Flee
Encyclopedia
Flee is an album
by British
blues rock musician Jeremy Spencer
, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac
from 1967–71, and "The Jeremy Spencer Band" (composed of members of the Children of God new religious movement
), with particularly strong input from Michael Fogarty. Released in 1979
, this is Spencer's third album apart from Fleetwood Mac, and his second recorded while a member of the Children of God.
. A coincidence seems unlikely given Spencer's past membership of that band, with the fact that his female backing vocalists are credited as "The Songbirds" – "Songbird" was a very popular Fleetwood Mac song from the Rumours
album just a couple of years earlier.
Spencer and Fogarty sang on several tracks, but for the hit single "Cool Breeze", the lead vocal was taken by Jeanne Hendricks. Hendricks performed on a number of tracks, and was featured in the album photographs, but was not credited as a vocalist. She also sang with Spencer on the follow-up single, "Travellin'".
The album features a heavy disco
treatment given to the songs on Side 1, which Spencer was very unhappy with. "Sunshine" was a reworking of "When I Looked to See the Sunshine" from the Jeremy Spencer and the Children
album of 1972.
"Cool Breeze" and "Travellin'" were issued as singles in various territories, and "Cool Breeze" charted at Number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts, although the album was not a commercial success.
Side Two:
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
blues rock musician Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
from 1967–71, and "The Jeremy Spencer Band" (composed of members of the Children of God new religious movement
New religious movement
A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
), with particularly strong input from Michael Fogarty. Released in 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
, this is Spencer's third album apart from Fleetwood Mac, and his second recorded while a member of the Children of God.
Background
This was Spencer's first recorded work in seven years, and was musically far removed from his previous work. It showed his continuing preference for parodying other bands; in this case the songs on Side 2 bear a strong resemblance to the contemporary sound of Fleetwood Mac, i.e. a breezy Californian rock style with female vocalists, and a solid thumping drum sound reminiscent of Mick FleetwoodMick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells "Mick" Fleetwood is a British musician and actor best known for his role as the drummer and namesake of the blues/rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of John McVie, was the inspiration for the name of the originally Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac...
. A coincidence seems unlikely given Spencer's past membership of that band, with the fact that his female backing vocalists are credited as "The Songbirds" – "Songbird" was a very popular Fleetwood Mac song from the Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...
album just a couple of years earlier.
Spencer and Fogarty sang on several tracks, but for the hit single "Cool Breeze", the lead vocal was taken by Jeanne Hendricks. Hendricks performed on a number of tracks, and was featured in the album photographs, but was not credited as a vocalist. She also sang with Spencer on the follow-up single, "Travellin'".
The album features a heavy disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
treatment given to the songs on Side 1, which Spencer was very unhappy with. "Sunshine" was a reworking of "When I Looked to See the Sunshine" from the Jeremy Spencer and the Children
Jeremy Spencer and the Children
Jeremy Spencer and the Children is an album by British blues rock musician Jeremy Spencer, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1967 to 1971...
album of 1972.
"Cool Breeze" and "Travellin'" were issued as singles in various territories, and "Cool Breeze" charted at Number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts, although the album was not a commercial success.
Track listing
Side One:- "Deeper" (David Rugely)
- "Sunshine" (Jeremy SpencerJeremy SpencerJeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
) - "Love Our Way Outta Here" (Michael Fogarty)
Side Two:
- "Flee" (Spencer, Fogarty)
- "Cool Breeze" (Fogarty, Spencer)
- "You've Got the Right" (Fogarty, Spencer)
- "Travellin'" (Fogarty, Spencer)
Personnel
- Jeremy SpencerJeremy SpencerJeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Michael Fogarty – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Jeanne Hendricks – vocals on side 2, lead vocal on "Cool Breeze"
- Jeff Schoen – keyboards
- Neal Jason – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Al Izzo – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Buz Buchanan – drums
- Victor Salazar – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- "The Songbirds" – backing vocals on side 1
Production
- Produced by Jeremy Spencer and Michael Fogarty
- Executive producer – Ahmet ErtegünAhmet ErtegunAhmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
- Tracks 1–3 produced in association with Silvio Tancredi and Israel Sanchez, mixed with the use of the Aphex Aural Exciter
- Tracks 1–3 arranged by Armando Noriega with vocal concepts by Phil Anastasi
- Tracks 4–7 arranged by Jeremy Spencer and Michael Fogarty
Other reference material
- Classic Rock magazine interview (by Martin Celmins), March 2006 (hosted by xFamily.org)