Spencer Davis Group - The Singles (2003)

The Spencer Davis Group is fondly remembered for their late-1960s singles that featured the deep soul vocals of Steve Winwood, then only a teenager. Singles like "Somebody Help Me," "Keep on Running," "Gimme Some Lovin'," and "I'm a Man" were solid R&B rockers, making The Spencer Davis Group one of the most explosive bands in the so-called British Invasion era. When Winwood left to form Traffic, the group (having lost one of the most distinctive voices in rock history) simply wilted away. This collection has all their hits, but also includes several early Traffic tracks like "Paper Sun," and Dave Mason's "Feelin' Alright," making it really more of a Steve Winwood compilation. The final track is a bizarre, bombastic, near-mento song called "Incense," released by a group named the Anglos in 1969, supposedly featuring Winwood. He has denied having any involvement with the song, however, and one wonders why it is presented here. There are separate and more definitive collections available for both the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic, and the Anglos cut is, at best, a curio.