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Post by gee on Oct 20, 2020 18:56:52 GMT
Spencer Davis has died aged 81 - Sky News say from pneumonia but per a youtube Rock History Music it is stated to be a heart attack...probably linked
Hollies producer Ron Richards produced some Spencer Davis Group singles after Steve Winwood had left to form Traffic in 1967
Another iconic sixties music figure gone...
Spencer and 'Muff' Winwood singing lead here with Steve - look who intros them !
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2020 19:27:36 GMT
Another legend gone! : (
Here's Spencer himself singing, from the so-bad-it's-good movie 'The Ghost Goes Gear':
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Post by baz on Oct 20, 2020 19:34:04 GMT
That's bummer news. How much worse does 2020 have to get?
Until now, the Spencer Davis Group were one of a handful of 60's bands whose original members were still alive.
Interesting band the SDG, how they truly hit paydirt in 1966 turning in an impressive run of hits which hold up very well today and in spite of the Winwood's departing, managed to overcome that with some more great music - "Time Seller" was a wonderful record that deserved a better fate.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2020 20:16:43 GMT
Until now, the Spencer Davis Group were one of a handful of 60's bands whose original members were still alive. There's been a campaign in recent years to reunite the classic Davis-Winwood-Winwood-York line-up for a one-off charity gig, obviously too late now! (Perhaps we could start a campaign to reunite the Clarke-Nash-Hicks-Calvert-Elliott Hollies?!)
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Post by johnt on Oct 21, 2020 8:26:58 GMT
Yes, sad news indeed. Amazingly, The Spencer Davis Group (like The Tremeloes as I mentioned last week) were on the same gig when I first saw The Hollies in 1967. Even Spencer Davis's name was printed on the ticket rather than The Hollies! RIP Spencer.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2020 10:11:59 GMT
Amazing memorabilia!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2020 8:40:44 GMT
Interesting band the SDG, how they truly hit paydirt in 1966 turning in an impressive run of hits which hold up very well today and in spite of the Winwood's departing, managed to overcome that with some more great music - "Time Seller" was a wonderful record that deserved a better fate. Here's the official Promo Video (in High Quality at last!):
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2020 9:48:23 GMT
Some rarely seen colour footage from France in 1967:
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Post by gee on Oct 22, 2020 11:49:52 GMT
The SDG seemed to 'explode' from nowhere - not really true of course - but to the UK public they just 'appeared' in 1965 and had massive hits with 'Keep On Running', 'Somebody Help Me' , 'Gimmie Some Lovin' and 'I'm A Man' (later covered of course by Chicago)
On Fontana label in the UK but tellingly 'An Island Records Production' they were crucial for Island records boss Chris Blackwell making the jump from Jamaican records to mainstream...leading to Traffic, Free, Bad Company, Cat Stevens, Fairport Convention, Mott The Hoople, Nick Drake, and of course in turn Chrysalis records launch too - Jethro Tull's first two albums were initially issued on Island label later moved to Chrysalis
so in retrospect The SDG success in 1965 was a pivotal moment for SO much that came later...
Once Steve Winwood left to form Traffic in 1967 many seemed to lose interest in The SDG - tho' as stated 'Time Seller' was a noteworthy single and Eddie Hardin was a decent replacement for Steve
like Dave Clark Five with Mike Smith, and Manfred Mann with Paul Jones many assumed Steve WAS Spencer at first as the distinctive lead vocalist took the public's attention most and I believe Spencer came to feel rather overshadowed in his own band but they were a great outfit who besides making some terrific sixties records were also so vital in helping Island records and so many other classic artists careers take off later
- another massively influential act presumably that so called Hall of Fame have never heard of...(??)
