The Spencer Davis Group - With Their New Face On (1968)

The Spencer Davis Group were a British R&B band active in the mid-60s.

In 1967 Steve Winwood left The Spencer Davis Group and formed a new band, Traffic. As he was undoubtedly the focus of the group (as lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist) it was questionable as to whether they could go on without him, but they did give it a go. Winwood's brother Muff also left at the same time to pursue a career as an A&R man at Island Records, leaving them without a bassist.

New members were hired, and founders Spencer Davis (rhythm guitar) and Pete York (drums) were joined by Eddie Hardin (keyboards/vocals) and Phil Sawyer (guitar/vocals). The first recordings the new lineup made were for the film Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, which interestingly also featured music from Traffic. Sawyer didn't last long, and was soon replaced by guitarist Ray Fenwick. 

In 1968 the band's first post-Winwood album was released. With Their New Face On was a mix of jazzy R&B and some dubious psychedelic pop, featuring both Sawyer and Fenwick on different tracks. Hardin handled most of the vocals. The one song of note was the bluesy "Don't Want You No More", which The Allman Brothers Band covered as an instrumental on their debut. However the album as a whole was obviously not going to replicate the successes the group had originally had with Winwood. The singles "Time Seller" and "Mister 2nd Class" got to #35 and #30 respectively, but after that there were no more hits.

Before long Hardin and York had both departed. Ray Fenwick led the band for long enough to record another album of his own compositions, but it was never actually released, and the band officially split in 1969.

Autumn '66 (1966) <|> Gluggo (1973)
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The Spencer Davis Group - I Can't Get Enough Of It (1964-1967)

Compilation
The Spencer Davis Group were a British R&B band active in the mid-60s.

By late 1966 The Spencer Davis Group could boast two #1 singles - "Keep On Running", and "Somebody Help Me", both written by Jamaican singer Jackie Edwards. In November '66 they released "Gimme Some Lovin'", and in January '67 "I'm A Man". Both singles were utterly fantastic, and though they didn't get to the top spot like their predecessors, they were still Top 10 hits (the former at #2 and the latter at #9). They were also their first songs to chart in the US. However neither songs were released on any of their original UK albums.
Therefore I have put them on this fifteen-song compilation, which features both singles, plus b-sides and assorted other tracks. Some of these songs appeared on their two US albums from '67 (which were quickly pieced together after the two singles' success in the States).
It's a great collection which spans the breadth of the group's sound. It includes some jazzy instrumentals, covers of the blues classics "Oh Pretty Woman" and "Kansas City", and a stunning version of Ray Charles' "I'll Drown In My Own Tears".

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The Spencer Davis Group - Autumn '66 (1966)

The Spencer Davis Group were a British R&B band active in the mid-60s.
 

The success The Spencer Davis Group had with "Keep On Running" was soon followed in 1966 by another #1 single, "Somebody Help Me", which like its predecessor was also written by Jackie Edwards. Their third album came out in September of the same year. Alongside "Somebody Help Me" was a selection of eleven more fantastic R&B tunes. These included covers of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman", Elmore James' "Dust My Broom", Jimmy Cox's "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" and Don Covay's "Take This Hurt Off Me". As always, the focus was fully on singer, keyboardist and lead guitarist Stevie Winwood (though Spencer Davis himself did sing lead on "Dust My Broom").
Another song from the album ("When I Come Home") was a modest hit, getting to #12.It actually turned out to be their last LP with Winwood, as he left the band to form Traffic in 1967 (but they did manage to put out a few more classic singles with him before his departure).

The Second Album (1966) <|> With Their New Face On (1968)
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The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album (1966)

The Spencer Davis Group were a British R&B band active in the mid-60s.

The Spencer Davis Group's big break came in November 1965, with the single "Keep On Running", a song by Jamaican singer-songwriter Jackie Edwards. It gave them their first #1 single - suddenly, the Birmingham quartet (and in particular lead singer Stevie Winwood) were big news.
Their second albm (appropriately titled The Second Album) came out in January '66. As well as "Keep On Running", it had a strong selection of mostly cover songs, including numbers by Don Covay, The Impressions, Ivory Joe Hunter and others. Stylistically, it was a continuation of the soul-styled R&B of their debut, with young Winwood's stunning vocals as the centrepiece. Of particular note is his incredible rendition of "Georgia On My Mind", making the Ray Charles comparisons easily justified.
The album itself became a #3 hit.

Their First LP (1965) <|> Autumn' 66 (1966)
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The Spencer Davis Group - Their First LP (1965)

The Spencer Davis Group were a British R&B band active in the mid-60s.

The Spencer Davis Group were formed in Birmingham by Spencer Davis (guitar/harmonica), Steve Winwood (lead vocals/guitar/piano/organ), Muff Winwood (bass) and Pete York (drums). Despite the group being named after Davis, it was obvious from the start that the real star potential lay with young Stevie Winwood (just 16 years old at the time of their first single's release). He possessed an incredible voice which quickly catapulted the group to fame, and led to comparisons with Ray Charles. Not only was he an amazing singer, but he also proved himself a very skilled guitarist and pianist. It was Steve Winwood that made the group stand out from their mid-60s contemporaries (The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, The Small Faces, etc).
Their first single (a cover of John Lee Hooker's "Dimples") did not chart, but "I Can't Stand It" and their version of "Every Little Bit Hurts" just about did, making it to just outside the Top 40. Though they hadn't quite conquered the singles chart yet, they were getting noticed. Their First LP, released in July 1965 and featuring the first three singles, made it to #6 on the album charts. Stylistically, it was American R&B like most other young British groups were doing at the time, but in comparison to their contemporaries the Spencer Davis Group had a lot more soul in their sound, as can be heared in their renditions of "Every Little Bit Hurts" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine".

|> The Second Album (1966)
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