Handwritten Fleetwood Mac lyrics sell for £25k

A rare piece of music history was sold at an auction in Woking, Surrey, when handwritten lyrics and chord charts for Fleetwood Mac's early hit 'Man of the World' fetched £24,700. The composition sheet, written by the band's co-founder Peter Green, was expected to sell for between £12,000 and £15,000, but the final price was much higher. Ewbank's auction house described the sheet as 'unique' and said it was bought by a collector from the Middle East. The lyrics were written in blue ballpoint pen, with corrections made in black ink, showing Peter Green's creative process as he worked on the song.

'Man of the World' was released in 1969 and quickly became a hit, reaching number two on the UK charts. Peter Green formed Fleetwood Mac in 1967 with drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, but he left the group in 1970. The auctioneer, Andrew Ewbank, explained that the song sheet is special because it captures the moment when Peter Green was creating one of his most famous songs. He also pointed out that Fleetwood Mac was incredibly successful at the end of the 1960s, even outselling The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. Many musicians consider Peter Green to be one of the greatest guitarists of his time.

The handwritten sheet reveals that Green made several changes to the lyrics, including adding a new line to the last verse and marking the lines he liked with a tick. This attention to detail shows how much effort went into writing the song. Peter Green's work is still celebrated today, even though he passed away in 2020 at the age of 73. The sale of the song sheet highlights the value of music memorabilia and the lasting impact of artists like Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac. Fans and collectors continue to seek out items that connect them to the history of popular music.