Rattlesnake Shake

Last updated
"Rattlesnake Shake"
Rattlesnake Shake single.jpg
Single by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Then Play On
B-side "Coming Your Way"
ReleasedSeptember 1969 (US) [1]
Recorded1969
Genre Blues rock
Psychedelic blues
Length3:32
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Peter Green
Producer(s) Fleetwood Mac [2]

"Rattlesnake Shake" is a song by British rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by guitarist Peter Green, which first appeared on the band's 1969 album Then Play On . The track was one of the band's crowd-favorites in the late 1960s. [3]

Contents

Background

During a 1969 interview with Peter Green prior to the release of Then Play On, Nick Logan of New Musical Express discussed the song's subject matter as being "about a male function not mentioned in the best circles." [4] Green said in a 1999 Q&A with The Penguin that "Rattlesnake Shake" was about masturbation and reckoned that the lyrical content was inspired by Fleetwood. [5] Mick Fleetwood would later back up this claim in his 2014 autobiography Play On, stating that "Rattlesnake Shake" was an ode to masturbation. "I'm named in it, as a guy who does the rattlesnake shake to jerk away my sadness whenever I don't have a chick. That was an appropriate immortalisation of my younger self." [6] In 2012, Fleetwood picked "Rattlesnake Shake" as one of his 11 greatest recordings. [7]

To achieve the rustling noises heard at the end of each chorus, Green used the sounds of an actual rattlesnake found on an audio tape. [4] [8] According to Fleetwood, the double-time shuffle near the end of the song was an unplanned addition to the song, although the band approved of the section and decided to keep it. [7] [9] "It incorporated the freedom to go off on a tangent, to jam. You hear that alive and well in the double-time structure that I put in at the end, which on stage could last half an hour. It was our way of being in the Grateful Dead." [7]

Although "Oh Well" charted in the UK in October 1969, it was not released in the US at the time. Instead, the band's manager selected "Rattlesnake Shake" to be released in the US as he believed that it would be a successful single. [10] However, "Rattlesnake Shake" did not chart, and "Oh Well" was released as the follow-up single in January 1970, reaching No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100. [11]

Critical reception

"Rattlesnake Shake" largely received positive reviews from music reviewers. Rolling Stone identified it as a "key track" of Green's along with "Albatross". [12] Record World described the song as a "rock and roll bouncer" and called the band a "talented" group of English musicians. [13] Writing for AllMusic, Michael G. Nastos characterised the song as "down-and-dirty, even-paced funk, with clean, wall-of-sound guitars." [14] Ultimate Classic Rock placed it at No. 7 on their Top 10 'Peter Green Fleetwood Mac Songs' list. [15] Holly Gleason of Paste ranked the song number No. 19 on their list of the 20 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs; it was one of two Peter Green songs to appear on the list along with "Oh Well". [16]

Track listing

  1. "Rattlesnake Shake"
  2. "Coming Your Way"

Personnel

Fleetwood Mac

Chart performance

Chart (1970)Peak
position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [17] 4

Cover versions

Mick Fleetwood later covered the song on his debut solo album, The Visitor . Released in 1981, this recording featured choral vocals and tribal percussion. [9] Peter Green, the track's composer, also contributed guitar and vocals at a recording studio owned by Jimmy Page. [18] During this time, Green had begun to reemerge professionally and released a series of solo albums up through the first half of the decade. [19] The rerecorded 1981 version reached No. 30 on the Mainstream Rock chart. [20]

Also in 1981, Bob Welch recorded a live version of the track on his album Live at The Roxy , with contributions from Stevie Nicks (tambourine), Christine McVie (maracas), Mick Fleetwood (drums), Robbie Patton (cowbell), Alvin Taylor (guitar), Robin Sylvester (bass), Joey Brasler (guitar), and David Adelstein (keyboards). The album was released in 2004. [21]

A 1973 live version of "Rattlesnake Shake" appeared on Aerosmith's 1991 box set Pandora's Box . [22] Steven Tyler of Aerosmith recalled that he had seen one of Joe Perry 's bands in the 1960s cover the song, which he partially attributed to their eventual musical partnership. [23] In 2020, Tyler later performed the song live with Fleetwood for a Peter Green tribute concert. A recording from the show later appeared on the Celebrate the Music of Peter Green and the Early Years of Fleetwood Mac live album. [24]

In 2005, former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Rick Vito covered "Rattlesnake Shake" on an album of the same name. [25] The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band recorded a live version of "Rattlesnake Shake" for their album Blue Again! in 2008, which featured Vito on guitar and vocals. [26]

In 2013, the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band played the song at a concert in Hawaii with Christine McVie, who at the time had not been a member of Fleetwood Mac for 15 years. McVie initiated the collaboration by calling Fleetwood, which prompted him and Vito to bring a piano to her hotel suite so she could practice the material. "Rattlesnake Shake" was one of the four songs McVie played with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, with the others being "Get Like You Used to Be", "World Turning" and "Don't Stop. [6]

Personnel (Mick Fleetwood version)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood Mac</span> British-American rock band

Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967 by guitarist and singer Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, who have remained with the band throughout its many lineup changes. Fleetwood Mac have sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Green (musician)</span> English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1946–2020)

Peter Allen Greenbaum, known professionally as Peter Green, was an English blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. Green founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967 after a stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and quickly established the new band as a popular live act in addition to a successful recording act, before departing in 1970. Green's songs, such as "Albatross", "Black Magic Woman", "Oh Well", "The Green Manalishi " and "Man of the World", appeared on singles charts, and several have been adapted by a variety of musicians.

