Arguably, the finest of the original British blues bands, Fleetwood Mac developed their own style as the blues craze waned in the UK.  Spencer and Green complimented each other and their interplay demonstrated what a real guitar band could do.   Songs like the Rattlesnake Shake and Oh Well Part 1 showcased their talents.  The drama of the opening chords to the Green Manalishi captures my attention to this day.   Black Magic Woman, one of the singles from their first album was later successfully covered by Santana.   With the addition of seventeen year old Danny Kirwan in August of 1968, there were three lead guitarists. 

            The Peter Green band had their biggest hit to date with the instrumental, Albatross, released in January 1969.  Jeremy Spencer was not inclined to work with Green and Albatross had been a work in progress for some time when Kirwan joined the band.  In Kirwan, Green found a collaborator and the two men finished writing and recording the song together without Spencer's participation in the studio.

            In the UK, Albatross reached #1 on the charts and firmly established the act in England.  In the US, it only reached a disappointing #104.  Any hopes that it would be their breakthrough hit in the US were quickly dashed even though their live performances on the US ballroom circuit were packed.

            In September 1969, Fleetwood Mac released their last album with Peter Green, Then Play On.  On it resided his last great contribution to Mac, the Rattlesnake Shake.   Beyond the clever title, it was a great tune, but never fulfilled its potential as a dance tune.

            Green was introduced to LSD in San Francisco in 1968 by the electronics genius and LSD chemist, Stanley Owsley.  On tour in the US, the entire band was introduced to Owsley by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.  Peter was the only band member who embraced the drug and continued to use it on a regular basis.

            In 1970, while on tour in Germany, Peter Green disappeared after a gig in Munich and found himself at a country estate being used as a commune of sorts.  While there, Peter was either dosed or willingly took a large dose of LSD.  Mentally fragile to begin with, his continuing experimentation with LSD had devastating effects on Green.  When he returned from his extended stay with his new friends, he was a different man.

            The "new" Peter announced that in the spirit of communal living and his love for all on the planet, he intended to give away all his money.  He encouraged the band to do the same, but met with little enthusiasm from the others.  His insistence that the band become a philanthropic organization and their resistance to the idea, led to his leaving Fleetwood Mac to pursue his own interests.  He even sold his treasured 1959 Les Paul.  Green's unbridled generosity to questionable charities attracted attention from friends and family and it wasn't long before the acid casualty found himself institutionalized as a schizophrenic. 

            In 1977, when his accountant wouldn't give away all his money as ordered, Green held a gun on the man in an attempt to enforce his will.  He was again institutionalized and upon his release, began a long period of homelessness.  After many years, he was taken in and cared for by his brother and sister in law.  Peter has performed and recorded sporadically since.    

To learn more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsVmsPv6_Ic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleetwood_Mac#Discography

http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/peter.htm

Peter Green The Authorized Biography by Martin Celmina