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  #1  
Old 05-07-2009, 10:16 AM
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slipkid slipkid is offline
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Default "The Purple Dancer"

Since Jeremy Spencer is lurking again, I thought I would ask about a song that's not easy to locate. The version found on "Madison Blues", and "Perfect Days", is an outtake and not the original. Would some kind soul make the single version available if they have it? I've read that it's much better than the widely available CD version.


As for the song's background (Jeremy?) it sounds to me like a joint collaboration between Spencer and Kirwan. In fact I'd say it was Jeremy's most contemporary song that he ever wrote with the Mac (if he did help to write it). Am I close to the truth? Is this the last song Jeremy Spencer recorded with Fleetwood Mac, or was "Dragonfly" the last, or did you even contribute on "Dragonfly"?


Thanks in advance. If this has been discussed before, I apologize.

Update:

I found it here:

http://fleetwoodmacmusic.blogspot.co...1_archive.html

Thank you keeper of the Fleetwood Mac blog! Nice slide work Jeremy, you left musically on a high note.

Last edited by slipkid; 05-07-2009 at 01:24 PM..
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  #2  
Old 05-07-2009, 08:19 PM
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chriskisn chriskisn is offline
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Purple Dancer & Dragonfly are certainly two of the better songs to come out of this period (and there were plenty). I don't understand why they aren't more readily available.

The fantastic discography on here (fleetwoodmac.net) says that Jeremy provides guitar and vocals to Dragonfly. Certainly Purple Dancer is more of a duet between Danny and Jeremy, each taking alternate verses.

If the discography is correct, then Dragonfly was written by Danny with W.H. Davies (wasn't it a poem by W.H. Davies?), and Purple Dancer was written by Danny, Mick and John.

http://discog.fleetwoodmac.net/songs...59&perfid=4025

http://discog.fleetwoodmac.net/songs...77&perfid=5200

Last edited by chriskisn; 05-07-2009 at 08:22 PM..
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  #3  
Old 05-07-2009, 08:28 PM
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chriskisn chriskisn is offline
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To answer my own question, the 1927 original W.H. Davies Poem of Dragonfly was...

The Dragonfly

Now, when my roses are half buds, half flowers,
And loveliest, the king of flies has come-
It was a fleeting visit, all too brief;
In three short minutes he has seen them all,
And rested, too, upon an apple tree.

There, his round shoulders humped with emeralds,
A gorgeous opal crown set on his head,
And all those shining honours to his breast-
‘My garden is a lovely place’ though I,
‘But is it worthy of such a guest?’

He rested there, upon the apple leaf-
‘See, see,’ I cried amazed, ‘his opal crown,
And all those emeralds clustered around his head!’
‘His breast, my dear, how lovely was his breast-’
The voice of my Beloved quickly said.

‘See, see his gorgeous crown, that shines
With all those jewels bulging round its rim-’
I cried aloud at night, in broken rest.
Back came the answer quickly, in my dream-
‘His breast, my dear, how lovely was his breast!’


The Danny lyrics are:

And when the roses are half-bud soft flowers
And lovely as the king of flies has come
It was a fleeting visit, all too brief
In three short minutes, he had been and gone

He rested there upon an apple leaf
A gorgeous opal crown sat on his head
Although the garden is a lovely place
Was it worthy of so fine a guest

Oh...
Oh...
Oh...
Oh...

Dragonfly, dragonfly ...


I apologise for going slightly off on a tangent from the original Purple Dancer thread...
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  #4  
Old 05-07-2009, 08:40 PM
jeremy spencer jeremy spencer is offline
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Default Lurking?

Hmmm. I hope I'm doing more than that!
Yes, I was present on some of the brainstorming of ideas for Purple Dancer, but the lyrics were from Jenny Boyd, Mick's wife at the time.
As a whole, we were hard pressed for lyrics with much of a meaning but 'la-la-la'. A major frustration for me. I had so much to say, but didn't know how to say it, and ... well, history.
I had nothing to do with 'Dragonfly', performance or lyrically. Words by W. H. Auden, I believe? Maybe not. Some British poet, anyway.
Just FYI!
Oops, someone beat me to the punch! W. H. Davies. That's it!
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  #5  
Old 05-07-2009, 09:08 PM
wetcamelfood wetcamelfood is offline
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Smile

Thanks Jeremy, yes, I had only put you as appearing on Dragonfly by default since you were in the band at the time (since many records unfortunately don't specifially state who does what on each track) so we're left to do a lot of assuming and "defaults". Anyways, it's good to know now I can remove you from the performance notes for that then.

Please do point out any other inaccuracies you see there so we can fix those as well, we strive to be as accurate and thorough as we can!

Through research I had done when working on the Dragonfly song page I came up with W(illiam) H(enry) Davies as the poet (full name listed) in case that helps to clarify who it was.

Wow! Had no idea Jenny Boyd did the lyrics for PD, I guess I should add that in as well then!

