The Spencer Davis Group - Give Us Some Lovin' (1968)

After Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis encountered vocalist and organist Steve Winwood (then aged 14 and still at school), and his bass playing brother Muff Winwood performing at a pub in 1963, he recruited both of them, together with drummer Pete York, to form the Rhythm and Blues Quartette. A year later they'd signed a record contract with Island Records, and Muff Winwood renamed them The Spencer Davis Group. They recorded a couple of singles which didn't do a huge amount, before their their fourth attempt hit the number one spot with a cover of Jackie Edwards' 'Keep On Running', and from that point on they became one of the UK's best R'n'B outfits. More hits followed, with 'Somebody Help Me' hitting the top slot again, but just missing it with the number two single 'Gimme Some Lovin'. Despite the chart successes they remained true to their roots, and their albums and b-side often featured covers of classic blues tracks, as well as some lively organ-led R'n'B instrumentals. By 1968 Stevie Winwood had left the band to form Traffic, and they'd taken on some of the psychedelic elements which were around at the time, so 'With Their New Face On' was an apt title for an album which mostly left the blues behind for a more lysergic pop sound. But their heyday was the period between 1965 and 1967, when they released some of their finest recordings, and tucked away on b-sides were songs which were the equal of their flips, so here they all are, from their first non-album single 'She Put The Hurt On Me', via a number of great 'Stevie.....' instrumentals, and including the US single versions of 'Somebody Help Me' and 'Gimme Some Lovin''.    

Track listing

01 You Put The Hurt On Me (single 1965)
02 I'm Getting Better (b-side of 'You Put The Hurt On Me')
03 Stevie's Groove (previously unreleased 1965)
04 I'll Drown In My Own Tears (from the 'You Put The Hurt On Me' EP 1965)
05 Goodbye Stevie (from the 'You Put The Hurt On Me' EP 1965)
06 Somebody Help Me (US single version 1966)
07 Trampoline (b-side of 'When I Come Home' 1966)
08 Stevie's Blues (b-side of 'Somebody Help Me' 1966)
09 Gimme Some Lovin' (US single version 1966)
10 Blues In F (b-side of 'Gimme Some Lovin'' 1966)
11 Back Into My Life Again (previously unreleased)
12 Waltz For Lumumba (Waltz For Caroline) (b-side of 'I'm A Man' in New Zealand)
13 I'm A Man (single 1967)
14 Oh! Pretty Woman (previously unreleased)
15 I Can't Get Enough Of It (b-side of 'I'm A Man')