Sofia Katsaros is a lovely and engaging singer-songwriter based in Athens, Greece. This past April I featured her sultry dance single “Perfect”, a collaboration she did with Italian composer and producer Chris Keya. Now she returns with a new single “Aphrodite,” an infectious dance pop song that’s both entertaining and life-affirming, with a positive message of female empowerment. For this song, she teamed up with the renowned New York-based producer Alvin Anthony, who produced her 2019 single “With You Here Tonight”. Together, they co-wrote the music and lyrics, and Anthony produced, arranged, mixed and mastered the track.
Acknowledging the myriad difficult times we’re all currently going through in this world, Katasaros and Anthony wanted the song to convey the following message:
“Aphrodite, goddess of erotic love and beauty, was one of the ancient Greek gods of Olympus. Love and desire were her powers, and she had a special belt that could enchant anyone to fall in love with the person wearing it. Like Aphrodite, all women are also powerful and should not settle for less than what they deserve, or become victims to abusive relationships. Our goal is to help all women understand they have an inner goddess Aphrodite that they carry inside them. It’s time to unleash your special powers and say NO to a partner that does not respect or treasure you, and say YES to a partner that knows your extraordinary worth and value, and who will treat you like the goddess you really are. Know your own worth and own your inner goddess of beauty, desire and love. Love yourself and let your inner goddess Aphrodite give you the relationship that you deserve.”
Starting with a sensual house-style dance beat that aims straight for the hips, Anthony layers sparkling techno synths, creating an exotic vibe that’s the ideal backdrop for Katsaros’ vibrant vocals as she channels Aphrodite. With an air of cool defiance in her voice, she gives a man who disrespected and tried to control her the kiss off.
Listen up carefully; Show you just how I feel, You tried to capture me, And tried my heart to steal. Don’t try and tie me down, And don’t lock me in a cage! I am a lioness… And I will roar in rage. ‘Cause I’m no match for you I’m wild and mighty I’m Aphrodite
Loving, the likes of you ain’t worth it no more, Living, a lie I just can’t bear it no more I’m fire, I’m much too hot for you to feel I’m gone, I won’t be there for you babe.
Need someone passionate to show me just how they feel Need him to capture me and try my heart to steal Can’t wait to light his fire and be with him all day I’ll be the spark that ignites his most eternal flame ‘Cause I’m no match for you I’m wild and mighty, I’m Aphrodite
Katsaros is an active member of the charity LA FAMIGLIA RADIO – CHARITY WEB RADIO LA FAMIGLIA PAIDI. The charity buys food with donations and money they receive from sponsors, and distribute the food to families in need. All proceeds from sales of “Aphrodite” will be donated to the charity in order to help them continue their wonderful work of supporting those less fortunate, in their time of need.
Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane was one of the earliest albums I remember buying as a teenager growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the band was based. I’d loved their two hit songs “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love”, but when I heard the album in its entirety at a friend’s house when it was played by her older sister, I was immediately smitten. I loved every song on the album, and had to have my own copy. To this day, it remains one of my top 10 all-time favorite albums, and I still cherish my copy, now more than 50 years old. I also think it’s one of the best album covers ever!
Originally formed in 1965, Jefferson Airplane became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, and came to define what was then called the ‘San Francisco Sound’. They released their debut album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off in 1966 to critical acclaim and decent sales, eventually enough to have it certified gold. It’s a very good album, with songs that were more folk-rock oriented, and inspired by the music of bands like the Beatles, the Byrds and the Lovin’ Spoonful. A turning point in the band’s sound came after the departure of their original female vocalist Signe Anderson in October 1966, who wanted to devote more time to raising her baby daughter. She was replaced by Grace Slick, who’d previously been with the band The Great Society. In addition, founding drummer Skip Spence had earlier been replaced by Spencer Dryden. This new Jefferson Airplane lineup, which would last until early 1970, now consisted of Marty Balin (vocals), Grace Slick (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass) and Spencer Dryden (drums).
