| Steve Winwood |
|
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Stephen Lawrence Winwood |
| Born |
May 12, 1948 (1948-05-12) (age 59)
 Handsworth, Birmingham,
England |
| Genre(s) |
Blue-Eyed Soul
Rock
Blues
Rock
Psychedelic Rock
Jazz |
| Instrument(s) |
Vocals, Guitar, Bass
guitar, Piano/Keyboards/Organ,
Synthesizer,
Drums,
Mandolin |
| Years active |
1966–Present |
| Label(s) |
Island Records
Virgin Records |
Associated
acts |
Spencer
Davis Group
Traffic
Blind
Faith |
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood (born May 12, 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham,
England)
is an English
singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
who, in addition to his solo career, was a member of the bands the Spencer
Davis Group, Traffic, Go and Blind
Faith.
|
Contents
- 1 Career
- 2 Trivia
- 3 Discography
- 3.1 Albums
- 3.2 Compilations
- 3.3 Singles
- 3.4 Session
work
- 4 Nomination
- 5 External
links
|
Career
While still a pupil at Great
Barr School (where actor Martin Shaw was a classmate), Winwood
was a part of the Birmingham rhythm
and blues scene, playing the Hammond B-3 Organ and guitar, backing blues singers such
as Muddy
Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone
Walker, Howlin'
Wolf, B.
B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Eddie
Boyd, Otis
Spann, Chuck
Berry and Bo
Diddley on their United Kingdom tours (the custom at
that time being for US singers to travel solo and be backed by
'pick-up' bands).
At the age of 15 Winwood became a member of the Spencer
Davis Group with his older brother 'Muff'
(who later had much success as a record producer). Steve co-wrote and
recorded "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm A Man"
before leaving to form Traffic with Chris Wood, Jim
Capaldi and Dave Mason. During this time,
Winwood briefly joined forces with guitarist Eric
Clapton as part of the group Eric Clapton's Powerhouse.
Songs were recorded for the Elektra label but only three tracks
were released on the compilation album, What's
Shakin'.
During the late-1960s, Winwood and Mason became close friends
of Jimi
Hendrix. Hendrix first heard "All Along the Watchtower"
at a party he was invited to by Mason; they recorded the Hendrix
version later that night in a London recording studio. Winwood played often
with Hendrix, featuring prominently on Electric
Ladyland.
In 1969, Winwood once again gave a powerful organ performance
on Joe
Cocker's "With a Little
Help from My Friends" and later played keyboards on albums as diverse
as Toots & The Maytals' Reggae
Got Soul and Howlin' Wolf's The London
Howlin' Wolf Sessions.
He formed Blind Faith in 1969
with Eric Clapton, Ginger
Baker and Ric Grech. The band was
short-lived, due to Clapton's greater interest in
Blind
Faith's opening act Delaney & Bonnie
& Friends: Clapton left the band after the tour had ended.
However, Baker, Winwood and Grech
stayed together to form Ginger Baker's Air Force.
The lineup consisted of basically 3/4 of Blind
Faith (sans Clapton, replaced by Denny
Laine), 2/3 of Traffic (Winwood and Chris Wood, minus Jim
Capaldi), plus musicians who interacted with Baker in his
early days, including Phil Seamen, Harold
McNair and Graham Bond. But this supergroup
turned out to be just another short-lived project. Winwood soon went
into the studio to begin work on a new solo album, tentatively titled Mad
Shadows. However, Winwood ended up calling Chris Wood and Jim
Capaldi in to help with session work, which instead prompted
Traffic's comeback album John Barleycorn Must Die.
Winwood has always said that the sound of John Barleycorn
Must Die really reflects what he had intended Traffic
to be.
In 1976, Winwood played guitar on the Fania All Stars’
“Delicate and Jumpy” record and performed as a guest with the band in
their only UK appearance, with a memorable sell-out concert at London’s
Lyceum Ballroom.
Constant artistic differences and personnel changes led to
Traffic's final break-up and Winwood's release of his eponymous first
solo album in 1977. This was followed by his 1980 hit Arc
Of A Diver (lyrics by Vivian
Stanshall), and Talking Back To The Night
in 1982 (both albums recorded at his home in Gloucestershire
with Winwood playing all instruments). He enlisted the help of a
coterie of stars to record Back
in the High Life (1986) in the US, and again he
was rewarded with a hit album. All were released on Island
Records. In 1986, he topped the Billboard
Hot 100 with "Higher Love". * In his hit song "While You See a Chance", in a
stanza where he sings "And that old gray wind is blowing and there’s
nothing left worth knowing," Winwood accidentally overdubs
"nothing left..." with "no one left..." The entire track was thrown
together in a relatively quick fashion, and at one point Winwood
accidentally deleted the drum track introduction in preparation for
vocals. (see Punching in) The keyboard introduction
that he composed on the spot to replace it is now iconic.
