Friday, November 11, 1966 NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS * 5 Mrs. Reeves cuts down Jim's discsFEUDIG SPENCER DAVIS GROUP F EWER andfewerJim LAST Thursday at Shepherd's Bush key. The Beach Boys record is not Reevesrecordswillbe " Top Of The Pops " studio there complicated, it's just a lot of simple released inthefuture - sounds presented in an original and was the strange case of the group who did unusual manner. on the personal instructions "I don't believe all these stories ofJim's wife,Mrs. Mary not appear to be talking to each other or about how long it took to record Reeves lFrom now on sheanybody else. With the possible exception - the ideas must have been the wants every new disc by the of Pete Yorke, the Spencer Davis drum- thing which took the time on that latestarto becomean disc." " event " in the lives of his mer, who sat in splendid isolation in the Spence declared at this point that thousands of fans. deserted dressing room begging for cigar- hewasgdingtoFinsburyPark Mrs. Reeves' attitude has nothing ettesandtalkingtoanybodyabout Astoria on Sunday to see the show todowithashortageof for himself to find out how "Good material, for there are dozens nothing at all, the silence was deafening! Vibrations" came across on stage. of tracks by Jim suitable for Pete had just led a "mass walk -out" from the Steve was by now becoming highly releaseassingles. She simply reportableandstrugglingintoa BBC canteen on finding there was no room to vertical position from his horizontal sit down, but half -way back to the dressing condition in the chair. room discovered his compatriots had deserted "I recorded `Gimme Some Loving' him, making him a majority of one! for the American market this morn- "So here Isit here, unbowed, starving and too ing,andIadded piano, maraccas proud to return," grinned Pete." However, let me and tambourine. You need a thicker take this opportunity to reveal the innermost secrets sound for the States-all their discs of the Spencer Davis group, after which you can seem to have thick sounds. write a fellow -up piece on how I was sacked! Had Steve read the remark printed " Our new film,` The Ghost Goes Gear,'is toFLASHBACK to the summer, when the SPENCER DAVIS GROUP were playing on a Thamesin one paper latelythat hisvoice be released in December, coupled with ' A Millionsteamer in " The Ghost Goes Gear " film.L torare STEVIE WINWOOD, PETE YORKE,was very contrived and could not Years B.C.'-unfortunatelyGodzilla Versus The SPENCER DAVIS and MUFF WINWOOD. The film will be released next month. possibly be natural? Thing 'was notavailable - and we intendto "That's nice,isn't it?" Stevere- capture the schoolchildren market as Sensinganairofco-operationtorted"I've always sung this way- they break up for Christmas. creeping into the proceedings Stevethat's all I can say." "The premiere will be attended sat down and faced me with a look Further investigation revealed that by Harold `Thingee' at Sparkwood`We have arguments, butnoof one prepared to do ,business withSpencer believes that Radio Caroline Ritz (I'm assured there is no such NME. and Radio London should both be place) and LSD will be sold by the Idiscoveredthatthenewhit,brought on land and legalised. Pete ice-cream girls during the interval." " Gimme Some Loving," was writtendoes not. JIM REEVES morethan any other group'by Steve during a rehearsal at the FinallyI asked Muff if there was In addition to this useless informa- London Marquee some weeks ago.some contention within the group. wants his popularity to live on tion I also ascertained that Pete and "I laid out the organ passage andWas 'there not a little friction in the as long as possible. Muff had previously attended a pantyand, due to severe colds contracted by "Yes," said Muff happily. "Andwrote the wordS in one evening." air? Why the differences of opinion? OneoftheDeccaexecutives at a haunted house outside Birming- we're all going with him." ham in order To get "atmosphere"both Spencer and Stevie, the boys "Steve wrote the words, and the responsibleforselectingthe were doing their famous imitation of Stevie's problem of the hour wasmusic Was a group thing," Spencer tracks is d -j Pat Campbell, who an instrumental group last week. apparently whether he should wear Diplomatic told me: " We agree with Mrs. corrected. Instead, a Yuletide gift for Reeves' Enter a BBC assistant to ask Petea somewhat gaudy tie advertising a At thispointIsuggested that fans are getting a very fair deal admirers will be an EP called whether he was ready for dress re-well known liqueur.Ifelt that any- Spencer interview Steve and was in- "Wedon'thavedifferencesof atthe moment. It would he ' A Christmas Card From Jim." hearsal. thing would be an improvement on opinion,"said Muff diplomatically. stupid to flood the market." formed by the road manager that"We ,have arguments, maybe, but no This release is only just being "Just as soon as I've taken thisthe yellow frilly abomination that he thetwowerenotspeakingat He hinted that all the future Jim finalised, and there are plans tieoff,"retortedPetewithawas wearing at the time. present. more than any other group." Reeves singles will almost cer- foritto be available with a sartorial smile. "Shove off," said Steve pleasantly, "What about that punch-up in the tainly be ballads. specialcoverdesignedasan but dfid not say` shove.' "The guy who plays African drumsvan by the River Avon between Steve Said Pat: " I think most of his actual Christmas card. Enter Stevie Winwood, boy -wonder on the record is Jimmy Miller, anandSpencer ? "enquiredathird fansrealise he put far more vocalist, clad in what appeared to be American record producer who hasparty. feeling into a slower number. Titles will be " Blue Christmas," a cut -down version of Bud Flanagan's been flown over here by our manager, "That was over a year ago!" re- There are some fabulous up - (remembertheElvisPresley famous furcoat,Muff Winwood, Chris Blackwell," Steve informed me.torted Muff. tempo tracks available, but they version?), plus " An Old Christ- whose latest in moustaches makes him "I think a great deal of the disc's Enter a gentleman to inform Spen- definitely don't swing into your mas Card," " Silent Night " and a contender for a remake of "Viva KEITH ALTHAM appeal lies in the bass pattern whichcer that he was required for a photo- mind in the same way as his the song once a time -after -time Zapata," and Spencer Davis snuf- goesrightthroughthenumber.graph for the cover of the "Radio sad songs." hit for Harry Belafonte, fling withflubehindhisdark Spencer came to the rescue with aEveryone waits for it to stop but itTimes."Ex -university man Spencer This is one reason why a catchy " Mary's Child." glasses. The group were all not taNk-news flash:"We've been offered adoesn't. That's thesecretofitsaotuallyblushedbelhindhisdark number on the new " DistantAfter that? " Itwill be at least ing among themselves. one week New Year's holiday in thesuccess. glasses. Drums "LP-titled" Snow- three months before a further Sensing that shock tactics were bestAustrian Tyrol by a German maga- "Ithinkthatthepresentpop "You've arrived Spen," announced flake "-has been rejected as a recordofany kind,"reveals inthe circumstances,Ienquired ofzine. We play one performance for arecord situation is closely geared to aPete, and unconditionally surrendered possible Christmas single. Pat, " -perhaps longer."A.S. Muff whether it were true that Steviefantasticfee and getallexpensesreturn to more simple ideas, presentedto the hunger pangs as he ambled off is leaving the group again, yet? paid." in an unusual manner - that's theto The restaurant. RELEASED NOW/14 TRACKS/10 PAGES IN COLOUR DECCA MONO TXL 101/STEREO TXS 101 The Decca Record Company Limited, Decca House, 9 Albert Embankment, London, SEI.