Sold Date: May 5, 2017
Start Date: April 28, 2017
Final Price: £33.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 2
Seller Feedback: 4416
Buyer Feedback: 72

Somebody help me, yeah, somebody help me now,
  Won't somebody tell me what I've done wrong.
 
  When I was just a little boy of seventeen,
  I had a girl, she was my queen,
  She didn't love me like I loved her, now I know,
  Now I'm so lonesome on my own.
 
  Somebody help me, yeah, somebody help me now,
  Won't somebody tell me what I've done wrong.
 
  I need someone in my life, I need a girl to hold me tight,
  Won't somebody tell me what I've done wrong.
  Someone who can make me feel, make me feel all right.

  Somebody help me, yeah, somebody help me now,
  Won't somebody tell me what I've done wrong.
  Somebody help me, yeah, somebody help me now....
THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP: "Somebody Help Me" / "Stevie's Blues" SINGLE, 45 RPM IN MONO.
UK VERY FIRST PRESSING, RELEASED 19th MARCH 1966, WITH A PUSH-OUT CENTRE.
Steve Winwood's time with the Spencer Davis Group was fast running out and in only nine months after "Somebody Help Me" was
released, Steve would soon be forming Traffic and finally join Island Records.  Not only is this Jackie Edwards penned A-side, one
of the 1960's greatest tracks, the B-side features a young Steve Winwood playing pure blues on lead guitar and "Stevie's Blues" is
simply stunning.  Had he chosen to be a lead guitarist instead of concentrating on keyboards, he would have been up there with
the UK's finest, like Peter Green and Eric Clapton, a very special single indeed.  If you like to hear the bass really boom out
loudly and powerfully, like only a 1960's mono single did in this era, this will give the real sound without having to suffer the
awful distortion found on virtually all first pressings.

FONTANA LABEL: TF 679.
At 9 o'clock on the labels, the music publishing is credited to, "Island Music Ltd."
At 6 o'clock under the main song titles and artists etc, the production is credited to, "An Island Records Production."

  MAITRIX: 267415 - 1F - 1   420  /  267415 - 2F - 1   420.
A big selling single but the above is Phillips format for a very first pressed single, a letter change and it was true for LP's.

ORIGINAL 1966 FONTANA SLEEVE, UNSPLIT WITH ONLY A RECORD IMPRESSION AND A FEW RELATED GENTLE
CREASES.  HOW COULD IT NOT HAVE THAT AFTER 51 YEARS.... WITHOUT BEING A FAKE SLEEVE?
THE SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT++  / NEAR MINT CONDITION.

THE RECORD IS BARELY PLAYED, TWO TO THREE TIMES, A BEAUTIFUL GLOSSY SURFACE AND SENSATIONAL
  MONO SOUND!  ANY  FEATHER LIGHT TRACES OF HANDLING ARE NEAR INVISIBLE TO INVISIBLE!
A BEAUTIFUL GLOSSY SURFACE AND SENSATIONAL MONO SOUND!  IN  NEAR MINT CONDITION.

For most 1960's singles ,the A-side was always a very carefully selected song with performances made to the best of the artist's
ability, the B-sides for the true greats often featured something even more precious.  If the single was commercially successful,
  then the chances were the A-side would also make several appearances on the latest album or the later compilations throughout
the following decades. In a short time making records with Stevie Winwood, only lasting for three years, the Spencer Davis Group
never did manage to have enough hits to fill an album with, the only 1960's UK compilation album looked to LP's, EP's and B-side
tracks for the rare 1967 pink Island label, "Best Of The Spencer Davis Group" LP.  An album issued only in mono because none of
their Fontana era original's were mixed into true stereo. You could not ask for a better selection of recording's on a single LP,
but like all fans, there's always one more track I wish could somehow have been squeezed on but it became a 45 only masterpiece.
"Somebody Help Me" has that track as an awesome B-side, to explain why this is one of those 'very precious lost treasure' tracks,
concerns the least known side of Steve Winwood's musical genius being used to fullest extent.  Apart from that extraordinary
vocal ability, Steve's unrivaled musical reputation tends to centre around his wizardry with keyboards, as a blues lead guitarist
had he chosen to pursue that side of his immense talent, Winwood  was just as naturally gifted with a guitar as a piano or organ.
  "Stevie's Blues" gives you  precisely what it says on the record label, the most astounding lead guitar performance of Steve's
illustrious long  career. This was recorded earlier in 1966, earlier even for Cream to have formed or recorded anything just yet,
in fact, all the Spencer Davis Group member's contribution on this ground breaking performance were as inspired as Winwood's.
  Later on in the same year of 1966, Steve continued with the lead guitar on his third and final Spencer Davis album,"Autumn '66",
"Mean Woman Blues" & "Dust My Blues" were covers of classic songs, a purely improvised, late night 12 bar blues jam produced
"On The Green Light."

