I met Peter green back stage as an invite in Cambridge, I took along my original 1969 lp record "Then play on" for him to sign, I opened the cover and theres a photo of the band, Peter pointed at himself and said, "core blimey is that me " I replied, it sure is Peter.. I really love your guitar playing on this album.. he said, oh, that ait me its Danny kirwan, I never had much to do with it ! He praised Danny's guitar playing very highly, I think he knew he never got the recognition he deserved ! This record "Then Play on" will be played in his honour.. RIP Danny, this world will miss another great guitarist !
@@imannonymous7707 Is this the album with the nun on the cover and an albatross. I always new it as "The Pious Bird of Good Omen"? Because it was among 6 albums I bought as my first batch from a "record club". The others included Sticky Fingers, Workingmans Dead, Morrison Hotel, and I forget the other two. But the Pious Bird got the most playing. It had Albatross obviously and Black Magic Woman. amongst others. Danny was not only underated, but what happened to him, and to PG was just so weirdly terrible. Going from the top of the pack to a sad and lonely life. What is it with their guitarists at FM? Bob Welch also died young and under appreciated.
He wore his heart on the strings. One of the most melodic players ever. The Danny Kirwan period is my favorite by far, My favorite player of any period..
The word genius is often overused, but both Peter Green and Danny Kirwan are true geniuses of blues/rock guitar. The Boston live album is one of the greatest live albums ever recorded. RIP Danny Kirwan a superb musician, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist and criminally underrated.
Danny was a great player and so versatile. The range between "Like it This Way" and "Dragonfly" is stunning, and in more ways than one pointed the direction of Fleetwood Mac's future musical diversity. In another dimension, he could've been in the Yardbirds OR Fairport Convention. With his passing, hopefully someone might get together a decent multi-disc set of his music in both the Mac and his solo stuff...
Very sad news indeed. Danny had a lovely touch with a special vibrato and a great tone. His addition to the band really transformed it and took it in a whole new direction. As you say, his contribution to "Albatross" is greatly underrated. Peter Green is reputed to have said that they would never have recorded the song without Danny. He also wrote some lovely tunes of his own, such as "Dragonfly", "Like Crying" and "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues". When he first joined Fleetwood Mac he was playing a Watkins Rapier (a cheap British imitation of a Fender Stratocaster) but later acquired a '56 Les Paul Gold Top. He also acquired a sunburst Les Paul and a Telecaster (which he used on "Like Crying"). He will be greatly missed.
Thanks for the info on the guitar - because I wandered what that was (the one before he acquired the LP) Agreed he had a huge role within the best version of the Fleetwood Mac lineups.
Danny Kirwan is the best British blues guitarist second to Peter Green. He is an incredible inspiration to me, and many other guitarists. RIP Danny Kirwan.
Of course we love Peter but people are slowly realising that a lot of the lead guitar & the beautiful touch & tone we thought was Peter was actually Danny 🎸✨
Thank you for this great demonstration, from a guitar player in the USA. Peter Green said that without Danny Kirwan, Albatross wouldn't have happened. All guitar players (and music fans) should know and remember Danny's contribution to music.
When I first heard Albatross on the radio and then got it on the English Rose LP I wondered why almost nobody seemed to be blown away like I was. Unfortunately, due to the unsophisticated live club and hall sound systems in 1968, it didn't sound much like the dripping smooth studio track when I saw them play it live. But that was only one anomaly in an otherwise killer 3-guitar blues attack.
Mate. Thanks for the post. I have loved his playing always. Such a loss. I live in the antipodes so seeing he and Green had always been out of the question. It is just so fucking sad that such a talent had been left to rot by those other FM millionaires. Will always love listening to the harmony work with Green and the gentle intensity of the lyrics from his own work. Not forgotten Danny Kirwan.
I had a couple of older friends who used to tell me how good FM were live, which I took with a pinch of salt until I saw them in 1970 at the Redcar Jazz Club; I think this was probably the last tour before Peter jumped ship. This was a great venue, and the Jazz Club was always a Sunday night. I started going when I was only 15 (I didn’t expect to get in!) in 1968, to see The Nice. When I saw FM I was probably still 16, but only a month or two from my 17th birthday. I think they opened with ‘Coming Your Way’, with Danny & Peter’s guitars locked together playing the theme of that song; that was just wonderful on the evening of a beautiful sunny day. That concert was absolutely superb and served as a benchmark to judge others by for many years. I went to the Bath Music Festival, at Shepton Mallet, in late June 1970 (Santana, Frank Zappa, Canned Heat, Pink Floyd, The Flock, It’s a Beautiful Day, Johnny & Edgar Winter, etc) and was ‘really’ looking forward to seeing Led Zeppelin play, however after seeing FM shortly before, I was sorely disappointed. Actually John Mayall also appeared and with him was Peter Green, so I got to see him twice. In the FM concert only four members played the first half, Jeremy Spencer only appeared after the break with his red flying ‘V’ guitar. I had to leave at about 10.25 to run for the last train, and by that time they were having fun doing cover numbers; I think they were doing ‘Twist & Shout’ as we left the building. What an amazing night that was!
I hadn't heard about Danny's passing, I'm really saddened by it... But this is a really sweet video man, it's really great to see that there is a community which appreciates this absolute gem of a guitar player. Other tunes by Danny that i love: When you say, Coming your way (what a solo!), and Only You. RIP Danny.
Thanks for taking the time to post this video. Just heard about the loss of Danny and am gutted. Such a gifted musician who accomplished quite a lot in a short amount of time.
im so glad you mentioned his vibrato.thats one quality of his playing that always stood out to me.(among others).big influence on my playing. thanks for the stories.
I just fell in love with his FM albums. I'm 37, and I new very little about just how spectacular the band was during those years. Future Games, and Sunny Side of Heaven are two of my favourite songs. R.I.P.
