Fleetwood Mac - Albatross (1968)

When a band has a history of nearly fifty years- such as this one does- their history can become quite complex and convoluted. Fleetwood Mac is predominately remembered in the United States by the body of work they released from 1975 through the early ‘90s, when the lineup featured their most well-known singer, Stevie Nicks. However, Nicks joined the band on New Year’s Eve in 1974, more than seven years after the band had first come together.

Originally, the band came together in July 1967 when Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and (a short while later) John McVie left John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to form this new group. With the addition of guitarist Jeremy Spencer, the first true lineup had been solidified. The band got their name from a song they had recorded during some studio time while they were still in the Bluesbreakers; and, that song got its name from combining the surnames of Mick Fleetwood and a shortening of John McVie’s surname.

The song below was released as a single in November 1968, after the group had already released two studio albums and added an eighteen year old guitarist by the name of Danny Kirwan. The song was written by Peter Green with the assistance of Kirwan, who had only been in the group for a few months at that time. It was recorded without Jeremy Spencer, as he had a tendency not to work well with Green.

The song has been featured in multiple movies, documentaries, and as the introduction music for a British television program. It’s also regarded for heavily influencing David Gilmour’s (of Pink Floyd) playing style. The song is also noted for inspiring The Beatles’ Abbey Road song, “Sun King.”



Fleetwood Mac - Albatross (1968)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)