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VOLUME 30, sent April 30, 1996

Topics in this issue:
  1. RARE Traffic poster for sale
  2. Traffic:  "Feelin' Alright?"
  3. Comparisons
  4. Musical Phases
  5. Clayson biography
  6. Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs
  7. Bernard Edwards
  8. Misplaced credits
  9. Current SDG line-up
 10. SDG 60's recordings
 11. A trip to Birmingham

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1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1*1
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 20:04:09 -0400
From: rollcstr@tiac.net (Bob Craig)
Subject: RARE Traffic poster for sale

Hello to all...

I haven' t written in what seems to be ages by now, but I have decided to part
with an "old friend" that might interest the collectors out there.  In 1970, after
John Barleycorn, there was talk about a live Traffic LP from the 1970 tour.  LP
covers and promo posters were printed for this never-to-be-released album.

I have a copy of the promotional poster for sale.  It is 24 by 36 inches with a
black background.  The Traffic logo symbol comprises most of the poster with
Steve's, Jim's, Chris' and Rick Grech's pictures inset into the opening of the
symbol.  At the top of the poster it has the header of:  LIVE TRAFFIC.

It is quite a cool poster and very framable.  Considering the rarity of  this piece,
I am asking $150.00 for it.  I will offer it here first before I advertise elsewhere,
giving all you Traffic/Winwood fans first crack.  This comes out of my personal
Traffic collection of 30 years and I received two of them 15 years ago from
someone who worked at United Artists (Traffic's US label).  The "UA" logo is
in the bottom corner of the poster as well.

If you have any additional questions, need more information, or are interested
in obtaining this, please e-mail me privately at the address above.  It really is a
special piece and I hope there is the right type of collector out there for it.  It is
for that reason I wanted to give the digest group the first shot at it because as
you can imagine, it is kind of like losing an old friend and I want to make sure
the poster has a nice home.  I mean the money is nice, but I want a Winwood
person to have it, not some poster monger.

Here's hoping for that new material and a tour this year.  It's starting to seem
like a long time since Steve's last go-round.  Let's hope the Traffic re-union
experience didn't bum him out too much.  For me, it was a heavenly
experience, but otherwise, no one showed.  Such a shame.

Best wishes to you all
Bob Craig


2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 00:29:47 EDT
From: "Stephen Smith" (uscgs4ud@ibmmail.com)
Subject: Traffic:  "Feelin' Alright?"

Peter said:
"An alternative take of Feelin' Alright, lighter and folkier with flute instead of
sax, was issued on a Best of Dave Mason, circa beg. '73."

An alternate version of "Feelin' Alright?" is on Dave Mason's _Scrapbook_, a
2-LP compilation from 1972 (Island ICD 5, UK).  This seems to be the same
thing.


3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3*3
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 00:24:04 +1100
From: peter nuttall (pnuttall@melbpc.org.au)
Subject: Comparisons

I think it is understandable that comparisons are made between Steve and other
artists, especially relating to his solo work where he is in the mainstream of
contemporary music. However, I wouldn't mention the Gabriels, the Collins
and the Joels in the same breath as Steve Winwood, as a musician they don't
come anywhere near him and his voice is just unique.

Songs I'd like to hear SW sing?......Brown Sugar......Tears In Heaven

Peter


4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 00:32:41 +1100
From: peter nuttall (pnuttall@melbpc.org.au)
Subject: Musical Phases

What do readers think of Steve's career? The highlights, lesser periods, various
influences, comparisons between one musical stage and another.

The Spencer Davis Group owed it's commercial success to Steve's involvement
with the group, apart from a couple of hit singles directly after he left, it
quickly disappeared from the scene after his departure. Also, SDG played a lot
of material which was common to most bands of that era, blues, soul and r & b,
and it was Steve's voice which set it apart. This was Steve's roots and helped
launch him musically.

