Savoy Brown You Should Have Been There!
Savoy Brown
You Should Have Been There!
Panache Records
Kim Simmonds formed the British blues band Savoy Brown in 1965. Their first album released in the UK was 1967’s “Shake Down”. They began to achieve success in the U.S. in 1971 with the release of their seventh album “Street Corner Talking”. The following year they followed up with their most successful album to date “Hellbound Train”.
This live set was recorded on February 23rd, 2003 at The Yale Saloon in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The band lineup included Simmonds, lead guitar and vocals; David Malachowski (who had worked with Commander Cody from 1996 – 1999), guitar and backing vocals; Gerry Sorrentino, bass; and Dennis Cotton, drums.
The band opens with “When It Rains” a song off their then new Blind Pig Records album “Strange Dreams” released less than three weeks before this performance.
“Where Has Your Heart Gone?” follows. Simmonds’ band mates perfectly compliment his lead guitar and vocal on this almost twelve minute slow blues. Simmonds’ states he still likes his blues “with a little hurt”.
“Poor Girl” was written by Simmonds’ ex-bassist Tony Stevens and previously sung by his ex-rhythm guitarist “Lonesome” Dave Peverett. Simmonds states the band at the time was becoming too much of a rock band and losing the blues so he changed the lineup including drummer Roger Earl. His former band members went on to form “Foghat” and make some history of their own.
The next three songs are also over ten minutes each. “Blues Like Midnight” was the title track on Simmonds’ second solo acoustic album released in 2001. It was written by the country and blues singer and yodeler Jimmie Rodgers who died in 1933. The song was re-arranged by Simmonds.
Simmonds’ re-works “Street Corning Talking” with his acoustic guitar. Once again the band gets low down and the song turns into an extended jam. The closer is “Hellbound Train” from his 1972 album.
At the time of this performance some of this material was over thirty years old. Today another fifteen years later Simmonds and Savoy Brown are still passionate. This re-issue originally released in 2005 is just what the doctor ordered.
Richard Ludmerer
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