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The first 2 singles, both recorded at the CBS studios in Bond Street, were issued in the orange CBS
sleeve, with the orange CBS label on the record, but with the Blue Horizon name overprinted. The
first of these was ‘I Believe My Time Ain’t Long’, backed with ‘Ramblin’ Pony’, by Fleetwood Mac.
John McVie had not actually joined as yet, so Bob Brunning was featured on bass.

The second one was the superb ‘Warning’ b/w ‘Cobwebs’, by the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, but
this was their only release on Blue Horizon, as they were shortly to sign a deal with Liberty.

The honour of being the first absolutely official “blue” Blue Horizon record fell to the Chicken
Shack, with ‘It’s OK With Me Baby’ b/w ‘When My Left Eye Jumps’ (the flip side a Buddy Guy
number). Mike Vernon had been recommended to the band, and travelled to Stourbridge to see
a rehearsal. He was impressed with them, apart from drummer Alan Morley, and when they
subsequently went to Hamburg to appear as resident band at the Star Club, they were featuring
an American drummer
called Al Sykes, who was
also a very good vocalist. I
recall seeing Shack with
him in their early days,
when they were billed as
“Chicken Shack featuring
the fantastic Al Sykes”!
Unfortunately, due to
work permit and
contractual problems,
Sykes was not able to
remain with the band, so
was replaced by Dave
Bidwell. By this time,
Vernon had introduced
them to Harry Simmonds,
the brother of Savoy
Debut of Fleetwood Mac at Windsor. Brown guitarist Kim, and
he took over their
management, arranging an
appearance at the 7th National Jazz and Blues Festival 1967, in Windsor - a major boost for them.

Fleetwood Mac made their debut at that Windsor festival, on the “main” stage, which was in fact
a very ramshackle affair, open to the heavens! Shack played on the second “stage” - actually a tent!

Although their first 3 singles were unsuccessful, the Chicken Shack debut album, “40 Blue Fingers,
Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve”, was a surprise hit, reaching number 12 in the album charts.

However, the first “blue” Blue Horizon LP release was the Fleetwood Mac debut “dog and dustbin”
album, which appeared in March 1968, and went to number 4 in the album charts, remaining in
the charts for 37 weeks. This was quite an incredible achievement for an album recorded in a
couple of days, and containing nothing but 12 bar blues!

Although seen as championing British blues, the label continued to release material by US artistes,
including singles from Arthur Adams (apparently, according to Mike Vernon, an original member
of the Crusaders!), Eddie Boyd, Champion Jack Dupree, Buster Brown and various others. One of
the “various others” was an excellent single by Bobby Parker (the ‘Watch Your Step’ man), ‘Hard
But It’s Fair’ b/w ‘I Couldn’t Quit My Baby’. It was recorded with an excellent British band, who