<i>Fleetwood Mac</i> (1968 album) 1968 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac, also known as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, is the debut studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in February 1968. The album is a mixture of blues covers and originals penned by guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer, who also share the vocal duties. It is the only album by the band without any involvement of keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie.

<i>Then Play On</i> 1969 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Then Play On is the third studio album by the British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 19 September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan and the last with Peter Green. Although still an official band member at the time, Jeremy Spencer did not feature on the album apart from "a couple of piano things". The album offered a broader stylistic range than the straightforward electric blues of the group's first two albums, displaying elements of folk rock, hard rock, art rock and psychedelia. The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's fourth Top 20 LP in a row, as well as their third album to reach the Top 10. The album's title, Then Play On, is taken from the opening line of William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night—"If music be the food of love, play on".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Kirwan</span> British rock musician (1950–2018)

Daniel David Kirwan was a British musician and guitarist, singer and songwriter with the blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac between 1968 and 1972. He released three albums as a solo artist from 1975 to 1979, recorded albums with Otis Spann, Chris Youlden, and Tramp, and worked with former Fleetwood Mac colleagues Jeremy Spencer and Christine McVie on some of their solo projects. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Vito</span> American guitarist and singer (born 1949)

Richard Francis Vito is an American guitarist and singer. He was part of Fleetwood Mac between 1987 and 1991. Vito took over as lead guitarist after Lindsey Buckingham left the group. He is best known for his blues and slide guitar style, whose influences include Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, B.B. King, Alvino Rey, Les Paul, George Harrison, and Keith Richards.

<i>Kiln House</i> 1970 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

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.

<i>Time</i> (Fleetwood Mac album) 1995 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Time is the sixteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 10 October 1995. This album features a unique line-up for the band, featuring the addition of country vocalist Bekka Bramlett and former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason. It was the second album released after the departure of Lindsey Buckingham in 1987, and the only Fleetwood Mac album since 1974's Heroes Are Hard to Find to not feature any contribution from Stevie Nicks. Additionally, it is the final Fleetwood Mac studio album to feature Christine McVie as an official member.

<i>Live in Boston</i> (Fleetwood Mac album) 1985 live album by Fleetwood Mac

Live in Boston is a live album by British blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac that was first released in 1985.

<i>Show-Biz Blues</i> 2001 compilation album by Fleetwood Mac

Show-Biz Blues: Fleetwood Mac 1968 to 1970 is an album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 2001. It was a compilation of outtakes and unreleased tracks from the band's early line-up, none of which had previously seen the light of day officially. Available on double vinyl LP and double CD, it came with a booklet of extensive notes and anecdotes, and was the companion release to The Vaudeville Years of Fleetwood Mac 1968–1970.

<i>25 Years – The Chain</i> 1992 box set by Fleetwood Mac

25 Years – The Chain is a box set by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac originally released on 24 November 1992. The set contains four CDs, covering the history of the band from its formation in 1967 to 1992. The set features four new tracks as well as several previously unreleased studio and live tracks from the archives, while some of the classic tracks were included in different and new mixes. The four new songs were "Paper Doll", which was recorded earlier than the others as it was written by and recorded with Stevie Nicks and Rick Vito, both of whom had left the band in 1991, "Love Shines" and "Heart of Stone", both Christine McVie songs, and "Make Me A Mask", contributed by then-former member Lindsey Buckingham. "Love Shines" was released as a single to promote the box set in the UK, whereas "Paper Doll" was the single in the US.

<i>Live from the Roxy</i> 2004 live album by Bob Welch

Live from the Roxy is a live album by the American rock musician Bob Welch, recorded in 1981, released in 2004, and later issued onto LP in 2021. Welch had been a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974, and this album features appearances by many members of that band.

"Stop Messin' Round" is a song first recorded by English blues rock group Fleetwood Mac in 1968. It was written by the group's principal guitarist and singer Peter Green, with an additional credit for manager C.G. Adams. The song is an upbeat 12-bar blues shuffle and is representative of the group's early repertoire of conventional electric blues. The lyrics deal with the common blues theme of the unfaithful lover and share elements with earlier songs.

