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Then Play On

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Then Play On
Studio album by
Fleetwood Mac
Released19 September 1969
Recorded1968–1969
StudioCBS and De Lane Lea, London[1]
Genre
Length53:39
LabelReprise
ProducerFleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac chronology
The Pious Bird of Good Omen
(1969) 		Then Play On
(1969) 		Fleetwood Mac in Chicago
(1969)
Singles from Then Play On
  1. "Rattlesnake Shake"
    Released: September 1969 (US)[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Blender[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]

Then Play On is the third studio album by the British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 19 September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan (although two tracks recorded with him were included on the compilation album The Pious Bird of Good Omen released earlier in 1969) and the last with Peter Green. Although still an official band member at the time, Jeremy Spencer did not feature on the album apart from "a couple of piano things" (according to Mick Fleetwood in Q magazine in 1990).[8] The album offered a broader stylistic range than the straightforward electric blues of the group's first two albums, displaying elements of folk rock, hard rock, art rock and psychedelia. The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's fourth Top 20 LP in a row, as well as their third album to reach the Top 10. The album's title, Then Play On, is taken from the opening line of William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night—"If music be the food of love, play on".

Then Play On is Fleetwood Mac's first release with Reprise Records after being lured away from Blue Horizon and a one-off single with Immediate Records. The label would be the band's home until their self-titled 1975 album, after which they signed to Reprise's parent company Warner Records. The initial US release of the album omitted two tracks that were previously issued on the American compilation album English Rose, while the second US pressing further abridged the tracklist with the addition of the hit single "Oh Well". The original CD compiled all the songs from the two US LP versions, both of which omitted the English Rose tracks that are on the original UK version. In August 2013, a remastered edition of the album was reissued on vinyl and CD. This version includes all the tracks from all previous versions of the album, with the original 1969 UK track listing as the main album and both parts of "Oh Well", as well as the 1970 non-album single "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)" and its B-side "World in Harmony", as bonus tracks.

Background

[edit]

Fleetwood Mac's previous albums had been recorded live in the studio[9] and adhered strictly to the blues formula.[10] For the recording of Then Play On, editing and overdubbing techniques were used extensively for the first time.[11] Fleetwood was adamant about veering away from material that was strictly blues-oriented and told Samuel Graham in a 1978 interview that "we didn't have an exact concept of what we were going to do, but we knew what we weren't going to do, and that was put out another record of Jeremy singing Elmore James.[1]

Jeremy Spencer attended some of the studio sessions and attempted to record a few things for Then Play On, but none of his contributions appeared on any of the album's original tracks.[12][13] Fleetwood said that the band was "stylistically two bands in one" at the time; this was reflected in their live setlists, which consisted of conventional blues compositions and rock-and-roll covers with Spencer onstage and another portion of the show without Spencer primarily dedicated to extended jams.[11] Green was opposed to the idea of including disparate styles on Then Play On, so the original plan was to release an EP of Spencer compositions to coincide with the album, but the EP was never commercially issued.[11][14] In a 1989 interview with Musician magazine, John McVie labeled this EP as his favorite material he ever recorded with Fleetwood Mac.[15]

It was a parody album, which was very funny and technically perfect. It was done as a whole show with different bands in it. It started off with your typical gross MC who introduced this acid band, a blues band, a jazz fusion band and one doing some '50s Fabian-esque cutie music. We'd be playing in each different style, and Jeremy was very much a mimic with a beautifully sarcastic sense of humor. It was full of wanker jokes, vulgar gags and very outrageous stuff. I don't think the record company thought we were serious, but it was great!

