The Magic of Bob Welch

This past weekend, I was listening to one of those music channels on cable television, the really high-numbered channels that play only music and don’t show any incredible programming. It was on the ‘70’s channel and after a few minutes “Sentimental Lady” by Bob Welch came on. I hadn’t heard the song in over twenty years I’m guessing and had pretty much totally forgotten about it, but when it came on that part of your brain that locks up old memories just opened wide up and I was all like “Oh, man, I totally know this song.” And then I remembered how Bob Welch had a bunch of other really great songs too, so I hopped on the computer and started digging those up- songs like “Ebony Eyes,” “Hot Love, Cold World,” and “Precious Love.” That Bob Welch could really crank ‘em out.

For the unitiated, Bob Welch was a member of Fleetwood Mac in those leaner years after Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer left. Bob played guitar and sang with the band from 1971 to 1974, when he quit from rock-n-roll exhaustion or something. Then Mick Fleetwood asked some guy named Lindsey Buckingham to replace Bob in the band. Lindsey agreed to join the band on the condition that his girlfriend, a pretty young thing by the name of Stevie Nicks, could also be in the band. No one is really sure what happened to Fleetwood Mac after that.

Anyway, above is a video of Bob performing his hit “Ebony Eyes” with Fleetwood Mac at a big concert in California a long, long time ago. I guess he decided to visit his old bandmates and meet the new members while he was at it. There were probably snacks backstage too. And by “snacks,” I mean “drugs.” Especially entertaining is the interview at the beginning of the video featuring actor Jeff Conaway asking Bob Welch, Mick Fleetwood, and that Stevie Nicks some tough questions on life as current and/or former members of Fleetwood Mac. It’s hard to watch the video without yelling at Jeff through your computer screen to totally not become a drug addict and go on that stupid “Celebrity Rehab” show, but you really shouldn’t bother. It doesn’t work. He is still totally on that show. Still, I hope you like this video. And, Bob, if you’re out there, thanks for the sweet tunes.

Dave Hill