Spencer Davis Group
Encyclopedia
The Spencer Davis Group was a mid-1960s British beat group from Birmingham
, England, formed by Spencer Davis
with Steve Winwood
and his brother Muff Winwood
. Their best known songs include "Somebody Help Me
", the UK number one
"Keep on Running" (both of which were written by reggae
musician Jackie Edwards), "I'm a Man
" and "Gimme Some Lovin'
", which peaked at #2 in the UK and #7 in the United States.
Steve Winwood left in 1967, to form Traffic
before joining Blind Faith
, then forging a career as a soloist
. After releasing a few more singles the band ceased activity in 1968. Davis started a new group in 2006.
when Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis
recruited vocalist and organist Steve Winwood
and his bass playing brother Muff Winwood
. The group was completed with Pete York
on drums. Originally called the Rhythm and Blues Quartette, the band performed regularly in the city. In 1964 they signed their first recording contract
after Chris Blackwell
of Island Records
saw them at an appearance in a local club; Blackwell also became their producer
. Muff Winwood came up with the band's name, reasoning "Spencer was the only one who enjoyed doing interviews, so I pointed out that if we called it the Spencer Davis Group, the rest of us could stay in bed and let him do them."
The group's first professional recording
was a cover version
of "Dimples
", but they came to success at the end of 1965 with "Keep On Running", the group's first number one
single
. In 1966, they followed this with "Somebody Help Me
" and "When I Come Home". They had one single issued in the US on Fontana, as well as "Keep On Running" and "Somebody Help Me" on Atco, but due lack of promotion, none of these 3 singles got airplay or charted.
For the German market the group released "Det war in Schöneberg, im Monat Mai" and "Mädel ruck ruck ruck an meine grüne Seite" (the first is from a 1913 Berlin operetta
, the second is a Swabia
n traditional) as a tribute
single for that audience, Davis having studied in West Berlin
in the early 1960s.
By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits
, "Gimme Some Lovin'
" and "I'm a Man
". Both of them sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold record status
. These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes, especially in the U.S. (where they had signed to United Artists
). Jimmy Miller was their producer
.
In 1966 the group starred in The Ghost Goes Gear
, a British
musical
comedy film
, directed by Hugh Gladwish, and also starring Sheila White
and Nicholas Parsons
. The plot involved the group in a stay at the childhood home of their manager, a haunted manor house
in the English countryside. The film would later be considered a mistake by Winwood.
In 1967, Winwood left to form Traffic; his brother Muff moved into the music industry as A&R
man at Island Records. In a joint venture, the soundtrack to the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush featured both the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. After the Winwoods' departure, the Spencer Davis Group regrouped with the addition of guitarist Phil Sawyer
(ex-Les Fleur de Lys
) and keyboardist/vocalist Eddie Hardin
(ex-A Wild Uncertainty). This line-up recorded several tunes for Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush and released the "Time Seller" single in July 1967; the b-side
, "Don't Want You No More," also received radio airplay.
This was followed by "Mr. Second-Class" in late 1967, which received heavy airplay on Radio Caroline
(at that time one of the two remaining pirate radio
ships off the British coast), and the album "With Their New Face On" in 1968. At that time Ray Fenwick had replaced Phil Sawyer.The group's last minor hit, "After Tea", was released at the same time by the German band The Rattles
, providing competition that led finally to a temporary stop to all activities of the band. The song was originally recorded by the Dutch group After Tea, which included guitarist/singer Ray Fenwick
.
After one further single ("Short Change"),at that time Eddie Hardin and Pete York had left to form the duo Hardin & York. They were replaced by future Elton John band member Dee Murray
on bass and Dave Hynes on drums. This line-up with Nigel Ollson replacing Dave Hynes produced the album "Funky" in 1969 (only released in the USA on DATE a sub-label of CBS)before splintering.
The group reunited in 1973 with Davis, Fenwick, Hardin and York, and newcomer Charlie McCracken on bass. The group released the albums Gluggo (1973) and Living in a Back Street (1974) before once again disbanding.
Davis continued working, however, producing some jazz
-oriented albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As of 2010, The Spencer Davis Group still extensively tours the USA and Europe, but with two differing line-ups, only Spencer Davis himself is present in both formations of the band.