I came across this as I'm putting together a Danny album for my iTunes- I've got the vinyls, but not digitals. Nice to see him remembered so. He was always my favourite in FM. I'm glad to see he seems to have been happy in his later years.
Danny hung out busking in Paris in 1977. He played a 12-string. I spoke to him briefly and he told me he once played in a group called Fleetwood Mac. He was unrecognizable with really long hair and beard.
I believe he is very underrated. I mean if Peter Green asks you to be in his band you have to have some kind of magic. It breaks my heart that he & Peter Green took to much LSD and burned themselves out. Thank you for the wonderful videos. R.I.P. Danny Kirwan. Your guitar playing made the world a better place & truly inspired me and thousands of others 😁
Many years ago I bought a bunch of FM CD's because of my interest in Peter Green but I soon discovered the hidden gem within the band and it happened to be Danny. Just giving credit where it's due. Peace, from sunny Ca.
thanks for doing this..im a huge kirwan fan,,i agree with everything you said ,,,such a melodic player,,,,his songs always did and still do reach me ,,,,thanks again,,,,,,to me he was a giant
Thank you Guitar Show for this post about the late melodic guitar genius Danny Kirwan. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see your acknowledgment of this sensitive and gifted guitarist and composer. I have learned much from your post and a few of the other commenters who knew and spent time with Danny. It is good to read that a lot of the dark news of his post-Fleetwood Mac days is inaccurate. I was fortunate to see FM in 1968 at a little dance hall in Sacramento CA called The Sound Factory. They looked my age at the time, or even younger in Danny's case (18). I knew of Albatross at the time and maybe had already bought the American album release of English Rose with Mick on the cover in woman's makeup and wig. (I have the album cover framed on the wall). At the gig they looked exactly like the photo of the band on the back of that album...jeans and t-shirts and sneakers (runners), Danny with blond hair down to his eyes. When they came out on the little stage about two feet above the open floor where we sat, Peter said (paraphrasing) "We're a bit nervous, do you mind if we jam a little to loosen up?" And away they went. Wish I could remember more of the gig but I imagine them playing something like the Madge sessions at the start. Danny's melodic solos and insane vibrato are instantly recognizable hallmarks that set him apart from Green, though they both were vibrato masters. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues: say no more. And I agree that Albatross was one of the first wide-release harmony duets that led the way for later jams like Allman-Betts (In Memory of Elizabeth Reed) and others. But the song I always come back to is "Sands Of Time" from the Future Games album, in which Danny duets with the late Bob Welch (I assume) in one of his best guitar melodies, in my mind. The title and lyrics display his dreamy and mystical approach to songwriting that showed in many of his other compositions. I later saw the Welch-era FM in Berkeley (Long John Baldry supporting) but it must have been one of the times Kirwan was unable to perform or maybe even recently fired, so disappointing. In 1975 I saw FM on their first tour with Buckingham/Nicks at Oakland Coliseum, Bill Graham's British Invasion, Day On The Green #3, headlined by Robin Trower. I knew then that FM was no longer the same guitar-driven band I had grown to love, and paid scant attention after that. Sorry for this very long post, it just kept pouring out. Now I need to pull out my vinyl of Second Chapter for the first time in many years. Peace, brothers and sisters. Rest in peace, Danny.
Station Man, my first fave was a Strat. Tell Me All The Things You Do I believe was a Strat, too. Breaking away.... Time for Woman Of A Thousand Years. Extremely influential singing style , too. Ask WishBone Ash. Rest In Peace, Danny Kirwan.
I saw the Future Games/Bare Trees FM lineup twice, one per tour (sitting quite close, too), and Danny was definitely playing a sunburst Strat for 100% of the time (and so was Welch, IIRC, but ya got me on the color). OMG, though... Danny's solos were SO melodic! Anyway, their concert was so impressive that I went out the very next day and bought the new Future Games LP... and OMG, I remembered pretty much every solo I'd heard the night before! (It seems that Danny had, at least, a composed starting point for his solos, at least on several of the songs. I recall a few licks in particular that specifically had amazed me during the concert... and there they were on the LP! Anyway, IMO, pre-composing your solos to some extent is NOT at all a bad thing-I do it myself-but whatever. Still room to jump off at any point, too!) Just thought I'd offer my own memories. FWIW, Future Games and Bare Trees ARE my very favorite FM albums... and then Play On and Kiln House. R.I.P. Danny.
@@larryh.3173 In my comment 3 years ago I mentioned seeing the Future Games lineup in Berkeley but Danny was missing, to my great disappointment. I later read that he had been fired on tour over bad behavior due to excessive drinking. And that he was let go right before one of their shows, possibly during that same tour I saw them on. Could have been March 1972. (see my long comment if you can find it). Where and when did you see them? Was Long John Baldry the opener when you saw them? I have blurry pictures of Bob Welch and Mick from close to the stage, I just walked all the way down the aisle with my camera and nobody chased me away. I remember Mick had some trouble with his drum kit moving around and a stage hand pounding nails to secure it while they were actually playing! Christine McVie and Welch carried all the vocals but Danny's absence was huge.
@@NorCalProf1 Hi. Both concerts I saw were on Long Island. IIRC, Terry Reid (‘River’ era) opened for FM the first time, on the Future Games tour, in a smallish club in Far Rockaway, IIRC. (Rockpile? Action House?) The second Bare Trees tour was in a huge flat floored airplane hanger-ish venue. Not the greatest sounds. Believe it or not, Alice Cooper was on the bill, too. IIRC, Blue Oyster Cult opened. Somehow, I have some pretty clear mental snapshots of both events and spaces, plus takeaway impressions of the performances. The Bare Trees concert simply couldn't compare with the much more intimate club of the Future Games gig, much lower ceilings and all. I’m surprised about Danny’s absence when you saw them, but hey, things were obviously building to a final head even then. So maybe not so surprised. Bummer. Yeah, I bet Danny would’ve been missed! (And I’ve never seen Baldry, tho I kinda followed him via some LPs.)
I saw them play two gigs in Plymouth in the late 60s, Danny quite often used a Tele as well, he should be recognised for his song writing and playing, such great stuff coming from a guy who was only a teenager at that time. R.I.P. the great Danny Kirwan
After listening to "Merry Go Round" on FM radio back in the late 60s, I went out and bought their debut LP. Peter Green's clean economical blues licks were so refreshing in comparison to so many guitarists who simply bashed loud barrages of licks. I wondered why Jeremy Spencer didn't provide rhythm guitar on Peter Green's compositions. After all, Green played rhythm on Spencer's songs. I then purchased "English Rose" and immediately noticed a big improvement in their sound--thanks to Danny Kirwan. His standout songs for me being "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" and "One Sunny Day". Not only did Fleetwood Mac grow musically on their 2nd LP, they had a cool look with jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. I'll bet the Ramones noticed their style and adopted it plus Ramones also used "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" in a scene from their movie "Rock and Roll High School." I continued buying their lps despite the eventual loss of Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer. Kirwan kept them going with his melodic rockers and elegant ballads. When he left Fleetwood Mac, I did,too. RIP my friend.
Also, nobody seems to notice that Peter Green in all likelihood never wanted to be a star. He was a working class lad who happened to be an extraordinarily talented musician and that’s all he grew to know. A genuine person. My feeling is this is why he chose to name the band after the rhythm section so he could split when it got too pressured and crazy (which it did). This is also probably the reason he chose and nurtured his ‘protege’ Danny to take over and keep it as a going concern. I think Danny’s promise in this sense was more beneficial than his actual role in the band when Peter was still in it (not to take anything away from his great playing that was showcased more so in FM after Peter left and in his solo albums IMO). Problem was that Danny was much the same as Peter - too sensitive for the cut and thrust world of rock and roll that Hunter S Thompson so succinctly described.
Nice heartfelt vid. Blindsided by the news today. Had to drag out my Epi LP in too long. One Sunny Day, Something Inside Of Me were the start. Been a fan since '70 with Kiln House. RIP, Danny.
REST IN PEACE and REST IN POWER Legendary, Great, Amazing, Beautiful, Impressive **DANNY KIRWAN** (05-13-1950 - 06-08-2018). I'll miss you terribly. Thank You So Much for the Unforgettable, Transfixing Art You Gave Us. Love.
Danny was a friend of mine. A very funny guy, made me laugh a lot. I met Peter Green with him years ago at Shepherds Bush Theatre. He wasn’t in a care home. He was happy last time I saw him some years ago. I played ‘Dust’ in his honour yesterday. RIP Danny.
That's so col bro - I would have loved to have met him One of my very good friends used to drink with him in a pub in Leigh-on-sea in Essex - he said Danny would be sitting there drinking pints of Directors beer and always very polite and a nice guy.
The Guitar Show he didn’t drink when I knew him. He’d come by my place and hang. I knew he was in a band with Peter Green but I didn’t realise it was FM until years later. I didn’t know who the members of FM were over the years. I met Peter with Danny backstage at a gig Peter did with Snowy White in the 90s. Danny mainly played jokey songs when he’d come round my place. He was a very funny man. I don’t remember him so much as the musician but as a friend who could make me laugh so much I couldn’t breathe.
The Guitar Show this was some years ago. I met Danny first in the mid 90s, my dad was still alive so I think it must have been 93. He lived near me and would come round often. He moved to Holland for a while, I was at his quiet leaving do at a local pub. That was early 2000s I think, but I get confused which year was which. It made me laugh years later to see a photograph of Danny in an independent newspaper interview article and know that the man in the photo wasn’t Danny. He had a very funny sense of humour. I suppose he didn’t want to be recognised and no one would be able to recognise him anyway. Peter knew him though. Danny cared very deeply for Peter. He was a lovely guy.
Thanks - I think I know the photo you are talking about - it actually looked like an older Danny. That's interesting . My good friend knew him when he was living in Leigh On Sea - not sure what year that was but I can find out
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the two Epic songs Danny Kirwan wrote and sang in, which deeply touched me as a young man: Station Man and Tell Me. These songs are pure works of art, and will live in my heart forever. Thank You Danny.
Danny was magic. Sad that he's so little known. He also played a sunburst LP in FM - can't figure out who ended up with it. A very plain top 'burst. He played a telecaster too, and obvs the LP Custom you seem him with on Dragonfly. Great tribute, thanks. That Navigator sounds really great.
The first time my Pops showed me those early Mac TV performances i was like, OK so that's Peter Green, but who is the guy standing next to him ? ... Thanks for the stories, R.I.P Danny.
It is always great to hear someone who likes and appreciates danny kirwan.. thankyou.. although i haven't listened to any yet, no mention of the solo stuff after f.m...
I have searched Danny Kirwan interview and come up with absolutely zilch. If anyone knows of an interview, please share. Enjoyed your tribute, I could have listened to an hour's worth.
Thanks to all for the thoughtful and insightful comments. Interesting to read about that tabloid picture of Danny that wasn’t even him. What a prankster! Loved hearing about that. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to drop out of the scene? It’s mad!. Loved Danny's playing and his songs. His solo stuff is seriously underrated - all those post-Fleetwood albums are very good. Question - does anyone have a recent photo (post solo days) of him?
Thanks mate for talking about Danny Kirwan and letting us know what you have learned after his demons had taken hold. He was a fantastic guitarist and right up there with Greeny back in the day. They had a great chemistry as seen in the track Like Crying. Wonderful stuff but sad and a terrible waste that he could never get back to his former self.
It kills me that FM went on to make millions of $$$, whilst Danny was homeless. They could have pooled some $$$ and taken care of him. For my money, Danny Kirwan was the outstanding talented singer songwriter and guitarist that FM ever had.
Peter Green, I think, never denied Danny's contribution to 'Albatross' that you're mentioning in your video. 'Albatross' almost certainly wouldn't have sounded that way if it wasn't for Danny Kirwan. Peter Green obviously never had problem to acknowledge that...
I first heard Jigsaw Puzzle Blues at the age of 12 in 1969, when Albatross got to No. 1 and the boy across the road had a copy of the record. Little did I know that the guy who wrote it was only a few years older than me and the same age as my brother.
wow, have just been working "jigsaw puzzle Blues" out (last week or so) on me guitar, since I watched this vid I checked out wikidpedia and found out it was Danny playing not Greeny. It was a clarinet piece he had transcribed.
Danny was a truly great mulit faceted musician and masterful songwriter. He could have played with anyone. Anyone. I guess he dug a psychological hole for himself and he couldn't climb out of it.
Bernie Marsden covered Dragonfly... at the request of Peter Green . Bernie asked Greeny to play on a Mac song, and that's the the one he suggested. Greeny never managed to get to the studio, but Bernie recorded it anyway :)
@@TheGuitarShow You've done a great video here brother. I've been trying to find an interview with Danny on UA-cam, it's like trying to find an interview with Syd Barrett! Peace and once again thank you.
I've heard this story so many times about Danny, everybody seems to have that elusive "friend" that drank with him, for someone that was destitute with no friends he sure had alot of friends! Haha
![Barrie Cadogan & Joe Hollick on Danny Kirwan [Fleetwood Mac]: The Blues Kitchen Presents...](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wJPPkpGlUM8/mqdefault.jpg)
very sad to hear about the passing of Danny Kirwan,for me he was THE guitar genius of the band. RIP Danny.
You are so right!
I met Peter green back stage as an invite in Cambridge, I took along my original 1969 lp record
"Then play on" for him to sign, I opened the cover and theres a photo of the band, Peter pointed
at himself and said, "core blimey is that me " I replied, it sure is Peter.. I really love your guitar playing
on this album.. he said, oh, that ait me its Danny kirwan, I never had much to do with it !
He praised Danny's guitar playing very highly, I think he knew he never got the recognition he deserved !
This record "Then Play on" will be played in his honour.. RIP Danny, this world will miss another great guitarist !
kingdom777866 thanks for this sweet story
Then play on, great lp
@@imannonymous7707 Is this the album with the nun on the cover and an albatross. I always new it as "The Pious Bird of Good Omen"? Because it was among 6 albums I bought as my first batch from a "record club". The others included Sticky Fingers, Workingmans Dead, Morrison Hotel, and I forget the other two. But the Pious Bird got the most playing. It had Albatross obviously and Black Magic Woman. amongst others. Danny was not only underated, but what happened to him, and to PG was just so weirdly terrible. Going from the top of the pack to a sad and lonely life. What is it with their guitarists at FM? Bob Welch also died young and under appreciated.
Danny Kirwan - Brilliant guitar player & song writer RIP
agreed bro
So sad to hear of his passing. Brings special meaning to his song, 'Dust'.
Agreed - it is indeed sad
Underrated is over used, but Danny Kirwan has to be the most underrated solo guitarist of all time. Amazing chemistry with the green god. RIP
dasbear10 agreed he was one amazing guitarist
I'll agree with that! And not much of an ego. He was a real man in my eyes RIP Danny Kirwan :(
Those guys could have helped Danny in his time
of need.
He wore his heart on the strings. One of the most melodic players ever. The Danny Kirwan period is my favorite by far, My favorite player of any period..
mine too - Boston Tea party album is my favourite
Fantastic lead guitar player and vocalist thank you RIP Danny
Here's to Danny! Brother thanks for all the great songs and playing. No doubt you are on the Sunny Side of Heaven.
Amen to that
The word genius is often overused, but both Peter Green and Danny Kirwan are true geniuses of blues/rock guitar. The Boston live album is one of the greatest live albums ever recorded. RIP Danny Kirwan a superb musician, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist and criminally underrated.
I agree with you - they really set the standard in Blues Rock - few have come close
Then Play On, Kiln House, Bare Trees-Danny defined the band for me during that period. Great player, lovely, lyrical songwriter...RIP.
agreed - love that album
A lovely heart felt eulogy to a great guitarist, whose star shone brightly but was gone far too soon. Danny Kirwan RIP
My pleasure John - I hope his legacy lives on for the next generation to discover.
Danny was a great player and so versatile. The range between "Like it This Way" and "Dragonfly" is stunning, and in more ways than one pointed the direction of Fleetwood Mac's future musical diversity. In another dimension, he could've been in the Yardbirds OR Fairport Convention. With his passing, hopefully someone might get together a decent multi-disc set of his music in both the Mac and his solo stuff...
Just so sad, what an amazing talent Danny was. RIP
Rich Robinson yes very sad news
Very sad news indeed. Danny had a lovely touch with a special vibrato and a great tone. His addition to the band really transformed it and took it in a whole new direction. As you say, his contribution to "Albatross" is greatly underrated. Peter Green is reputed to have said that they would never have recorded the song without Danny. He also wrote some lovely tunes of his own, such as "Dragonfly", "Like Crying" and "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues". When he first joined Fleetwood Mac he was playing a Watkins Rapier (a cheap British imitation of a Fender Stratocaster) but later acquired a '56 Les Paul Gold Top. He also acquired a sunburst Les Paul and a Telecaster (which he used on "Like Crying"). He will be greatly missed.