Slick’s joining the band proved pivotal to the Airplane’s commercial breakthrough, as her wonderful resonant contralto voice nicely complemented Balin’s beautiful tenor voice, and was well-suited to the band’s increasingly amplified psychedelic sound. In addition, being a former model, her good looks and on-stage charisma greatly enhanced the band’s live performances. She also contributed two of what would become the band’s signature songs – “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love”, both of which she originally recorded while with The Great Society (Slick wrote “White Rabbit” and her brother-in-law Darby Slick wrote “Somebody to Love”).
Surrealistic Pillow was recorded in Los Angeles under the guidance of producer Rick Jarrard in only 13 days, at a cost of $8,000. According to Wikipedia, the title “Surrealistic Pillow” was suggested by the album’s “shadow producer” Jerry Garcia, when he commented that the album sounded “as surrealistic as a pillow is soft.” Although the band’s label RCA would not acknowledge Garcia’s considerable contributions to the album’s production, he is listed in the album’s credits as “spiritual advisor.” The album was released in February 1967, and remained on the Billboard 200 album chart for more than a year, peaking at No. 3. Rolling Stone Magazine has ranked the album at #146 on their list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
OK, enough with the background information. Let’s get to the album. It kicks off with the rousing “She Drives Funny Cars”, and what a great opening track it is. The first sounds we hear are Dryden’s aggressive galloping drumbeats, which are soon joined by Kaukonen’s and Kantner’s dual guitars, and we’re off to the races. Their intertwining psychedelic riffs are incredible, and so is Casady’s powerful bass line. Balin sings lead vocals here, with Slick nicely crooning in the background. Before we can catch our breath, we’re hit with Slick’s verbal assault of “When the truth is found to be lies”, and for the next two minutes and 55 seconds the masterpiece “Somebody to Love” unfolds, pulling us willingly into its maelstrom of explosive psychedelic greatness. The guitar work on this track is positively wicked! The song became Jefferson Airplane’s highest-charting single.
“My Best Friend” was written by former drummer Spence, and is a pleasing folk-rock song with a Lovin’ Spoonful vibe that would have been at home on their first album. Balin and Slick’s vocal harmonies are particularly nice. Next up is the haunting Balin-Kantner penned love ballad “Today”, with gorgeous jangly and chiming guitars and featuring Balin’s fervent vocals, enveloped by a dramatic percussion-heavy wall of sound that would make Phil Spector proud. “Comin’ Back to Me” is a beautiful mellow ballad with strummed acoustic and electric guitars, some of which were reportedly played by Jerry Garcia. Highlights of the song are the haunting flute and Balin’s stunning heartfelt vocals.
As we continue with the album, it’s clear that every single track is outstanding, and that the band had an incredibly diverse and wide-ranging sound. The hard-driving psychedelic guitars on “3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds” are fantastic and gnarly as hell, showcasing the band’s ability to deliver down and dirty blues rock. They seem to channel the Byrds on the breezy gem “D.C.B.A.-25”, with glorious jangly guitars and more of Balin and Slick’s gorgeous vocal harmonies. The song has a different feel from most of the others on the album, but is one of my favorites. “How Do You Feel” is a nod to the Mamas and Papas, with its pleasing melody, beautiful harmonies and more of those beguiling flutes. And then we have the stunning instrumental “Embryonic Journey”, featuring a tour de force acoustic guitar solo performance by Kaukonen of a song he wrote.
Next up is my personal favorite Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit”. Slick has stated she wrote the song as a slap to parents who read their children novels like Alice in Wonderland, then wonder why their children later used drugs. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, she mentioned that besides Alice in Wonderland, her other inspiration for the song was “the bolero used by Miles Davis and Gil Evans on their 1960 album Sketches of Spain,” which was itself inspired by the famous classical composition “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel. It’s the buildup to the crescendo that makes both “Bolero” and “White Rabbit” so wonderful. Here’s a performance of the song on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967.
The album closes with the bluesy “Plastic Fantastic Lover”, with more of those wonderful psychedelic guitars, accompanied by the kind of powerful head-bopping beat I love. It’s a fantastic finish to an album I consider a masterpiece. Although Jefferson Airplane would go on to release several more albums before splitting up in 1972 and going their separate ways with other music projects, none would match the phenomenal success of Surrealistic Pillow.
The album was later re-released with five bonus tracks not on the original 1967 release.
Electronic music seems to be a genre that’s alive and flourishing, as there are lots of artists around the world still making it in all its myriad forms. I’ve featured a fair number of them on this blog, and one of the more interesting – and eccentric – is British composer and producer 1i2c (one eye to see). Based in Stevenage, a mid-size town north of London, 1i2c is the music project of John Whitaker.
Heavily influenced by the music of some of his favorite artists like Jean-Michel Jarre, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Depeche Mode, The Prodigy and Royksopp, he’s an imaginative and innovative composer whose music spans across a wide range of styles within the electronica genre. He’s also quite prolific, having produced a tremendous output of music over the past five years, beginning with the release in January 2016 of his debut album The Great Distraction. Since then, he’s released an astonishing 11 albums, as well as numerous singles and EPs. I reviewed his December 2018 album Winter, (which you can read here), and am now pleased to feature his latest release Lockdown Made Me Do It!, which dropped July 27th. It’s a concept album obviously inspired by the COVID-19 lockdown that’s upended just about everyone’s life over the past five months.
All of his releases have essentially been concept albums based on an overriding theme, with the sounds and titles of each track reflecting an element of the album title. For example, Power Struggle contains industrial techno songs with titles like “Electron”, “Incandescent” and “High Tension”, Horror Show features songs with more of a psychedelic goth and darkwave vibe, titled “Monster”, “Lunatic Waltz” and “Doorway to Hell”, and Winter includes appropriately-named tracks like “Cold Season”, “Chill” and “Deep Freeze”. So too with the tracks on Lockdown Made Me Do It!, with titles like “Confusion”, “Virus” and “Keep Your Distance”. 1i2c states that he wants his album themes to paint visual pictures in our minds, further adding “My journey will continue until I run out of ideas.”
The album opens with “Spirit“, a rather enchanting yet mysterious composition with a galloping EDM beat overlain by lush, spacey synths that call to mind some of the late 70s music of European composers Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone. The song is really pretty in the beginning, but turns darker as the synths take on a harsher, more industrial tone, as if to indicate that something is amiss. The next track “Confusion” confirms that something is indeed amiss, as the melody becomes more urgent, with gnarly industrial synths and an almost chaotic percussive beat that give the song an ominous vibe. Still, there are bits of beauty to be found in the delicate piano keys as well as the almost cheerful sounding xylophone notes at the end.
“Trauma” is an interesting track, as it starts off scary and harsh, but soon settles into a mesmerizing dance beat, accompanied by a mix of sharp industrial sounds combined with some lovely synths that make for a darkly beautiful song. As our journey through the extended lockdown continues, we find ourselves immersed in “A Dark Place“. To a repetitive whiplash beat and harsh psychedelic synths, a woman’s haunting voice repeatedly asks “Sometimes I wonder why?“, a question I suppose we’d all like some answers to.
“Reality” sets in with a hypnotic EDM beat overlain by pulsating industrial synths that convey a continual state of ennui brought on by endless days of lockdown. Is this the new reality? By now, we’re left feeling like were “Sleepwalking” through life, unable to participate in the many activities involving social interaction that we once took for granted. Musically, the track has more of a rock feel, thanks to electric guitars and more aggressive percussion. The intense, buzzing synths are harsher as well, giving off a decidedly menacing vibe.
1i2c has produced a brilliant video for the song that’s at once funny and disturbing. The video starts off with scenes of bright blue sky with fluffy clouds, then transitions to black and white as he’s shown sitting in the middle of a country road, blindfolded with his hands tied and wearing a bad wig and a shirt on backwards like an improvised straightjacket. He then gets up and stumbles down the road in a sort of macabre dance, as if he’s losing his mind. Didn’t I say earlier that he’s eccentric? He eventually makes his way back to his car, gets in, and drives off. As he drives through the village in the rain, the color returns at the end, as if to possibly signify that all is not hopeless and brighter days lie ahead.
And speaking of disturbing and eccentric, 1i2c delivers both in a big way on “Virus“, coughing and hacking his way through the track, sirens wailing in the background. As to be expected, the instrumentals are deliciously dark, harsh and menacing. To try and avoid catching the virus, one must do our best to “Keep Your Distance“, and the message is delivered by a volley of cacophonous industrial synths and dark, skittering percussive beats, accompanied by creepy sounds of buzzing flies.
The terrific video for this song was actually conceived by Nicolai Kornum. He pitched the concept to Whitaker, then shot some footage for Whitaker to compose the music around. The video stars Whitaker and M. W. Daniels, and was filmed, edited & directed by Kornum. Shot in black and white, it opens with a masked man played by Daniels standing on the sidewalk next to what appears to be a bus shelter, reading the newspaper. An ad for Chiquita bananas on the back of the shelter states “we are bananas”, a cheeky little nod to our current societal state. Whitaker walks up to the man from behind and coughs heavily, then turns and walks away. Incensed, the masked man then follows Whitaker through the streets of London, temporarily losing sight of him in a park. He soon sees him walking and resumes following him to a bridge across the Thames, where Whitaker has stopped to take in the view. The man taps him on the shoulder, and as Whitaker turns around, the man pushes him over the railing and into the river. It’s an extreme measure to rid himself of another potential virus carrier!
Those pesky buzzing flies are back in full force on the album closer and title track “Lockdown“. Once again, 1i2c uses razor-sharp industrial synths and sets them to a pulsating electronic beat to create a sense of foreboding and losing one’s mind. It’s the perfect ending to a brilliant album that beautifully captures the stress and emotional trauma inflicted on society by the COVID-19 lock down. He’s a talented and incredibly creative artist, and I strongly urge my readers to check out more of his works.
1. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (2)
2. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (1)
3. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (7)
4. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (5)
5. HELL N BACK – Bakar (3)
6. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (8)
7. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (4)
8. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (10)
9. SOMEONE ELSE – Rezz & Grabbitz (12)
10. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (12)
11. MARIA – Two Feet (6)
12. STRANGERS – Mt. Joy (14)
13. FIRE – Black Pumas (15)
14. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (16)
15. HEAVEN IS HEART – Jaded Jane (17)
16. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (9)
17. REAL LONG TIME – White Reaper (18)
18. DON’T LET ME DOWN – Milky Chance featuring Jack Johnson (20)
19. NOT OK! – Chaz Cardigan (21)
20. SWIMMING CLOSER – HAZY (22)
21. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (23)
22. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (13)
23. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (28)
24. MAYDAY!!! FIESTA FEVER – AWOLNATION featuring Alex Ebert (26)
25. WHEN THE WORLD FALLS APART – Terry Barber (27)
26. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (19) 26th week on list
27. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (29)
28. WOLVES – MISSIO (30)
29. CAUTION – The Killers (25)
30. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (N)
Back in January of last year (2019), I was honored to introduce my readers to the extraordinary progressive rock band The Mayan Factor (you can read my article here). Originally formed in 2002, the Baltimore, Maryland-based band quickly built a huge following through the success of two critically acclaimed albums In Lake’ Ch and 44. One of their tracks “Warflower” has been streamed more than two million times on Spotify.
Tragically, their lead singer Ray Schuler died suddenly in 2011, leaving a void that sent the band and their fans reeling. They’d already been recording songs for a third album Yesterday’s Son, which they went ahead and released in 2012. After that album release, the remaining band members went on a hiatus and considered calling it quits, but the love and dedication of their fans persuaded them to soldier on. They eventually found a new lead vocalist in Lenny Cerzosie Jr., and reformed in 2015. Besides Lenny, who also plays rhythm guitar, the band lineup consists of Brian Scott (guitar), Kevin Baker (bass), Dan Angermaier (drums), and Jason Sage (percussion, backing vocals).
Since reforming, they’ve release a number of singles, starting in 2016 with the epic track “Ascension”, followed in 2018 with “Whispers” and “Hope”. Now, after a break of two years, they’re back with a dark new single “Peace“, and it was worth the wait. The song opens tentatively with what sounds like a slowly building fuzz-covered synth accompanied by gently crashing cymbals. Eventually it bursts forth with pulsating riffs of gnarly guitars, becoming a dramatic progressive rock song with elements that call to my mind the music of such greats as Tool and Pink Floyd, among others. The intricate guitar work is spectacular, and I love the interplay between the heavier fuzz-coated riffs and more delicate chiming guitars. Kevin’s deep, throbbing bass line provides the song’s beating heart, while Dan’s insistent drums add powerful strength and depth. Lenny’s haunting vocals are chilling as he snarls the lyrics that seem to speak of a relationship broken beyond repair, and seeking peace by moving on from a toxic situation:
The truth is it was all a suit I never fit into Please hold on, don’t let go I, I cannot live inside a lie Please hold on, don’t let go I, I cannot live inside your lies
Though nearly six minutes long, “Peace” is so good that it seems over in an instant. The fascinating and dramatic video, filmed in time-lapse and black and white, is a front-seat view from a car as it backs out of a suburban driveway, then drives through a subdivision and beyond. We’re a passenger in the car, watching the view as it speeds through a town and surrounding countryside, as if the driver is trying to run away. The car goes through a car wash at one point, possibly symbolizing a cleansing of not only the car but one’s soul. A small hula girl figure holding a ukelele that’s attached to the dash is in the center of our view as we speed down the road. She’s eventually joined by a witch doctor figure also holding a ukelele as day turns to night and we continue on our journey. After seemingly driving all night, morning returns as we make our way back home and pull into the driveway, having gone full circle. We’re left to ponder whether anything has really changed at all?
As a music blogger, I’m sent a continuous flood of music by artists, bands, labels and PR reps for my consideration for possible reviews. While a lot of it is decent or even quite good, I cannot possibly write about all that comes my way. But every now and then, a submission stands out among the rest, grabbing my attention or resonating with me in such a way that makes me want to share it with my readers. Such was the case when young British singer-songwriter Callum Pitt reached out to me with his powerful new single “Fault Lines“. I was not familiar with Callum, but after listening to it and his previous songs, I became an instant fan, as I love his music.
Based in Newcastle Upon Tyne in northeast England, Callum writes folk-inspired alternative and dream rock songs influenced by such acts as The War on Drugs, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. With his soft, pleasing vocals, rich harmonies, beautiful melodies and meaningful lyrics, he’s captured industry attention and built a growing fan base since the release in 2017 of his gorgeous first single “You’d Better Sell It While You Can.” His equally beautiful second single “Least He’s Happy” has been streamed nearly two million times on Spotify, an astonishing feat for an indie artist. He’s followed those two singles with several more over the past three years, as well as a four-song EP Poisoned Reveries in 2019. Also in 2019, Callum won the Alan Hull Award for songwriting. The award, named for the Newcastle-born songwriter and founding member of Lindisfarne Alan Hull, recognizes song-writers living and working in the North East.
