Steve Winwood

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Steve Winwood
Background information
Birth name	Stephen Lawrence Winwood
Born	May 12, 1948 (age 58) Handsworth, Birmingham, England
Genre(s)	Blue-Eyed Soul Pop Rock
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 External links

[edit] 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 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 Winwood intended Traffic to be.

In 1976, Winwood played guitar on the Fania All Stars’ “Delicate and Jumpy” record and performed as a guest with them 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".

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".

[edit] Trivia

• 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.

• Prior to forming Blind Faith with Eric Clapton, the two collaborated on a record as "Powerhouse"

• Is a fan of Cheltenham Town F.C.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

With Traffic

• Mr. Fantasy (1967) #88 US
• Traffic (1968) #17 US
• Last Exit (1969) #19 US
• John Barleycorn Must Die (1970) #5 US: Gold
• 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
• Far from Home (1994) #33 US
• The Last Great Traffic Jam (2005)

With Blind Faith

• Blind Faith (1969) #1 US: Platinum

Solo

• Steve Winwood (1977) #22 US
• Arc of a Diver (1980) #3 US: Platinum
• Talking Back to the Night (1982) #28 US: Platinum
• Back in the High Life (1986) #7 US: 3x Platinum
• Roll with It (1988) #1 (1 week) US: 2x Platinum
• Refugees of the Heart (1990) #13 US: Gold
• Junction Seven (1997) #123 US
• About Time (2003) #126 US

[edit] Compilations

• Go (1976) UK and US Island ILPS 9387
• They Call it an Accident (soundtrack) (1982)
• Chronicles (1987) #26 US US sales: Gold
• 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.

[edit] Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions				Album
		Hot 100	Mainstream Rock	Hot 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"	-	-	-	-	Why Can't We Live Together

[edit] Session work

• David Gilmour - About Face
• Marianne Faithfull - Dangerous Acquaintances
• Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
• Lou Reed - Berlin
• Toots and the Maytals - "Reggae Got Soul"

[edit] External links

• Official website
• 2004 Winwood video (Shockwave Flash)
• Albums that Winwood guested on and/or produced
• Winwood and Traffic fans' website
• Steve Winwood at All Music Guide
• Steve Winwood at the Internet Movie Database