Spencer Davis

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For the racing driver, see Spencer Davis (racing driver). For the American baseball infielder, see Spencer Davis (baseball). For the British colonial administrator, see Spencer Davis (governor).

Spencer Davis
Davis performing in July 2006
Davis performing in July 2006
Background information
Birth nameSpencer David Nelson Davies
Born(1939-07-17)17 July 1939
Swansea, Wales
Died19 October 2020(2020-10-19) (aged 81)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • harmonica
Years active1963–2020
Labels
Websitespencer-davis-group.com

Spencer Davis (born Spencer David Nelson Davies; 17 July 1939 – 19 October 2020) was a Welsh musician. He founded the Spencer Davis Group, a band that had several hits in the 1960s including "Keep On Running", "Gimme Some Lovin'", and "I'm a Man", all sung by Steve Winwood. Davis subsequently enjoyed success as an A&R executive with Island Records.[1][2]

Early life

Davis was born in

A-levels in languages, becoming head boy in 1959. In 1960, he moved to Birmingham, to read German at the University of Birmingham.[6] In music circles, Davis was later known as "Professor".[7]

Early music career

His early musical influences were

John Martyn, Alexis Korner and Long John Baldry. By the time he was 16, Davis was hooked on the guitar and the American rhythm and blues music making its way across the Atlantic
. With few opportunities to hear R&B in South Wales, Davis attended as many local gigs as practical.

When Davis moved to Birmingham as a student, he often performed on stage after his teaching day. While in Birmingham, he formed a musical and personal relationship with

Christine Perfect who was later a member of Fleetwood Mac.[4][8]

The Spencer Davis Group

Main article: The Spencer Davis Group
Davis (guitar) rehearsing in Amsterdam (1966) with Muff Winwood on bass

In 1963, Davis went to the Golden Eagle in Birmingham to see the Muff Wood Jazz band, a traditional jazz band featuring Muff Winwood and his younger brother, Steve Winwood. Davis persuaded them to join him and drummer Pete York as the Rhythm and Blues Quartet. Davis performed on guitar, vocals and harmonica, Steve Winwood on guitar, organ and vocals, Muff Winwood on bass and Pete York on drums.[8] Reportedly, they adopted the name the Spencer Davis Group because Davis was the only band member who agreed to press interviews, allowing the other band members to sleep longer.[1][4]

The group's live reputation attracted the attention of Island Records founder

I'm a Man" in 1967.[8]

The Spencer Davis Group continued after Winwood left to form Traffic in April 1967. The group recorded two more albums before splitting in 1969. Another version of the group with Davis and York appeared in 1973 and disbanded in late 1974. Various incarnations of the band toured in later years under Davis's direction.[1][8]

Solo career

After the group broke up, Davis moved to California and recorded an acoustic album with Peter Jameson, It's Been So Long, for Mediarts in mid-1971. He followed it with a solo album, Mousetrap, for United Artists, produced by and featuring

Robert Palmer and Eddie and the Hot Rods as well as promoting the solo career of former Spencer Davis Group member Steve Winwood.[4]

In 1993, Davis formed the

Wings guitarist Denny Laine.[8]

Later life

Davis retained an affinity for Germany, having studied its language and played in clubs in Berlin early in his career. He watched both the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and, with his son, its fall in 1989.[5]

Davis was a supporter and honorary member of the Wales nationalist party,

The British Invasion", where Davis was joined on a panel by, among others, Micky Dolenz of the Monkees and a July Fourth concert featuring Davis singing his hits with a backing band named 'The Catalina All Stars'.[13]

Personal life

He had three children and divorced in the late 1970s.[citation needed]

Death

Davis died from pneumonia in Los Angeles on 19 October 2020 at the age of 81.[8][14][1]

Discography

With The Spencer Davis Group

Main article: The Spencer Davis Group discography

Studio albums

Year Title Details
1965 Their First LP
1966 The Second Album
  • Released: 7 January 1966
  • Label: Fontana
Autumn '66
  • Released: 26 August 1966
  • Label: Fontana
1968 With Their New Face On
  • Released: April 1968
  • Label: United Artists
1973 Gluggo
1974 Living in a Back Street
  • Released: February 1974
  • Label: Vertigo
1986 Vibrate
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: Victoria
  • Only released in Spain
1998 Funky
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: Angel Air
  • Originally planned for release in 1969 in the UK as Letters From Edith but withdrawn. Then was released in the US by Date in 1970 as Funky but quickly withdrawn due to the dissolution of the label

EPs

Year Title Details
1965 You Put the Hurt on Me
  • Released: August 1965
  • Label: Fontana
Every Little Bit Hurts
  • Released: October 1965
  • Label: Fontana
1966 Sittin' and Thinkin'
  • Released: May 1966
  • Label: Fontana
1978 Spencer Davis Group
  • Released: May 1978
  • Label: Island
  • Compilation EP
2017 Rambling Rose

Singles

Year Single
1964 "Dimples"
"I Can't Stand It"
1965 "Every Little Bit Hurts"
"Strong Love"
"Keep On Running"
1966 "Somebody Help Me"
"This Hammer" (Norway and Sweden-only release)
"Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Netherlands-only release)
"When I Come Home"
"Together 'Til the End of Time" (Norway-only release)
"Take This Hurt Off Me" (Norway-only release)
"Georgia on My Mind" (Netherlands-only release)
"Gimme Some Lovin'"
"Det war in Schöneberg" (Germany-only release)
"High Time Baby" (Norway-only release)
1967 "I'm a Man"
"Time Seller"
"It's Gonna Work Out Fine" (New Zealand-only release)
"When a Man Loves a Woman" (Italy-only release)
"Mr. Second Class"
1968 "After Tea"
"Looking Back" (US, Canada and Germany-only release)
"(Aquarius) Der Wassermann" (Germany and Netherlands-only release)
"Short Change"
1971 "Magpie" (as 'The Murgatroyd Band')
1973 "Don't You Let It Bring You Down" (US and Canada-only release)
"Catch You on the Rebop"
"Mr. Operator"
"Livin' in a Back Street"
1974 "Another Day" (Spain-only release)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Farber, Jim (20 October 2020). "Spencer Davis, Whose Band Helped Power the Sound of the '60s, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  2. ^ "The Spencer Davis Group". The Spencer Davis Group. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Spencer Davis, founder and frontman of the Spencer Davis Group – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020. (subscription required)
  4. ^ a b c d Savage, Mark (21 October 2020). "Spencer Davis, one of rock's elder statesmen, dies aged 81". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Spencer Davis in song and story". BBC News. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  6. ISBN 0-283-99640-4
    .
  7. ^ "South West Wales - Hall of Fame - Spencer Davis". BBC. Archived from the original on 6 May 2004. Retrieved 22 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Spencer Davis, Founder of the Spencer Davis Group, Dead at 81". Rolling Stone. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  9. ISBN 0862416043
    .
  10. ^ Young, Graham; Morgan, Sion (20 October 2020). "Keep On Running hitmaker Spencer Davis dies aged 81". WalesOnline.
  11. ^ Obituaries, Telegraph (20 October 2020). "Spencer Davis, founder and frontman of the Spencer Davis Group – obituary". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Sixties' music star Spencer Davis – hitmaker behind Keep on Running and Gimme Some Lovin' – dead at 81". Wales Online. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Beatle Brunch - Spencer Davis Exhibit". Brunchradio.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Sixties music legend who gave his name to chart-topping band dies". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spencer Davis.
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