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Former Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Revisits the Blues

One of the more remarkable comebacks in popular music occurred on July 18 when Jeremy Spencer released his first album/CD in 26 years. Precious Little marks Spencer's return to commercial music after a hiatus which began after the release of the 1979 album Flee. Though he was an original member of Fleetwood Mac, he spent most of his tenure with the band in the shadow of legendary British blues guitarist Peter Green. The events which led to his sudden departure from the band, and the resulting 35 year odyssey as a member of the Children of God, are the stuff of great fiction novels. However, in the case of Jeremy Spencer, the story is all too true.

In 1967, Spencer was invited to join Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie as an original member of the group which was initially billed as "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy Spencer."  The young slide guitarist was prominently featured on the band's early releases, but his talents clearly paled in comparison to the highly regarded Green. His initial contribution to the band's sound consisted mainly of Elmore James-derived songs and imitations of other well-known artists during the group's live performances.  The addition of Danny Kirwan as a third guitarist in 1968 further marginalized Spencer within the group. Filled with self-doubt and strongly-held religious views that questioned his occupation and lifestyle, Spencer's role in the band diminished to the point that his presence was barely noticeable on the band's 1969 release Then Play On. 

Green's sudden and surprising decision to leave Fleetwood Mac in 1970 left the band in a state of shock. The remaining members retreated to the English countryside to record Kiln House in 1970. Kiln House once again featured Spencer as a prominent songwriter and vocalist. The effort was probably the group's closest embrace of what we now call "Americana."  Heavily influenced by the emerging country-rock movement, the album marked a clear change in direction away from the band's blues-based sound and resulted in a collection of twangy songs steeped in country and folk music.

Spencer's self-doubt reappeared on the 1971 American tour in support of Kiln House. His last performance with the band occurred on February 9, 1971 at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore West.  The performance coincided with a massive Los Angeles earthquake. The band's next gig was in the epicenter of the earthquake at L.A.'s Whiskey A-Go-Go. A reluctant Spencer has to be convinced to get on the airplane to L.A. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, the aftershocks of the earthquake mixed with the ozone and yellow haze of the atmosphere to create a strange and eerie setting. The band checked into its hotel and Spencer announced he was going to step out for a few minutes to check out a bookstore down the street. Spencer left the hotel room never to return to Fleetwood Mac.

When Spencer failed to returned to the hotel, the band started a frantic search for the missing guitar player. Four days later, the band's manager located Spencer at a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles which served as the headquarters for the Children of God religious sect.  Spencer renounced his music career and essentially disappeared from the music scene altogether. For the next three decades, he traveled around the world as a member of the Children of God. Occasional reports placed Spencer in Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent. In the wake of Fleetwood Mac's stunning success after the release of Rumors in the late 1970s, Spencer briefly reappeared with a largely forgettable solo album entitled Flee. 

Now, 35 years after he walked away from Fleetwood Mac, Spencer has once again entered the studio and released a blues-based solo album entitled Precious Little. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Spencer's return to the music business is the quality of his latest recording. Backed by a Norwegian band, Spencer mixes original songs like "Psychic Waste" with blues classics like "It Hurt's Me Too" and "Bleeding Heart" to produce a compelling collection of contemporary blues. Another highlight is a reworked version of "Corina Corina" entitled "Serene Serena."

It is rare that a musician returns to recording after such a long absence from the music business. It is even rarer to reappear in prime form.  In the words of the Grateful Dead, what a long strange trip it's been.    

[We recommend Mick Fleetwood's autobiography, My Twenty-Five Years in Fleetwood Mac, for more on the fascinating history of Fleetwood Mac.] 

(August 6, 2006)