's 1969 version of "I'm a Man"; The Allman Brothers Band
's 1969 take of Davis' instrumental "Don't Want You No More"; Three Dog Night
's 1970 recording of "Can't Get Enough of It"; and The Blues Brothers
' 1980 recording of "Gimme Some Lovin". The Grateful Dead also covered Spencer Davis Group material in live performance on occasion, and Spencer Davis himself performed "I'm a Man" with the Grateful Dead at a 1989 performance at Los Angeles' Great Western Forum.
The band re-formed in 2006, although only Davis and Hardin remained from the 1960s group line-ups.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England, formed by Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis
Spencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
with Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
and his brother Muff Winwood
Muff Winwood
Mervyn "Muff" Winwood is an English songwriter and record producer, and the older brother of Steve Winwood. Both were formerly members of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s, in which Muff Winwood played bass guitar...
. Their best known songs include "Somebody Help Me
Somebody Help Me
"Somebody Help Me" is the title of a single by The Spencer Davis Group, which was released in 1966. It became a number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart.Like "Keep on Running", it was composed by Jackie Edwards....
", the UK number one
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
"Keep on Running" (both of which were written by reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
musician Jackie Edwards), "I'm a Man
I'm A Man (Spencer Davis Group song)
"I'm a Man" is a song written by Spencer Davis Group singer-songwriter Steve Winwood and record producer Jimmy Miller.-Original version by the Spencer Davis Group:...
" and "Gimme Some Lovin'
Gimme Some Lovin'
"Gimme Some Loving" is a song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood, and originally performed by The Spencer Davis Group. The basic riff of the song was borrowed from the Homer Banks song " A Lot of Love", written by Banks and Willie Dean "Deanie" Parker. The song was a UK #2 in...
", which peaked at #2 in the UK and #7 in the United States.
Steve Winwood left in 1967, to form Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
before joining Blind Faith
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969...
, then forging a career as a soloist
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
. After releasing a few more singles the band ceased activity in 1968. Davis started a new group in 2006.
History
The Spencer Davis Group was formed in 1963 in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
when Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis
Spencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
recruited vocalist and organist Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
and his bass playing brother Muff Winwood
Muff Winwood
Mervyn "Muff" Winwood is an English songwriter and record producer, and the older brother of Steve Winwood. Both were formerly members of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s, in which Muff Winwood played bass guitar...
. The group was completed with Pete York
Pete York
Pete York is a rock drummer who has been performing since the 1960s.-Early life:...
on drums. Originally called the Rhythm and Blues Quartette, the band performed regularly in the city. In 1964 they signed their first recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
after Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
of Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
saw them at an appearance in a local club; Blackwell also became their producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Muff Winwood came up with the band's name, reasoning "Spencer was the only one who enjoyed doing interviews, so I pointed out that if we called it the Spencer Davis Group, the rest of us could stay in bed and let him do them."
The group's first professional recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
was a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Dimples
Dimples (song)
Dimples is a song written and recorded by blues singer-songwriter John Lee Hooker in 1956. Called a "genuine Hooker classic", it is one of his best known songs, with interpretations by several artists.-Original song:...
", but they came to success at the end of 1965 with "Keep On Running", the group's first number one
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. In 1966, they followed this with "Somebody Help Me
Somebody Help Me
"Somebody Help Me" is the title of a single by The Spencer Davis Group, which was released in 1966. It became a number-one hit in the UK Singles Chart.Like "Keep on Running", it was composed by Jackie Edwards....
" and "When I Come Home". They had one single issued in the US on Fontana, as well as "Keep On Running" and "Somebody Help Me" on Atco, but due lack of promotion, none of these 3 singles got airplay or charted.
For the German market the group released "Det war in Schöneberg, im Monat Mai" and "Mädel ruck ruck ruck an meine grüne Seite" (the first is from a 1913 Berlin operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
, the second is a Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n traditional) as a tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
single for that audience, Davis having studied in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
in the early 1960s.
By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Gimme Some Lovin'
Gimme Some Lovin'
"Gimme Some Loving" is a song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood, and originally performed by The Spencer Davis Group. The basic riff of the song was borrowed from the Homer Banks song " A Lot of Love", written by Banks and Willie Dean "Deanie" Parker. The song was a UK #2 in...
" and "I'm a Man
I'm A Man (Spencer Davis Group song)
"I'm a Man" is a song written by Spencer Davis Group singer-songwriter Steve Winwood and record producer Jimmy Miller.-Original version by the Spencer Davis Group:...
