Bob Welch -

Bob Welch (July 31, 1946 — June 7, 2012) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter from Los Angeles who cut a 1970 album with the soul-rock trio Head West, followed by a five-album run through 1974 with Fleetwood Mac. After fronting the power-trio Paris for two albums in 1976, he released four solo albums between 1977 and 1980 on Capitol, charting with “Sentimental Lady” and “Ebony Eyes.”

Background

Bob Welch was born Robert Lawrence Welch Jr. on August 31, 1945, in Hollywood, California. His father, Robert L. Welch, produced and scripted films at Paramount Pictures; his mother, Templeton Fox, sang and acted in radio, theater, television, and film. Welch took clarinet lessons as a child and received his first guitar at eight years of age.

Welch declined a place at Georgetown University and went to Paris with plans for study at the Sorbonne. He returned to Southern California and enrolled at UCLA as a French major. Welch knew trombonist Tony Lytle from Paris and traveled north to see Lytle perform with Ivory Hudson and the Harlequins at University of Oregon fraternity engagements.

The Seven Souls

Welch joined Ivory Hudson and the Harlequins in summer 1965 when guitarist Ray Tusken left ahead of the Portland group’s move to Los Angeles. The lineup included Lytle, singer Ivory Hudson, saxophonist Henry Moore, keyboardist Wayne Pernell, bassist Bill Deiz, and drummer Ron Edge. The group adopted the Seven Souls name with Welch on guitar.

Welch introduced songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans to the group in Los Angeles. Livingston and Evans arranged a Gold Star Studios session, where music publisher Larry Shayne encountered the musicians and became manager. Seven Souls secured Los Angeles engagements and worked as a house band at Maverick’s Flat, with additional bookings at the Tropicana in Sacramento.

Military service removed Deiz and Edge from the lineup amid the Vietnam buildup. Welch remained alongside Moore, Lytle, and three new members: bassist Henry Thompson, drummer Fred Murphy, and keyboardist Bobby Hunt.

Seven Souls released the Moore–Welch original “I’m No Stranger” in July 1967 (b/w “I Still Love You”) on Okeh, produced by Larry Williams. The group traveled through Europe and played extended engagements in France, including resort dates around Saint-Tropez.

The band recorded a four-song Barclay EP in Paris with covers of Sam & Dave (“Hold On, I’m Coming”), James Brown (“Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”), Wilson Pickett (“Land of 1000 Dances”), and Rufus Thomas (“Walkin’ the Dog”). Seven Souls returned to American release schedules with “Groove In” in May 1968 (b/w “Got to Find a Way”) on Venture. French and Spanish releases also paired Arthur Brown cover “Fire” with “Hold On, I’m Coming.”

Seven Souls entered an Epic Records battle-of-the-bands contest that awarded the label contract to Sly and the Family Stone. Welch remained with the group through its final period near the end of the decade.

Head West

Head West formed in 1969 when Welch retained Bobby Hunt for a trio with Henry Moore, who now held a drummer–singer role. They took root in Paris and worked European club engagements.

Head West recorded “Victoria” (b/w “Changes”) and prepared a twelve-song album for the French label Disques Vogue. The self-titled Head West appeared in 1970 with songwriting contributions divided among Welch, Hunt, and Moore, including the Welch originals “Someday” and “Starchild.”

A legal dispute and equipment repossessions depleted the group finances near the end of the project. Hunt and Moore returned to the United States while Welch remained in Paris with few resources. High-school friend Judy Wong contacted Welch there when English blues-rockers Fleetwood Mac began their search for a new second guitarist.

Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac hired Welch in April 1971 when Wong, a friend and part-time assistant to the group, recommended her former schoolmate for the vacant guitar position. In the past eleven months, the band lost guitarist–cofounders Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer, who each left due to emotional instability and religious epiphanies.

Welch traveled to England and met drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, keyboardist–singer Christine McVie, and guitarist–singer Danny Kirwan at Benifold, their communal home in Hampshire. Fleetwood Mac accepted Welch on the strength of conversations and a tape of his songs without a conventional live audition. Welch moved into Benifold as rhythm guitarist alongside Kirwan.

