Description
*This is a Vinyl LP*
Release Date: 2021
Label: Blue Horizon
Track List
Side A
1. Need Your Love So Bad
2. Coming Home
3. Rambling Pony
4. The Big Boat
5. I Believe My Time Ain’t Long
6. The Sun Is Shining
Side B
1. Albatross
2. Black Magic Woman
3. Just The Blues
4. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues
5. Looking For Somebody
6. Stop Messin’ Round
Personnel
Bass – John McVie
Drums – Mick Fleetwood
Guitar – Danny Kirwen
Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica – Peter Green
Slide Guitar, Vocals, Piano – Jeremy Spencer
Notes
The Pious Bird Of Good Omen is a compilation album by the British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1969. It consists of their first four non-album UK singles and their B-sides, two other tracks from their previous two albums, and two tracks by the blues artist Eddie Boyd with backing by members of Fleetwood Mac. These two tracks came from Boyd’s album 7936 South Rhodes.
Long before they became the multi-platinum chart toppers of 70’s rock, Fleetwood Mac, anchored by guitarist Peter Green, were a pillar in the 1960s London blues scene. The band was founded in 1967 by Green and drummer Mick Fleetwood, along with guitarist Jeremy Spencer and bassist John McVie, with the band’s name derived from their rhythm section. Three of the members (Green, Fleetwood, McVie) were all alumni of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
Playing straight up blues, the band have often become referred to as “Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac” to distinguish them from the later iteration of the group, recording two albums for Blue Horizon — the self-titled release in April 1968, and Mr Wonderful in August of the same year, along with the compilation The Pious Bird of Good Omen, a collection of singles, B-sides and assorted other tracks.
Achieving success from the start, the debut from Fleetwood Mac peaked at No. 4 in the Top 40, going on to spend the better part of a year in the charts. Meanwhile, the “Albatross” single, released in November of 1968 and also featured on the Pious album, became the band’s first No. 1 in England (and to this day, Fleetwood Mac’s only chart-topping single). The original foursome of Green-McVie-Fleetwood-Spencer were joined later in this era by third guitarist Danny Kirwan, who debuted on the “Albatross” single, and Christine Perfect (later McVie) on keyboards.
In addition to “Albatross,” the Pious album also featured the single “Black Magic Woman,” later brought to widespread acclaim by Santana. Along with the two studio releases, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac also recorded the album Blues Jam in Chicago, live at the Chess Records studios in Chicago, featuring a host of blues legends including Willie Dixon, Otis Spann and Buddy Guy, with the LP released late in 1969. Fleetwood Mac would go on to sign to Reprise Records, with Peter Green leaving the group in 1970.
