Editing John Mayall (section)

====Mick Taylor as guitarist, 1967–1969====
Mayall's first choice to replace Green was 18-year-old [[David O'List]], guitarist from [[The Attack (band)|The Attack]]. O'List declined, however, and went on to form [[the Nice]] with organist [[Keith Emerson]]. Through both a "musicians wanted" ad in ''[[Melody Maker]]'' on 10 June and his own search, Mayall found three other potential guitarists for his Bluesbreakers, a musician named Terry Edmonds, John Moorshead, and 18-year-old [[Mick Taylor]]. The last made the band quickly, but Mayall also decided to hire Edmonds as a rhythm guitarist for a few days.<ref name="Strange Brew">{{cite book|title=Strange Brew : Eric Clapton and The British Blues Boom 1965–1970 |first=Christopher |last=Hjort |year=2007 |publisher=Jawbone |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/strangebrewericc00hjor/page/352 352] |isbn=978-1-906002-00-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/strangebrewericc00hjor/page/352}}</ref>

In the meantime, on a single day in May 1967, Mayall had assembled a studio album to showcase his own abilities. Former [[The Artwoods|Artwoods]] drummer [[Keef Hartley]] appeared on only half of the tracks, and everything else was played by Mayall. The album was released in November titled ''The Blues Alone''.<ref name="LarkinBlues"/>

A six-piece line-up—consisting of Mayall, [[Mick Taylor]] as lead guitarist, John McVie still on bass, [[Hughie Flint]] or Hartley on drums, and Rip Kant and Chris Mercer on saxophones—recorded the album ''[[Crusade (album)|Crusade]]'' on 11 and 12 July 1967.<ref name="LarkinBlues"/> These Bluesbreakers spent most of the year touring abroad, and Mayall taped the shows on a portable recorder. At the end of the tour, he had over sixty hours of tapes, which he edited into an album in two volumes: ''Diary of a Band, Vols. 1 & 2'', released in February 1968.<ref name="LarkinBlues"/> Meanwhile, a few line-up changes had occurred: McVie had departed and was replaced by Paul Williams, who himself soon quit to join [[Alan Price]] and was replaced by Keith Tillman; [[Dick Heckstall-Smith]] had taken the sax spot.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=589/90}}</ref>

Following a US tour, there were more line-up changes, starting with the troublesome bass position. First Mayall replaced bassist Tillman with 15-year-old [[Andy Fraser]]. Within six weeks, though, Fraser left to join [[Free (band)|Free]] and was replaced by Tony Reeves, previously a member of the New Jazz Orchestra. Hartley was required to leave, and he was replaced by New Jazz Orchestra drummer [[Jon Hiseman]] (who had also played with the Graham Bond Organisation). Henry Lowther, who played violin and cornet, joined in February 1968. Two months later the Bluesbreakers recorded ''[[Bare Wires]]'', co-produced by Mayall and Mike Vernon, which came up to UK No. 6.<ref name="LarkinBlues"/>

Hiseman, Reeves, and Heckstall-Smith then moved on to form [[Colosseum (band)|Colosseum]]. The Mayall line-up retained Mick Taylor and added drummer Colin Allen (formerly of [[Zoot Money's Big Roll Band]] / [[Dantalian's Chariot]], and [[Georgie Fame]]) and a young bassist named Stephen Thompson. In August 1968 the new quartet recorded ''[[Blues from Laurel Canyon]]''.<ref name="LarkinBlues"/>

On 13 June 1969, after nearly two years with Mayall, Taylor left and joined [[the Rolling Stones]].<ref name="LarkinBlues"/>