Traffic was something different altogether, this was a new sound and nothing
like it existed at the time. A combination of English folk and rock together with
American blues and jazz made for a unique blend of styles. Although the album
Mr. Fantasy was in many ways typical of the period, with the use of eastern
instruments and a psychedelic influence common (this was the height of
"Flower Power" in the U.K., even The Beatles and The Stones were at it), it did
contain some classic songs such as  Dear Mr. Fantasy, Dealer and Coloured
Rain. But, the second album really shows what the band was capable of when
playing "straight" material. The energy generated on numbers like Pearly
Queen and Crying To Be Heard is phenomenal and No Time To Live and
40,000 Headmen contain all the moods which became the hallmark of Traffic.
This album put the band in a class of it's own, with a number of acts springing
up trying to copy it's sound and feel, Spooky Tooth being the most notable (ST
supported Traffic often and they jammed together occasionally). What bigger
accolade can one get than to have someone try to copy you!

Blind Faith never had a chance, to live up to the hype heaped on it was an
impossible task. Cream and Traffic were very different and the fans of each
band expected it to be one or the other, Cream with Winwood on vocals or
Traffic with Clapton on guitar. However, the band did create some good music,
Can't Find My Way Home and Presence Of The Lord being classics (Clapton
used these songs for a long time in his live performances) but, Well All Right
probably came closest to merging the two sounds, Steve's piano and Eric's
guitar really ripping it up at the end (one of my all time favourite Winwood
tracks). Who knows what heights BF may have achieved if it had stayed
together.

Airforce was a spin-off from BF (and may have had something to do with
getting Steve, Rick and Ginger out of contractual agreements concerning record
releases, they only played a couple of gigs together and recorded one of them,
very convenient), Eric having taken off with Delaney and Bonnie's rhythm
section to form Derek and the Dominoes. Airforce was really Ginger's project
and any prospect of Steve continuing as a backing musician was never going to
last long. Although renowned as a
shy person, Steve is always at the forefront as far as his music is
concerned and certainly doesn't like being drowned out which was the case with
Airforce, as anyone who has heard the album will know. This project was not a
highlight in Steve's career, just a convenient fill-in.

The re-formed Traffic started in the same vein as the old one had signed off
with almost the same raw energy level, especially live, and the album John
Barleycorn was arguably the last great Traffic album. Extending the band to a
seven piece unit changed the sound entirely, most evidently the loss of Jim's
drumming, and though bearing the same name the feel wasn't quite the same.
Having said that, "Low Spark" ranks as one of the best albums of the seventies,
with the title song a showpiece for that version of Traffic. The fashion around
this time was for long solo breaks and this shows up in "Shoot Out" and even
more so on the live "On The Road" (which gives a rare glimpse of the charisma
generated by Steve's playing, e.g. the "sound" and beautiful guitar work on
Uninspired). Shoot Out is often touted as the lesser of all Traffic's albums and
notwithstanding the high quality of the songs and some excellent musicianship
probably lacks the empathy and innovation of other works. By the time the
band re-organized itself into a smaller unit the impulse was already on the
wane. When The Eagle Flies finds Steve struggling with unmanageable lyrics,
Love (you playing in E, Steve?) and Memories Of A Rock 'n' Roller showing
the writing was on the
wall, the title song and Dream Gerard being the exceptions. This is probably
the least played of all my Traffic (Winwood) albums.

Go falls pretty much into the same category as Airforce. While Steve's
contribution is limited as a musician, his vocals are of the usual high standard.
His own composition, Winner Loser seems a bit out of context with the general
theme of the album and would be more at home on one of his solo works. I
think one has to be into the sounds and percussion featured on this "concept"
album to really appreciate it, though for diehard Winwood fans it's a must for
the collection.

Finally there's Steve's solo career, from the tentative "first" album through to
Far From Home, each album with it's own highlights and impeccable standard
of  musicianship. Not much has changed in the way Steve builds his songs, the
same structures can be found throughout his albums, but that doesn't lessen his
talent for turning out great music. Considering how long he's been on the scene
there's not really an abundance of recorded material, but like all Winwood fans,
I'm grateful for what he puts out.

Personally, my favourite period is early Traffic but you probably
guessed that anyway.

Peter


5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5*5
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 14:54:49 EDT
From: "Stephen Smith" (uscgs4ud@ibmmail.com)
Subject: Clayson biography

I checked on that Clayson biography that Peter mentioned.  The company that
handles that publisher in the US is Transatlantic Publications in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, the book is out of print both here and in the UK.  Oh well!

I would like to read a biography that's more objective than Chris Welch's.
Ideally, I'd _really_ like to see a "sessions" book like those for the Beatles,
Clapton and Hendrix.  Not likely to happen soon, but ya never  know...  After
all, Winwood finally got a four-disc box just last year!

Have you noticed that the industry's attention only turns to Winwood about 2-3
years or more behind each new trend?  For example, reissues beginning  about
1985 (Traffic 1987 - 1988), box sets beginning about 1988 (Traffic 1991,
Winwood 1995, SDG 1996), etc.  If this continues, we may see a rarities
collection later this year and Traffic and Blind Faith remasters
(with extra tracks, if we're lucky) next year!


6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6*6
From: TServo1@aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 15:17:15 -0400
Subject: Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs

Hola,

The 1996 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab catalog arrived yesterday (yeah!)

These are the people who create the "Ultradiscs" and related CD's - using gold
instead of aluminum, and ensuring the highest quality master is used when
pressing the CD's. The results are amazing - you really do hear a greater depth
of the music.

Here are the winwood related CD's they have available:

Traffic, Mr. Fantasy (UDCD 572) - Ultradisc II
Traffic, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (UDCD 609) - Ultradisc II/GAIN
Traffic, Traffic (UDCD 629) - Ultradisc II
Winwood, Arc Of A Diver (UDCD 579) - Ultradisc II
Winwood, Back In The High Life (UDCD 611) - Ultradisc II/GAIN

From the catalog: The "GAIN System": ...is a series of advancements along the
mastering chain that has delivered monumental progress in the sonic potential
of the CD medium. ...has brought to digital sound reproduction what both
critics and advocates have found lacking since its inception: the warmth and
ambiance of live music.

Discs are normally $29.95 and can be ordered at 800-423-5759

barry


7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*7
From: Madbotyou@aol.com
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 01:03:37 -0400
Subject: Bernard Edwards

Here's the info I gathered about B Edwards

From USA TODAY April 22, 1996:

Producer and Chic bassist Bernard Edwards was found dead Thursday in a
hotel room in Tokyo, where he performed with Chic and Steve Winwood. He
was 43. Hailed for his widely imitated bass style, Edwards produced work by
Diana Ross, Sister Sledge and Rod Stewart and had just finished producing and
playing on a new Power Station album with Robert Palmer.

From ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (new issue out this week):

Deaths: Bassist Bernard Edwards, 43, a founding member of the pop group
Chic, of unknown causes, April 18, at a Tokyo Hotel. According to his
spokesman, Edwards had been performing in a concert with Steve Winwood,
Slash and Simon LeBon, but "during the show, he didn't feel well. He went
back to his hotel
room to sleep and didn't wake up." Chic was responsible for such classic disco
songs as "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Le Freak"

Odd lineup in Tokyo, huh?

Ken aka Sting


8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8
From: ItsToLate@aol.com
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 01:10:44 -0400
Subject: Misplaced credits

In a message dated 96-04-22 12:59:52 EDT, you write:

"[I read an interview of SW once, where he was talking about people's lack of
knowledge of the history of rock'n'roll, and he said people actually came to him
after concerts and asked why he was covering that Blues Brothers song!  Poor
Stevie.  --  BG"

I was looking through a compilation sheet music book and they had "Gimme
Some Lovin'" in it, except they gave the Blues Brothers credit for performing it
originally.  Amazing.


Take care,
Andrea


9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9
From: "Tatiana Burguete" (T.Burguete@DKFZ-Heidelberg.DE)
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 18:26:44 GMT+1
Subject: Current SDG line-up

Here is some information about the SDG. I saw the band in Germany last year.
This was the line up:

Spencer Davis (git, voc)-Pete York (dr,voc)
Albie Donnelly (sax,voc)-Norman Dee (key)
Miller Anderson, ex Keef Hartley (git,voc)-Garry Twigg (b)

BTW there are new CD's from the Eddie Hardin (replaced Steve in 67) era. I
have to recommend the Spencer Davis Group versions of I'm a Man and
Gimme Some Lovin'. They are almost as good as the Winwood versions.
Spencer Davis is also working with the Classic Rock Stars (ex-members of Rare
Earth, Iron Butterfly, Sugar Loaf). This band is outstanding. Hopefully there
will be a reunion of the old SDG one day.

