In February of 1971, while Fleetwood Mac was on tour in California, Jeremy Spencer departed from the band without warning and joined a Christian colony known as the Children of God, forcing Danny Kirwan even more to the forefront. Bob Welch, an American guitarist and songwriter, was quickly brought into the band, and in September, 1971, they released a new album, Future Games. The first track on Future Games, “Woman of 1000 Years,” a song written and sung by Danny Kirwan, shows his musical skill at its best, conveying an otherworldly mood with delicate layers of guitars and voices. “Sands of Time,” another song by Danny Kirwan, also has a dreamlike texture. His other song on the album, “Sometimes,” is a tuneful expression of regret, sung with sweetness and melancholy.
Bare Trees was released in 1972, and was the last album by Fleetwood Mac to include the songs and musicianship of Danny Kirwan. His five songs on Bare Trees display an undeniable degree of depth and maturity, making up the core of the album. “Child of Mine” and “Bare Trees” are driving rockers with solid riffs. “Sunny Side of Heaven” is a wordless composition that floats along on shimmery waves of graceful beauty. “Danny’s Chant” is a bold workout for guitar and wah-wah, combined with a free-form vocal. “Dust” is a plaintive setting of a poem by Rupert Brooke. It appeared that Danny Kirwan’s ability to write and perform music was gaining in strength, but in his private life, he had begun to fall apart.
The reasons for the decline and breakdown of Danny Kirwan are not entirely clear, but by all accounts, he never had been an easygoing or well-balanced person. His withdrawn temperament was ill-suited to the harsh obligations of fame and business, which frequently is the case with talented people. In addition, he was known to be drinking heavily, and his excessive consumption of alcohol undoubtedly had a harmful effect on his situation.
Article comments
1 - David Miller
Another excellent piece by Mr. Morton. His comments about Kirwan's music reminds me why I liked that period of Fleetwood Mac the best. Not only has Danny Kirwan been forgotten, but the early Fleetwood Mac bands have been pushed to the back shelf. Few people today remember them as a blues/rocker band and fewer seem to know about the period with DK. I am looking forward to more articles by Mr. Morton.
2 - Bill Brovold
A great article on a guitar player that had a powerful impact on many guitarists. A sad situation he has been in. I still listen to those records when he was in the group. When I do I hope he is feeling well.
3 - Steve Talia
It is marvelous that this man is getting his due by somebody. Green, Kirwan and Spencer should be household names and yet they are criminally overlooked except by those older fans who are truely in the know.
4 - richard shanks
did DK play the monster licks at the end of Future Games' title track? i know it's Welch's song, & that he did most of its guitar work, but that explosive closing riff had to be Kirwan, right?
5 - Neil Mincey
To Richard Shanks: I remember reading an interview with Bob Welch a few years ago and if memory serves he credited Kirwan with playing all the lead guitar on that track. I read it online somewhere. Happy hunting!
6 - james prichard
thanks, i read this recently. danny's mother named phyllis, swedish dad left them, danny self taught guitar from 15 , passed 6 O levels, loved studying and homework, liked coca cola, melon and steak, and single women. it was at livefrommars.co.uk. after the excruciating and sad collapse of roger barrett, it seemed at the time no band could ever again overlook substance problems. i do not blame pink floyd ,nor mac . i just crumble thinking how sad for a 22 year old superstar ,leading a hugely popular band, a father writing how he will never leave his son , and no one could help. danny must have felt that he was in hell. superstar buddy guy knows how fabulous danny is to all of us .danny is happier now, in sweden, maybe with a lady friend. i love danny and cry just as i did for syd. thank you for your kind words
7 - Rick
Much has been written about FM.
Most of it inaccuate.
FM Peter Green era - very good.
FM Buckingham/Nicks - very good
FM Danny Kirwan era - great - the best.
Then Play On,Kiln House,Future games,
Bare Trees contain some of the best
rock ever recorded. Common thread-the
great Danny Kirwan.
8 - malcolm
I was in a Shaftesbury avenue guitar shop in London, buying my 1st Fender in the 70s when Danny whooshed in with a few friends during his 1st dates with Mac. He was buying a guitar amp setup. He played, I new instantly that vibrato and it was thrilling to watch. I was always sad what happened to Danny. not fair.
9 - Lee
I first connected with what Fleetwood Mac was doing because of Danny. His rifs and overall melodies created connected emotionally with the listener, it was not a passive thing but a kinetic connection. I don't think there ever was nor will ever be another song quite like Woman Of A Thousand Years. It literally takes you to another place. So very sad he had so many lost years, but I for one won't forget his contributions and many of his songs are timeless and will continue to live on.
10 - Geoff
Much gratitude goes out to the early FM lineup who really intuited the color and tone of their generation and expressed this through their music.
Danny Kirwan provided much of the mystical component through that harp-like guitar that had an uncanny ability to touch the soul in all of us. What a talent and gift he had to uplift.
Its a crying shame Bob Welch was left out of Hall of Fame tributes - were egos in the way of recognizing the period he influenced produced some of their best or was it just plain old ignorance?
11 - belindakmn
While recently revisiting some of my favorite music from the early 70's, I discovered who was responsible for the ethereal and enchanting quality of the Fleetwood Mac sound during that early period. Now I understand why I didn't hear it after Future Games; Danny left. He forges a soul-connection through his guitar and voice and there's no match on that level in any musician I've ever heard. I love him and am so grateful for the gift he gave. He is truly a musician's musician and he poured bis spirit into everything he sang and played. He and Peter Green were a perfect match and we are all lucky that fate brought them together for that brief, and beautiful moment so we could always have the music they created.
12 - stephen boyd
Hello to those concerned regards Danny Kirwan's where-abouts. I saw him the other day in a retirement home in south central London, where I worked. He seems to be doing ok. I was stunned by this although I was never a big fleetwood fan, I will now go and listen to his stuff. How is Oregon these days? I used to live in San Francisco, so visited a few times. S.