Spencer Davis Reviews the Singles of January, 1968

[@sportmurphy6213]

Had a conversation with Mr Davis once... sweet guy. BTW, I collect old rock mags and papers as well, and this is an ingenious way to present the little gems one finds in their pages. Well selected and brilliantly presented; thanks for your efforts!

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Thanks!

[@pcno2832]

It was intended as sort of a throwaway record, after they concluded that they had been frozen out of the soul and R&B markets for looking too white. I kind of liked it in the same way that I liked "Valeri" by the Monkees; they were both one-offs that succeeded by accident.

[@dimedraweriv258]

This is truly one of the best channels on KZbin. Deserves to get more views.

[@Lola-AreaCode212]

My thoughts exactly.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Thanks!

[@obbor4]

The first song, 'Alone Again Or', by Love is the best of the lot, followed by The American Breed's 'Bend Me, Shape Me.' 'Forever Changes' rates highly with any album ever produced. Sadly, Love didn't enjoy the commercial success of many lesser groups from the era. I saw them twice and actually spoke to Arthur Lee outside of one of his gigs. An amazing talent with an incredible mind.

[@JulianOrchardfan]

Apparently The Castle was a big favourite with Kenny Everett,great band.

[@thewkovacs316]

love had terrible management and arthur lee didnt want to tour....they shouldve been at woodstock

[@stevecharman8420]

@@thewkovacs316 And as he said at his gig here in Melbourne, the original Love (except him apparently) were held back by drug addiction.

[@alm5693]

@@thewkovacs316 Heck, they should have made the day trip to Monterey. There was some bad blood between Arthur Lee and Lou Adler.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

​@@stevecharman8420 Arthur Lee and Baby Lemonade at the Corner Hotel was the best gig I've ever been to. It was magic.

[@NondescriptMammal]

Thanks for these, they are all such a fascinating blast from the past from my youth... so many obscure songs I'd forgotten

[@reginaldperiwinkle]

That US Top Ten! Stacked with great songs. That's how I normally think of the 60s: great songs from everywhere.

[@sayeager5559]

I was bar tending in a hotel and talked with him for a couple hours after his show at the state fair in the 2000s sometime. He had tripped on stage at soundcheck and had a very nasty cut on his left arm. 76 years old, still performed his set. He was with his manager, and seemed as interested in my life as I was in his. I bought him a few glasses of red wine and he showed me pictures of his wife and family and told me a bunch of stories "from his former life." Ive never met a kinder man.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Very cool. Many people who knew Spencer Davis say he was one of the nicest, kindest persons in the music business.

[@lthompson7625]

Lovely story SA, was due to see Spencer a few years ago in Llandudno, it was one of those ‘golden oldies’ 1960s bands tours. Unfortunately , he was not in good health and couldn’t appear. He always came across as a very articulate man and a gent. There’s a clip of him on some German rock show and he speaks fluent German..Those early singles with Stevie Winwood are absolute classics.. We tend to think of Steve Winwood as the main vocalist in the band, but Spencer had a fine voice as well.. He was big pals with The Beatles . Let’s face it , The Fabs were very selective about who they socialised with!

[@sayeager5559]

@@YesterdaysPapers I was a little starstruck when I figured out who he was and was respectful of the fact that he just got off stage. But he actually initiated the conversation. There was just something about him that oozed friendliness.

[@sayeager5559]

@@lthompson7625 I saw him a few times in the 90's/2000s on that same type of show. Dont recall his band members, but they were a great band and great shows.

[@billshute61]

That's excellent. I've always had a lot of respect for Spencer and have enjoyed his music in all eras. Clearly, he knew the scene well back then and makes insightful comments. He's also a gentleman about it all. Thanks, Spencer. I've been a fan for 50+ years.

[@modernpolitics]

I've never heard the song "I'm Backing Britain," though I knew McCartney was mocking it with "Back in the USSR." I love these videos.

[@markhunter8554]

Interesting to hear the backing track to I Am the Walrus at the end.