<i>Blue Again!</i> 2008 live album by The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band feat. Rick Vito

Blue Again is a live album by the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, featuring Rick Vito, released in 2008. It was recorded at The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, Missouri on 8 February 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Well (song)</span> 1969 song by Fleetwood Mac

"Oh Well" is a song by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1969 and composed by vocalist and lead guitarist Peter Green. It first appeared as a single in various countries in 1969 and subsequently appeared on US versions of that year's Then Play On album and the band's Greatest Hits album in 1971. The song was later featured on the 1992 boxed set 25 Years – The Chain, on the 2002 compilation album The Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, and on the 2018 compilation 50 Years – Don't Stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Spencer</span> British musician (born 1948)

Jeremy Cedric Spencer is a British musician, best known for playing slide guitar and piano in the original line-up of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. A member since Fleetwood Mac's inception in July 1967, he remained with the band until his abrupt departure in February 1971, when he joined the "Children of God", a new religious movement now known as "The Family International", with which he is still affiliated. After a pair of solo albums in the 1970s, he continued to tour as a musician, but did not release another album until 2006. He released further solo albums from 2012 onwards and has also recorded as part of the folk trio Steetley. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

"Love Is Dangerous" is a single released in 1990 by British-American band Fleetwood Mac from their album Behind the Mask. The single failed to chart on the US Hot 100, but reached number 7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and number 70 in Canada. It was one of the album's two songs co-written by Stevie Nicks and Rick Vito. Vito recorded a solo version of the song for his album Crazy Cool in 2001.

"Brown Eyes" is a song by Fleetwood Mac from the 1979 double LP Tusk. It was one of six songs from the album composed and sung by Christine McVie. The song includes uncredited playing from founding member Peter Green.

The Shake the Cage Tour by the Anglo-American rock group Fleetwood Mac began on September 30, 1987, in Kansas City, Missouri, and ended on June 28, 1988, in Manchester, England. It was their first tour since 1974 without Lindsey Buckingham, who left the band in August 1987.

"Coming Your Way" is a song by British rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by Danny Kirwan, which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Then Play On. It was issued as the B-side to "Rattlesnake Shake" in various territories. A live recording was also included on the band's 1985 Live in Boston album, which was recorded in 1970 at the Boston Tea Party.

References

  1. Fleetwood, Mick (1993). My 25 years in Fleetwood Mac. Hyperion. p. 159. ISBN   0-297-81336-6.
  2. "Fleetwood Mac:Then Play On". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  3. Evans, Mike (2011). Fleetwood Mac: The Definitive History. New York: Sterling. p. 56. ISBN   978-1-4027-8630-3 . Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Fleetwood Mac Leap Ahead" (PDF). NME . 13 September 1969. p. 10. Retrieved 25 January 2025 via World Radio History.
  5. "The Penguin Q&A Sessions: Peter Green, August 19 – September 1, 1999". The Penguin. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 Fleetwood, Mick; Bozza, Anthony (October 2014). Play On: Now, Then & Fleetwood Mac (First ed.). New York: Little, Brown and Company. pp. 105–106. ISBN   978-0-316-40342-9.
  7. 1 2 3 Bosso, Joe (27 July 2012). "Mick Fleetwood: My 11 Greatest Recordings of All Time – Rattlesnake Shake". musicradar. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  8. Fisher, Ben. "Green God Breaks His Silence (Guitar Player, November 1994)". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  9. 1 2 Blake, Mark (2024). "Rattlesnake Shake: Fleetwood Mac's Bad Sex Guide, Part I". The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac. New York: Pegasus Books. pp. 84–85. ISBN   978-1-63936-732-0.
  10. Morthland, John. "Fleetwood Mac Then Play On Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  11. "Fleetwood Mac Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  12. "Peter Green – 100 Greatest Guitarists". Rolling Stone. 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  13. 1 2 "Single Reviews" (PDF). Record World . 25 October 1969. p. 8. Retrieved 16 January 2025 via World Radio History.
  14. Nastos, Michael G. "Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  15. DeRiso, Nick. "Top 10 Peter Green Fleetwood Mac Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  16. Gleason, Holly (29 May 2014). "The 20 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs of All Time". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  17. "Tipparade-lijst van week 1, 1970" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  18. Unterberger, Richie (2017). Fleetwood Mac: The Complete Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 138. ISBN   978-1627889759.
  19. Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, eds. (2003). All Music Guide to Blues (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books. p. 208. ISBN   0-87930-736-6.
  20. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 93. ISBN   978-0-89820-174-1.
  21. "The Penguin Discography: Rattlesnake Shake". discog.fleetwoodmac.net. Archived from the original on 2 May 2005. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  22. Prato, Greg. "Pandora's Box – Aerosmith". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  23. Sutcliffe, Phil (2011). "Afterword: Advice to Young Bands". In Bienstock, Richard (ed.). Aerosmith: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Boston Bad Boys . Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. p. 200. ISBN   978-0-7603-4106-3 via Internet Archive.
  24. Kreps, Daniel (25 February 2021). "See Steven Tyler Sing 'Rattlesnake Shake' With Mick Fleetwood and Friends". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  25. "Rick Vito: Rattlesnake Shake". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  26. Erlewine, Stephen. "Mick Fleetwood Blues Band: Blue Again!". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2015.