Luxury book publisher Rufus Publications have revealed more details about their latest project, a tribute to Peter Green produced in conjunction with the late Fleetwood Mac founder.
Peter Green - The Albatross Man will be published in October, with pre-orders available from the Rufus website from April 28. Three editions of the book will be available, with two of the packages including a pair of previously unreleased recordings of early Fleetwood Mac classics.
The first recording stars Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on a version of Need Your Love So Bad that features a newly discovered vocal from Green, recorded in the mid sixties in his mother’s attic on a tape recorder. Metallica's Kirk Hammett plays on the second new recording, a version of the 1971 classic Man Of The World, which also features Mick Fleetwood on drums.
Hammett recorded his part in January 2020 at Abbey Road in London, two days before paying a visit to Green at his home in Canvey Island, where he reintroduced Green to his fabled Gibson Les Paul guitar, 'Greeny'.
“Every single time I pick her up, she makes me a better player,” Hammett says. “I’m obsessed with her. I bring her everywhere with me. Where I sleep, she sleeps, basically. And I try to play her as much as possible because she wants to be played."
"For the past four years Peter worked directly with Rufus Publications to produce a huge, illustrated visual book of his life and career," say the book's publishers in a statement. "Mark Smith at Rufus has been travelling down to Canvey Island on a regular basis to talk to Peter about his life, look through his personal archive and discuss his love for fishing, drawing and listening to a wide range of music on a daily basis.
"During this time a book of rare images, memorabilia, lyrics and notes from his time in Fleetwood Mac has been assembled with Peter having full control over the book's direction and details. Peter also played guitar for Mark on occasion, delicately going back through a lifetime of influential music."
The three editions of the book include an "Ultra Limited" edition run of 50 copies personally signed by Green. The package also includes two single-sided 7” vinyl singles and a CD of the new recordings, a t-shirt, and a piece of hand drawn art by Peter Green. This mammoth edition, which weighs in at a full 11 kilos, will retail at an equally hefty £2000.
A deluxe edition 500 numbered copies will feature the new tracks on a single 7" and on CD, and a litho copy of Green's art, and a t-shirt. It'll be autographed by Kirk Hammett, and retail at £295. The third edition of the book, without the fancy add-ons, will retail at £95.
Mick Fleetwood & Friends' Celebrate The Music Of Peter Green And the Early Years of Fleetwwod Mac, recorded live in London last February and featuring both Gilmour and Hammett, is out this week.