At the peak of his commercial success, Winwood moved to Virgin
Records and released Roll With It and Refugees
Of The Heart. The album Roll With It and
the title track hit #1 on the album and singles charts in the summer of
1988. He recorded another album with Jim Capaldi released under the
Traffic name, Far From Home, then resumed his solo
career with his final Virgin album Junction Seven.
In 1994, Capaldi and Winwood reunited Traffic for a new album,
"Far From Home", and one-off tour, including a performance at Woodstock
II Festival. The same year, Winwood appears on "A Tribute To Curtis
Mayfield" CD, recording Mayfield's "It's Allright".
In 1995 and 1996, Winwood released "Reach for the Light (Theme
from Balto)".
In 1997, Winwood released a new album, "Junction Seven",
toured the U.S.A. and sang with James Taylor at the VH-1 Honors.[1]
In 1998, Winwood joined Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Ed Calle
and other musicians to form the band Latin Crossings for an European
tour, after which they split up without making any recording.
In 2003, Winwood released a new studio album, About
Time co-produced by Johnson Somerset and engineered by George
Shilling, on his new record label, Wincraft Music.
2004 saw his 1982 song "Valerie" used by DJ Eric
Prydz, in a song called "Call On Me". It spent five weeks at number 1
on the UK singles chart. Winwood heard an early version of Prydz' remix
and liked it so much, he not only gave permission to use the song, he
re-recorded
the samples for Prydz to use. In 2005, the Soundstage Performances DVD
was released, featuring his recent work from the album About
Time along with his classic hits including "Higher Love" and
"Back in the High Life". Winwood also performs hits from his days with Traffic
(inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in 2004) as well as current recordings that represent a tapestry
of tastes woven after 40 years in music. He is currently working on his
new studio album slated for release in 2006, and is preparing a live
album from his American 2005 tour. Steve also recently announced his
2006 tour. Additionally, Christina Aguilera features
Winwood on one of her songs from her 2006
record Back to
Basics, called "Makes Me Wanna Pray".
Trivia
- Is a fan of Cheltenham Town F.C.
- Winwood is also a key patron of the various Cheltenham
Festivals.
Discography
Albums
- With Traffic
- Mr. Fantasy
(1967) #88 US, #8 UK
- Traffic
(1968) #17 US, #9 UK
- Last Exit
(1969) #19 US
- John Barleycorn Must Die
(1970) #5 US: Gold, #5 UK
- Welcome to the Canteen
(1971) #26 US
- The Low
Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971) #7 US: Platinum
- Shoot Out at the
Fantasy Factory (1973) #6 US: Gold
- On the Road
(1973) #29 US
- When the Eagle Flies
(1974) #9 US: Gold, #31 UK
- Far from Home
(1994) #33 US
- The Last Great Traffic Jam
(2005)
- With Blind Faith
- Blind Faith
(1969) #1 US: Platinum, #1 UK
- Solo
- Winwood
(1971)
- Winwood & Friends
(1972)
- Go (1976) #60 US
- Steve Winwood
(1977) #22 US, #12 UK
- Arc of a Diver
(1980) #3 US: Platinum, #13 UK
- Talking Back to the Night
(1982) #28 US: Platinum, #6 UK
- Back in the High Life
(1986) #7 US: 3x Platinum, #8 UK
- Roll with It
(1988) #1 (1 week) US: 2x Platinum, #4 UK
- Refugees of the Heart
(1990) #27 US: Gold, #26 UK
- Junction Seven
(1997) #123 US
- About Time
(2003) #126 US
Compilations
- Go (1976) UK and US Island ILPS 9387
- They Call it an Accident (soundtrack)
(1982)
- Chronicles
(1987) #26 US: Gold, #12 UK
- The Finer Things (box set) (1995)
- Keep on Running (1996)
- 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection:
The Best of Steve Winwood (1999)
- Classic Steve Winwood (2001)
- Best of Steve Winwood (2002)
- Winwood (1972) UA Records, Inc. An
excellent double LP compilation of his work to this time. Features work
with SD Group, owerhouse, Traffic & Blind Faith.