[@scotsirish4194]

Thanks for your video here with Spencer and you did a good job too . Apparently we want Yesterday’s Papers Missed Spencer with Denny Laine playing here in town with Mark Andes and someone else as the Classic Rock AllStar Band

[@heinrichvon]

Spencer is very polite, and gives all the artists he's reviewing the benefit of the doubt, even if he doesn't care for the recordings themselves. It's scary to think that record buyers in Britain could choose Sgt. Pepper, the Stones' Satanic Majesties, Hendrix' Axis, Bold As Love, Traffic's Mr. Fantasy and Cream's Disraeli Gears... *all at the same time*!

[@monsieurbertillon9570]

And Safe as Milk right up there with them

[@EddieReischl]

Yeah, he's being pretty constructive. The only constructive thing I could say about "I'm Backing Britian" is that I only had to listen to a few seconds of it, that had nothing going for it.

[@vernpascal1531]

And The Doors first album, and Surrealistic Pillow ,both are right up there with the aforementioned for Greatness.

[@johnbarry1965]

"The Piper at the gates of Dawn"!!!

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Newsflash- record buyers can buy all those albums this week too.

[@MrMjp58]

Another great video. I love these.

[@samp.8099]

I love that Captain Beefheart song! Didn't know it was a single, I thought it was only an album track.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Love that song, too. "Safe as Milk" is a great album.

[@TheEWFX29]

Yes, it did my heart good to see the Captain among the other records. Would like to hear what some stars thought of his later stuff especially from Trout Mask Replica in 1969.

[@michaelconlin6302]

@@YesterdaysPapers I had the Captains single,flip side was Abba zabba.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

@@michaelconlin6302 I love "Abba Zabba", great song.

[@VegetabIeMan]

@@YesterdaysPapers favorite of mine of that album. Lennon was a fan of that album, seen a picture of him next to stickers of Safe As Milk.

[@JulianOrchardfan]

Tim Buckley released a beautiful album Goodbye And Hello ( from which Once I Was came) and was all set for great things.It never happened,but he left an incredible legacy,Happy/Sad,Lorca,Starsailor etc.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

I love Tim Buckley. Love all those albums you mentioned and his debut album is also one of my favourites by him.

[@thewkovacs316]

the monkees had tim on to end one of their shows...i dont think the kids who watched the show got him at all

[@airmark02]

Goodbye & Hello was amazing as well as Happy Sad After that I lost interest in Tim Buckley

[@waycnf7229]

@@airmark02 You don't like Lorca or Starsailor? >:(

[@airmark02]

No criticism of Buckley ~ I guess i'm fickle & easily bored .... I lost interest in Dylan after Desire, Mitchell after Hissing, Bowie after Scary Monsters, The Stones after Some Girls, Floyd after Wish, Depeche Mode after Violator ... (You know, its always a long list of the next thing to listen to )

[@peterolbrisch1653]

I'm so glad you made this

[@dilltdog1158]

Spencer, what a guy, composer of the theme for the Magpie TV show. Love, what a great band, Forever Changes a classic album. Janis Ian, wow!! I never knew she released singles in the 1960's. The name check for Paul Williams and Zoot Money was ace. I remember the I'm Backing Britain song and the campaign to 'Buy British' but didn't realise it was Broocie singing it.

[@katbela3971]

Spencer Davis gave a thumbs up to ''ALONE AGAIN OR'' by ''LOVE''… and so did I. It's a great song. Thank you, Yesterday's Papers. I just saw again your video dedicated to the ''FOREVER CHANGES'' album. Good job.👍👍👍

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Thanks!

[@katbela3971]

@@YesterdaysPapers 🤗🤗🤗

[@thewkovacs316]

spencer's take on janice ian is spot on had a very old soul in a very young girl

[@michaelrochester48]

I saw the song “world” by the Bee Gees on the top 30 list. That was one of their superior baroque pop songs. That and first of May are great examples of their early songwriting

[@YesterdaysPapers]

I agree, "First of May" is one of my favourite Bee Gees' songs. Brilliant.

[@brucemarshall3446]

Love early Bee Gees! Fantastic stuff.