Callum dropped his latest single “Fault Lines” on July 24th, which was released via Humble Angel Records. Although he’s addressed social and political issues on previous songs, with “Fault Lines” he takes a more direct and outspoken approach. He explains: “‘Fault Lines’ is about polarization. It is directed at the British government and right-wing press who have incited hatred and division in the public through their rhetoric over the past few years in particular, splitting us down the middle as ‘leavers’ or ‘remainers’, demonising immigrants and refugees, and allowing the stain of white supremacy to spread. It encourages ignorance and prejudice to be met with education and conversation.”
Though the lyrics are rather scathing, Callum delivers them with beautiful instrumentation and sublime vocals. His strummed guitar work is really wonderful, and complemented by lovely keyboards and crisp percussion that create a resounding backdrop for his fervent vocals lamenting the current socio-political divide afflicting Britain. The lyrics also describe the situation in the U.S. pretty well, which is why the song resonates so deeply with me. The large ceramic pitcher Callum holds in the photo that’s been broken and glued back together symbolizes our fractured society that can still be repaired if we have the will to come together in open and honest conversation.
Seems like all you do is fight and see the world in black and white Spinning truths like you can move our minds as wind upon a kite And we feel so small, like we can’t stem the tide at all As papers sow the seeds of anger, setting off like a snowball
Well we got lies making divides from these soothsayers Setting fires between two sides and I feel jaded I push my head above the water Pull away from the disorder, as the tides polarise
We got fault lines running through our bones The division grows and leaves these empty holes
We rise and fall under the weight of words that fan the flames of hatred When we demonise, we form a mind that will not be persuaded Well I am so small and I can’t change too much at all I’ve got no answers to these fractures, other than breaking these walls
Well we got lies making divides from these soothsayers Setting fires between two sides and I feel jaded I push my head above the water Pull away from the disorder, as the tides polarise
We got fault lines running through our bones The division grows and leaves these empty holes
Los Angeles-based duo Ships Have Sailed are one of my favorite indie acts, and I’ve featured them on this blog a number of times over the past two years. (You can read those reviews by clicking on the links under ‘Related’ at the end of this post.) Consisting of singer-songwriter and guitarist Will Carpenter and drummer Art Andranikyan, they can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned when it comes to producing outstanding songs. They play a pleasing style of alternative pop-rock characterized by beautiful melodies, thoughtful, uplifting lyrics, and sublime arrangements and instrumentation. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Will twice, and his kindness and warmth shine through in his engaging vocals.
They’ve released quite a bit of music over the past eight years, and have been on a particularly creative streak since the beginning of 2019, beginning with their gorgeous single “Escape”. I love that song so much that it ended up at #19 on my Top 100 Songs of 2019 list. They’ve subsequently released several more great singles, their latest of which is “Low“, a beautiful song of hope that dropped July 22nd.
The song opens with Will’s sultry vocals accompanied by a somber piano riff, then the music expands to include heavier guitar, lush synths, and Art’s lively drums, all set to an infectious, pulsating melody. Will’s pleasing vocals become more impassioned along with the music as everything rises to a dramatic crescendo before calming down at song’s end.
The lyrics speak of not giving up when you feel you’ve hit bottom, instead remaining optimistic and hopeful, and cherishing those special people in your life who give you love and support in your goal of getting back up. Ships Have Sailed never fail to deliver superb songs, and “Low” is another winning tune.
Livin’ like there’s no tomorrow, I had a dream and then I chased it, But if I could I’d do it over, For all the sweetness that I’ve tasted.
But sometimes livin’ don’t come easy, It’s like you’re walking underwater, One day you’re feeling like you’re close to the top, yeah… And then you wake up at the bottom.
So pick me up I’m feeling low (oh), I’m so afraid of letting go, So pick me up again I’m feeling so low, I’m just trying to live my life with no regret, Trying to get to the top but I’m not there yet, So baby can you pick me up again?
Meet me at the stroke of midnight? Let’s find a fantasy and fake it… So we’ll remember all the good and the bad times, A memory is never wasted…
So pick me up I’m feeling low (oh), I’m so afraid of letting go, So pick me up again I’m feeling so low, I’m just trying to live my life with no regret, Trying to get to the top but I’m not there yet, So baby can you pick me up again?
