Winwood shows his impressive vocal range as he goes a little artfully rough while still hitting the high notes with precision. “Roll With It” (co-written with Jennings) is an infectious slice of down and dirty soul, with a feel-good message to stay positive and create your own good luck. James Ingram and Dan Hartman provide sterling background vocals on this ode to what’s truly meaningful in life. The video is a confection for the eyes with its arresting visuals, sexy dancers, and the stunning collaboration of Winwood and Khan.Īnother entry from Back in the High Life (also co-written with Will Jennings), “The Finer Things” contains Winwood’s trademark lyricism and lushness, spirit & synthesizer. With lyrics like “I could light the night up with my soul on fire/I could make the sun shine from pure desire,” “Higher Love” is filled with optimism and beauty. “Higher Love” celebrates the pursuit of agape, the unconditional love we’re all seeking. It’s pure joy from its hypnotic opening drum fill to the end, where Chaka Khan takes us out. Co-written with songwriter Will Jennings, “Higher Love” was the first released single from Winwood’s fourth solo output, Back in the High Life. The video was an endearingly awkward attempt to embrace the video format, with its puzzling array of pyramids.Īrguably one of the most glorious tracks of the ‘80s. It’s an achingly melodic ode to living in the day and taking chances for one’s own betterment. This hit single (#7 in 1981 on the Billboard charts) from his seminal album Arc of a Diver was an apt backdrop for his vocals and keyboards. The start of the 1980s was a time when Winwood went solo. (“The percentage you’re paying is too high-priced/while you’re living beyond your means.”) Winwood’s soaring vocals and innovative percussion take us on a wild ride to another dimension. He described the meaning of the “low spark” in question as “…the high-spirited, the strong undercurrent at the street level.” With its undeniable drug allusions, it became an anthem of the counterculture of the time. Pollard, with whom Capaldi was collaborating on another project. Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (1971) – Trafficįrom the album of the same name and co-written with bandmate Jim Capaldi, “Low Spark” is a 12-minute opus of mystery. Winwood’s vocals, with their perfect pitch, are stellar. “Can’t Find My Way Home” is filled with plaintive sweetness and poignant aspects of the human condition. Alas, they only dropped one album, but it was flawless. Its opening riff, a delicious wail on a Hammond organ played by “Little Stevie,” as the teen was known at that point, is one of the most recognized in rock history.Ĭan’t Find My Way Home (1969) – Blind Faithīlind Faith was the first acknowledged “supergroup” – a collaboration of Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. It was an instant hit on their album Gimme Some Lovin’ and remains an exultant 1960s masterpiece. It’s hard to believe that Winwood wrote this iconic piece with his Spencer Davis Group bandmates in a half-hour burst of mojo, but his brother (and bassist) Muff Winwood confirms it. Gimme Some Lovin’ (1966) – The Spencer Davis Group One can’t go wrong if you dive deeper there’s absolutely no chaff in the Winwood musical wheat. He played multiple instruments, exuded a quiet charisma, and wrote memorable tunes that still hold up.īelow are some key examples of his work, an admittedly tiny list. Winwood went solo, grew a memorable mullet, and joined the MTV generation with a slew of hits and videos that represented the very finest of the decade. He lifted off professionally at 16 as the breakout vocalist of The Spencer Davis Group, writing and performing the iconic “Gimme Some Lovin.” Later, he joined two other wildly impactful bands of the era: Traffic (with Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, and Chris Wood) and Blind Faith (a short-lived supergroup with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech). Winwood is the living definition of sprezzatura. The word “sprezzatura” is an Italian term that conjures the elusive art of making the difficult look easy. A man as abundantly skilled as Steve Winwood is likely to be underrated because we’ve largely taken his extraordinary gifts pretty much for granted since 1966.
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