[@wellsy1954]

"Lamplight" should have been the 'A'Side.

[@stephendavis5530]

I saw Kites by Simon Dupree in the Top 20 there. Rather weird and strange, but I've always loved that song.

[@thereunionparty]

Omg, "Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently" at number 1 in the album chart. My mum and dad had that album. I knew Val Doonican was popular on the telly but I didn't realise it was a number 1 album. Happy days! A good selection of singles this week, some classics. I even remember that Bruce Forsyth effort. Weren't we all supposed to "buy British" to help the balance of payments deficit?

[@YesterdaysPapers]

The lyrics are hilarious, especially these verses: "In offices and factories up and down the country An extra half an hour is what we need each day In shops and supermarkets everybody's starting To work a little more without the pay"

[@lthompson7625]

thereunionpa,, not my type of music at all,, but my parents went to see Val at The Liverpool Empire when he was at the height of his television fame. He was probably the most popular light entertainment star in the country at the time. An Irish Andy Williams. They then waited at the stage door in the hope of getting his autograph. They were surprised to be invited to come and meet him in his dressing room. Similar to peoples experiences who met Spencer Davies, Val was, as you would expect, an absolute gent. I remember my dad saying that Val kept addressing him as ‘sir’. I was surprised in later years to find out that Val was a big fan of The Doors and Frank Zappa! Made up that last bit😀

[@lupcokotevski2907]

Tim Buckley, prodigious talent, highly innovative songwriter, great singer. The male equivalent to the extraordinary Laura Nyro.

[@64north20west]

Almost all of those US singles are legendary at this point. And a top ten album chart with pepper, satanic majesty, hendrix, disreali gears? Did those people in 1968 realize how epic that was? This channel is pretty amazing.

[@lindadote]

If, by “those people”, you mean music-lovers of the time, we most certainly did realise that the music back then was exceptional. The sheer volume of quality artists and bands was extraordinary and unfortunately, we took it for granted.

[@64north20west]

@@lindadote Yes, I was referring to the music fans who were listening to all of this great music that was constantly flowing in 1968. All things musical had been taking off like a rocket from a few years earlier. What an experience

[@willieluncheonette5843]

Spencer seems like a good bloke. First time I've heard his words. Quite a range of singles this session, from Captain Beefheart to Janis Ian. Of course Love is terrific and so is Time Buckley. We disagree on that Marvelettes" song. Love opening---crashing cymbals and the spoken words " You are under my power, the power of love." The whole thing swings and the Marvelettes are wonderful. (BtW. YP, love that shot out of nowhere at 0:23 of the, is it an airline stewardess? Your editing is excellent!)

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Thanks, Willie. Yep, that's airline stewardess from Heathrow airport. I agree, some great singles there. Captain Beefheart, Love, Tim Buckley, Marvelettes,... Great stuff. I love that Marvelettes single, too.

[@davidellis5141]

Love would make quite an impression with Alone Again & their masterpiece Forever Changes ! Remember The Damned having a modest hit with their cover of Alone Again.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Yeah, I love "Forever Changes". A masterpiece, in my opinion.

[@AlexAlexon3897]

My friend with the surname Davis started cohabiting with a lady with the surname Spencer. Yes, SPENCER/DAVIS was written on their door! 😆

[@sciflyernineteensixtynine6950]

do you do all the backing music yourself YP? Credit to you if you do, that will take a bit of work to get it sounding almost like it but not exactly like it.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Yes, I do the backing music myself. Glad you like it, thanks!

[@Gardosunron]

@@YesterdaysPapers yes great work.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

@@Gardosunron Thanks!

[@markhunter8554]

@@YesterdaysPapers Oh so that's you doing I Am the Walrus at the end.

[@krycklund]

It's so funny hearing a contemporary musician try to categorize Captain Beefheart.

[@robmac6508]

Thanks , really enjoying your Blind Date Record Review videos. The American Breed's Bend Me Shape Me was a big hit here in Australia, a great record and thankfully not Amen Corner's version ps: Wow, Sound of Music soundtrack still charting at no 2 in the UK almost 2 years on from it 1965 release, you look at the UK Lp charts for 1965 and the no 1 spot is dominated by the Beatles, Stones and the Sound of Music !!!

