May 28, 2009

Mod-A-Day: Spencer Davis Group

Mod favorites Spencer Davis Group were a very bluesy, soul soaked, mid-sixties R&B band. Formed by Spencer Davis in 1963 the band's most famous member was easily Stevie Winwood who's blistering organ work fueled the groups biggest hits, as well as spicing up its less commercial but far superior blues and soul numbers. The best known tracks are the radio friendly, "Gimme Some Lovin'", and "I'm A Man", which thanks to teenage Winwood's vocals is a gritty, organ driven floorshaking bit of rythm & blues that rivals anything from Georgie Fame, The Animals or Yardbirds of the same era. The song here, "Somebody Help Me", isn't the bluesiest of the group's, but it is indicative of their British invasion type blue-eyed soul. By 1968 Winwood had left to form Traffic, and while the Group continued, it never had quite the same impact as in its earliest incarnations.

Spencer Davis Group -- Somebody Help Me


Spencer Davis Group -- I'm A Man