"Stevie's Blues" was no cover version though, right from his searing guitar notes intro, this ranks as one of the 1960's greatest
ever performances, because this is not an instrumental.  A structured song with verses and as well as sensational blues guitar,
his vocals are just as exceptional, but the guitar solo here suggests a young Clapton, Page or Green is stretching their wings
and preparing to fly.  Perhaps the psychedelic era robbed us of a rising star, when in the following year Winwood left to form
Traffic, handing over to Dave Mason to take up almost exclusively keyboard duties. When he played guitar on the LP title track,
  "Dear Mr. Fantasy" you once again caught glimpses of what had been first revealed on this March, 1966, "Stevie's Blues".

I do hope none of that detracted from the dazzling brilliance of "Somebody Help Me", I certainly had no intention of implying
this was a one track single, more to emphasise the magnitude of this record in general.   After tasting their very first UK chart
success worth mentioning with "Keep on Running", trying to emulate another No.1 after having so many failed 45's previously,
the dazzling brilliance of the A-side, became a consecutive No.1 single the 26th March, 1966, "Somebody Help Me" stormed up
to No.1 in the UK.  A record with so many sales cannot be considered rare,  if like me, you have been constantly looking out for
Spencer Davis' singles and have no interest in the average condition, scratched to the core, you can only conclude they are rare.
  A mid-60's 45 clocking in at 51 years of age says it all really, this particular copy goes back to the very first pressings made.

  This barely even played record has immaculate labels, amazingly still with a sizable slice of thin vinyl left in the centre hole
from the pressing process.  Spindle use traces show only two / three, possibly four plays, this is in truly beautiful condition,
without any of the usual heavy marks on either side.  The glossy sheen has a mirror like reflective luster unique to Mint vinyl,
  there is only the very faintest  to near invisible surface handling signs, even grading this as Near Mint is severe!  Needless to
say both immense tracks have simply stunning mono sound quality and like all the first pressings I have heard, an absolutely
minimal natural static.  On the labels, as ever "An Island Records Production" is laying claim to the Spencer Davis Group until
the leasing deal with Fontana ran it's course and ended in 1967.


The run-in grooves have such minor static / pressing sound in the run-in grooves, I do wonder why I even include trivialities for
records when that was how they came like when first bought!   Besides, that was so low level and cleared way before the intro
  intro kicks in to "Somebody Help Me," with all the massive power mono can generate .  The intro has a very different sounding
Winwood lead guitar to the reverse side's, a heavily 'fuzzed' electric guitar blends in with Pete York's drums, the rhythm guitar
played by Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood's superb bass guitar.  I automatically go into a descriptive mode but I really have no
real need to describe the well known side of this record in great depth.  The slightly distorted guitar sound was intentional and
the sheer power of the mastering easily causes actual distortion to the worn out variety, most are!  This has the most fantastic
  clarity allied to the powerfully loud sound to the record, the vocals are just as crystal clear as the described instruments are.
The melody was infectious enough to move beyong this being a great r&b song, the song was written by another early Island
  protogé Chris Blackwell signed, Jackie Edwards, he also composed "Keep on Running." An outstanding "Somebody Help Me."


"Stevie’s Blues" was written by, S.Winwood / S. Davis / P.York / M.Winwood, once again there are only a few seconds of static
from the run-in grooves, very short ones due to the extra length of this side's track.  Into the magnificent slow blues of Steve's
  stunning guitar tone, not unlike his good friend Eric Clapton, Muff's bass sounds so close to John McVie's style, there really is
nothing that separates this from anything Cream or Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac would be laying down over the coming years.
I cannot include Beck and Page in the Yardbirds because they were both well into psychedelic guitar sounds, this is the purest
blues you could wish to hear. After Steve's stunning intro he sings in his blues saturated voice while firing out stinging guitar
notes between the lyrics, concerning his woman leaving him alone in the blackest part of the night.  Then that awesome guitar
solo I detailed before, which can be heard here in the most perfect mono sound quality.  I can almost still hear my originally
bought copy crackling and distorting like crazy, long replaced of course but I played it into submission!  This immaculate sound
is a real joy to hear for "Stevie's Blues", then as the performance moves into the stunning climax, Steve's vocals take on the
same biting intensity, also heard from his blistering guitar.  Pete York's drums  increase and the ending section finds the band
  winding down from such lofty heights, Stevie Winwood's final vocals are in  pristine mono sound quality.  What a record!
{Roy}
R & M RECORDS.

My lifetime's love of music and records began at a very young age, the arrival of the Beatles and the 1960's decade
  in general had a very profound effect. It was only natural to bring all my first hand experience of collecting vinyl
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