Born on 4 July 1948, Jeremy Spencer began piano lessons at age nine and switched to guitar at 15. While forming his own band, the Levi Set, in his home town of Lichfield, Staffordshire, he discovered Elmore James and emulated his style. His slide work and pounding voice caught the attention of record producer, Mike Vernon, who then convinced Peter Green to check out the pint-sized dynamo.
Alongside Peter’s B. B. King-influenced style, Jeremy’s contribution to the blues-based Fleetwood Mac consisted of singing and playing slide guitar in the manner of Elmore James, along with performing tunes by 50’s performers such as Elvis and Buddy Holly. The band’s unique sound of driving blues contributed to Fleetwood Mac’s international success.
Jeremy recorded a solo album, simply titled, Jeremy Spencer, released in 1970. Besides one serious blues number, he light-heartedly covered rockabilly, surf and 50’s ballads. Becoming disheartened with his lack of inspiration, Jeremy departed Fleetwood Mac in 1971 to pursue a spiritual path; he joined a Christian commune.
In 1972, he released Jeremy Spencer and the Children and Flee in 1979. Although he continued to avidly compose and occasionally perform, it would not be until 2005 that he would return to a commercial studio to record an unplugged CD and DVD called Jeremy Spencer in Session with an accomplished accompanying guitarist, Dave Briggs. A few months later, he recorded the album Precious Little in Norway with seasoned bluesmen, the Trond Ytterbo band. In 2012, Jeremy released Bend in the Road and two years later, Coventry Blue. On both albums, he collaborated with Detroit team of Brett Lucas and his band ‘Saint Cecilia’.
Referring to Jeremy’s live performances, Art Tipaldi, former editor for Blues Revue and Blues Wax, said, “I’ve seen Jeremy Spencer perform four shows at the Notodden Blues Festival and I can tell you that each show was better than the previous. Jeremy has lost none of the fire from the Fleetwood Mac days. His slide guitar still sends chills. Every note I’ve heard Jeremy play showcases his great commitment to the blues. I’ve seen him ignite the stage with a mixture of classic Chicago blues and smart contemporary songs.”
In 1998, along with the founding and present members of Fleetwood Mac, Jeremy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Due to his commitment to charity concerts in India at that time, he missed the induction ceremony held in the USA.
Jeremy’s mastery of slide has improved with age and he is especially encouraged that his present musical style is appealing to many of the younger generation who know little or nothing of his association with Fleetwood Mac. Besides his musical endeavours, Jeremy’s artistic illustrations and creative writing further document inspirational forces at work. He is currently working in his home studio, developing a vast number of tracks garnered from his 50-odd years of musical inspiration; some of which can be heard in his latest offering, Homebrewed Blues.
Those familiar with the Western Irish coastal region of Sligo, will recognize the statue depicted on this album cover. This collection of tunes was inspired by this statue of a woman reaching out in hope and prayer and, as the inscription reads, reflecting "…the age-old anguish of a seafaring people who watched and waited for the safe return of loved ones…" Read More
I will not comment in detail on this mid-2020 instrumental collection, as its title and many of the melodies’ themes should speak for themselves in light of recent and coming events! Hopefully, listeners find a measure of peace in these tunes. Read More
Here is another collection featuring Mona, my favourite guitar beauty! Her creator, Jan Ingar Kvisler, is an excellent Norwegian luthier who specialises in wood and tone, and custom-made her for me in 2007. He, being a man of God, told me that he prayed before each session of working on her creation, that he would make no mistakes. However, to his dismay, he made three significant blunders... Read More
Here is another collection featuring my slide guitar, 'Mona'; only this time 'she' reluctantly takes a supporting role to my vocals! This album was not originally meant to be a Christmas collection, but upon compiling it, its title and theme seemed somewhat suitable for this season, which, although a 'time of celebration' for many, is unfortunately not for all, as evidenced in 'The Little Matchgirl' song (based on the famous Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale). Read More
Someone recently asked me if there is a 'particular theme' to this album. Indeed, there is, although it wasn't premeditated. While some of these tunes had been recorded before as songs and others had been floating in my head for a while, it wasn't until titling and serving them up as instrumentals, I realised that the inspiration for most of the tracks' themes was based on books, or an anecdote found in one. Read More
Here is another collection of instrumentals, and hopefully my listeners will comfortably adjust to its different flavour! As those of you who are familiar with my life story will be aware, I have spent some years in Latin America, and these sojourns have understandably influenced my musical 'receptors', if you will! Read More
The influence of Ireland has inspired much of this material—not in the traditional musical sense, but through its beauty, such as the hue of the Mourne Mountains on the northern east coast and, in the words of W.B. Yeats, "…I have spread my dreams under your feet; tread softly because you tread on my dreams." Read More
Homebrewed Blues is a solo endeavour, hence the choice of my Alter Egos as unobtrusive back-up musicians, all of whom (but for the occasional blues-inflected flourishes on the piano), allow Mona to take centre stage; and rightly so, as she can sometimes 'say' it better than I can! Read More
2014 brings Coventry Blue, a soulful patchwork quilt of compositions that are emotionally invested tunes? With age or "mileage" comes a centered maturity that allows compositions to be focused with laser like intensity while embracing a more eclectic warmth that has always been characteristic of Spencer's music. Read More
