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AtAt first first there there was was a a point-blank point-blank denial denial that that Spencer Spencer Meanwhile, asas GreenGreen waswas flyingflying out,out, JeremyJeremywas was

was there,there, andand aa refusalrefusal to letlet thethe partyparty in. TheThe whitewhite lielie being transferredtransferred to to thethe ChildrenChildren Of Of God's God's Texas thatthat Jeremy'sJeremy's wifewife FionaFionawas was seriouslyillbackinseriously ill backin branch where hehe waswas later to bebe joinedjoined by hishis wifewife

EnglandEngland gotgot thethe triotrio insideinside thethe building.building. ItIt waswas afterafter Fiona, reportedlyreportedly inin fullfull sympathy sympathywith with herher

protracted arguingwithsectleadersarguingwith sect leaders thatthat JeremyJeremy husband's ideals, andand youngyoung sonson Dicken.Dicken. Fiona'sFiona's suddenlysuddenly stepped out out ofof a roomroom andand camecame toto meetmeet mother, stayingstaying at thethe MacMac house house inin Hampshire, Hampshire, them.Hisappearancewasstartling...them. His appearance was startling... hishairhis hair — caredcared for theyoungerthe younger child. Later,Later, it isis knownknown

shorn andand dressed inin "dirty" clothes.clothes. HisHis namename that the SpencersSpencers --Fiona Fiona doing domesticdomestic choreschores had alsoalso beenbeen changedchanged to thethe BiblicalBiblical Jonathan. Jonathan. "If"If hehe wantedwanted for the the sect-weresect -were movingmoving roundround branchesbranches ofof Davis spentspent threethree hourshours withwith thethe guitarist,guitarist, the Children Of Of God inin otherother major USUS cities.cities. hearing himhim tell howhehow he hadhad decideddecided hehe nono Faced with with little little alternative alternative - therethere waswas nono to come back, I longer wantedwanted to work;work; thatthat thethe worldworld waswas tocomeback, I time to breakbreak off andand re-planre -plan theirtheir actact withwith PeterPeter coming to anan endend andand thatthat he hadhad toto putput hishis soulsoul Green-FleetwoodGreen-Fleetwood MacMac werewere forcedforced intointo in orderorder first.first. HowHow he he had had been been approached approached byby acceptingaaccepting a setset comprising comprising three three numbers,numbers, think II wouldwould chanting members ofofthe the sectsect onon thethe streetstreet andand Green's "Black MagicMagic Woman" Woman" oneone ofof them,them,

gonegone with them toto explore theirtheir beliefs. followed byby anan hourhour oror more'smore's jamming.jamming. It waswas HeHe showedshowed nono concernconcern atat allall for thethe restrest oftheof the be preparedprepared toto aa movemove taken taken with with great great reluctance, reluctance, but butwhich which band, sayssays Davis,Davis, andand saidsaid hehe thoughtthought theythey involved veryvery littlelittle choice.choice. v might havehave persuadedpersuaded him against the action he Shattered then byby thethe mentalmental anguishanguish ofofthe the say yesyes" had taken ififhe he hadhad mademade contactcontact withwith themthem at days inin LosLos Angeles, Angeles, they theywere were nownow beingbeing askedasked all. "But"But II must must admit," admit," concedes concedes thethe manager,manager, to walkwalk ontoonto aa stage stage and and face face their their audiences audiences

"that hehe appearedappeared most sensiblesensible duringduring ourour long talk."talk." with the barest semblancesemblance of of an an act. act. "We'd"We'd arrive for aa gig,"gig," remembers remembers

ToTo questions questions ofwhatof what would would happenhappen toto hishis wifewife and and twotwo young young children,children, John McVie,McVie, "and "and suddenly suddenly find find ourselves ourselves onon stage stage staring staring atat anan audienceaudience

however, SpencerSpencer wouldwould onlyonly answer,answer, "Jesus loves...loves... JesusJesus willwill taketake carecare without a a clueclue ofwhatofwhat we we were were going going to to play.play. We werewere justjust scaredscared stiff; itit of them",them", andand allall thethe timetime thatthat DavisDavis waswas talkingtalking toto thethe guitarist,guitarist, twotwo was aa feelinglfeeling I just just couldn't couldn't properlyproperly describe."describe."

fellow disciplesdisciples ofof thethe sectsect werewere seatedseated on eithereither side ofof him,him, allall thethe whilewhile Green, moremore thanthan anythinganything else,else, probablyprobably helpedhelped holdhold themthem together.together.

rubbingrubbinghis his arms andand repeatingrepeating aa chant likelike "Jesus"Jesus loveslovesyou". you". "He treatedtreated it asas aa bit of a joke,"joke," sayssays McVie.McVie. "He "He never never spoke spoke much much onon stagestage

Davis sayssays his his condition condition andand behaviourbehaviour towards the rest of thethe sectsect but occasionally would amble upup to thethe micmic andand saysay somethingsomething like could bestbest bebe describeddescribed asas thatthat of aa "starstruckchild"."starstruck child". "It"Itwas," was," sayssays 'Yankee bastards'bastards' and laugh.laugh. II mean, he didn'tdidn't have toto come back againagain