[@johnnypoker46]

'Alone Again Or' is the best track here. UFO's 1977 cover was excellent too! Best on the top 30 are 'World', 'Kites' and 'Let the Heartaches Begin'

[@waycnf7229]

OH MY GOD ONCE I WAS! I love Tim Buckley. Shame he didn't like it since it's one of my favorite Tim Buckley songs. Goodbye and Hello is such a great album! Starsailor too! It's a wild ride going through his discography, and I think they're all great. You might know Song to the Siren, which was covered a bunch (mostly famously by This Mortal Coil), but nothing beats the 3 different versions that Tim did (his version on the Monkees' final episode is best imo)

[@Gardosunron]

Wow Captain Beefheart on the charts! Safe as Milk was a great album.

[@pencilpauli9442]

UFO covered "Alone Again Or". I'm impressed my memory actually worked for a change! lol

[@wcjohnny1]

Liked the reworking of Walrus and end of vid .

[@SmartCookie2022]

'Alone Again Or' sung by Love still sounds amazing to this day. I know you're all itching to know if Spencer's forecast was right or not. Well, sadly he was kinda right. It's highest UK chart position was 27. Shocking I know. Give it another listen now and you'll wonder what the kids were putting in their tea in '68 as it should've been a Top 5.

[@europeanfootballisthebest3432]

In what UK chart did it reach 27? The official chart records I have say it didn’t chart at all 🤔

[@colindayo]

One of my desert island discs. Sublime.

[@SmartCookie2022]

@@europeanfootballisthebest3432 There were many different music charts back in the 60s. The official one between 1960 to 1969 was the Record Retailer, even though the previous official New Musical Express charts was still going strong. Plus, the BBC compiled its own chart based on an average of the music papers of the time that was different to the Record Retailer. Therefore the chart positions and results used to differ quite a lot. "Alone Again Or" chart postion of 27 is taken from the OCC (Official Charts Company) that used to be called Gallup.

[@europeanfootballisthebest3432]

@@SmartCookie2022 Thanks for letting me know. In the actual official charts done by Record Retailer it didn’t chart at all

[@SmartCookie2022]

@@europeanfootballisthebest3432 That's OK. Yes, Record Retailer was dropped due to the targeted manipulation of the record shops. The OCC is probably more accurate.

[@glennlazzaro5276]

Go I love this stuff. I would love to see a US version...

[@bobwallace9814]

"I don't think songs like this will help the economy". Classic and something Simon would have said on the Idol shows. Tidbits about Spencer, they took the name The Spencer Davis Group because he was the only member that liked to speak to the media. Winwood was 16 yrs old on the big hits. His brother Kit played bass. Back to Stevie.....he was the choice to front a new band called Led Zeppelin but turned them down as Traffic was his thing at the time.

[@SophieLovesSunsets]

I can't even begin to imagine how awe-inspiring it must have been to live in an era when Sgt Pepper and Satanic Majesties were in the top ten 💜 Spence was very sweet in his review. Great work on the video and backing music as always YP ☺

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Agreed. So many great albums in the top ten, pretty amazing. Thanks, Sophie!

[@jeffclement2979]

Pretty sharp there almost pinning down the Beefheart track Btw love this series ❤

[@stepheng8779]

Val Doonican: Rocks but gently 😂 just might now be my favourite album title.

[@darganx]

Clever title.. I assume the album cover featured him in his rocking chair.

[@stepheng8779]

@@darganx I like to think so 😁 wearing a cardigan/pullover 👍

[@krollpeter]

Looking at this top list with at least 50 % songs being decent works and a couple of even top scores, it hurts me to look at the charts from 2022.

[@amtlpaul]

Like the instrumental version of "I am the Walrus"

[@SophieLovesSunsets]

I agree, it's stunning :)

[@BleedBNG]

There's a part in Love's song that sounds like Elton John's later song Blues For Baby And Me. I wonder if that was subconscious of Elton

[@stwads]

I must get the Val Doonican album!

