021 edition of Guitar World Magazine. Here is the article.

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/ludic-ayla-tesler-mabe

And here is her guitar cover of ‘Black Magic Woman’.

Sadly, on July 25, 2020, the music world lost the great Peter Green. For many years the enigmatic guitarist moved in and out of the public eye as he struggled with mental illness and financial challenges. His talent and unique ear were never in doubt. The list of guitarists who cite Peter Green as an influence is both long and impressive. Today’s reflection is only a beginning, using one song as the root source. Explore on your own.

World Turning – A classic #FleetwoodMac song that goes back to their early days. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #PeterGreen #BobWelch #MickFleetwood #LindseyBuckingham #ChristineMcVie

Classic Fleetwood Mac. A song that in one form or another has been part of this group’s live performances for over fifty years. Today’s post is mostly about the music, but I will briefly explain the song’s interesting evolution.

To begin, I should note that I learned about ‘World Turning’ in Mick Fleetwood’s autobiography called ‘Play On: Now Then, and Fleetwood Mac: The Autobiography’. This was a terrific book that chronicles Mick Fleetwood’s life and the ever-evolving story of Fleetwood Mac’s history.

‘World Turning’ began as a contribution from the great Peter Green in 1968. Fleetwood Mac’s first album contained a song called ‘The World Keeps on Turning’. At this point, the band consisted of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Peter Green in addition to Jeremy Spencer. Here is that song from the album that started it all. I have opted for a live rendition because it captures the Fleetwood Mac spirit that runs through to this day.

Six years later, Fleetwood Mac was moving through another incarnation of members. By 1975 the group opted to take on a hot young guitarist named Lindsey Buckingham and his talented girlfriend, Stevie Nicks. The band was working on a ton of material for their upcoming album, Fleetwood Mac. To date Ted Tocks has featured the Stevie Nicks contributions ‘Rhiannon’ and ‘Landslide’. That album was released in 1975 and it spent one year on the U.S. charts before reaching #1 on this day in 1976.This was the first of three #1 albums for the iconic band.

 ‘World Turning’ was largely a collaboration between Buckingham and the elegant Christine McVie. The pair modified the initial Peter Green song and turned it into a set list mainstay. In fact, it has appeared on every Fleetwood Mac tour since its release in 1975, often as a prelude to Mick Fleetwood’s captivating drum solo which has incorporated the flamboyant drummer’s talking drum and through the innovative technology of the ‘80s a drum vest that included a MIDI with five sensors. This production was performed much to the delight of Fleetwood Mac fans who loved Fleetwood’s engaging presentation as he came out from behind his kit and put his unique style on full display. Check out the combination of sounds created by the drum vest.

For today’s cover version I am keeping it within the Fleetwood Mac family. When Lindsey Buckingham joined the group as a guitarist, he was replacing Bob Welch. This represents just one chapter in the groups ever evolving soap opera. The reason I bring it up today is, in 2006 Bob Welch released his own version of ‘World Turning’ on an album called His Fleetwood Years and Beyond, Vol 2.

The Bob Welch contribution to Fleetwood Mac is somewhat underrated, and definitely controversial. As mentioned, it is a soap opera that would make ‘Young and the Restless’ blush. The band’s history is well chronicled, but as noted the band began as a blues band in London, England. It was at the urging of Bob Welch that the band moved to California to capitalize on the burgeoning commercial possibilities in the city of lights.

“My era was the bridge era. It was a transition. But it was an important period in the history of the band. Mick Fleetwood dedicated a whole chapter of his biography to my era of the band and credited me with ‘saving Fleetwood Mac’. Now they want to write me out of the history of the group. It hurts.”

Bob Welch

This is a reference to the fact that when Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bob Welch was not among the honoured members.

Welch added in an interview with the Cleveland Plains Dealer;

 “Mick and I co-managed the group for years. I’m the one who brought the band to Los Angeles from England, which put them in the position of hooking up with Lindsey and Stevie. I saw the band through a whole period where they barely survived, literally.”

Bob Welch

Like so many rock and roll stories, Bob Welch’s ended in tragedy. A combination of health issues led to him committing suicide in 2012 at the age of 66.

The music world keeps on turning but we should always remember the artist’s who make contributions from the periphery. Today’s post is as much about Peter Green and Bob Welch as it is about Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham.