Need Your Love So Bad

When someone says Fleetwood Mac, one's thoughts immediately go to the killer supergroup of the mid-70s with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. But Mac was a very successful blues band a decade earlier in Britain formed by guitarist Peter Green and his former John Mayall Blues Band mates drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, after whom the band was named.

Mac's self-titled first album was released 1968. They'd release 9 more albums as a blues outfit before the release of their second eponymous release in 1975 after Buckingham and Nicks joined Fleetwood, McVie and McVie's wife Christine who had been the band's organist since 1970.

After dallying with LSD and following bouts of schizophrenia, in 1970 Peter Green left the group he had founded.

In an obviously lip-synced performance, here's Green and a very young looking Fleetwood and Mac performing a Ray Charles-inspired arrangement of Need Your Love So Bad...

Off Beat: Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight

Released in the late 50s by skiffle artist Lonnie Donegan, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour (On The Bedpost Overnight) became a huge hit both at home in the UK and in the States in the early 60s. I remember hearing the song and loving it on the radio in Toronto as a little kid.

I didn't know who Lonnie Donegan was back then. I just thought the song was hilarious. But Donegan racked up 24 Top 30 hits in Britain and was the most popular British recording artist until the Beatles came along. Speaking of which, Donegan influenced many British musical acts of the 60s, including a little skiffle group called The Quarrymen - the precursor to the Beatles. Donegan died at the age of 71 in 2002, while on tour in Britain. Here's a 70s performance of Does Your Chewing Gum...

Off Beat: Witch Doctor

In 1958, the novelty song Witch Doctor hit #1 in America. The song was written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. - better known as David Seville.

Witch Doctor was the first occasion that Seville experimented with tape speeds in the recording studio. His most successful use of varied tape speeds was with Alvin and the Chipmunks. They released Christmas Don't Be Late in 1959 and never looked back, launching a career of records, cartoons and television shows. Here's Seville on the Ed Sullivan show in the 50s "performing" Witch Doctor...

Low Rider

Rock-funk fusion band War was formed in 1969 and fronted by Eric Burdon, former lead singer of the Animals. They were a fusion of two sorts. Their music encompassed rock, funk, jazz, Latin music, R&B and raggae. And the band line up was multi-ethnic; a fusion of races and cultures.

Burdon and War released several hits in the early 70s including the classic Spill the Wine. But Burdon and the rest of the members parted ways while on a European tour in 1970. Luckily for us War still had some great songs in them including Why Can't We Be Friends and the funky Low Rider released in 1975.

Running On Empty

This week's 70s Thursday feature looks at Jackson Browne, an artist who struggled significantly until finally making it. Early in his career he was better known for writing songs for other people such as Joan Baez, Tom Rush, Linda Ronstadt, the Byrds and the Eagles.

Browne signed a record deal with Asylum Records in 1971, the home of the "California sound" of the 70s and recorded and released 4 albums before the blockbuster Running on Empty live album. Running on Empty was recorded while on tour but in addition to live concert performances included tunes recorded on his tour bus, backstage and in hotel rooms. Running On Empty was released in 1977. Here's a performance of the title track from 1979...

Off Beat: My Balogna

The second in our weekly Saturday series of off beat or silly songs is My Balogna by Weird Al Yankovic, a parody of The Knack's 1979 hit My Sharona. Yankovic, who first reached the top ten with the album Right Outta Lynwood and single White and Nerdy in 2006, launched his career close to 30 years ago with My Balogna. He's had some hilarious hits parodying famous artists and their songs over the years but it all started with this video from the pop prankster...