Fleetwood, "as"as if hehe hadhad lostlost hishis identity.identity. TheThe JeremyJeremy wewe knewknew hadhad gone."gone." but wewe did.did. ButBut they'd they'd all all applaud applaud atat that,that, andand amazinglyamazingly the whole act,act,

Keene, the the roadie, roadie, went went further: further: "He'd"He'd been been brainwashed brainwashed andand it nearlynearly particularlyparticularlythejamming, the jamming, seemed seemed to to go go downdown well." well."

killed meme toto seesee him. HeHe justjust mumbled,mumbled, 'Jesus'Jesus lovesloves you.' HeHe was withwith Despite thethe factfact that that afterafter a a time time the the jamming jamming itself itselfbecame became monotonousmonotonous

about 500 ofof these these peoplepeople andand they'rethey're just like vegetables."vegetables." and predictablepredictable toto thethe band,band, theytheywere were winningwinning encores andand buildingbuilding TheThe bandband itselfitselfnever never gotgot to seesee Spencer.Spencer. ThereThere waswas talktalk ofof aa meetingmeeting where they hadhad fully expectedexpected to bebe killingkilling aa reputation.reputation. "We"We onlyonly hadhad aa

with him the followingfollowingevening.ifit evening, if it could could bearranged, be arranged, buttheadvicebut the advice handful of of bad bad gigs,"gigs," says JohnJohn "which is goodgood inin anan eight-weekeight -week tour.tour. InIn

against it it ofof CliffordClifford DavisDavis prevailed.prevailed. "I"I fearedfeared forfor their safety,"safely," hehe told me.me. terms ofof goinggoing downdown wellwell and and makingmaking moremore money,money, wewe were were successful successful

Ironically, thethe tour,tour, inin termsterms offinancialof financial gain gain and and audience audience response, and it waswas ourour bestbest tour.tour. ButBut thethe wayway wewe feltfelt insideinside whilewhile wewe werewere doingdoing it..."it..." was thethe mostmost successfulsuccessful Fleetwood MacMac have donedone inin thethe States.States. TheirTheir "Peter," sayssays ChristineChristine "was"was so good. YouYou could could almost almost seesee thethe goosegoose

Kiln HouseHouse a\hum album hadhad done done betterbetter inin AmericaAmerica thanthan here,here, andand before hishis pimples on people's arms asas theytheywere were listening listening to to him him play. play. HeHe justjust

disappearance, Jeremy Jeremy hadhad beenbeen playingplaying toto his peak.peak. used toto raise thethe roof. roof. HeHe is THETHE guitarist;guitarist; it isis suchsuch aa shameshame that he is

"He hadhad beenbeen reallyreally getting getting everybody everybody else else offthe offthe ground," ground," remembered remembered renouncingrenouncinghimself." himself."

Christine whenwhen we moved upstairs to to thethe McVies'McVies' sectionsection ofofthe the house.house. Drained ofof energy by thethe endend ofof thethe tour,tour, thethe lastlast date,date, accordingaccording to JohnJohn

"He was playingplaying likelike we'dwe'd never heardheard himhim playplay before. At thethe FillmoreFillmore McVie, had had to to be be the the last. last. They They couldn't couldn't havehave gonegone onon anyany further.further. AndAnd onceonce

West inin SanSan FranciscoFrancis co [what[what waswas toto be be his his final final night night with with thethe band]band] he diddid it waswas allall over,over, they they just just fledfled forfor England England asas fastfast as theythey couldcould go,go, mentally mentally

his ElvisElvis bit bit and and had had the the whole whole audience audience in in the the palm palm of ofhis his hand.. hand..." and physically beaten, morale morale at at its its lowestlowest ebb. "Over"Over thethe pastpast year,"year," sighedsighed

"He hadhad soso muchmuch powerpower over thethe audience,"audience," brokebroke in in JohnJohn McVie.McVie. Christine, "it seemsseems asas ififwe we have have just just been been continually continually battered battered andand

"That's whatwhat II can'tcan't understand.understand. If If he wantedwanted to spreadspread his beliefs,beliefs, surelysurely beaten aboutabout the the head head with with a a giantgiant club." club." Mick Fleetwood,Fleetwood, succinctly,succinctly,

he couldcould havehave usedused thatthat powerpower andand donedone itit through through thethe groupgroup instead..."instead..." uses andand makes you feelfeel the the strength strength ofof thethe phrasephrase "running"running for for home".home".

Christine: "Yes,"Yes, butbut itit was was 'Elvis' 'Elvis' that that hadhad thethe power. JeremyJeremy hadhad nono I drovedrove downdown toto thethe FleetwoodFleetwood MacMac house,house, aa large large secluded secluded mansionmansion on

power atat all."all." None None of of them, them, they they stress, stress, mind mind the the course course that thatJeremy Jeremy hashas a hillhill justjust past thethe Devil'sDevil's PunchPunch Bowl Bowl onon thethe A9, A9, justjust aa weekweek afterafter theirtheir taken; their objection isis toto thethe mannermanner in whichwhich he took it. return. Understandably they hadn'thadn't beenbeen nearnear theirtheir instrumentsinstruments sincesince

"What hehe hashas done is hishis privilege,"privilege," sayssays ChristineChristine on behalfbehalf of thethe band.band. they got back,back, andand werewere justjust thenthen comingcoming round toto picking up the pieces.