[@chasjohn57]

All these British guys think Cher was a great singer in the '60s. She was! That was not the case in the following decades.

[@grokeffer6226]

I was just listening to some Captain Beefheart myself. Run, Paint, Run Run and Floppy Boot Stomp. Really catchy melodies.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

After watching many of YP's videos, I'm just now noticing that the filter used for the footage really goes thick with the hairs- stuck-in-the-projection-gate effect. lol. I remember hairs in projected films back in the day, but not to this degree. I think YP has hired a heavily shedding Bigfoot as an editor.

[@brucedillinger9448]

Lol! Now I am picturing Bigfoot working a 9 to 5 job. I would hire him!

[@YesterdaysPapers]

I made a big mistake when I hired Chewbacca to edit my videos.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

@@YesterdaysPapers Naw, it gives it a lived-in character. Or something like that.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

@@brucedillinger9448 Good work ethic on that beast, if you can handle the smell.

[@Lola-AreaCode212]

It's all perfect, imo!

[@brianwarner308]

does anyone know what that I Am The Walrus sounding song is at the end? I like it….

[@lipby]

It's a Beatles pastiche. Just different enough for them not to get sued.

[@garypamatat3167]

Spencer is my kinda of guy he likes Cher, Cher is still going on strong in 2022. Cher=Queen.

[@markhunter8554]

Great voice, never cared for the material she released.

[@Claytone-Records]

Ah yes, love the Tragical History Four soundtrack at the end.

[@QuabmasM]

Whats the song playing at the end of the video at 4:10?

[@CarlDraper]

interesting instrumental version of I am the Walrus, the chords don't quite sound right and seems to go into other tracks that i don't know

[@darganx]

'Alone Again Or' by Love was a masterful piece of work, and Spencer agrees! He seems to have extensive knowledge of the group, and the others in his review. Also, how young is Janis Ian there? She's a child! He's spot on about her too, her time wouldn't come for another decade. BTW, I think I prefer YP's version of Walrus more than John's, more melodic.. great work!

[@loosilu]

#10 Thank U Very Much is Mike McCartney's group. He was going by Mike McGear at the time.

[@Tobacc0]

Magical Mystery Cover.

[@EmeraldWoodArchives]

Davis seemed like a nice fellow. I think he was the one who turned McCartney onto the Epiphone Casino, or was it Mayall? Anyway, nice guy.

[@regionalatbest4233]

What are the Sources for your Videos? Can't find any of those Interviews on your Channel online

[@christopherpatefield6150]

Yet again the Beatles sell bucket loads of an EP and make the singles chart. For me the best record is Everlasting Love. A really strong song and a brilliant arrangement that still sounds fresh today. The media reported as a big scandal that the band did not play on the record. No one knew that this was actually common to varying degrees in the UK and normal in the USA. Who cares about this now?

[@SuperNevile]

"Love Affair" did play on the 'B' sides, some of which they wrote. They also played and wrote some of the LP tracks. They were competent musicians.

[@manuelmdemarco]

Whats the name of the ending song?

[@oppothumbs1]

No review of The Marvelettes - The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game? Smokey Robinson penned that as well as My baby must be a Magician

[@T.Ramby11]

He definitely needed to give “Once I Was” another listen, at least to get a better understanding of the lyrics. He seems to decide on the content just by the first line, and misinterprets the song’s meaning. However, can’t really knock a guy listening to a bunch of singles in a row, only one time and onto the next. Also love that Beefheart tune, but he was still pretty new on the scene at that time. And that is definitely one of the more conventional songs on Safe as Milk.

[@NondescriptMammal]

Hahaha, I loved the mangled walrus outro, and no I don't mean that sarcastically 😺

[@drbulloch1]

Not an especially brilliant selection of singles in the top 30 but an iconic album chart!

[@apollomemories7399]

There never was in January.