John

Last edited by wetcamelfood; 05-07-2009 at 09:14 PM..
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  #6  
Old 05-07-2009, 11:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slipkid View Post
Since Jeremy Spencer is lurking again, I thought I would ask about a song that's not easy to locate. The version found on "Madison Blues", and "Perfect Days", is an outtake and not the original. Would some kind soul make the single version available if they have it? I've read that it's much better than the widely available CD version.
I have a Purple Dancer "Kiln House session" version here that I'm listening to and it clocks in at 5:41. Would this be the same as the outtake version on Madison Blues? Regardless, I love the stuff from this era.

Edit: I also have a track (7:08) titled Station Man/Danny's Chant Demo. Is this featured on any compilations or box sets? I only have studio albums and Live in Chicago, and it's time for me to go to bed, so I can't do a Google search right now.
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Last edited by Moz; 05-07-2009 at 11:59 PM..
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  #7  
Old 05-07-2009, 11:56 PM
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becca becca is offline
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I always wondered if that was a Sitar or just slide on Dragonfly, it has a really deep vibration whatever it is. Dust on Bare Trees was another poem set to music, not sure that happened much outside of the folk-rock crowd. I kind of like the live Purple Dancers on the Madison set best myself, kind of a Dead/Airplane thing in there so that live seems the best way to go.

Or maybe that's a dobro...

Last edited by becca; 05-08-2009 at 12:28 AM..
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  #8  
Old 05-08-2009, 12:21 AM
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sharksfan2000 sharksfan2000 is offline
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Thanks for finding and posting the link to "The Purple Dancer" mp3 file, slipkid! I have the studio version on the German The Best of Fleetwood Mac LP but there are some annoying pops on the vinyl. The studio version has been my favorite - I prefer it to the Madison Blues versions - of course that may be at least partly due to the studio version being the only one I had for many years. But it's still among my favorite of the band's songs from the early '70s.

Great recollection on the writing of the song, Jeremy - thanks!
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  #9  
Old 05-08-2009, 07:25 AM
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Wouter Vuijk Wouter Vuijk is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremy spencer View Post
Yes, I was present on some of the brainstorming of ideas for Purple Dancer, but the lyrics were from Jenny Boyd, Mick's wife at the time.
Did / does she get any royalties for this??????
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  #10  
Old 05-08-2009, 07:25 AM
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slipkid slipkid is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moz View Post
I have a Purple Dancer "Kiln House session" version here that I'm listening to and it clocks in at 5:41. Would this be the same as the outtake version on Madison Blues? Regardless, I love the stuff from this era.
The outtake I have clocks in at 5:05. Of course I only have "Perfect Days". "Madison Blues" has two outtake versions of Purple Dancer. You must have the other one.

Last edited by slipkid; 05-08-2009 at 07:59 AM..
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  #11  
Old 05-08-2009, 07:34 AM
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slipkid slipkid is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremy spencer View Post
Hmmm. I hope I'm doing more than that!
Yes, I was present on some of the brainstorming of ideas for Purple Dancer, but the lyrics were from Jenny Boyd, Mick's wife at the time.
As a whole, we were hard pressed for lyrics with much of a meaning but 'la-la-la'. A major frustration for me. I had so much to say, but didn't know how to say it, and ... well, history.
I had nothing to do with 'Dragonfly', performance or lyrically. Words by W. H. Auden, I believe? Maybe not. Some British poet, anyway.
Just FYI!
Oops, someone beat me to the punch! W. H. Davies. That's it!

Thanks for your insight Jeremy. Since you responded, you are no longer "lurking".
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  #12  
Old 05-08-2009, 08:10 AM
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chriskisn chriskisn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slipkid View Post
The outtake I have clocks in at 5:05. Of course I only have "Perfect Days". "Madison Blues" has two outtake versions of Purple Dancer. You must have the other one.
I have three versions of Purple Dancer

Madison Blues Disc 1 - 5.04
Madison Blues Disc 2 - 7.36 (although really only 7.18 as the rest is the start of the next track)
Single version - 5.41
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  #13  
Old 05-08-2009, 08:58 AM
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Almost Simon Almost Simon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk View Post
Did / does she get any royalties for this??????
I doubt there'd be huge songwriting royalties for this tune seeing as it wasn't a hit nor was it on an album. Plus the publishing was split between several band members.

It wouldn't be the first time someone who's contributed hasn't received a credit. But i'm sure Mick would've given her something for her efforts.
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Old 05-08-2009, 09:06 AM
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chriskisn chriskisn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Almost Simon View Post
But i'm sure Mick would've given her something for her efforts.
just not in the financial sense
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Old 05-08-2009, 09:15 AM
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sharksfan2000 sharksfan2000 is offline
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Is "The Purple Dancer" the only pre-Rumours track where two band members traded off singing lead vocals, as Danny and Jeremy did? Off hand, I can't think of another one.
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