"But hehe couldcould havehave hadhad thethe courtesycourtesy to let us know, insteadinstead of justjust walkingwalking They'd mademade no hard and fast decisionsdecisions on whatwhat toto do if JeremyJeremy SpencerSpencer

out on us andand leaving usus to worryworry like wewe diddid forfor those those fourfour days..days..." does returnreturn andand if,if, thoughthough theythey think itit highly improbable,improbable, he wantswants to

"Not knowing,"knowing," addsadds MickFleetwood/'whetherheMick Fleetwood, "whether he was physicallyphysically oror rejoin. They discussdiscuss it amongamong themselvesthemselves asas we drinkdrink coffee.

mentally stillstill in one piece.piece. ThatThat was all wewe wanted,wanted, all wewe neededneeded toto know." "It isis hard hard untiluntil wewe talktalk toto him,"him," sayssays Christine. Christine. "I wouldwould say nono becausebecause

Once reconciledreconciled to Jeremy'sJeremy's unalterableunalterable state ofof mind,mind, thethe group waswas I don'tdon't thinkthinkIcanworkwith I can work with him him again again after after what what he's he's done."done." faced with sixsix weeksweeks of a majormajor tourtouryet yet to run,run, with contracts andand gigsgigs to "But," JohnJohn weighsweighs inin with with hishis opinion,opinion, "if hehe said said hehe wanted wanted toto come

complete that they couldn't conceivablyconceivably meetmeet inin their depleted form.form. back, II think thinkl I wouldwould bebe preparedprepared to saysayyes..." yes..."

Peter Green,Green, thethe erstwhileerstwhile FleetwoodFleetwood MacMac leader who himself left left thethe Mick, asas hehe seessees meme toto my my car, car, feels feels that that apart apart fromfrom any otherother

band forfor reasons inin which hishis religiousreligious beliefsbeliefs playedplayed aa majormajor role,role, was considerations they they all all wantwant toto hear itit "from"from thethe man himself".Andhimself". And that,that, their saviour.saviour. CliffordClifford Davis putput throughthrough anan SOSSOS callcall toto the the guitarist guitarist inin despite whatwhat has happened, he he would would likelike toto re-re-establish establish withwith SpencerSpencer

England, who,who, truetrue toto his his pronouncements pronouncements andand intentionsintentions when hehe quitquit the strong bond of friendshipfriendship thatthat previously existed.

the Mac, hadhad beenbeen aboutabout to taketake upup a jobjob onon aa farm.farm. The firstfirst candidatecandidate for for Jeremy's old jobjob waswas duedue thethe afternoonafternoon ofofthe the dayday

Going backback on on stage, stage, after after so so many many months' months' absence, absence, was was the the furthest furthest I called,called, aa guitarist/singer/writerguitarist/singer/writer called called Bob Bob Welch Welch who hashas sincesince beenbeen

thing fromfrom Green'sGreen's mind;mind; yet yet it it was the ties of aa stillstill strong strong friendship friendship thatthat chosen asas replacement.replacement. AlsoAlso duedue thatthat daydaywas was SpencerSpencer himself.himself. BecauseBecause

sent him flying out to joinjoin upup withwith thethe bandband twotwo days later. he livedlived there,there, andand allall hishis possessionspossessions remainremain in hishis quarterquarter ofof thethe house,house,

Christine pointspoints outout thatthat ifif GreenGreen hadhad notnot answeredanswered theirtheir distressdistress callcall it isis oddsodds onon that that hehe will will return return therethere atat somesome point.point.

their wholewhole careerscareers wouldwould have been inin jeopardy. "We"We wouldwould have lostlost But thethe bandband hadhad no knowledgeknowledge ofofhis his intentions,intentions, simply word thatthat hehe

a lotlot ofof money, money, lost lost this this house, house, everything. everything. It wouldwould havehave beenbeen thethe end,end, would be backsoon-theback soon -the datedate hashas sincesince beenbeen putput backbackto to later thisthis month.month. because thisthis househouse representsrepresents everything every thing we've we've got."And got.'And turningturning toto He couldcould bebe comingcoming forfor hishis possessions,possessions, toto talktalk toto thethe bandband or, or, asas isis

address herselftoherselfto herher husband:husband: "Everything "Everythingyou've you've workedworked forfor thethe lastlast thought highlypossible,highly possible, with with theleader the leader of ofthe the Children Children of of GodGod toto startstart

eight years, let's face it, it'sit's allall tiedtied upup inin thisthis house."house." an offshoot ofof the sect in Britain. NickLoganNick Logan • WorldMags.net

HISTORY OFOF ROCKROCK 19711971 61