| The Visitor | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Mick Fleetwood |
| Cover: | Fleetwoodvisitor.jpg |
| Released: | 29 June 1981[1] |
| Recorded: | Ghana, Africa - January–February 1981 |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Label: | RCA Records |
| Producer: | Mick Fleetwood, Richard Dashut |
| Next Title: | I'm Not Me |
| Next Year: | 1983 |
The Visitor is an album by Mick Fleetwood, released by RCA Records in 1981. All the songs were recorded in Accra, Ghana between January and February 1981 at the "Ghana Film Industries, Inc. Studio" and produced by Richard Dashut, and were later mixed in various studios in England. The album has been re-released several times, including a US CD release by Wounded Bird Records on October 18, 2011.
At the conclusion of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk Tour, the band agreed to take an extended hiatus to pursue individual projects.[2] Fleetwood had expressed interest in doing an African record back in 1978 when Fleetwood Mac was about to begin work on the Tusk album,[3] although this idea was not fully realized until Fleetwood travelled to Ghana, where he had the intention of collaborating with local musicians. Fleetwood approached Warner Brothers about the idea, but the label turned him down as they were unwilling to give the drummer $500,000 to fly out the necessary equipment to Ghana and arrange for the recording sessions. RCA Records eventually agree to fund Fleetwood's plan, so he flew out to Accra, the capital of Ghana, where Fleetwood and his manager Mickey Shapiro scouted the area for musicians.[2]
Fleetwood's original idea was to send mixing desks and tape machines to musicians so they could record at their home localities, although Fleetwood decided against this as the road conditions rendered it impossible to transport this gear.[2] Fleetwood instead arranged for studio sessions with Faisal Helwani, who had the only functioning professional studio in Accra.[4]
George Hawkins, who performed most of the lead vocals on this album, later appeared on the I'm Not Me album from 1983 as a member and co-lead vocalist of Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo. Fleetwood had originally asked Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac, to appear on The Visitor, but Welch was too busy to participate.[5]
Two of the tracks were covers of Fleetwood Mac songs: "Rattlesnake Shake" was originally recorded for the 1969 album Then Play On, and "Walk a Thin Line" first appeared on the 1979 album Tusk. Peter Green sang lead vocals and played lead guitar on "Rattlesnake Shake", and was credited as Peter Greenbaum. Fleetwood, who was in Henley at the time, convinced his former brother-in-law, George Harrison, to appear on "Walk a Thin Line".[6] Hawkins recalled that they played "Walk a Thin Line" for Harrison, who thought that the song could benefit from slide guitar. "Our eyes lit up and Richard Dashut had him set up and ready to go in about ten seconds, before he had a chance to change his mind."[7]
Following the seven-week recording session in Ghana, Fleetwood returned to England for the purpose of mixing and overdubbing the existing tracks. These sessions took place at a studio situated in a mill that was owned by Jimmy Page. In total, the album cost five-hundred thousand dollars to make, and Fleetwood failed to recuperate those losses through album sales.[8]
"Rattlesnake Shake"
"You Weren't In Love"
"O'Niamali"
"Super Brains"
"Don't Be Sorry, Just Be Happy"
"Walk A Thin Line"
"Not Fade Away"
"Cassiopeia Surrender"
"The Visitor"
"Amelle (Come On Show Me Your Heart)"
| Chart (1981) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report)[9] | 80 | |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 43 |