Thanks for the info on the guitar - because I wandered what that was (the one before he acquired the LP) Agreed he had a huge role within the best version of the Fleetwood Mac lineups.
Alas, we can't credit Danny with "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" even if he did play it perfectly. Another sad loss.
I loved Danny Kirwan's voice and guitar playing style
Long live Danny's legacy of a true blues guitarist. RIP.
agreed
you're fantastic on guitar . thank you so much . Danny was such a deep and sincere man . always be loved and remembered .
many thanks indeed!
Danny Kirwan is the best British blues guitarist second to Peter Green. He is an incredible inspiration to me, and many other guitarists. RIP Danny Kirwan.
Tom S agreed Tom
Tom S yes it's surprising how many folk he has influenced
Loved his performance in “Oh Well” my contact lenses nearly popped out of my eyes !!
I can't believe I missed this news till now. Danny Kirwan on Dragonfly was something truely sublime. RIP mate.
I agree totally my friend - sad news!
Your video is a warm, thoughtful trubute. Anyone who felt the connection to the music, will know how special the talent was.
pleasure - I agree he was a special kind of talent
so sad . such a beautiful , sincere soul xxx
Linda d'Auncey agreed Linda
Of course we love Peter but people are slowly realising that a lot of the lead guitar & the beautiful touch & tone we thought was Peter was actually Danny 🎸✨
I agree - thanks James
Bare Trees and Future Games....beautiful....RIP Danny..🌹
Yes!
Shine on Danny Kirwan....
Thank you for this great demonstration, from a guitar player in the USA. Peter Green said that without Danny Kirwan, Albatross wouldn't have happened. All guitar players (and music fans) should know and remember Danny's contribution to music.
Pleasure my American guitar player bro! Yes I agree more should know about Danny
When I first heard Albatross on the radio and then got it on the English Rose LP I wondered why almost nobody seemed to be blown away like I was. Unfortunately, due to the unsophisticated live club and hall sound systems in 1968, it didn't sound much like the dripping smooth studio track when I saw them play it live. But that was only one anomaly in an otherwise killer 3-guitar blues attack.
Mate. Thanks for the post. I have loved his playing always. Such a loss. I live in the antipodes so seeing he and Green had always been out of the question. It is just so fucking sad that such a talent had been left to rot by those other FM millionaires. Will always love listening to the harmony work with Green and the gentle intensity of the lyrics from his own work. Not forgotten Danny Kirwan.
Thank you for posting this...Danny Kirwan was a great influence on my playing as well. "Kiln House" is one of my all-time favorite albums.
George Keller pleasure bro yes I love kiln house more than the later albums
I had a couple of older friends who used to tell me how good FM were live, which I took with a pinch of salt until I saw them in 1970 at the Redcar Jazz Club; I think this was probably the last tour before Peter jumped ship. This was a great venue, and the Jazz Club was always a Sunday night. I started going when I was only 15 (I didn’t expect to get in!) in 1968, to see The Nice. When I saw FM I was probably still 16, but only a month or two from my 17th birthday. I think they opened with ‘Coming Your Way’, with Danny & Peter’s guitars locked together playing the theme of that song; that was just wonderful on the evening of a beautiful sunny day.
That concert was absolutely superb and served as a benchmark to judge others by for many years. I went to the Bath Music Festival, at Shepton Mallet, in late June 1970 (Santana, Frank Zappa, Canned Heat, Pink Floyd, The Flock, It’s a Beautiful Day, Johnny & Edgar Winter, etc) and was ‘really’ looking forward to seeing Led Zeppelin play, however after seeing FM shortly before, I was sorely disappointed. Actually John Mayall also appeared and with him was Peter Green, so I got to see him twice. In the FM concert only four members played the first half, Jeremy Spencer only appeared after the break with his red flying ‘V’ guitar. I had to leave at about 10.25 to run for the last train, and by that time they were having fun doing cover numbers; I think they were doing ‘Twist & Shout’ as we left the building. What an amazing night that was!
I hadn't heard about Danny's passing, I'm really saddened by it... But this is a really sweet video man, it's really great to see that there is a community which appreciates this absolute gem of a guitar player. Other tunes by Danny that i love: When you say, Coming your way (what a solo!), and Only You. RIP Danny.
Pleasure Javier yes he has a lot of fans all around the world that's so cool
Thanks for taking the time to post this video. Just heard about the loss of Danny and am gutted. Such a gifted musician who accomplished quite a lot in a short amount of time.
pleasure - yes such sad news
im so glad you mentioned his vibrato.thats one quality of his playing that always stood out to me.(among others).big influence on my playing. thanks for the stories.
Kenny Bluet pleasure Kenny
Man....brought tears to my eyes when you broke into "Like It This Way." R.I.P. Danny.
Pleasure bro - sad news about Danny and his music was of course amazing
Danny was a very distinctive musician and writer and singer. Like Crying is one of my favourite Mac songs from him.
Yes thats a great tune
I just fell in love with his FM albums. I'm 37, and I new very little about just how spectacular the band was during those years. Future Games, and Sunny Side of Heaven are two of my favourite songs. R.I.P.
Rick Love hi Rick listen to the Boston tea party live album if you haven't already. Thanks bro
Nicely done brother. Some people should not leave this world without our thanks. Thank you for that.
Thanks bro. That's a great way of putting it!
I came across this as I'm putting together a Danny album for my iTunes- I've got the vinyls, but not digitals. Nice to see him remembered so. He was always my favourite in FM.
I'm glad to see he seems to have been happy in his later years.
Nice - my favorite album is Kiln House - Danny is great on that
Totally agree , beautiful and melodious.
