Gimme Some Lovin'
"Gimme Some Lovin'" is a song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood, although solely credited to Steve Winwood on the UK single label, and performed by the Spencer Davis Group. Live recordings are included on the Traffic albums "Welcome to the Canteen" and "The Last Great Traffic Jam". Background. As recalled by bassist Muff Winwood, the song was conceived, arranged, and rehearsed in just half an hour. At the time, the group was under pressure to come up with another hit, following the relatively poor showing of their previous single, "When I Come Home , written by Jamaican-born musician Jackie Edwards, who had also penned their earlier number one hits, Keep On Running" and "Somebody Help Me". The band auditioned and rejected other songs Edwards offered them, and they let the matter slide until, with a recording session looming, manager Chris Blackwell took them to London, put them in a rehearsal room at the Marquee Club, and ordered them to come up with a new song. Differences in recordings. The original UK version, which is the 'master' take of the song, differs in several respects from the version subsequently released in the US on  the United Artists label. First, the UK version has a different lead vocal track that includes the following lyrics in the second verse: "My head's a-spinning And I'm floating to sound, Too much is happening 'cause you're not around" These lyrics do not appear on the US single. Also, the original UK recording is a touch slower, and lacks the 'response' backing vocals in the chorus, some percussion, and the "live-sounding" ambience of the US single. These additional overdubs (which were performed by some of the future members of Traffic), and the 'tweaking' of the  recording's speed to create a brighter sound, were the work of producer Jimmy Miller, who remixed the song for its US release. (The US version has more often been used on reissue CDs, even those coming from Europe.) The single features the sound of the Hammond organ. Blues Brothers cover. In 1980, The Blues Brothers recorded a cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" at the Record Plant in Los Angeles for the soundtrack of their film, "The Blues Brothers". The Blues Brothers' version reached number 18 on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 and number 16 on "Cash Box". On WLS -AM in Chicago, the song peaked at number three. Chart history. In 1966, "Gimme Some Lovin'" reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and number seven in the US. The song is ranked number 247 on the "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.