— John McVie[15]

Green and Spencer also considered the idea of recording a concept album – "an orchestral-choral LP" – about the life of Jesus Christ, although the album never materialised.[16] Instead, Spencer released a solo album in 1970 with the members of Fleetwood Mac as his backing band.[17] Spencer later said in a 2012 interview that he had only discussed this idea with Green "in passing" and that the project was never seriously pursued.[18]

Recording

[edit]

Green, the de facto band leader at the time, delegated half of the songwriting to bandmate Danny Kirwan. Music journalist Anthony Bozza remarked that Green "was a very generous band leader in every single way. And Peter gave Danny all of that freedom. You just don’t hear about things like that". Several of Kirwan's tracks, including "One Sunny Day", "Without You", and "Coming Your Way", were originally recorded on 6 October 1968. At the time, "Coming Your Way" carried the working title "Going My Way".[19] These songs were later re-recorded and remixed for Then Play On,[20] with sessions for "Coming Your Way" and "The Sun is Shining" beginning in April 1969.[21] Christine McVie, who at the time was known by her maiden name Christine Perfect, played piano on "Coming Your Way".[22]

The band began to embrace jamming in their live performances around the time Then Play On was developed. Three of the tracks on the album, including "Underway", "Searching for Madge", and "Fighting for Madge", were compiled by Green from several hours of studio jam sessions.[9] Green told Gianluca Tramontana of Rolling Stone in a 2001 interview that "Underway" was a free-form composition that was created collectively by the band through jamming, adding that "It was what I used to play before I had my problems."[23] "Searching for Madge" was pieced together with five different snippets of tape from an extended jam session.[14]

Release

[edit]

In the United States "One Sunny Day" and "Without You" were not included on the album, as they had already been included on the compilation album English Rose.[24] Then Play On was quickly followed by the non-album single "Oh Well", which reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. "Oh Well" was not initially released as a single in the US, as the band's then-manager Clifford Davis felt album track "Rattlesnake Shake" would be a better choice for US single release, although the song did not chart despite Davis' expectations that the song would be commercially successful.[25] After the failure of "Rattlesnake Shake", "Oh Well" was chosen as the next single for the US market. "Oh Well" fared much better than "Rattlesnake" and became band's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.[26]

On January 1970, Then Play On was reissued in the US, this time with "Oh Well" in place of "When You Say" and "My Dream". The 2013 remastered CD has the original UK album as tracks 1 to 14 with parts 1 and 2 of "Oh Well", the 1970 non-album single "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)" and its B-side "World in Harmony" as tracks 15 to 18.[27]

Spencer expressed disappointment with the album, saying that it "wasn't complete" and "lacked humour."[14] However, Fleetwood called Then Play On was his favourite Fleetwood Mac album.[11] Green was also pleased with the album, saying that he "loved every minute of it. There is nothing I feel I could have done better."[21]

Artwork

[edit]

The painting used for the album cover artwork is a mural by the English artist Maxwell Armfield.[28] The painting was featured in the February 1917 edition of The Countryside magazine, which noted that the mural was originally designed for the dining room of a London mansion.[29][30] According to Christine McVie, the painting belonged to Fleetwood's sister.[22]

Reception

[edit]

Contemporary reception of the album was mixed. Writing for Rolling Stone magazine, John Morthland said Fleetwood Mac had fallen "flat on their faces", and later dismissed the album as mostly "nondescript ramblings".[31] On the other hand, Robert Christgau was more positive. He described the album's mixing of "easy ballads and Latin rhythms with the hard stuff" as "odd" but "very good".[32] Melody Maker' praised the album, saying that it would "enhance" the Fleetwood Mac's reputation and "surprise anyone who thinks of them as a straight, bashing blues band."[33] Record Mirror characterised Then Play On as "an interesting, progressive LP" that "may not please their blues fans."[34]

However, more recent reviews of the album are highly positive; The New Rolling Stone Album Guide labeling the album as a "cool, blues-based stew"[7] and considered it the second best Fleetwood Mac album. The Daily Telegraph described Then Play On as a "musically expansive, soft edged, psychedelic blues odyssey".[35] Clark Collins of Blender magazine gave the album five stars out of five, and described "Oh Well" as an "epic blues-pop workout".