". Both of them sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold record status
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes, especially in the U.S. (where they had signed to United Artists
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
). Jimmy Miller was their producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
In 1966 the group starred in The Ghost Goes Gear
The Ghost Goes Gear
The Ghost Goes Gear is a 1966 British musical comedy film directed by Hugh Gladwish and starring the Spencer Davis Group, Sheila White and Nicholas Parsons. A music group go to stay at the childhood home of their manager, a haunted manor house in the English countryside.-Cast:* Spencer Davis Group...
, a British
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, directed by Hugh Gladwish, and also starring Sheila White
Sheila White
Sheila White may refer to:* Sheila White * Sheila White * Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White, a 2006 case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States...
and Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
. The plot involved the group in a stay at the childhood home of their manager, a haunted manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
in the English countryside. The film would later be considered a mistake by Winwood.
In 1967, Winwood left to form Traffic; his brother Muff moved into the music industry as A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man at Island Records. In a joint venture, the soundtrack to the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush featured both the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. After the Winwoods' departure, the Spencer Davis Group regrouped with the addition of guitarist Phil Sawyer
Phil Sawyer
Philip 'Phil' Sawyer is an English musician who was a member of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s and later recorded under the alias Beautiful World.-Biography:...
(ex-Les Fleur de Lys
Les Fleur de Lys
The Fleur de Lys were a British band originally formed in late 1964, in Southampton, Hampshire, England. They recorded singles beginning in 1965 in the transitional Beat to psychedelic music genre, later known as freakbeat. The band had varied line-ups; only drummer Keith Guster was a member...
) and keyboardist/vocalist Eddie Hardin
Eddie Hardin
Eddie Hardin , is an English rock pianist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his associations with the Spencer Davis Group, Axis Point also Hardin and York...
(ex-A Wild Uncertainty). This line-up recorded several tunes for Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush and released the "Time Seller" single in July 1967; the b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "Don't Want You No More," also received radio airplay.
This was followed by "Mr. Second-Class" in late 1967, which received heavy airplay on Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
(at that time one of the two remaining pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
ships off the British coast), and the album "With Their New Face On" in 1968. At that time Ray Fenwick had replaced Phil Sawyer.The group's last minor hit, "After Tea", was released at the same time by the German band The Rattles
The Rattles
The Rattles are a rock band from Germany. Their biggest selling record was their 1968 recorded song, "The Witch", which sold over one million copies globally.-Career:...
, providing competition that led finally to a temporary stop to all activities of the band. The song was originally recorded by the Dutch group After Tea, which included guitarist/singer Ray Fenwick
Ray Fenwick
Ray Fenwick is an English guitarist and session musician, best known for replacing Steve Howe in The Syndicats, and as the lead guitarist of Ian Gillan's post Deep Purple solo project, the Ian Gillan Band.-Biography:...
.
After one further single ("Short Change"),at that time Eddie Hardin and Pete York had left to form the duo Hardin & York. They were replaced by future Elton John band member Dee Murray
Dee Murray
Dee Murray was an English bassist, best known as a member of Elton John's original rock band.-Biography:Murray was born David Murray Oates in Southgate, London in 1946...
on bass and Dave Hynes on drums. This line-up with Nigel Ollson replacing Dave Hynes produced the album "Funky" in 1969 (only released in the USA on DATE a sub-label of CBS)before splintering.
The group reunited in 1973 with Davis, Fenwick, Hardin and York, and newcomer Charlie McCracken on bass. The group released the albums Gluggo (1973) and Living in a Back Street (1974) before once again disbanding.
Davis continued working, however, producing some jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-oriented albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As of 2010, The Spencer Davis Group still extensively tours the USA and Europe, but with two differing line-ups, only Spencer Davis himself is present in both formations of the band.
Influence
Although short-lived, the Spencer Davis Group – particularly its incarnation with Steve Winwood – proved to be influential, with many of the band's songs covered by other artists over the years. Notable among these are ChicagoChicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
's 1969 version of "I'm a Man"; The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
's 1969 take of Davis' instrumental "Don't Want You No More"; Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
's 1970 recording of "Can't Get Enough of It"; and The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
' 1980 recording of "Gimme Some Lovin". The Grateful Dead also covered Spencer Davis Group material in live performance on occasion, and Spencer Davis himself performed "I'm a Man" with the Grateful Dead at a 1989 performance at Los Angeles' Great Western Forum.
The band re-formed in 2006, although only Davis and Hardin remained from the 1960s group line-ups.