Danny hung out busking in Paris in 1977. He played a 12-string. I spoke to him briefly and he told me he once played in a group called Fleetwood Mac. He was unrecognizable with really long hair and beard.
peter kett wow that's Peter for that memory. I heard he went to holland but I didn't know about Paris
I believe he is very underrated. I mean if Peter Green asks you to be in his band you have to have some kind of magic. It breaks my heart that he & Peter Green took to much LSD and burned themselves out. Thank you for the wonderful videos. R.I.P. Danny Kirwan. Your guitar playing made the world a better place & truly inspired me and thousands of others 😁
Many years ago I bought a bunch of FM CD's because of my interest in Peter Green but I soon discovered the hidden gem within the band and it happened to be Danny. Just giving credit where it's due. Peace, from sunny Ca.
Exactly the same happened to me - Peace from London!
thanks for doing this..im a huge kirwan fan,,i agree with everything you said ,,,such a melodic player,,,,his songs always did and still do reach me ,,,,thanks again,,,,,,to me he was a giant
joe bloggs pleasure Joe
Thank you Guitar Show for this post about the late melodic guitar genius Danny Kirwan. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see your acknowledgment of this sensitive and gifted guitarist and composer. I have learned much from your post and a few of the other commenters who knew and spent time with Danny. It is good to read that a lot of the dark news of his post-Fleetwood Mac days is inaccurate. I was fortunate to see FM in 1968 at a little dance hall in Sacramento CA called The Sound Factory. They looked my age at the time, or even younger in Danny's case (18). I knew of Albatross at the time and maybe had already bought the American album release of English Rose with Mick on the cover in woman's makeup and wig. (I have the album cover framed on the wall). At the gig they looked exactly like the photo of the band on the back of that album...jeans and t-shirts and sneakers (runners), Danny with blond hair down to his eyes. When they came out on the little stage about two feet above the open floor where we sat, Peter said (paraphrasing) "We're a bit nervous, do you mind if we jam a little to loosen up?" And away they went. Wish I could remember more of the gig but I imagine them playing something like the Madge sessions at the start.
Danny's melodic solos and insane vibrato are instantly recognizable hallmarks that set him apart from Green, though they both were vibrato masters. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues: say no more. And I agree that Albatross was one of the first wide-release harmony duets that led the way for later jams like Allman-Betts (In Memory of Elizabeth Reed) and others. But the song I always come back to is "Sands Of Time" from the Future Games album, in which Danny duets with the late Bob Welch (I assume) in one of his best guitar melodies, in my mind. The title and lyrics display his dreamy and mystical approach to songwriting that showed in many of his other compositions. I later saw the Welch-era FM in Berkeley (Long John Baldry supporting) but it must have been one of the times Kirwan was unable to perform or maybe even recently fired, so disappointing. In 1975 I saw FM on their first tour with Buckingham/Nicks at Oakland Coliseum, Bill Graham's British Invasion, Day On The Green #3, headlined by Robin Trower. I knew then that FM was no longer the same guitar-driven band I had grown to love, and paid scant attention after that.
Sorry for this very long post, it just kept pouring out. Now I need to pull out my vinyl of Second Chapter for the first time in many years. Peace, brothers and sisters. Rest in peace, Danny.
pleasure and thanks for watching - please keep in touch!
Wonderful story, thank you for sharing ❤️
Station Man, my first fave was a Strat. Tell Me All The Things You Do I believe was a Strat, too.
Breaking away....
Time for Woman Of A Thousand Years.
Extremely influential singing style , too. Ask WishBone Ash.
Rest In Peace, Danny Kirwan.
I saw the Future Games/Bare Trees FM lineup twice, one per tour (sitting quite close, too), and Danny was definitely playing a sunburst Strat for 100% of the time (and so was Welch, IIRC, but ya got me on the color). OMG, though... Danny's solos were SO melodic! Anyway, their concert was so impressive that I went out the very next day and bought the new Future Games LP... and OMG, I remembered pretty much every solo I'd heard the night before! (It seems that Danny had, at least, a composed starting point for his solos, at least on several of the songs. I recall a few licks in particular that specifically had amazed me during the concert... and there they were on the LP! Anyway, IMO, pre-composing your solos to some extent is NOT at all a bad thing-I do it myself-but whatever. Still room to jump off at any point, too!)
Just thought I'd offer my own memories. FWIW, Future Games and Bare Trees ARE my very favorite FM albums... and then Play On and Kiln House. R.I.P. Danny.
@@larryh.3173 In my comment 3 years ago I mentioned seeing the Future Games lineup in Berkeley but Danny was missing, to my great disappointment. I later read that he had been fired on tour over bad behavior due to excessive drinking. And that he was let go right before one of their shows, possibly during that same tour I saw them on. Could have been March 1972. (see my long comment if you can find it). Where and when did you see them? Was Long John Baldry the opener when you saw them? I have blurry pictures of Bob Welch and Mick from close to the stage, I just walked all the way down the aisle with my camera and nobody chased me away. I remember Mick had some trouble with his drum kit moving around and a stage hand pounding nails to secure it while they were actually playing! Christine McVie and Welch carried all the vocals but Danny's absence was huge.
@@NorCalProf1 Hi. Both concerts I saw were on Long Island. IIRC, Terry Reid (‘River’ era) opened for FM the first time, on the Future Games tour, in a smallish club in Far Rockaway, IIRC. (Rockpile? Action House?) The second Bare Trees tour was in a huge flat floored airplane hanger-ish venue. Not the greatest sounds. Believe it or not, Alice Cooper was on the bill, too. IIRC, Blue Oyster Cult opened. Somehow, I have some pretty clear mental snapshots of both events and spaces, plus takeaway impressions of the performances. The Bare Trees concert simply couldn't compare with the much more intimate club of the Future Games gig, much lower ceilings and all. I’m surprised about Danny’s absence when you saw them, but hey, things were obviously building to a final head even then. So maybe not so surprised. Bummer. Yeah, I bet Danny would’ve been missed! (And I’ve never seen Baldry, tho I kinda followed him via some LPs.)
