Before the Beginning
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| "Before the Beginning" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Fleetwood Mac | |
| from the album Then Play On | |
| Released | 19 September 1969 |
| Recorded | 18 April 1969 |
| Studio | De Lane Lea Studios |
| Length | 3:28 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Songwriter | Peter Green |
| Producer | Fleetwood Mac |
"Before the Beginning" is a song by British rock band Fleetwood Mac. It was written by Peter Green and was included as the final track on the band's 1969 studio album Then Play On. Originally written and recorded in January 1969, the band revisited and re-recorded the track later in April. The song has since been covered by a few artists, including Clifford Davis and Trixie Whitley, with Davis' version also being released as a single.
"Before the Beginning" started off as an instrumental titled "Blues in B Flat Minor", which was recorded on 8 January 1969 at a New York City recording studio during the same sessions as "Showbiz Blues", "Man of the World", "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite", and "Like it This Way". Two takes of "Blues in B Flat Minor" were left incomplete and the third take was later included on The Vaudeville Years.[1][2] On 25 January 1969, Fleetwood Mac performed a live version of the song at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This version was released on Shrine '69 under the title "Before the Beginning", which featured vocals unlike "Blues in B Flat Minor".[3]
Fleetwood Mac revisited "Before the Beginning" at De Lane Lea Studios in London on 18 April 1969. Seven takes were recorded, of which the fifth was selected as the master. Green told Record Mirror that he had reservations with the title "Before the Beginning", saying that "it's called that at the moment, but I don't like that name. It's what it's about – but it sounds pretentious."[4] Nick Logan of New Musical Express noted that the song features a solo from Green midway through the composition; Logan obtained this information through an interview with Green at his home prior to the release of Then Play On.[5] Record Mirror visited the band at a recording session and reported that Green had recorded a "Duane Eddy-like bass part" on the track.[4] In the July 1969 edition of John Mayall's newsletter, Green listed "Before the Beginning" as the first track of side one of Then Play On.[1]
Musically, the song is built upon instrumentation of guitars, bass, and drums, with tom-toms mixed to sound resonant. Earlier mixes of the song featured more muted tom-toms and also lacked a bass part. The lyrics detail a narrator restlessly lying awake ruminating over a deteriorating romance where they ponder "how many times I must be the fool".[3][6]