Wir gruessen alle Winwood fans  Gunter and Tatiana.

p.s.  Does anybody know something about Muff Winwood?

[The last I heard he was working for CBS Records in London as an A&R man,
and was responsible for signing Terence Trent D'Arby.  Apparently, he is very
well respected in the music business, and helped his younger brother a good
deal when he changed from the Island to the Virgin label.  -  BG]


10*10*10*10*10*10*10*10*10
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 10:24:32 -0700
From: nick@well.com (Nick Langston)
Subject: SPENCER DAVIS GROUP 60s RECORDINGS.

This was posted to a Hammond Organ list I belong to and I thought the folks
on the Smiling Phases list would appreciate it.

Return-Path: owner-b3@home.dc.LSOFT.COM
Date:         Mon, 29 Apr 1996 10:27:30 +0200
Reply-To: B3-Groove (B3@home.dc.LSOFT.COM)
Sender: B3-Groove (B3@home.dc.LSOFT.COM)
X-UIDL: 830796203.016
From: Manuel Perera Dominguez (perer@GTE.ESI.US.ES)
Subject:      SPENCER DAVIS GROUP 60s RECORDINGS. STEVIE
WINWOOD
To: Multiple recipients of list B3 (B3@home.dc.LSOFT.COM)

A two CDs pack has been reissued:

THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
EIGHT GIGS A WEEK (THE STEVE WINWOOD YEARS)
1996 ISLAND
CRNCD 5 524 180-2

This contains ALL the recordings of the SDG when Steve Winwood was a
former member of the group, 1964-67. This includes their 3 LPs (THE FIRST
LP, THE SECOND ALBUM, AUTUMN 66) more singles plus EPs. 51 themes,
including 2 previously unreleased live versions.

NOTE: In the USA, only were published 2 LPs, which doesn't correspond with
none of the British ones. The USA LPs (I think remember they are GIMME
SOME LOVIN and I AM A MAN) were compilation of their moment hits, and
their themes
are includes in the British ones, of course.

This pack includes their classic hits: GIMME SOME LOVIN, I AM A MAN,
SOMEBODY HELP ME, KEEP ON RUNNING.

It is included a wonderful booklet full of photos, texts, etc.

And now... let's see our dear Hammond sound.  Steve Winwood plays piano
and organ in the majority of themes (Hammond organ, not B3, I think a 100
model). The group is a vocal group. Hear the sound on the hits GIMME SOME
LOVIN and I AM A MAN. They saved 5 organ instrumentals which are
included in the pack (TRAMPOLINE  (Soul style),  STEVIE'S GROOVE
(Jimmy Smith style), WALT FOR LUMUMBA (very curious), ON THE
GREEN LIGHT and BLUES IN F (pure JS?).

This pack is a MUST for 60s rock aficionados.  I recommend it for those
interested in rock organ, and of course, for completists or fans of Steve
Winwood.


11*11*11*11*11*11*11*11*11
Subj:    A trip to Birmingham
Date:    96-04-28 22:12:04 EDT
From:    Mr Underhill, a pseudonym

my trip was delayed till June ...I didn't forget!

If you know any historical places I should video in Birmingham or London
send me an address and I'll get there if its possible.

I hope to pick up some British print stuff which I'll be happy to scan and pass
along if I find anything new (or really old).

A London friend of mine is a business associate of Pete York (SDG drummer).
Pete lives in Germany now. We have a side trip to Germany planned. If we go
see him I'll have stories to tell. Keep yore fingers crossed.

I'm sure Steve is glad he has nuts like us that gush out on cards and scintillate
on anything that was ever remotely connected with him. So keep it up...

over and out,

Mr Underhill


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A note from BG - My new computer is supposed to be delivered next week.
Any delay in receiving Volume 31 may be attributed to me spending too much
time fooling around with it.  If it seems too much time has elapsed, someone
please e-mail me a smack upside the head, and I'll get back to business.
Thanks.
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END OF SMILING PHASES, VOL 30