[@RAFchurchlawford4469]

Just shows what a decade for music the 60s was if a week with only 20+ classics in the singles Top 30 is considered "not an especially brilliant selection"

[@apollomemories7399]

@@RAFchurchlawford4469 Not so many for me, as I only counted 11 that I consider classics.

[@sirlawrence9161]

The American charts tend to have better songs on these I've noticed.

[@chrisbacos]

He knew almost all the singers right away. It's like he also prophesized the fates of Sonny and Cher. Creepy doncha think?

[@mikewilson3581]

Tim Buckley, like Big Star, were way too ahead for the musical eras they existed in. If somehow both had started in the early 80's they would have possibly made it to the level of R.E.M. Tim died at 28 but he looked so weary.

[@apollomemories7399]

Big Star possibly to whatever level R.E.M. were, but Buckley was so way ahead of these 3-chord wonders R.E.M.

[@mikewilson3581]

@@apollomemories7399 R.E.M. were a tight unit. All four individuals were needed. Just look what happed after Bill Berry retired. Some great singles but the magic was gone. Tim, as singer/songwriter could do it alone or with a rotating cast a musicians. And what a voice!

[@deirdre108]

05:07 Who is Val Doonican and how did he knock Sgt Pepper out of first place?

[@YesterdaysPapers]

It seems all the moms and dads bought the Val Doonical LP for Christmas '67.

[@brucedillinger9448]

Even at 10 years of age I understood that Judy In Disguise got way too much attention and was inferior to so many other songs of the time.

[@deirdre108]

I was in high school then and pretty much everyone I knew considered "Judy" as just a novelty song.

[@gjohnleigh]

@@deirdre108 It’s absolutely a novelty song, however I find it amusing that he managed to sneak in the line “come do me tonight”. 😆 Plus it’s got a good groove and it’s just fun, if you can see past the novelty of it.

[@total.stranger]

@@deirdre108 Yup; agreed. It was "only" a novelty song, but also a massive hit - probably because it made the general 'threat' of psychedelic drugs and psychedelia, generally, easy to swallow (and fun!) for millions of 'ordinary' people out there in AM radio-land.

[@total.stranger]

@@gjohnleigh LOL, gjohn! I always heard that line as "come to me, tonight". Now, I'll never hear it that way again. Gee, thanks for nothin'!

[@deirdre108]

@@total.stranger Listening to it again and trying to be positive I have to admit the production is very good (with glasses).

[@scottjackson1420]

Many great songs in the charts. But the new releases as reviewed by Davis are mostly unknown drek.

[@harri211]

It's amazing how the "summer of love" faded into a winter of awful songs. Drugs wear off, and so does inspired music.

[@patrickryan1515]

"Bend Me, Shape Me" actually was a very big hit. "Rosecrans Blvd."(written by Jimmy Webb) was an interesting album piece on the Fifth Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" album but would have had very limited success as a single. All other songs reviewed here weren't worth a review.

[@neilforbes416]

Has A.I. *CONTAMINATED* your chapter headings? "Blind Date With..... was rendered as *Flying Date With....!"*

[@YesterdaysPapers]

@@neilforbes416 KZbin does that automatically, unfortunately.

[@neilforbes416]

@@YesterdaysPapers There's a way around that, manually type in the chapter headings yourself.

[@michaelrochester48]

Captain Beefheart was produced by Frank Zappa

[@michaelconlin6302]

An early single"Diddy wah diddy" was produced by David Gates ,later of Bread.

[@BrooklynJackBlue]

"Bruce ForSYTH?"

[@calvinguile1315]

Love the Marvelettes, and " My Baby Must Be A Magician" is a good Smokey composition..and as for Judy in Disgust, I can't believe that corny song got so big...

[@thiagopottes4860]

Recife

[@jonhillman871]

i know i'll be pilloried for this but...spencer davis group and traffic sound the same.

[@ewantaylor483]

Amen Corner an English band. Aye right Spencer ! Duh !

[@michaelrochester48]

Love is a very cult LA band…that song was redone by UFO

[@elvisleeboy]

A lot of these reviews from contemporary artists of the time, reveal many of them to have been rather arrogant in their youth and preoccupied with appearing 'hip', particularly with their rather aloof and quick dismissals of songs that are now widely regarded as holy writ in the history of popular music.

