Gimme Some Loving

A-Side: Gimme Some Loving
B-Side: Blues In F

Record label: Fontana TF 762
Producer: An Island Record Production

Released: 28/10/66

I am absolutely delighted about this. It’s the first time I’ve really been excited by a single from them since the early days of “Every Little Bit.” For too long have we suffered those ordinary singles that really seemed no part of the group at all (although obviously did them a lot of good commercially).

Now they must feel the time is right to revert back to the real music of the group, and it’s great. Lots and lots of instrumental excitement, with crisp guitar and drum combination and Stevie, well just being Stevie better than ever. They sound really happy for the first time for ages and I think it’s all splendid. Hurrah! (Disc & Music Echo, 29/10/66)

Not, at first hearing, the most catchy of Spen’s releases, but it makes up for that by sheer persistence and drive. Great organ break by Stevie who is also in excellently exciting vocal form. A trifle form-less, but it’ll be an easy smash hit. Flip is just virtuoso organ playing to drum accompaniment. (Record Mirror, 29/10/66)

B-Side Blues: Spencer Davis talks about a group dilema

IF you’re wondering why the Spencer Davis Group feature an instrumental blues number on the “B” side of their latest hit, “Gimme Some Lovin’,” the simple answer is — there just wasn’t time to write a song.

I spoke to Spence about the question backstage at Croydon’s massive Fairfield Hall recently where he was in a concert with Jimmy James and the Vagabonds.

“To tell the truth, we didn’t have the time to write a “B” side,” he replied frankly. “We had to go to Germany and we didn’t want another Percy Sledge to happen to us. But let’s be honest, it was his record.”

Spence was referring to the time when the group had recorded “When A Man Loves A Woman” before Percy Sledge’s version was issued. Again, they had had to dash off to the Continent for some dates and by the time they returned, the American version was climbing the charts. Spence and Co. hadn’t been able to record a “B” side for their version in time, so it wasn’t issued as a single.

One of their best singles to date, “Gimme Some Lovin’” has been released pretty soon after “When I Come Home” which didn’t do quite as well as expected.

“We had to write something quick after the last one,” Spence pointed out. “I’m sure people will be as happy about this one as we are. Yes, I agree the bass notes will probably attract attention to the record.”

While Spence joined Stevie and Muff at a table, I spoke to drummer Pete York who related a hilarious incident that occurred during the quartet’s recent Belgian stay.

“We were in a show for a week at the same place,” Pete began “and there were all sorts of strange acts on the bill — a monocyclist who juggled at the same time, adagio dancers and tumblers. The promoter had never put a beat group on before. He was used to people like Adamo and Johnny Hallyday.”

How had the audience taken the sudden “intrusion” of a British beat group into something of a variety bill?

“Some young people sat politely through the first half,” he said, “and waited until we went on. They jumped on the stage, but they only wanted to be up there dancing and joining in on the `yeh’, `yehs’ on the chorus mikes. They didn’t want to do any of the mobbing.

“The older people were mostly quite shocked when they heard the noise from our amplifiers. I felt sorry for them, the old dears.” (Record Mirror, 05/11/66)

How Spencer Davis learned to live with the boom

GROUPS may split up, but the dear old Spencer Davis bunch seemed far too easy-going ever to contemplate such a critical step. But Spencer admitted this week : “We were getting very stale and constantly bickering between each other. There was no social life between us and everybody was very low over that last single ‘When I Come Home’ which none of us wanted released.

“Now, suddenly, this happens and everybody’s happy again.”

“This” is the new dynamic Spencer Davis single “Gimme Some Loving,” which not only looks like restoring the group’s fallen chart reputation, but is also the sort of music they were playing before two successive No. 1’s distorted their true style.

Feature of this fine new disc is singer Stevie Winwood’s prominent use of the Hammond organ. It was Stevie, too, who wrote and sang the song.

“At least we wanted to release this one, which is more than I can say for the last single,” says Stevie. “Our two No. 1’s were satisfactory as far as hit records were concerned, but they were not satisfactory in a musical way.

“This new one is the nearest yet we’ve made to what we want to play.”

He’s so intense, Stevie. Still only 18 yet years ahead of a lot of his contemporaries. But difficult to talk to. Presumably because his mind is immersed in music and he finds it hard to concentrate on a conversation

“A lot of Americans think we’re a coloured band and get really surprised to see we’re white” . . .

I think the TROGGS injected some life—if not originality—into the pop scene” . . . “we don’t bother about any special stage act—our music is our stage act” . . . “the pop scene at the moment is in a rut with lots of people scrambling to get out on to something musically better,” Winwood added. (Disc & Music Echo, 05/11/66)

At 18, Stevie Winwood is high in the ranks of the exalted and acclaimed. For the past year he is, and continues to be the most breathed about singer and musician. He has a lot to live up to. He also has a brother called Muff who knows, perhaps better than most, the real Stevie. And who knows that that almost casual approach he seems to have to performing is really hiding a tense realisation of the responsibility he carries. The real Stevie also turns out to be someone who is sad that he hasn’t had more time to grow up, who tends to clam up in front of people he doesn’t know, and who treats his brother like a third parent.

‘We spend little time together’

“Stevie has definitely changed in the past year.” Muff Winwood says. “He takes his music far more seriously, especially as a performer. It used to be so easy for him, now he finds it really hard, especially when sometimes he has to play down to an audience. He has been influenced by certain parts of the music business. A compliment to Stevie now is someone who remarks on him as a behind-the-scenes-organist rather than a singer.

“We don’t spend a lot of time together Stevie and I. There’s an age gap of five years between us which is hard to bridge. It’ll be fine when we’re about 25 and 30.

“Anyway we live together, eat together, work together. That’s enough. We both have different scenes. Sometimes we’ll both leave the house to go to a date and won’t even go with each other.

“In a way it’s sad. When we were younger we were very very close. In fact we hardly went anywhere or did anything without each other. And at the beginning of the group we were always arranging music and stuff. Now we have to make a really forced attempt and put days aside to spend together so that we can work.

“Everyone loves to see us have a set-to. Actually, Stevie and I fight quite a lot. But it doesn’t worry us.

“Stevie has this thing about me. He resents me in a way. That’s because when he joined the group our parents wouldn’t let him join unless I joined too. Because of that he thought I was there to keep an eye on him. Now, if he forgets his toothpaste or something he won’t come and tell me because he’s scared I’m going to tell him off.

‘Life is hard for him’

Lots of people think Stevie is rather unfriendly but the thing is that he tends to just shut up or disappear if there are people around he doesn’t know.

“I think really that life is very hard for him. Most kids of his age are gadding around having a great time, not worrying about anything with no responsibilities. He has a lot to bear on young shoulders and I think he really regrets that he doesn’t have the time to grow up like other people.

“Sometimes I think he’d like to disappear for a whole year and then come back.”
(Disc & Music Echo, 11/11/66)