Pre-Rumours MacNuggets

[BklynBlue]

Twenty years ago there was a VHS release entitled “Fleetwood Mac – The Early Years” (Rhino Video1994) which compiled less than an hour’s worth of video performances of the Green-era Fleetwood Mac.
It was a slap-dash package, which simply strung the clips that they had in a somewhat chronological order, while providing no documentation as to where the footage came from, or when it was recorded.
Worse, especially in light of the short running time, for most of the shows that they pulled performances from, they left out one or more from the same show.

The DVD release “The Original Fleetwood Mac - The Early Years” (Image Entertainment 1999) appears to be out of print in the U.S. and the copies still in circulation are absurdly overpriced.

As to your specific question, the audio show that the performance clip of ‘Rattlesnake Shake’ (done for State owned Norsk Rikskringkasting of Norway) comes from is in circulation among fans, and another three of the songs from this broadcast, ‘I’m Worried’, ‘Like It This Way’ and ‘The World Keep On Turning’ were on the “Early Years” VHS / DVD listed above.

As mentioned, the latter three songs have been commercially available for twenty years, but the clip of ‘Rattlesnake Shake’ only recently (in relative terms) appeared on-line. If footage exists of any of the other numbers, it has yet to surface.

Similarly, ‘Oh Well’ was one of three numbers that FM performed on Monster Music Mash. For reasons unknown the other two numbers, ‘Like Crying’ and ‘Linda’ were included on the “Early Years” collection, while ‘Oh Well’ was left off. (there is a different, mimed performance of the song on the collection; perhaps they didn’t want two versions of the same song – as if that would have been a problem for fans!)

I agree with Becca that someone is missing an opportunity to put together a real compilation that would include all of the filmed appearances of the band leading up to the Buckingham / Nicks era.

Different collectors have already done this and many are happy to trade and share, but it would be nice to have consistent sound and visual quality for all of the different shows and (since this is never gonna happen) detailed notes providing context and other relevant information for the different clips.

One can dream….

[LesPaul7]

Right, and they are also sitting on all the other BBC recordings like You Need Love (Whole Lotta Love). In the book Strange Brew it is said early FM appeared on British TV a lot with performances of Green Manalishi, etc. Where are these?!?! If I recall, they even played One Sunny Day or Loving Kind...now that's rare!

[wetcamelfood]

Originally Posted by BklynBlue

(there is a different, mimed performance of the song on the collection; perhaps they didn’t want two versions of the same song – as if that would have been a problem for fans!)

AND if they really only wanted one Oh Well, it's kind of a slam dunk that it should've been the Monster Mash one, why they chose the mimed one I'll never know.

John

[GJK]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

AND if they really only wanted one Oh Well, it's kind of a slam dunk that it should've been the Monster Mash one, why they chose the mimed one I'll never know.

John

And to WHAT (then unreleased live) version are they miming to?

GJK

[THD]

Originally Posted by GJK

And to WHAT (then unreleased live) version are they miming to?

GJK

I believe that bands of this era sometimes had to go in specialy to record a track to which they would then mime on the show A complete waste of time, but union rules and all that stuff at the time meant they had to do it (of course that doesnt mean that they wouldnt try avoid wasting their time and get their manager slip a few quid to someone to say that the tape they presented to the show had just been specially recorded for that show when it was from elsewhere or taken from the master recording )

[wetcamelfood]

Originally Posted by GJK

And to WHAT (then unreleased live) version are they miming to?

GJK

Boston Tea Party version, still love it and all but...

John

[LesPaul7]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

AND if they really only wanted one Oh Well, it's kind of a slam dunk that it should've been the Monster Mash one, why they chose the mimed one I'll never know.

John

This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBU0ilZLQvI

It seems like Peter's vocal is live, and like THD said, I think they specifically recorded this for TV. It is stereo and pretty cool, different from the live at BBC with Peter Green on the resonator guitar.

[wetcamelfood]

Originally Posted by LesPaul7

This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBU0ilZLQvI

It seems like Peter's vocal is live, and like THD said, I think they specifically recorded this for TV. It is stereo and pretty cool, different from the live at BBC with Peter Green on the resonator guitar.

No, that's the one they shouldn't have used (and did use), the Boston Tea Party lip synch. I don't think those vocals are live, they sound just like the ones on the recording, IMHO.

THIS is the one they SHOULD'VE used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEWjXjWT8Co

JMHO though.

John

[dansven]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

No, that's the one they shouldn't have used (and did use), the Boston Tea Party lip synch. I don't think those vocals are live, they sound just like the ones on the recording, IMHO.

THIS is the one they SHOULD'VE used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEWjXjWT8Co

JMHO though.

John

I love this one!
Definitely a live take. Just watch them f**k up right before the 2nd vocal break. Peter's laughing at the whole thing!

[LesPaul7]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

No, that's the one they shouldn't have used (and did use), the Boston Tea Party lip synch. I don't think those vocals are live, they sound just like the ones on the recording, IMHO.

THIS is the one they SHOULD'VE used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEWjXjWT8Co

JMHO though.

John

So it must be an older, non-remastered version of Oh Well with no audience? I wonder what originally accompanied that clip when it aired, the studio version?

[LesPaul7]

Or was it indeed done after Boston 1970? The videos say that clip w/ Spencer was from 1969.

[BklynBlue]

The performance used on “The Original Fleetwood Mac” compilation video was most likely taped in early December, 1969, for a public access television show in Detroit. The band was there to play two nights at the East Town Theater with the Buddy Miles Express.

That would rule out the Boston Tea Party recordings for the source. More than likely they were going through the motions to a playback of the single. Problem was, the mikes in the studio were live, so Green’s voice is picked up, causing a slight “echo” on the vocal (guess he couldn’t / wouldn’t just mouth the words), which in fairness probably would have looked even worse.