"Albatross"
Dutch single reissue: L–R: Kirwan, Green, McVie, Fleetwood (back), Spencer (front)
Single by Fleetwood Mac
B-side"Jigsaw Puzzle Blues"
Released22 November 1968
RecordedOctober 1968
StudioCBS, London[1]
Genre
Length3:07
LabelBlue Horizon (BH 57-3145)[6]
Songwriter(s)Peter Green[6]
Producer(s)Mike Vernon[6]
Fleetwood Mac singles chronology
"Need Your Love So Bad"
(1968)		 "Albatross"
(1968)		 "Man of the World"
(1969)

"Albatross" is a guitar-based instrumental by Fleetwood Mac, released as a single in November 1968,[7] later featuring on the compilation albums The Pious Bird of Good Omen (UK)[8] and English Rose (US).[9] The piece was composed by Peter Green.[7]

Composition

Santo & Johnny's "Sleep Walk" (1959) reportedly inspired Peter Green for his 1968 instrumental "Albatross",[10] although the composition also resembles Chuck Berry's 1957 instrumental "Deep Feeling", itself derivative of the 1939 recording "Floyd's Guitar Blues" by Andy Kirk and his 12 Clouds of Joy, featuring guitarist Floyd Smith.[11] In Green's biography [Celmins 1998], an early inspiration for "Albatross" was said to have been "a group of notes from an Eric Clapton solo, played slower."[12]

The composition and its arrangement suggest a relaxing sea setting, with cymbals imitating the sound of waves (Mick Fleetwood played his drum kit using timpani mallets to give a muted sound) and a dreamy solo from Green's guitar. It contains four chords, E, Emaj7 (or G#m/E), A/E, and F#m, played by Green on his Fender Stratocaster into a Matamp Series 2000. Green had been working on the piece for some time before the addition to the band of 18-year-old guitarist Danny Kirwan. Slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer was not generally inclined to work with Green, who had felt unable to realise the overall effect that he wanted. With Kirwan's input, Green completed the piece and it was recorded just two months after Kirwan joined, without Spencer present.[13] Although he was not a part of the recording sessions, Spencer was shown in video material miming to Green's slide guitar parts. Kirwan's instrumental "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" was chosen for the B-side in most territories.[7] "Albatross" has been re-released many times as a single in various countries, with many different B-sides.

As a boy, Green studied the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner by the poet Coleridge whose tale of an Albatross inspired the instrumental.[14] The album The Pious Bird of Good Omen, which includes "Albatross", has a cover that features a nun with an albatross, alluding to the symbology among sailors and Coleridge's poem.

This composition is one of only a few tracks by the original line-up of Fleetwood Mac that is included on their later "greatest hits" and "best of" compilations. "Albatross" is the only Fleetwood Mac composition with the distinction of having inspired a Beatles song, "Sun King" from 1969's Abbey Road.[10] George Harrison commented in a 1987 interview that the Beatles used "Albatross" as a starting point to construct a new song. "At the time, 'Albatross' (by Fleetwood Mac) was out, with all the reverb on guitar. So we said, 'Let's be Fleetwood Mac doing Albatross, just to get going.' It never really sounded like Fleetwood Mac... but that was the point of origin."[15]

Commercial performance

The song was a success in several countries and remains Fleetwood Mac's only number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart, spending one week at the top in January 1969.[16]

"Albatross" was re-released in the United Kingdom in April 1973 as part of a CBS Records series entitled "Hall of Fame Hits",[17] and enjoyed a second UK chart run, peaking at number 2.[6][16]

As of 2019, "Albatross" has sold over 900,000 copies in the UK.

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1968–1969) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] 19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20] 35
Canadian Singles Chart[21] 45
Canadian AC Chart[22] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[25] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 4
UK Singles Chart[16] 1
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 4
West Germany (Official German Charts)[28] 19
Chart (1973 UK re-release) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 8
UK Singles Chart[16] 2
Chart (1989 UK re-release) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[16] 96
Chart (2020-2023) Peak
position
UK Physical Singles Chart[29] 8
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[30] 54
UK Singles Sales Chart[31] 17
UK Vinyl Singles Chart[32] 8

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Legacy

One of the earliest uses of the tune was on the soundtrack for the Rainer Werner Fassbinder sci-fi virtual reality film World on a Wire (1973). It was featured (along with "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues") in 1979's Rock 'n' Roll High School. Mick Fleetwood told Rolling Stone magazine that it was also used by the BBC on a wildlife program before it was a hit.[34] The piece was also used as the background music to Marks & Spencer's 2005 advertising campaign. The song was used again by Marks & Spencer in 2019.[35]

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Albatross" at number 37 in its list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks".[36]

References

  1. ↑ "BI's Chart Fax" (PDF). Beat Instrumental (2): 17. February 1969.
  2. ↑ Rapp, Allison (8 April 2021). "Watch David Gilmour Perform Fleetwood Mac's 'Albatross'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 20 April 2021. Steel guitar for a performance of Fleetwood Mac's instrumental classic 'Albatross' ...
  3. 1 2 Ewing, Tom (9 September 2006). "Fleetwood Mac - "Albatross"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Petridis, Alexis. "Fleetwood Mac's 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  5. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (14 January 2023). "Thinking About Tomorrow Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 123. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  7. 1 2 3 "Fleetwood Mac - Albatross". 45cat.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "The Pious Bird of Good Omen - Fleetwood Mac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "English Rose - Fleetwood Mac | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 Rooksby, Rikky (2004). Fleetwood Mac: The Complete Guide to Their Music. Omnibus Press. p. 17. ISBN 1-844494-27-6.
  11. ↑ Kutner, John (2010). 1000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-0857123602.
  12. ↑ Celmins, Martin (1995). Peter Green: Founder of Fleetwood Mac. Castle. p. 74. ISBN 1-898141-13-4.
  13. ↑ The Vaudeville Years (CD booklet notes). Fleetwood Mac. Receiver Records. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ "The Story Behind Fleetwood Mac Song 'Albatross'". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "Abbey Road – 'Sun King'". The Beatles Interview Database. 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Albatross | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac - Albatross". 45cat.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  19. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  20. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  21. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 31, 1969" (PDF).
  22. ↑ "RPM Top 40 AC Singles - March 24, 1969" (PDF).
  23. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Albatross". Irish Singles Chart.
  24. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross". VG-lista.
  26. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross". Singles Top 100.
  27. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac – Albatross". Swiss Singles Chart.
  28. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Fleetwood Mac – Albatross" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Fleetwood Mac"
  29. ↑ "Official Physical Singles Chart 27 April 2023 - 3 May 2023". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  30. ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  31. ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart 27 April 2023 - 3 May 2023". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Official Vinyl Singles Chart 27 April 2023 - 3 May 2023". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  33. ↑ "British single certifications – Fleetwood Mac – Albatross". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  34. ↑ "The True Life Confessions of Fleetwood Mac". Rolling Stone. 24 March 1977. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  35. ↑ Calnan, Marianne (3 April 2019). "M&S revives its famous 'food porn' ad campaign". The Grocer. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  36. ↑ "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever!". Q Magazine. Rocklist.net. March 2005. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
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