Posted on 07/30/2020 3:57:20 PM PDT by Twotone
The first time Peter Green died was one night in 1969, in San Francisco. Or possibly New York. Or Los Angeles or Miami or Chicago. Peter could never remember which. He had died a hundred times since, and after a while, all the deaths blurred together.
Behind that first death lay 22 years of life, most of it spent as Peter Greenbaum, an obscure lad from Bethnal Green in the east end of London.
Aside from jellied eels, rhyming slang, and Jack the Ripper's crime spree 80 years earlier, Bethnal Green wasn't known for much. Nothing in particular augured the rise of a Bethnal Green boy to stardom. Yet at the same time, there was always something special about the unusually thoughtful Peter – particularly his guitar playing.
He'd taken up the instrument at age eleven, inspired by the crisp lead playing of Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin. By age fifteen, he was good enough to play around Bethnal Green for a few quid here and there, though mostly for fun.
But by nineteen, he was good enough to warrant an invitation by British blues singer John Mayall to fill in for his vacationing guitarist – an up-and-coming chap by the name of Eric Clapton – for four dates that December of 1965. The gigs went well, Clapton returned a week later, and Green resumed playing local Bethnal Green gigs at pubs, churches, synagogues, and birthday parties. And that might have been the last we ever heard of Peter Green, except that six months later, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers recorded the most iconic British blues album of all-time. Officially entitled Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, but popularly known as "The Beano Album", the record vaulted into the UK Top Ten and made the band famous.
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
Interesting, thank you for posting.
Interesting too.
Always respected Hank Marvin myself. But, Jorgen Ingman (sp) got me started. His version of Apache.
RIP Peter Green
I bookmarked it just so I can go back and marvel at the skilled writer.
Mark Steyn is a wonder.
Author is not Mark Steyn. It’s Tal Bachman (son of rocker Randy Bachman, if I’m not mistaken.)
I am amazed at this article. I have always enjoyed Steyn’s takes on 20th century music, but did not know he was also familiar with the rock and blues genre. I was very touched by this story, being only mildly familiar with the names involved.
bttt
As another noted, it’s not Steyn. But Tal Bachman certainly is a great addition to Steyn’s group.
Far too many great artist have had their talents taken away if not their life through drug use.
Yes that Jorgen Ingman LP was awesome. Lets not forget the first two Santo & Johnny LPs though...
Slightly sidetracked (no Freddy King is a tad later) I got a bit distracted by the Peter Gunn soundtrack. Also in there we had a few needle drops on Martin Denny.
Some mellow stuff
Oh no who did I not mention...?
Yup, and you know the initials ...DE
right, and our Man in Nashville ... CA
Fantastic article!
For later.
L
Lol. Hadn’t seen Martin Denny mentioned in, oh, decades.
Bachman has quite a way with words.
LoL is right. Maybe more like generations, but lets not count. Please! Just listen to the music.
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