Mod-A-Day: The Artwoods

The Artwoods were formed in 1963 by Art Wood, (Stones' Ron Wood's older brother) who had started out in the legendary Blues Incorported with the founding fathers of British blues, Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies. The Artwoods were one of the bedrock bands of the sixties mod scene, playing a mix of hard blues and hip shaking R&B. While they were one of the favorites of London's club-going mods throughout the sixties, they never had the breakthroughs that others like The Sones, Yardbirds, or Small Faces did. Their records were every bit as good if not better, but didn't sell nearly as well. Consequently the band broke up in 1967 with members going on to play in bands like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Deep Purple. This track "I Take What I Want" was one of their most popular, combining gritty vocals with a memorable bass line for a great dancefloor gem.