Since I published this review, Ships Have Sailed released a wonderful animated video for the song that was created by Ben Panfil:
One of the most electrifying rock songs ever recorded has to be “Gimme Some Lovin‘” by British band Spencer Davis Group. After reading a recent post by fellow blogger Cincinnati Babyhead about Blind Faith, the short-lived supergroup of which Spencer Davis Group vocalist Steve Winwood was also a member, it reminded me of what an amazing talent he was, especially at such a young age. As a pre-teen who was only six years younger than Steve Winwood – he was 18 when he co-wrote and recorded “Gimme Some Lovin'”, I was blown away by his incredibly powerful and soulful vocals when I first heard the song back in late 1966.
Spencer Davis Group was formed in Birmingham, England in 1963, and consisted of Spencer Davis (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), brothers Steve Winwood (lead guitar, lead vocals, organ, piano) and Muff Winwood (bass) and Pete York (drums & percussion). Steve Winwood was only 14 at the time! They had two #1 singles in the UK with “Keep On Running” and “Somebody Help Me”, but their latest single “When I Come Home” had not performed well. Also, none of their singles up to that point had charted in the U.S. The band was under pressure to come up with another hit single but weren’t happy with songs submitted by Jackie Edwards, who’d written their previous singles. Finally, their manager Chris Blackwell took them to London, put them in a rehearsal room, and ordered them to come up with a new song. As quoted in the liner notes by John Bell for the 2-CD Island Records 1996 release Eight Gigs A Week: The Spencer David Group – The Steve Winwood Years, Muff Winwood recalled that “Gimme Some Lovin'” was conceived, arranged, and rehearsed in just half an hour. He elaborated about the song’s creation:
“We started to mess about with riffs, and it must have been eleven o’clock in the morning. We hadn’t been there half an hour, and this idea just came. We thought, bloody hell, this sounds really good. We fitted it all together and by about twelve o’clock, we had the whole song. Steve had been singing ‘Gimme, gimme some loving’ – you know, just yelling anything, so we decided to call it that. We worked out the middle eight and then went to a cafe that’s still on the corner down the road. Blackwell came to see how we were going on, to find our equipment set up and us not there, and he storms into the cafe, absolutely screaming, ‘How can you do this?’ he screams. Don’t worry, we said. We were all really confident. We took him back, and said, how’s this for half an hour’s work, and we knocked off ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ and he couldn’t believe it. We cut it the following day and everything about it worked. That very night we played a North London club and tried it out on the public. It went down a storm. We knew we had another No. 1.”
Well, they created quite an explosive banger of a tune! Opening with a heavy bass riff and ominously building percussion, Steve Winwood’s wailing organ arrives like an angry velociraptor, followed by his fiery, impassioned vocals that instantly cover me with goosebumps. The feral hunger in his vocals make us believe him when he practically screams “I’m so glad we made it, I’m so glad we made it! You’ve gotta gimme some lovin’!” From that point on, that sonic velociraptor rampages onward, laying waste to the airwaves and our eardrums. God, what a song!
“Gimme Some Lovin'” finally brought the Spencer Davis Group long-elusive success in the U.S. The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their highest-charting U.S. single (should have been #1). It reached #2 in UK, and is ranked #247 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It certainly ranks highly among my 500 favorite songs of all time.