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Post by baz on Oct 22, 2020 12:36:36 GMT
Once Steve Winwood left to form Traffic in 1967 many seemed to lose interest in The SDG - tho' as stated 'Time Seller' was a noteworthy single and Eddie Hardin was a decent replacement for Steve like Dave Clark Five with Mike Smith, and Manfred Mann with Paul Jones many assumed Steve WAS Spencer at first as the distinctive lead vocalist took the public's attention most and I believe Spencer came to feel rather overshadowed in his own band but they were a great outfit who besides making some terrific sixties records were also so vital in helping Island records and so many other classic artists careers take off later - another massively influential act presumably that so called Hall of Fame have never heard of...(??) It was such a shame that the Winwood factor doomed the SDG after he and his brother departed. It also has to be remembered that Steve Winwood was like a freak of nature, still a teenager yet sounded unbelievably mature and bursting with natural talent so in many ways it was inevitable that the SDG would not be viewed the same when he left as whether he or Spencer liked it or not, he became the media focus in spite of Spencer taking care of the interviews and keeping up his leadership role. As Traffic and Blind Faith proved, Steve was not a natural leader and very awkward in that role. That run of singles they had was unbelievable as each one was better than the last. "Gimme Some Lovin'" came together swiftly at a rehearsal... Chris Blackwell told them they needed a new single, they had nothing, he went away for an hour and on his return was greeted by THAT song! Pure power and energy then they topped it with "I'm A Man" and the promo film they made for that is pure swinging 60's. That promo was directed by Vic Singh, the man who did the cover of Pink Floyd's first album and one wonders what might had been had he directed a promo for the Floyd! The Island Records factor is an interesting one which I think rubbed off on Spencer himself as he formed his own management agency and his own film/media company as well which produced that fascinating documentary following the band in the earliest days of the new line up and I suspect were also been behind the promo films, so Spencer sure knew the value of promo films. "Time Seller" was a magnificent single, a very powerful production from Ron Richards (check the difference between the mono and stereo mixes... the mono kills the stereo stone dead for pure power and drama) which failed to sell as well as it should have done and possibly switching record labels to United Artists in the UK didn't help either. The SDG reinvented themselves well but, all attention was on Steve and Traffic so commercially, the SDG fell into decline. Traffic were inducted into the "hall of fame" but the SDG's absence is yet another in their ever growing list of ignorance.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2020 14:25:55 GMT
Eddie Hardin was a decent replacement for Steve Although Eddie Hardin played fine organ and did very occasional vocals, it was Phil Sawyer who (tried to) replace Stevie Winwood vocally and on guitar. So effectively, he was replaced by TWO people! Phil was alright, but he tried at times a little too hard to sound like Stevie...
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Post by gee on Oct 22, 2020 17:01:39 GMT
Yeah I forgot his name !
Manfred Mann got it right getting in a different sounding but distinctive and notable looking replacement for Paul Jones in Mike d'Abo
The Tremeloes had recruited Len 'Chip' Hawkes even before parting with Brian Poole but 'Chip' was a perfect central frontline figure both vocally and looks wise
The Moody Blues found a key figure in guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward to replace Denny Laine even if it took a little while for them to then really take off later in 1967
these were three examples of the mid sixties key personnel changes giving bands a new lease of life for the remainder of the decade however for groups such as The Spencer Davis Group despite fine new musicians coming into the band and some strong later singles sadly it just didn't seem to capture the public imagination...
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Post by The Dude on Oct 22, 2020 17:30:36 GMT
The SDG seemed to 'explode' from nowhere - not really true of course - but to the UK public they just 'appeared' in 1965 and had massive hits with 'Keep On Running', 'Somebody Help Me' , 'Gimmie Some Lovin' and 'I'm A Man' (later covered of course by Chicago) On Fontana label in the UK but tellingly 'An Island Records Production' they were crucial for Island records boss Chris Blackwell making the jump from Jamaican records to mainstream...leading to Traffic, Free, Bad Company, Cat Stevens, Fairport Convention, Mott The Hoople, Nick Drake, and of course in turn Chrysalis records launch too - Jethro Tull's first two albums were initially issued on Island label later moved to Chrysalis Roxy Music started out on Island Records as well, as did King Crimson...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2020 11:34:15 GMT
'I'm A Man' Promo Video (well known, but this is a nice upgrade!):
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Post by johnt on Oct 24, 2020 14:55:00 GMT
According to Jeremy Clarkson's column in today's Sun newspaper, Reg Dwight (Elton John of course) was considered as a replacement for Steve Winwood but was turned down.
I don't know how true that was? I'd never heard it mentioned before.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2020 16:02:58 GMT
According to Jeremy Clarkson's column in today's Sun newspaper, Reg Dwight (Elton John of course) was considered as a replacement for Steve Winwood but was turned down. I don't know how true that was? I'd never heard it mentioned before. Nor have I! Can't imagine it myself, unless it was just in the Eddie Hardin role as a keyboardist.
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