Night Watch (song)

Last updated
"Night Watch"
Song by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Penguin
ReleasedMarch 1973
RecordedJanuary 1973
Studio Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, Benifold, Hampshire
AIR Studios, London
Length6:17
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Bob Welch
Producer(s) Fleetwood Mac
Martin Birch

"Night Watch" is a Fleetwood Mac song written and sung by Bob Welch. It is the penultimate track on the band's seventh studio album Penguin , which was released in 1973. The song includes uncredited guitar playing from Peter Green, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac who departed from the band in 1970. Since its release on Penguin, Fleetwood Mac played the song live up until the departure of Welch.

Contents

Background

Welch wrote "Night Watch" about the witnessing of paranormal activities, particularly the sigting of UFO landings, which are referenced in the song as "magic shadows". [1] Peter Green, who was one of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac, visited the band in the recording studio during the making of Penguin and recorded a guitar part on "Night Watch", which was uncredited in the album liner notes. [2] In his first memoir, Mick Fleetwood mentioned that Green was successfully convinced to overdub some "far-echo guitar" on the track. [3] He recorded his parts at AIR Studios in London while the band was conducting overdubs. [4] Bob Weston recalled that Green would occasionally visit the band in the recording studio, which would invariably lead to a jam session with the band. [5] Welch said that Green recorded his part in an echo chamber situated in the basement, where he "just did what he wanted". Prior to the overdubbing session, Green spent most of his visit "just sitting in the corner, not saying anything." After he completed his part, Green left the recording studio without conversing with the rest of Fleetwood Mac. [6]

Peter Green showed up with his guitar which was surprising because at the time he was refusing to play with anyone and was going through a difficult period in his life. There was one part in the tune that needed something special and with no disrespect to Bob Welch or Weston, it was not happening musically. Who persuaded him or how he was persuaded to play I do not clearly remember, but I think he nailed the track on the second take. Truely magical.

—  Dave Walker [4]

Steve Nye, who at the time was working as a tape op at AIR Studios where Penguin was mixed, played organ on "Night Watch". [7] [1] In his book Fleetwood Mac FAQ, Ryan Reed described Nye's organ playing as the song's "secret weapon". [8] A few years after the recording of Penguin, Nye would later co-found the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. [1] [8] The vocal harmonies on "Night Watch" were built around block chords, which Reed thought was evocative of Crosby, Stills and Nash. [8] [9] During Fleetwood Mac's tour promoting their Heroes Are Hard to Find album in 1974, "Night Watch" was one of the songs included in the setlist. [10] During these performances, Fleetwood would play an African talking drum solo. [11]

Critical reception

Tony Stewart of New Musical Express called "Night Watch" "the most impressive piece of writing" on Penguin. [12] Cashbox predicted that "Night Watch" would be "a big favorite for FM programmers." [13] In their book, Fleetwood Mac: Rumours n' Fax, Roy Carr and Steve Clarke labelled "Night Watch" as Welch's one song on Penguin that "exudes genuine inspiration" and an example of where his "predilection for spacey studio effects doesn't backfire on him". [9] Colin Larkin was dismissive of the Penguin album as a whole but singled out "Night Watch" as an "excellent composition". [14] Richie Unterberger characterised it as a "catchy pop-rock song in the vein of 'Sentimental Lady'". [7] Dave Thompson of Goldmine identified "Night Watch" as one of Fleetwood Mac's most underrated songs. [15]

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roubin, Olivier; Ollivier, Romuald (1 April 2025). Fleetwood Mac: All The Songs. New York: Black Dog Leventhal Publishers. p. 262. ISBN   978-0-7624-8630-4.
  2. ↑ Evans, Mike (2011). Fleetwood Mac: The Definitive History. New York: Sterling. pp. 24, 94. ISBN   978-1-4027-8630-3.
  3. ↑ Fleetwood, Mick; Davis, Stephen (1990). Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures with Fleetwood Mac. New York: William Morrow and Company. p. 112. ISBN   0-688-06647-X.
  4. 1 2 "Dave Walker Q&A Session, October 12 - 25, 2000". The Penguin. Archived from the original on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Bob Weston Q&A Session, December 1999 Part 1". The Penguin. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "Bob Welch, August 4 – 17, 2003". The Penguin. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 Unterberger, Richie (2017). Fleetwood Mac: The Complete Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. pp. 70, 72. ISBN   978-1627889759.
  8. 1 2 3 Reed, Ryan (2018). Fleetwood Mac FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Iconic Rock Survivors. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Backbeat Books. p. 143. ISBN   978-1-61713-667-2.
  9. 1 2 Carr, Roy; Clarke, Steve (1978). Fleetwood Mac: Rumours n' Fax . Harmony Books. p. 68. ISBN   0-517-53364-2.
  10. ↑ Shirley, Steve (23 November 1974). "Fleetwood Mac Produces Mosaic". Missoulian . p. 4A. Retrieved 1 August 2025– via newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Claypool, Bob (12 November 1974). "Starship running smoothly". Houston Post . p. 5. Retrieved 1 August 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Stewart, Tony (26 May 1973). "Fleetwood Mac: "Penguin" (Reprise)". New Musical Express .
  13. ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox . 21 April 1973. p. 30. Retrieved 1 August 2025– via World Radio History.
  14. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 495. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ Thompson, Dave (February 2005). "Fleetwood Mac: What Happened Before All That Happened Later On..." . Goldmine . Retrieved 1 August 2025– via Rock's Backpages.
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