[@YesterdaysPapers]

Some of them were probably trying to appear hip but I think that, generally speaking, it's just that they were honest and not concerned about being diplomatic. Some of those songs are now classics of popular music but back then they were just singles that had just been released. Nobody knew that those songs would eventually become classics and that people would still be listening to those tunes more than 50 years later.

[@elvisleeboy]

@@YesterdaysPapers That is true, and it is worth remembering of course that songs often take several listens before they get inside you.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

Time does that….I can remember in the early seventies (it must have been 1970 or very early 1971) buying LPs for 10 bob from the Woolworths bargain basket. Disraeli gears, days of future passed and a Jimi Hendrix “smash hits” LP among them.

[@lindadote]

@@annoyingbstard9407 ......I think it’s still worth checking bargain bins in larger stores. Only a few years ago, I happened across 2 CDs, namely, a compilation disc of (Peter Green’s) Fleetwood Mac and a fabulous collection of the earliest Blues musicians for a mere $5 apiece!

[@michaelrochester48]

Cher is a far superior singer then SONNY You think? lol

[@cinematicpassages8884]

Captain Beefheart and Tim Buckley where sooooo much better than Spencer Davis.

[@tomcarl8021]

I believe Spencer Davis was guilty of plagiarism for 'Gimme Some Lovin'. The sixties were a different time and I don't think he'd get away with what he did today. The song he plagiarized is called 'Ain't That Alot Of Love'. The single was written, sung, and released by a staff songwriter at STAX Records named Homer Banks. The band backing him on the single is the legendary Booker T and the MG'S. Just a reminder that Donald 'Duck' Dunn was the bassist and Steve Cropper was the guitarist in that band. Fast forward almost fifteen years. It's 1980. 'Gimme Some Lovin' becomes a hit again. This time it's featured in a movie. The movie is The Blues Brothers. The song is played in the famous scene in the redneck bar. Who's in the Blues Brothers Band, but none other than Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper!! So, compare the songs. You can find the Homer Banks song here on KZbin. It's an absolutely fabulous song. Oh, and Taj Mahal did a great cover of it at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in 1968. Plagiarism? You decide.

[@thewkovacs316]

aint that a lot of love has been covered a few times the backing hook is very similar...but isnt it a basic blues riff

[@tomcarl8021]

@@thewkovacs316 No, it's a very unusual riff. Nothing basic about.

[@lthompson7625]

It’s very similar Tom. On the original single Stevie Winwood is down as composer. Then it was changed later to Stevie and Muff Winwood , plus Spencer Davis. Probably the worst example of this is ‘Going Up The Country’ by Canned Heat. Listen to this , then listen to Henry Thomas’s ( he wrote it) version from the 1920s . Yet, the composer on the Canned Heat version is not down as Henry Thomas. As you said, in the 1960s lots of things were going on. ‘ House of the Rising Sun’ is another example worth checking out. I watched an interview with Eric Burden recently and he is still not happy about what went on.. You will know the story. Bob Dylan’s ‘Masters Of War’ is also worth a look. I think someone could write a book about this subject. When you think about it there are numerous examples.

[@tomcarl8021]

@@lthompson7625 Yes, I know about the Canned Heat/Henry Thomas thing. Pretty egregious. But the most egregious charlatan of all time has to be Lonnie Donegan. That SOB put himself as writer of 'Rock Island Line'. It was written by Leadbelly. And if I'm not mistaken, Lonnie did it twice. And again, it was a song written by Leadbelly. It might have been 'Goodnight Irene'. I don't remember. And I know Jimmy Page gets alot of shit for it but I always thought it was unjustified. And I always thought 'House Of The Rising Sun' was public domain, but I might be wrong. I didn't know there was a controversy over it.

[@lthompson7625]

@@tomcarl8021 , have a look who received the songwriting royalties for The Animals’ version of the song.

[@gasparucciox9706]

too cool!