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Fleetwood Mac Founder Peter Green’s Catalog Acquired by Primary Wave
Born in 1946, Green began playing the guitar aged 10 and professionally by the early age of 18. In 1965, Peter would cross paths with Mick Fleetwood, but it wasn’t until two years later that he would form Fleetwood Mac. While best known for his guitar work, Green quickly became an acclaimed songwriter and either wrote or contributed to many of Fleetwood Mac’s successful songs, all included in this deal such as the hits “Albatross,” “Black Magic Woman,” and “Oh Well,” among others.
Released in 1968, “Albatross” is a guitar-based instrumental song off the band’s English Rose album. It’s said the song inspired not one, but two songs from the Beatles. The song saw success across several countries and to this day is the band’s only number 1 hit in the UK. While “Albatross” was considered a departure from the band’s regular repertoire, it received critical acclaim and has since been listed on a number of “best of” lists including Paste Magazine’s and The Guardian’s “30 Greatest Fleetwood Mac songs”.
“Black Magic Woman” also appeared on English Rose. While the song did well for Fleetwood Mac, it was Santana’s version of the song that really made it a hit. “Black Magic Woman” was the first single off Santana’s Abraxas album and would go on to reach the top 4 in the U.S. and Canada. The song became a staple for Santana and his version spent thirteen weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Abraxas would top the album charts and would go on to sell more than four million copies thanks to the success of “Black Magic Woman.”
“Oh Well” was released in 1969 and appeared on Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On album, as well as their Greatest Hits album that was released in 1971. The song was composed in two parts, Part 1 as an A Side and Part 2 as a B Side. Upon release, the band was unsure “Oh Well” would be successful, but the single would go on to chart in a number of territories, reaching number 2 in the UK and charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., the band’s first single to do so.
Peter Green, born Peter Greenbaum, was a British blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the founder of Fleetwood Mac and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Green’s writing credits include Fleetwood Mac songs such as “Albatross,” “Black Magic Woman,” “Oh Well,” “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown),” and “Man of the World.” Rolling Stone ranked Green at number 58 in its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Commenting on the deal, Primary Wave’s Robin Godfrey Cass said, “When I look at the definition of a musical genius, Peter Green ticks every box. As a musician, songwriter, and founder of Fleetwood Mac, he is an icon. It has been over 60 years ago since he began writing his body of legendary songs which are still in use every day. I am ecstatic that the estate has given Primary Wave the reins to continue his amazing legacy.”
This partnership marks the latest Fleetwood Mac-related deal for Primary Wave.
In December 2020, the company acquired a majority stake in the publishing catalog of another (later) Fleetwood Mac member, Stevie Nicks. The Wall Street Journal reported at the time that Primary Wave bought an 80% interest in the copyrights, which its sources said were valued at approximately $100 million.
