John Mayall's Bluesbreakers Live In 1967

Brand new sealed double  album of history making perfomances.

In 1967, before there was a Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood were John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The four musicians were only together for three months, which makes it even more remarkable that a staunch fan from Holland was able to sneak a one channel reel to reel tape recorder into five London clubs and capture this exciting glimpse into music history. For almost fifty years these tapes have remained unheard until John recently got them and began restoring them with the technical assistance of Eric Corne of Forty Below Records. Corne adds ''While the source recording was very rough and the final result is certainly not hi-fidelity, it does succeed in allowing us to hear how spectacular these performances are.''

These tracks were recorded on a one channel domestic reel-to-reel tape recorder in 1967 in various London clubs by a young Dutch fan Tom Huissen who was living in London at the time. If you are looking for hi-fidelity recording this probably isn't the album for you, although the sound has been restored to a remarkably good level by Eric Corne of Forty Below Records seeing as they were left for nearly fifty years on the original tapes. If you are looking for highly atmospheric live recordings featuring the burgeoning guitar genius of Peter Green then look no further. The band features John on vocals, keyboards, guitar and harmonica, Peter on lead guitar and the future Fleetwood Mac rhythm section of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood.

Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton in the Bluebreakers and these recordings show him still playing some of the 'Beano album' repertoire, such as "All your love", as well as some of the songs from his own Bluesbreakers' album 'Hard Road' - "The Stumble" and "Someday after awhile". There is a great rocking version of Johnny 'Guitar' Watson's "Looking Back" which was later issued as a single complete with brass section and a jazzy reading of Tommy Tucker's "Hi Heeled Sneakers" which I don't think John recorded anywhere else. The other tracks are mainly guitar-led songs by Otis Rush and Freddie King, with Peter stretching out on "Have You Ever Loved a Woman", "Stormy Monday" and "Someday After Awhile", which all last for over eight minutes, as well as tackling Freddie King's instrumental "San Ho Say".

Peter's playing is wonderful throughout, lyrical and sinuous, with great tone and attack and with the real deep feeling that he was always able to bring to his work. The rest also play their part, John's under-rated Hammond really fills out the sound and his singing is also OK, while the rhythm section powers the whole thing along in fine form - allowing the spotlight to fall on the ones out front. I was lucky enough to see the band at this time and this record really brings it all back - an essential purchase for all bluesers who remember that it wasn't all just psychedelic music in 1967. Also, I believe that Tom Huissen has other recordings from this period and I would love to see those released as well.