“Dragonfly”, Fleetwood Mac

This way: Dragonfly

Originally recorded on the September 1970 release for "Kiln House" (the fourth studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac). Mick Fleetwood recalled, "We met Danny at a little club in Brixton, the Nag's Head, one night when we played with a local band called Boilerhouse. Danny played beautifully, getting a subtle tremolo effect from his fingering." Fleetwood Mac's producer Mike Vernon booked Boilerhouse to play at his blues club, the Blue Horizon in Battersea, and he remembered, "Danny was outstanding. He played with an almost scary intensity. He had a guitar style that wasn't like anyone else I'd heard in England." Kirwan became a devoted fan of the band's lead guitarist, Peter Green, and followed Fleetwood Mac around the London clubs, often turning up at gigs during the afternoon to help to carry the gear in and jam with Green after the soundcheck. "Which is how Danny Kirwan came into our lives," Fleetwood said. "Danny was a huge fan of Peter's. He would see us every chance he got, usually watching in awe from the front row."

Fleetwood Mac had been constituted as a quartet but Green, the band's founder, wanted to move away from pure blues and had been looking for a new musical collaborator and backing guitarist to work with, as slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer did not contribute to his songs. Green found that he and Kirwan worked well together, and suggested to Fleetwood that Kirwan could join Fleetwood Mac. Although the rest of the band were not entirely convinced, Fleetwood invited Kirwan to join the band in August 1968. Fleetwood said, "Danny was an exceptional guitar player. It was clear that he needed to be with better players ... In the end, we just invited him to join us. It was one of those 'ah-ha' moments when you realise the answer is right there in front of you."] Kirwan's reaction was described as "astonishment and delight". His arrival expanded Fleetwood Mac to a five-piece with three guitarists.

Green described Kirwan as "a clever boy who got ideas for his guitar playing by listening to all that old-fashioned Roaring Twenties big-band stuff."Kirwan was known to be "emotionally fragile", and Green said that in the early days, Kirwan "was so into it that he cried as he played."

(Recommended by Michael Cornelius)

 

[Spotify] Dragonfly