Spencer Davis Group

The Spencer Davis Group
The Spencer Davis Group rehearsing before a performance in Amsterdam in 1966.
Background information
Origin	Birmingham, England
Genres	Rock rhythm and blues pop beat
Years active	1963–1969 1973–1974 2006–present
Labels	Fontana Island United Artists
Associated acts	Blind Faith Traffic Muff Winwood
Website	spencer-davis-group.com
Members	Europe: Spencer Davis Miller Anderson Colin Hodgkinson Steff Porzel America: Spencer Davis Ed Tree Taras Prodaniuk Jim Blazer Tom Fillman
Past members	Steve Winwood Muff Winwood Pete York Eddie Hardin Phil Sawyer Ray Fenwick Dee Murray Dave Hynes Nigel Olsson John Hitchcock Charlie McCracken

The Spencer Davis Group are a British rock band formed in Birmingham in 1963, by Spencer Davis with Steve Winwood and his brother, Muff Winwood. Their best known songs include the UK number ones "Somebody Help Me" and "Keep on Running" (both written by reggae musician Jackie Edwards), "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin'", which reached #2 in the UK and #7 in the US.

Steve Winwood left in 1967 to form Traffic before joining Blind Faith, then forging a career as a solo artist. After releasing a few more singles, the band ceased activity in 1968. They briefly reunited from 1973 to 1974, and Davis has since restarted a new group in 2006.

The Spencer Davis Group was formed in 1963 in Birmingham when Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis recruited vocalist and organist Steve Winwood, and his bass playing brother, Muff Winwood. The group was completed with Pete York on drums. Originally called the Rhythm and Blues Quartette, the band performed regularly in the city. In 1964 they signed their first recording contract after Chris Blackwell of Island Records saw them at an appearance in a local club; Blackwell also became their producer. (Island was at that time a small label, so Blackwell got them on UK Fontana for distribution.) Muff Winwood came up with the band's name, reasoning "Spencer was the only one who enjoyed doing interviews, so I pointed out that if we called it the Spencer Davis Group, the rest of us could stay in bed and let him do them."