
And as soon as the session was finished, we’d be out to a gig. We played together a lot as a band, so we’d just go in and do takes live, with no overdubs.

John McVie: “It was done at Decca studios in West Hampstead in less than a month. JULY 22, 1966: John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers release an all-new album, Blues Breakers: John Mayall with Eric Clapton, which had been recorded before Peter Green had replaced old Slowhand.


They have been brought in, at the behest of Flamingo owners Rik and John Gunnell, hoping not just to expand the band’s musical range, but to create a white soul “supergroup.”ĭave Ambrose: “When Rod Stewart and Beryl Marsden came in as singers, the band changed to Shotgun Express, doing mainly soul and Tamla Motown songs.” And to Peter Bardens’ credit, he pulled me aside and said, 'You’re wrong, this guy’s special.'”ĪPRIL 29, 1966: Peter B’s Looners play at The Carousel Club, Farnborough, with an augmented lineup including vocalists Rod Stewart and Beryl Marsden. He only played a couple of licks, variations on a theme, Freddie King. He had a great sound as they say, but me and the bassist, Dave Ambrose, didn’t think he knew enough about the guitar. Mick Fleetwood: “Peter came to audition… we were a very simple instrumental band, a lot of Booker T, Mose Allison. Besides Peter Green, the group also includes drummer Mick Fleetwood. Peter Green: “I was only there for a week, and then I went with Peter B’s Looners.“ĭECEMBER 24, 1965: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, supported by instrumental band Peter B’s Looners, led by organist Peter Bardens, play at The Flamingo. Peter wasn’t very pleased about that, but that was the way it was.“ Eric returned with a tan and Peter was out again.

John Mayall: “Unfortunately, it was only a couple of weeks before Eric came back from Greece. Anyway, he let me on the train.”ĪUGUST 25, 1965: John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, featuring Eric Clapton, newly returned from Greece, again play at Putney Pontiac Club. Peter Green: “John said I could play a little bit and he said, 'You’ve got the feeling,' or something similar. He had played in several local bands, the best known of which was perhaps the Muskrats, but he was not a big name.” Mike Vernon (Blue Horizon Label Founder and Producer): “Peter was an unknown quantity at this time. Then Peter came up to me during a gig at The Flamingo in Wardour Street and was fairly forceful, very insistent that he was better than the guy I had on stage that night, so I gave him a shot and he was quite right, of course.” “I got a lot of replies to an ad I put in the Melody Maker, so I was auditioning different players every night, letting them sit in to see how they worked out. For me, it was panic stations because we’d come to rely on him so much and there were so few people to choose from as a replacement. So he decided to get some friends together and go off to Greece. John Mayall: “I guess Eric just became bored with it.
