It is not unusual for musicians to bump into each other during studio sessions. However, Fleetwood Mac didn’t expect Jimi Hendrix to show up during one of their rehearsals. According to Mick Fleetwood, Jimi came to see them just to watch and listen to Peter Green playing.
“Fleetwood Mac was rehearsing in a basement off Oxford Street,” Mick Fleetwood recalled while speaking to Classic Rock. “Unannounced, Mike Vernon came down, and he had obviously hooked up with this young man known as Jimi Hendrix. And with all deference to the rest of the boys in Fleetwood Mac, including me, he was there to see and hear Peter.”
“He was the sweetest, shyest creature,” he continued, joining those who saw Hendrix’s shy and reserved side. “But you could tell there was a sense of mystery and mischief. He reminded me of Brian Jones – really shy and yet… not. Brian didn’t get a lot of credit. Jimi did. But they were both a very similar vibration.”
Giving details about Jimi’s visit, Mick further said, “He didn’t play guitar that day. But you knew instinctively there was a presence in the room. And he just sat and hung and spoke a little bit here and there, then drifted off. And we had just met Jimi.”
So, it appears that Jimi Hendrix was a fan of Peter Green’s playing and wanted to meet him. Therefore, he attended one of Fleetwood Mac’s early rehearsals and observed Green closely. Maybe there was a different technique Jimi had spotted in Peter’s playing and wished to figure out how he had done it. Although he was known for his bold stage presence and off-stage antics, Mick Fleetwood also confirmed that the guitar icon was a shy person.
