Kiln House

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Kiln House
Kilnhouse.jpg
Studio album by
Released18 September 1970
RecordedJune–July 1970
Studio De Lane Lea, London
Genre
Length33:54
Label Reprise
Producer Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac chronology
Fleetwood Mac in Chicago
(1969)
Kiln House
(1970)
Future Games
(1971)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [2]

Kiln House is the fourth studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 18 September 1970 by Reprise Records. This is the first album after the departure of founder Peter Green, and their last album to feature guitarist Jeremy Spencer. Christine McVie was present at the recording sessions and contributed backing vocals, keyboards and cover art, although she was not a full member of the band until shortly after the album's completion. [3]

Contents

Background

The album title is taken from the name of a converted oast house in Truncheaunts Lane, near Alton in Hampshire. The house was leased by the band, who lived there communally with their families for a six-month period in 1970. Mick Fleetwood married Jenny Boyd at the house on 20 June 1970. [4]

Spencer, who played on only one track during the recording of the previous album, Then Play On , played a much more active role during the Kiln House sessions. His retro 1950s homages and parodies dominate the album, although Danny Kirwan's songs are almost equally prominent. [5] Spencer was particularly influenced by rockabilly and music from the Sun Records record label. [6] "Buddy's Song" is a cover of a song first recorded by Bobby Vee in 1963, which itself was a partial cover of "Peggy Sue Got Married" with new lyrics listing a number of Buddy Holly song titles. The song is credited to Buddy Holly's mother, who received the writing credit after Buddy's funeral from the original composer, Waylon Jennings. [3] Fleetwood Mac's cover of "Hi Ho Silver was based off a recording titled "Honey Hush" from Johnny Burnette's Rock and Roll Trio. [6] Johnny Burnette's nephew, Billy Burnette, later joined Fleetwood Mac in 1987. [7]

An early version of Kirwan's instrumental "Earl Gray", entitled "Farewell", was later released on the compilation The Vaudeville Years . [8]

Spencer recalled that the album and ensuing tour were met with hostility in the UK. [6] However, Kiln House was received much more favorably in North America, where it peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 7 November 1970. [9] and No. 67 in Canada's RPM Magazine, December 19, 1970. [10] At the time, Kiln House was Fleetwood Mac's best-seller in the US. [6]

Five days before they were set to depart for their American tour, the band asked Christine McVie to join. Following five days of rehearsals, the band left for America on July 26th. McVie said that the band was met with apprehension for about 20% of their performances, particularly amongst those who missed Peter Green. "I think the audience are [sic] wondering what we are going to be like. Before Peter ran the band. Now there is no leader, we just take turns. Obviously, some of the people miss Peter's guitar playing. But then, the sound is different now and other people have said that they don't even notice he's missing." [11]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."This Is the Rock" Jeremy Spencer Spencer2:45
2."Station Man" Danny Kirwan, Spencer, John McVie Kirwan5:49
3."Blood on the Floor"SpencerSpencer2:44
4."Hi Ho Silver" Big Joe Turner Spencer3:05
5."Jewel Eyed Judy"Kirwan, Mick Fleetwood, J. McVieKirwan3:17
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
6."Buddy's Song"Ella HolleySpencer2:08
7."Earl Gray"Kirwaninstrumental4:01
8."One Together"SpencerSpencer3:23
9."Tell Me All the Things You Do"KirwanKirwan4:10
10."Mission Bell"Jesse D. Hodges, William MichaelSpencer2:32
2020 Remastered bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
11."Dragonfly"Kirwan, W. H. Davies Kirwan2:49
12."Purple Dancer"Kirwan, J. McVie, FleetwoodKirwan, Spencer5:42
13."Jewel Eyed Judy" (Single Version)Kirwan, Fleetwood, J. McVieKirwan3:21
14."Station Man" (Single Version)Kirwan, Spencer, J. McVieKirwan5:10

Personnel

Fleetwood Mac

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Chart (1970)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [12] 26
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [13] 67
UK Albums (OCC) [14] 39
US Billboard 200 [15] 69

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"Jewel Eyed Judy" is a song by British rock group Fleetwood Mac, which was released as a single from the 1971 Kiln House album. Although credited to John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Danny Kirwan. Mick Fleetwood stated in his 2014 autobiography, Play On, that his wife Jenny Boyd and Christine McVie wrote the lyrics together when the former was four months pregnant. Judy Wong, the band's secretary, was the subject of "Jewel Eyed Judy"..

References

  1. "Kiln House - Fleetwood Mac | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 24 February 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. 1 2 Kiln House (CD booklet notes). Fleetwood Mac. Reprise. 1970.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. Fleetwood, Mick (2014). Play On. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
  5. Reed, Ryan (16 March 2020). "Who Sang the Most Fleetwood Mac Songs? Lead Vocal Totals". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Lundstrom, Jim. "Vinyl Liner Notes: Tarkio by Brewer & Shipley". Scene. Archived from the original (Scroll beyond the interviews with Brewer & Shipley and Marshall Crenshaw to reach the Q&A with Jeremy Spencer on Kiln House) on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  7. DeRiso, Nick (14 April 2015). "Fleetwood Mac Hit Big with 'Tango in the Night' Then Imploded". Something Else Reviews. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  8. The Vaudeville Years (CD booklet notes). Fleetwood Mac. Receiver Records. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. "Billboard 200 Kiln House". Billboard.com. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  10. "RPM Top 100 Albums - December 19, 1970" (PDF).
  11. Halsall, John (29 March 1971). "Christine McVie (She's Not Perfect Anymore...)". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  12. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Turramurra, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.
  13. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3735". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  15. "Fleetwood Mac Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2022.