The “amazing” guitarist David Gilmour thought was too good to cover
The art of a cover should be to take a song to a new territory rather than to simply imitate.
While many have made a career out of releasing versions of other people’s material, David Gilmour is very selective about who he chooses to cover, and it is a rarity when he decides to do so.
Gilmour is as accomplished as anyone as a guitarist. However, even with his extraordinary talent, he has always been reluctant to imitate his heroes. He may have sold millions of records, been inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’, and permanently changed the musical landscape, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune from imposter syndrome.
It takes a special reason for Gilmour to cover another artist. Not only does it need to come from the heart, but, as a musical perfectionist, the legendary musician would also want to ensure that he does the original justice.
In 2020, the British musical landscape lost one of the greats in the form of Fleetwood Mac founding member Peter Green, a figure Gilmour greatly admired. While his tenure with the group only lasted three years, there would be no Fleetwood Mac if it weren’t for Green. He was a creative genius who could have hit even greater heights if his life hadn’t been marred by mental health issues that took him out of the limelight.
While his story is drenched in tragedy, the output he produced for Fleetwood Mac lives long in the history books. Before forming the band, he was already a reputable figure within the London scene, with his resumé boasting work with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Then, once he joined forces with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, it felt like they’d captured magic in a bottle with their psychedelic brilliance.
Sadly, LSD had an unwanted, transformative effect on Green and led him with no option but to leave rock ‘n’ roll behind. After leaving Fleetwood Mac, the guitarist was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and prioritised his mental health over music. After spending decades focusing on his recovery, Green eventually returned to the stage and managed to tour during his later years.
Six months before he died in 2020, Fleetwood honoured his friend by hosting a concert at the London Palladium celebrating his career. While Green didn’t perform or attend the show, Fleetwood did say that he was aware it was happening. Artists eager to participate included Noel Gallagher, Pete Townshend, and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, but Gilmour was incredibly difficult for Fleetwood to convince.
Explaining the difficult process of booking Gilmour, Fleetwood revealed to Rolling Stone: “I didn’t know him very well. But I knew he was connected to Peter Green’s music. He used to hang out around Notting Hill Gate and we passed in the night. He was not a personal friend, but two years before this even happened, it suddenly dawned on me that I was going to cold-call him and say, ‘Would you do it?'”
The drummer continued: “But he had so much reverence for Peter Green’s playing and who Peter was and the songs. He initially got cold feet. He was like, ‘I don’t know if I can interpret Peter’s work. It’s so amazing. Maybe I can’t do that. I said, ‘What are you talking about? Of course you can.’ He said, ‘At the moment I’m sort of passing on the idea because of what I’m discussing with you here. But later on, if this happens, I may gather enough courage. And at least a year and a half later, I called him back and he said, ‘I’m ready and I really want to do this.’ Which was huge.”
Thankfully, Gilmour did agree to pay homage to his hero. During the performance, he delighted the audience with renditions of ‘Albatross’ and ‘Oh Well, Part Two’ before returning to the stage as part of an ensemble cast during the encore for a cover of Elmore James’ ‘Shake Your Moneymaker’.
Despite everything that Gilmour has achieved in his remarkable career, the idea of ensuring that he honoured Green fittingly was still daunting and felt impossible. After enough persuasion, he faced his fears and did justice to the man who he considers to be a great.
