Birthdays | Happy 77th birthday to Steve Winwood!

young young young

“I always felt a need to work with the people with crazy, vibrant ideas. I needed those wild ideas, otherwise my music would be too tame. But they needed me as much as I needed them – I had to tame their ideas…”

Unlike many of the musicians he’s collaborated with, Steve Winwood is something of a survivor. Indeed, he’s managed to pack the work of a few lifetimes into his seven decades years – from jazz bootcamp as a child, and teenage adoration as an R&B star with The Spencer Davis Group, to heralding the psychedelic revolution with Traffic, enduring the trials of a “complex” supergroup with Blind Faith, and then huge popularity as a solo artist and MTV mainstay. Then there’s the piles of albums he’s played on as a guest, records by John Martyn, George Harrison, Van Morrison, Talk Talk, Paul Weller, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix and more.

“Jimi came across as a bit of a wildman,” he says. “But all that early grounding in music is what made his music great. That’s probably why he wanted me to play on ‘Voodoo Chile’, maybe he recognised that I’d been through a similar sort of thing as him.”

Source: Uncut Magazine

Photo: Ethan Russell

Don's Tunes

SUNDAY MUSICS From DANGEROUS MINDS

TRAFFIC

 - LIVE in SANTA MONICA 1972 -

Dangerous Minds (check them out!) over on their blog has posted a beautiful video set from TRAFFIC this Sunday morning and what better to listen to to make your Autumn Sunday go with a smooth laid back vibe!? Here in '72 it is worth reflecting that Steve Winwood was still only 24. 

Nice notes too from Dangerous Minds to remind us what it was all about . . . . . . . . . . 

Traffic were at this time: Steve Winwood, vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass; Jim Capaldi, percussion, vocals; Chris Wood, flute, saxophone; Rebop Kwaku Baah, percussion; Roger Hawkins, drums; David Hood,bass.

THE ARMS CONCERT - For RONNIE - Voodoo Wagon

 

The Voodoo boys (well Jobe!) reposted this classic live concert of wonderful sets from Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton Stevie Winwood, Jeff Beck and others (Andy Fairweather Low, Joe Cocker, Paul Rogers to name but three). 

Ronnie Lane of The Small Faces, Faces and Slim Chance and a happy solo career fell foul of MS in 1977 and organised a charity concert of by now legendary attendees after Clapton's run for the Prince's Trust and he extended the run at the Royal Albert Hall to arrange a follow up fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis charity. After living with the disease for 21 years, Ronnie died in June 1997, aged 51 leaving his wife and four children (two step children who took his surname)

It is always worth checking out and again the guys over at Voodoo Wagon have reposted part of it here again

The Ronnie Lane ARMS Concert - Voodoo Wagon

The Concert:

For the Boss and Jobe! Gimme Some Lovin'! TURN IT UP!

If this last doesn't get you dancing around the room in your pants then someone has done some serious mischief to your boogie bone!

On this day in music history: December 31, 1980 - “Arc Of A Diver”, the second solo album by Steve Winwood is released. Produced by Steve Winwood, it is recorded at Netherturkdonic Studios in Cotswold, Gloucestershire, UK from Mid 1978 - Late 1980. After a seven year stint in the band Traffic, Steve Winwood steps out on his own with his solo debut in 1977. It is viewed as disappointing in the wake of Traffic’s string of hit albums. Taking time to regroup, he marries Nicole Weir in 1978 shortly before working on his second solo album. Living in a 11th century farmhouse in the British Midlands, the musician sinks much of his personal fortune into building a home recording studio. Now having the freedom to work without running up huge studio bills, he gets down to work. The project also marks the beginning of a long collaboration with lyricist Will Jennings. He also co-writes with Bonzo Doo Dah Dog Band vocalist Viv Stanshall and George Fleming, who contribute lyrics. Winwood works almost entirely on his own, playing all of the instruments and doing most of the engineering himself. In working this way, the recording process is slow, understanding that not delivering a commercial record could signal the end of his career and financial security. He spends the better part of two years working on what becomes “Arc Of A Diver”. Any concern of another commercial slump is quickly washed away with the release of the first single “While You See A Chance” (#7 Pop, #2 Mainstream Rock, #45 UK) in January of 1981. Though it isn’t a major hit in his home country, the song it is immediately embraced by American radio, and wins the veteran musician a new generation of fans. The sleek and infectious sound of the album, which sees Steve Winwood incorporating synthesizers and programmed drums into his sound, sets the template for the albums that follow, and the even greater success he will enjoy during the 80’s. It spins off two further singles including “Night Train” (#104 Pop) and the title track (#48 Pop, #11 Mainstream Rock). Originally released on CD in 1986 and regarded as a favorite among audiophiles, it is remastered and reissued as a 24K gold CD by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab in 1993. Also scheduled for release at the time as a half-speed mastered vinyl LP, only test pressings of the album exist, and the MoFi vinyl edition is never commercially released. Existing copies of the test pressings have changed hands for several hundred dollars each on the secondary collector’s market. It is remastered and reissued as a 180 gram LP in 2009 and on CD in 2012, with the CD edition including a bonus disc with three additional tracks and a nearly hour long interview on the making of the album. It is also issued as an SACD and SHM-CD by Universal Music Japan in 2014. “Arc Of A Diver” peaks at number thirteen on the UK album chart, number three on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

 We loved this album when it came out and we followed Stevie from Blind Faith onward [well from 'Keep on Running' onward really] but his solo work we particularly enjoyed and the first solo album with co-written Viv Stanshall's 'Vacant Chair' was and is still a favourite. Here the titular track is co-written with Stanshall too. Despite the disco schtick stuff that saw remixes of his work garner great following throughout that genre we stuck with our admiration of his serious solo work to his reformation with Eric Clapton later (2009) and continued keyboard playing and distinctive vocals. His most recent work done alongside his daughter Lilly there has been scant work since a greatest hits in 2014

©️ Rob Mieremet / Anefo - Nationaal Archief