The second release in this series is Anna Rice’s orchestration of Peter Green’s ‘Albatross’, released on all digital platforms on 07 July 2023, featuring soloists Greg Magee (flute) and Joy Rice (clarinet).
In November 1968, Fleetwood Mac released their first number one single in Europe, ‘Albatross’, on which Danny Kirwan duetted with Peter Green. Green said later that the success of “Albatross” was thanks to Kirwan. “If it wasn’t for Danny, I would never have had a number one hit record.” The single was a success in several countries and remains Fleetwood Mac’s only number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart, spending one week at the top in January 1969. ‘Albatross’ was re-released in the United Kingdom in April 1973 as part of a CBS Records series entitled “Hall of Fame Hits” and enjoyed a second UK chart run, peaking at number 2.
The first release in the series was Julian Kershaw’s orchestration of Carlos Santana’s ‘Samba Pa Ti’, released on all digital platforms on 12 June 2020, featuring soloists Caroline Dale (cello) and Jamie Talbot (clarinet).
‘Samba Pa’Ti’ was originally released on the Santana album ‘Abraxas’ in 1970. Although one of that album’s most popular air-played tracks, it was not released as a single until 1973, when it reached #27 in the UK Charts. The album was a #1 in the USA and Australia and reached #7 in the UK and France in 1970. It went on to sell six million copies worldwide, including five million in the US.