In 1980, The Blues Brothers, who consisted of Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi, did a pretty good cover of “Gimme Some Lovin'”. The song was featured in their film The Blues Brothers, and was a sizable hit, reaching #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
1. IF NOT FOR THE FIRE – The Million Reasons (1) 2. HOW WILL I REST IN PEACE IF I’M BURIED BY A HIGHWAY?// – Kenny Hoopla (3) 3. HELL N BACK – Bakar (2) 4. LEVEL OF CONCERN – twenty one pilots (5) 5. BLACK & WHITE LOVE – Beating Hearts Club (8) 6. MARIA – Two Feet (4) 7. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (9) 8. HONEYBEE – The Head and the Heart (10) 9. LEMON DROP – Absofacto (6) 10. PSYCH FILM – Strangely Alright (12) 11. SOMEONE ELSE – Rezz & Grabbitz (13) 12. LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN – The Rolling Stones (11) 13. LAY YOUR HEAD ON ME – Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford (7) 14. STRANGERS – Mt. Joy (15) 15. FIRE – Black Pumas (16) 16. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (22) 17. HEAVEN IS HEART – Jaded Jane (19) 18. REAL LONG TIME – White Reaper (20) 19. LOST IN YESTERDAY – Tame Impala (18) 25th week on list 20. DON’T LET ME DOWN – Milky Chance featuring Jack Johnson (21) 21. NOT OK! – Chaz Cardigan (23) 22. SWIMMING CLOSER – HAZY (24) 23. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (25) 24. YOUR LOVE (DÉJÀ VU) – Glass Animals (14) 25. CAUTION – The Killers (17) 26. MAYDAY!!! FIESTA FEVER – AWOLNATION featuring Alex Ebert (27) 27. WHEN THE WORLD FALLS APART – Terry Barber (28) 28. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (29) 29. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (30) 30. WOLVES – MISSIO (N)
Waiting For Smith is the music project of London-based singer/songwriter Harry Lloyd. His music career was born from adversity; while working as a ski instructor in the French Alps, Harry broke his back in two places during avalanche training. Fighting for his life as he was airlifted to the hospital in a helicopter, he had an epiphany that he should dedicate his life to music. He spent a year in bed recuperating and learning to play guitar, eventually naming his music act Waiting For Smith after a drummer named Smith who always failed to show up for recording sessions.
He quickly got to work writing and recording songs, and since late 2017 he’s released 12 outstanding singles that collectively have been streamed over 345,000 times on Spotify. Given his own life experiences, Lloyd is fascinated by change, which has inspired him to write songs that reflect our innate ability to evolve for the better. He says “I’m also a hopeless romantic, so a lot of my songs focus on the different angles on love. My music is like a free form of therapy and hopes that he can bring a similar liberating feeling of comfort and emotion, to make listeners smile and sometimes cry.” His sincere, accessible lyrics are delivered with upbeat, pleasing melodies, beautiful guitar work and his warm, soothing vocals.
Following up on his previous single “Long Life”, a bouncy and heartwarming Americana-infused song he wrote during his recovery, Waiting for Smith released his latest single “Lines of Love” on June 26th. Produced by Andy Wright and Gavin Goldberg (Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Massive Attack, Natalie Imbruglia, Jeff Beck), the song was inspired by a long-distance phone call from a friend Lloyd had one night while walking around King Cross. The song is a plea for someone to keep the faith and persevere through a difficult time in their life, an assurance that a loved one or friend will always be there for them no matter what, and that everything, even the most trying times, will pass eventually. Lloyd states “I want people to feel hopeful when listening to ‘Lines of Love’, to dance carefree and even raise their hands in an almost tribal sense of unity. We can overcome the speed bumps in the road, our lives and our relationships and that is surely where the good stuff comes from – out of the struggle.”
“Lines of Love” has a pleasing folk vibe, opening with Waiting for Smith’s soothing vocals accompanied by his gently strummed acoustic guitar. A kick drum enters as he croons “It’s often difficult to over speculate. One minute you’re up and then you’re down, and that’s your day. It’ll be alright, it’ll be just fine, it’ll be OK. But I guess we’ll never know. So please hold on to my lines of love, they are strong. And I promise that it won’t be too long now, before we have our house down by the sea in the sun.” As the song progresses, soft percussion is added along with his own backing vocal harmonies, giving the track a fullness of sound and a comforting sense of warmth reflected in the hopeful lyrics. It’s a wonderful song, and another winning single from this very talented young artist.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 