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
1."Coming Your Way"Danny KirwanKirwan3:47
2."Closing My Eyes"Peter GreenGreen4:50
3."Fighting for Madge"Mick FleetwoodInstrumental2:45
4."When You Say"KirwanKirwan4:22
5."Show-Biz Blues"GreenGreen3:50
6."Underway"GreenInstrumental3:06
7."One Sunny Day"KirwanKirwan3:12
8."Although the Sun Is Shining"KirwanKirwan2:31
9."Rattlesnake Shake"GreenGreen3:32
10."Without You"KirwanKirwan4:34
11."Searching for Madge"John McVieInstrumental6:56
12."My Dream"KirwanInstrumental3:30
13."Like Crying"KirwanKirwan, Green2:21
14."Before the Beginning"GreenGreen3:28
2013 remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
15."Oh Well – Pt. 1"GreenGreen3:22
16."Oh Well – Pt. 2"GreenInstrumental5:39
17."The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)"GreenGreen4:37
18."World in Harmony"Kirwan, GreenInstrumental3:26

Alternate track listings

[edit]

Original US LP, September 1969

The two songs ("One Sunny Day" & "Without You") deleted from the US version of the LP had already appeared on the US compilation English Rose, and "Underway" was shortened by about 15 seconds.

Revised US LP, January 1970

When the double-sided single "Oh Well (Parts 1 & 2)" (released November 1969) became a hit, the US LP was re-released in January 1970 with a revised running order to include "Oh Well", dropping Danny Kirwan's "When You Say" and "My Dream" to make room for it. The two parts of "Oh Well" differ widely, the first being hard rock, the latter a meditative instrumental, on which Green played cello.[36]

Other changes include putting the two edits from the "Madge" jams back-to-back, fading down between them. The giggle that previously linked "My Dream" to "Like Crying" ended up, in the previous edit, following the end of "Fighting for Madge" instead. Madge, the press were told at the time, was a female fan of the group.

Unreleased bonus EP: The Milton Schlitz Show

[edit]

The original intention was to include a bonus EP in the Then Play On album. The EP was to be compensation for the fact that Jeremy Spencer barely appeared on the album. The EP consisted of Spencer's parodies of doo wop ("Ricky Dee and the Angels"), Alexis Korner, country blues ("Texas Slim"), acid rock ("The Orange Electric Squares"), and John Mayall ("Man of Action"). It was finally released on Fleetwood Mac's The Vaudeville Years compilation in 1998.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jeremy's Contribution to Doo Wop"Jeremy Spencer3:34
2."Everyday I Have the Blues"Peter Chatman4:23
3."Death Bells"Spencer5:05
4."(Watch Out for Yourself) Mr. Jones"Spencer3:35
5."Man of Action"Spencer5:21

Personnel

[edit]

Fleetwood Mac

Additional personnel

Production

  • Fleetwood Mac – producers
  • Martin Birch – engineer
  • Dinky Dawson – sound consultant

Charts

[edit]
1969-1970 weekly chart performance for Then Play On
Chart (1969–1970) Peak
position
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[39] 13
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[40] 90
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[41] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[42] 4
US Billboard 200[43] 109