Singles
| Year |
Title |
Chart positions |
Album |
| Hot 100 |
Mainstream Rock |
AC |
UK |
| 1966 |
"Keep on Running" (w/ Spencer Davis Group) |
#76 |
- |
- |
#1 |
Single |
| 1966 |
"Somebody Help Me" (w/ Spencer Davis Group) |
#47 |
- |
- |
#1 |
Single |
| 1966 |
"When I Come Home" (w/ Spencer Davis Group) |
- |
- |
- |
#12 |
Single |
| 1966 |
"Gimme Some Lovin'" (w/ Spencer
Davis Group) |
#7 |
- |
- |
#2 |
Single |
| 1967 |
"I'm A Man" (w/
Spencer Davis Group) |
#10 |
- |
- |
#9 |
Single |
| 1967 |
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" (w/ Traffic) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Mr. Fantasy |
| 1967 |
"Paper Sun" (w/ Traffic) |
#94 |
- |
- |
#5 |
Mr. Fantasy |
| 1967 |
"Hole in My Shoe" (w/ Traffic) |
- |
- |
- |
#2 |
Mr. Fantasy |
| 1967 |
"Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" (w/ Traffic) |
- |
- |
- |
#8 |
Mr. Fantasy |
| 1968 |
"No Face No Name No Number" (w/ Traffic) |
- |
- |
- |
#40 |
Mr. Fantasy |
| 1968 |
"Medicated Goo" (w/ Traffic) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Last Exit |
| 1970 |
"Empty Pages" (w/ Traffic) |
#74 |
- |
- |
- |
John Barleycorn Must Die |
| 1971 |
"Gimme Some Lovin' (Part One, Live)" (w/ Traffic) |
#68 |
- |
- |
- |
Welcome to the Canteen |
| 1971 |
"Rock & Roll Stew (Part One)" (w/ Traffic) |
#93 |
- |
- |
- |
The Low Spark of
High Heeled Boys |
| 1977 |
"Hold On" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Steve Winwood |
| 1977 |
"Time Is Running Out"/"Penultimate Zone" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Steve Winwood |
| 1981 |
"Arc of a Diver" |
#48 |
#11 |
- |
- |
Arc of a Diver |
| 1981 |
"While You See a Chance" |
#7 |
#2 |
- |
#45 |
Arc of a Diver |
| 1982 |
"Still in the Game" |
#47 |
#8 |
- |
- |
Talking Back to the Night |
| 1982 |
"Valerie" |
#70 |
#13 |
- |
#51 |
Talking Back to the Night |
| 1982 |
"Talking Back to the Night" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Talking Back to the Night |
| 1982 |
"Your Silence is Your Song" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
They Call it an Accident |
| 1986 |
"Higher Love" |
#1 (1 week) |
#1 |
#7 |
#13 |
Back in the High Life |
| 1986 |
"Freedom Overspill" |
#20 |
#4 |
- |
#69 |
Back in the High Life |
| 1986 |
"Split Decision" |
- |
#3 |
- |
- |
Back in the High Life |
| 1986 |
"Take It as It Comes" |
- |
#33 |
- |
- |
Back in the High Life |
| 1986 |
"Back in the High Life Again" |
#13 |
#19 |
#1 |
#53 |
Back in the High Life |
| 1987 |
"The Finer Things" |
#8 |
#5 |
#1 |
- |
Back in the High Life |
| 1987 |
"Valerie" |
#9 |
#13 |
#2 |
#19 |
Chronicles |
| 1988 |
"Talking Back to the Night" |
#57 |
#17 |
- |
- |
Chronicles |
| 1988 |
"Roll with It" |
#1 (4 weeks) |
#1 |
#1 |
#53 |
Roll with It |
| 1988 |
"Put on Your Dancing Shoes" |
- |
#25 |
- |
- |
Roll with It |
| 1988 |
"Don't
You Know What the Night Can Do?" |
#6 |
#1 |
#2 |
#89 |
Roll with It |
| 1988 |
"Holding on" |
#11 |
#1 |
#1 |
- |
Roll with It |
| 1989 |
"Hearts on Fire" |
#53 |
#22 |
#22 |
- |
Roll with It |
| 1990 |
"One and Only Man" |
#18 |
#1 |
#9 |
#87 |
Refugees of the Heart |
| 1991 |
"Another Deal Goes Down" |
- |
#10 |
- |
- |
Refugees of the Heart |
| 1994 |
"Here Comes a Man" (w/ Traffic) |
- |
#10 |
- |
- |
Far from Home |
| 2003 |
"Different Light" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
About Time |
|
Session work
Nomination
Steve Winwood was nominated for the American Music Awards
of 1989 in the Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist category.
External links
