Guitar riff in 'Green Man (1984)'

Subject: Guitar riff in 'Green Man (1984)'
From: Alex in Tokyo
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 09:14 AM

I just picked up Steeleye Span's latest offering "The Green Man Collection". I was listening to the title(?) track, and it starts (about 10 seconds in) with a guitar riff that I swear I have heard on another song (I'm fairly sure another Steeleye track). I can't place it for the life of me, however.
Although the song is dated to (circa) 1983, it's not been released before, so it's unlikely that I'm remembering hearing this track somewhere, and the rest of the track certainly doesn't ring any bells.

Anyone with a better memory than mine able to tell me where I've heard this before?

Here's the track "Green Man (1984)" on YT
The riff I mean plays at 0:10, repeated twice.

Subject: RE: Guitar riff in 'Green Man (1984)'
From: StephenH
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 03:07 PM

A bit like "Seven Hundred Elves", perhaps?
But also very typical Robert Johnson style.

Subject: RE: Guitar riff in 'Green Man (1984)'
From: GUEST,Greg
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 05:27 PM

You are correct, Bob went on to use the same (unused) riff in 'Well Done Liar' on Steeleye's 2000 album 'Bedlam Born'

Subject: RE: Guitar riff in 'Green Man (1984)'
From: Alex in Tokyo
Date: 08 Dec 23 - 06:32 PM

Thank you! That is indeed the one I was think of.

Subject: RE: Guitar riff in 'Green Man (1984)'
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Dec 23 - 09:03 AM

Interesting snippet on Wiki

"In 2023, Steeleye Span released a new recording of the track 'The Green Man', which was written by Bob in the 1980s but never officially released. The guitar riff was repurposed by Bob for the song 'Well done, Liar' on the 2000 album Bedlam Born."