References

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  1. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie (2017). Fleetwood Mac: The Complete Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. pp. 42, 189. ISBN 978-1627889759.
  2. ^ Fleetwood, Mick (1993). My 25 years in Fleetwood Mac. Hyperion. p. 159. ISBN 0-297-81336-6.
  3. ^ "Then Play On – Fleetwood Mac". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Blender: Guide". 19 October 2006. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin (30 September 2013). The Virgin Encyclopedia of The Blues. Random House. ISBN 9781448132744 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Then Play On; Bare Trees; Fleetwood Mac; Rumours; Tusk; Time". Entertainment Weekly. 18 April 2003.
  7. ^ a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (24 August 2017). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Debauchery! How Fleetwood Mac Survived it – Q Magazine". Fleetwood Mac UK. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b Mick Fleetwood with Stephen Davis (1990). My Life and Adventures with Fleetwood Mac. Sidgewick & Jackson, London.
  10. ^ Swanson, Dave (9 September 2015). "How Fleetwood Mac Moved Away From the Blues on 'Then Play On'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d Fleetwood, Mick; Bozza, Anthony (30 October 2014). Play On: Now, Then and Fleetwood Mac. Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 1, 100, 104–105. ISBN 978-1-4447-5326-4.
  12. ^ Ruggiero, Bob (21 August 2020). "Peter Green's Swan Song in Fleetwood Mac Plays On". Houston Press. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  13. ^ Fricke, David (2013). Then Play On (Remastered) (Liner Notes). Fleetwood Mac. USA: Warner Bros. Records Inc. RS 535890.
  14. ^ a b c Carr, Roy; Clarke, Steve (1978). Fleetwood Mac: Rumours n' Fax. Harmony Books. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-517-53364-2.
  15. ^ a b White, Timothy (February 1989). "Last Tango, New Beginnings: The Fleetwood Mac Nobody Knows" (PDF). Musician. p. 79. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via World Radio History.
  16. ^ Fricke, David (26 July 2020). "Before the Landslide: Inside the Early Years of Fleetwood Mac". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  17. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Jeremy Spencer". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Interview with Jeremy Spencer". DMME. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  19. ^ Vernon, Mike (1999). The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967–1969 (Boxed set booklet). Fleetwood Mac. New York City: Sire Records. pp. 14–15. 73003-2.
  20. ^ Celmins, Martin (28 October 2022). "Peter Green: Looking back through the smoky prism of time". Omnibus Press. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  21. ^ a b The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion (4th ed.). United Kingdom: Canongate Books. 2007 [First published 2000]. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-84195-973-3 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ a b "Christine Perfect Reviews the Latest Sounds in Blind Date" (PDF). Melody Maker. 11 October 1969. Retrieved 15 December 2024 – via World Radio History.
  23. ^ Tramontana, Gianluca (17 October 2001). "Peter Green Still Has Blues". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  24. ^ Marchese, Joe (1 July 2013). "If Music Be The Food Of Love: Fleetwood Mac's "Then Play On" Joins "1969-1972" Box Set In August - The Second Disc". The Second Disc. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  25. ^ Morthland, John (13 December 1969). "Fleetwood Mac Then Play on Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  26. ^ "Fleetwood Mac Hot 100 Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  27. ^ Stone, Sam (25 June 2020). "Before The Beginning: Fleetwood Mac's "Then Play On" Receives "Celebration" Editions on CD and LP This September - The Second Disc". Second Disc. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Friday Gem from the Stoddard – Templeton Design Archive: Maxwell Armfield". University of Glasgow Library. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  29. ^ Armfield, Maxwell (February 1917). "Domesticated Mural Painting". The Countryside Magazine and Suburban Life. 24 (2): 71–73.
  30. ^ "The Countryside". artmagick.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  31. ^ Morthland, John (13 December 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. No. 48. p. 50. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  32. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Fleetwood Mac". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  33. ^ "A Great Leap Forward For Mac" (PDF). Melody Maker. 1 November 1969. p. 18. Retrieved 15 December 2024 – via World Radio History.
  34. ^ Jones, Peter (4 October 1969). "New Singles Reviewed by Peter Jones" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 9. Retrieved 27 December 2024 – via World Radio History.
  35. ^ "Fleetwood Mac's albums: from worst to best". The Daily Telegraph. London. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  36. ^ a b "Startside 2005". Skaanevik-blues.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005.
  37. ^ Rooksby, Rikky (2004). Fleetwood Mac: The Complete Guide to Their Music – Rikky Rooksby – Google Books. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781844494279.
  38. ^ Rooksby, Rikky (2004). Fleetwood Mac: The Complete Guide to Their Music – Rikky Rooksby – Google Books. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781844494279.
  39. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 166. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  40. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  41. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  42. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  43. ^ "Fleetwood Mac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
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