NIce Words......heartfelt tribute...
pleasure bro
Great video, Danny was a genuine soul, not to mention brilliant. Cheers
Emerald Wood Archives my pleasure
I saw them play two gigs in Plymouth in the late 60s, Danny quite often used a Tele as well, he should be recognised for his song writing and playing, such great stuff coming from a guy who was only a teenager at that time. R.I.P. the great Danny Kirwan
First band I ever went to see, in Sheffield, stayed at my grandma's, they played Albatross in Sheffield City Hall
very cool!
A shame...RIP Danny.
After listening to "Merry Go Round" on FM radio back in the late 60s, I went out and bought their debut LP. Peter Green's clean economical blues licks were so refreshing in comparison to so many guitarists who simply bashed loud barrages of licks. I wondered why Jeremy Spencer didn't provide rhythm guitar on Peter Green's compositions. After all, Green played rhythm on Spencer's songs. I then purchased "English Rose" and immediately noticed a big improvement in their sound--thanks to Danny Kirwan. His standout songs for me being "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" and "One Sunny Day". Not only did Fleetwood Mac grow musically on their 2nd LP, they had a cool look with jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. I'll bet the Ramones noticed their style and adopted it plus Ramones also used "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" in a scene from their movie "Rock and Roll High School." I continued buying their lps despite the eventual loss of Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer. Kirwan kept them going with his melodic rockers and elegant ballads. When he left Fleetwood Mac, I did,too. RIP my friend.
Al Zenno thanks for this didn't know about the Ramones connection
Check it out on UA-cam. It's the paper airplane scene.
Danny kirwan, icon in my book! Always enjoyed Danny, Bob Welch, Jeremy Spencer! Rest in peace Sweet Soul
agreed bro
Few people really dig Danny like they should thanks for remembering how great Danny was.
pleasure - and I agree with you - he could really dig in and play that melodic blues style
Also, nobody seems to notice that Peter Green in all likelihood never wanted to be a star. He was a working class lad who happened to be an extraordinarily talented musician and that’s all he grew to know. A genuine person. My feeling is this is why he chose to name the band after the rhythm section so he could split when it got too pressured and crazy (which it did). This is also probably the reason he chose and nurtured his ‘protege’ Danny to take over and keep it as a going concern. I think Danny’s promise in this sense was more beneficial than his actual role in the band when Peter was still in it (not to take anything away from his great playing that was showcased more so in FM after Peter left and in his solo albums IMO). Problem was that Danny was much the same as Peter - too sensitive for the cut and thrust world of rock and roll that Hunter S Thompson so succinctly described.
totally agree with you
Nice heartfelt vid. Blindsided by the news today. Had to drag out my Epi LP in too long. One Sunny Day, Something Inside Of Me were the start. Been a fan since '70 with Kiln House. RIP, Danny.
pleasure bro - yes those are great tunes, great to hear you got the Epi LP out!
REST IN PEACE and REST IN POWER Legendary, Great, Amazing, Beautiful, Impressive **DANNY KIRWAN** (05-13-1950 - 06-08-2018). I'll miss you terribly. Thank You So Much for the Unforgettable, Transfixing Art You Gave Us. Love.
Danny was a friend of mine. A very funny guy, made me laugh a lot. I met Peter Green with him years ago at Shepherds Bush Theatre. He wasn’t in a care home. He was happy last time I saw him some years ago. I played ‘Dust’ in his honour yesterday. RIP Danny.
That's so col bro - I would have loved to have met him One of my very good friends used to drink with him in a pub in Leigh-on-sea in Essex - he said Danny would be sitting there drinking pints of Directors beer and always very polite and a nice guy.
The Guitar Show he didn’t drink when I knew him. He’d come by my place and hang. I knew he was in a band with Peter Green but I didn’t realise it was FM until years later. I didn’t know who the members of FM were over the years. I met Peter with Danny backstage at a gig Peter did with Snowy White in the 90s. Danny mainly played jokey songs when he’d come round my place. He was a very funny man. I don’t remember him so much as the musician but as a friend who could make me laugh so much I couldn’t breathe.
Thanks bro for sharing this - its lovely to hear the lighter side to Danny's life. Was this recently?
The Guitar Show this was some years ago. I met Danny first in the mid 90s, my dad was still alive so I think it must have been 93. He lived near me and would come round often. He moved to Holland for a while, I was at his quiet leaving do at a local pub. That was early 2000s I think, but I get confused which year was which. It made me laugh years later to see a photograph of Danny in an independent newspaper interview article and know that the man in the photo wasn’t Danny. He had a very funny sense of humour. I suppose he didn’t want to be recognised and no one would be able to recognise him anyway. Peter knew him though. Danny cared very deeply for Peter. He was a lovely guy.
Thanks - I think I know the photo you are talking about - it actually looked like an older Danny. That's interesting . My good friend knew him when he was living in Leigh On Sea - not sure what year that was but I can find out
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the two Epic songs Danny Kirwan wrote and sang in, which deeply touched me as a young man: Station Man and Tell Me. These songs are pure works of art, and will live in my heart forever. Thank You Danny.
I love those two songs!
Danny was magic. Sad that he's so little known. He also played a sunburst LP in FM - can't figure out who ended up with it. A very plain top 'burst. He played a telecaster too, and obvs the LP Custom you seem him with on Dragonfly. Great tribute, thanks. That Navigator sounds really great.
thecaveofthedead many thanks he also played a red gibson flying V
Yes I wandered about that les Paul....Maybe it was Eric claptons famous beano burst
The first time my Pops showed me those early Mac TV performances i was like, OK so that's Peter Green, but who is the guy standing next to him ?