Fleetwood Mac introduced the lineup on May 31 at the Pinkpop Festival in Geleen, Netherlands. The group followed with a summer schedule across Britain and continental Europe.

Fleetwood Mac released Future Games in September 1971 with two Welch contributions, “Future Games” and “Lay It All Down.” The group followed in spring 1972 with Bare Trees, where Welch contributed “Sentimental Lady” and “The Ghost.”

Fleetwood Mac dismissed Kirwan later that year following an on-tour confrontation and added guitarist Bob Weston (ex-Ashkan) with singer Dave Walker. The expanded lineup recorded Penguin, released in March 1973 with the Welch numbers “Bright Fire,” “Revelation,” and “Night Watch.” Walker left within months, which reduced the group to Fleetwood, Welch, Weston, and the McVies.

Welch assumed a larger role on their autumn 1973 release Mystery to Me, contributing “Emerald Eyes,” “Hypnotized,” “The City,” “Miles Away,” and “Somebody,” along with the Weston collaboration “Forever.”

Fleetwood Mac dismissed Weston when Mick Fleetwood learned of an affair between the guitarist and Jenny Fleetwood. The group canceled the remaining American tour dates and returned to Britain. Manager Clifford Davis then disputed control of the Fleetwood Mac name.

Davis assembled unrelated musicians from newcomers Legs for a spring 1974 North American tour under the Fleetwood Mac name. Welch engaged legal representation and pressed Fleetwood and the McVies to continue as the original group. The four musicians relocated operations to Los Angeles, assumed responsibility for management, and resumed recording under the Fleetwood Mac name.

Fleetwood Mac recorded Heroes Are Hard to Find in Los Angeles as a quartet with Welch as sole guitarist. Welch composed seven of the eleven songs, including “Coming Home,” “Angel,” “Bermuda Triangle,” “Silver Heels,” “Born Enchanter,” and “Safe Harbour.”

The group toured North America behind the September 1974 album with additional keyboard support. Doug Graves played the initial dates and former Head West colleague Bobby Hunt joined the road lineup for the latter portion of the schedule.

Welch resigned when the tour closed, ending a five-album Fleetwood Mac tenure encompassing Future Games, Bare Trees, Penguin, Mystery to Me, and Heroes Are Hard to Find. The band replaced Welch with American guitarist–singer Lindsey Buckingham and his then-girlfriend, singer Stevie Nicks. The pair recorded beforehand as a duo. Buckingham and Nicks debuted on the band’s 1975 self-titled tenth album, which rocketed Fleetwood Mac to platinum status.

Paris

In 1975, Welch cut demos for Warner with Bobby Hun. He then formed Paris, a psychedelic powertrio with bassist Glenn Cornick and drummer Thom Mooney. Cornick co-founded Jethro Tull and played on their 1968–70 albums This Was, Stand Up, and Benefit, followed by a two-album stint with Wild Turkey. Mooney hailed from the Nazz lineup responsible for Nazz and Nazz Nazz. Paris, named as an ode to Welch’s ties to the city, signed with Capitol and linked with producer–engineer Jimmy Robinson.

Paris released their self-titled debut in January 1976 with ten Welch originals. Mooney departed midyear, replaced by drummer Hunt Sales, a sessionist for Todd Rundgren on post-Nazz 1970 solo debut, Runt.

Paris released their second album, Big Towne, 2061, in August 1976 with eight Welch originals and two songs (“Outlaw Game,” “Money Love”) co-written with Hunt and his older brother, Tony Sales.

Cornick left after the second album and Tony joined his brother in the final Paris lineup. Welch prepared another group of songs for a projected third album, but Hunt Sales fell ill and the group abandoned the project.

Paris dissolved in early 1977 with the third album still unrecorded. Capitol retained Welch under the existing agreement and converted the Paris contract into a solo deal. Welch carried most of the planned third-album material into the sessions for his first solo album, French Kiss.

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