... Thanks for the stories, R.I.P Danny.
Wew pleasure bro
Soar Danny Soar ......
It is always great to hear someone who likes and appreciates danny kirwan.. thankyou.. although i haven't listened to any yet, no mention of the solo stuff after f.m...
Thanks David - Ill have to cover some of his later albums in a future video.
I have searched Danny Kirwan interview and come up with absolutely zilch. If anyone knows of an interview, please share. Enjoyed your tribute, I could have listened to an hour's worth.
rip danny
Why no mention of arguably his most melodic work on Future Games and Bare Tress ?
hi Tony I will do a full video of his later career and solo albums
Thanks to all for the thoughtful and insightful comments. Interesting to read about that tabloid picture of Danny that wasn’t even him. What a prankster! Loved hearing about that. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to drop out of the scene? It’s mad!. Loved Danny's playing and his songs. His solo stuff is seriously underrated - all those post-Fleetwood albums are very good.
Question - does anyone have a recent photo (post solo days) of him?
good question - I wonder if there are any around
Great video. Again.
RIP Danny
Thanks mate for talking about Danny Kirwan and letting us know what you have learned after his demons had taken hold. He was a fantastic guitarist and right up there with Greeny back in the day. They had a great chemistry as seen in the track Like Crying. Wonderful stuff but sad and a terrible waste that he could never get back to his former self.
A66omd pleasure it's a shame he wasn't brought back into the magic world before he died
What a tasteful player Danny was. He and Peter spent notes like they cost $1000 a piece. Thankfully his music will live on......🎸
Great music, thanks Danny.
So sad - great player, under appreciated as too many are
absolutely
That's a really nice tribute from a really informed ñice guy. I loved his playing and has given me much pleasure for 50 years
It kills me that FM went on to make millions of $$$, whilst Danny was homeless. They could have pooled some $$$ and taken care of him. For my money, Danny Kirwan was the outstanding talented singer songwriter and guitarist that FM ever had.
Joseph Obenauer agreed they should have done more to help him out and bring him back into the spotlight
They dont give a shit mate!!
It’s a shame that most people have no idea that Fleetwood Mac was not just Lindsey and Stevie really no idea
daniel connolly exactly bro
albatross would never have happened if it weren't for Danny Kirwin imo, like it this way is an incredible track
customguitarkits I think I need to order a p90 guitar from you
Lovely tribute. Nicely low-key, conversational and all the more poignant for that.
Thanks Shelly for your kind words
Great video...very fitting tribute brother, excellent ❤️👌
Stories like these bring tears
to your eyes.
Peter Green, I think, never denied Danny's contribution to 'Albatross' that you're mentioning in your video. 'Albatross' almost certainly wouldn't have sounded that way if it wasn't for Danny Kirwan. Peter Green obviously never had problem to acknowledge that...
thats very true bro
Awesome tribute
pleasure
Brilliant Guitarist
Amen
Never met you but knew you well through your music. Im sure God has welcomed you to the sunnyside of Heaven, thanks for the music!
Couldn't put it better myself
"dragonfly" is my favorite Danny Kirwan song .
A beautiful song
Mine too. The other I love as well is "Dust"
Its another sad FM story. I hope Danny found some peace
What a great guitarist! How sad to hear about Danny!
When I think of Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac I see
Danny Kirwan!❤
He was one of my favorite FM members. :(
Jeffrey Thomas mine too bro
I still play Jigsaw Puzzle Blues live to this day
nice!
I first heard Jigsaw Puzzle Blues at the age of 12 in 1969, when Albatross got to No. 1 and the boy across the road had a copy of the record. Little did I know that the guy who wrote it was only a few years older than me and the same age as my brother.
Agreed to all. Thanks for the comments.
pleasure!
easily one of the most underated and underappreciated guitar players of all times....a wasted talent really
Daniel Kirwan
was also the youngest member Of Fleetwood.
Danny Kirwan just didn't get the recognition he deserved unfortunately.
Agreed
wow, have just been working "jigsaw puzzle Blues" out (last week or so) on me guitar, since I watched this vid I checked out wikidpedia and found out it was Danny playing not Greeny. It was a clarinet piece he had transcribed.
thats amazing - who'd have thought! thanks for this
Danny was a truly great mulit faceted musician and masterful songwriter. He could have played with anyone. Anyone. I guess he dug a psychological hole for himself and he couldn't climb out of it.
Nice chops and great tone! What make is that Les Paul?
Thank you, the guitar is an ESP Navigator
Bernie Marsden covered Dragonfly... at the request of Peter Green . Bernie asked Greeny to play on a Mac song, and that's the the one he suggested. Greeny never managed to get to the studio, but Bernie recorded it anyway :)
Paul Kelcher I didn't know that thanks for letting me know
he had the most vicious vibrato in the world only when needed
Agreed 🎸🙏
Wow i had no idea
RIP
✨
Syd Barrett was another gifted musician with problems. He and Danny were birds of a feather.
RIP Danny, from NZ
thanks bro
@@TheGuitarShow You've done a great video here brother. I've been trying to find an interview with Danny on UA-cam, it's like trying to find an interview with Syd Barrett! Peace and once again thank you.
Yes I'd love to see an interview - there is some footage of Danny post FM - Ill try to find it and put it here @@deltadesign5697
Danny Kirwan,A class act.Peter Green,Danny Kirwan,Jeremy Spencer-Triple Threat.
totally agree Ed
I've heard this story so many times about Danny, everybody seems to have that elusive "friend" that drank with him, for someone that was destitute with no friends he sure had alot of friends! Haha