Gimme Some Lovin'

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"Gimme Some Lovin'" is a song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood, and originally performed by the Spencer Davis Group. The basic riff of the song was borrowed from the Homer Banks song "(Ain't That) A Lot of Love", written by Banks and Willie Dean "Deanie" Parker. The song was originally a hit in 1967 (UK #2;^[1] U.S. #7), when Steve Winwood, lead singer of the Spencer Davis Group at the time, was only 18 years old. The song is ranked #244 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The version issued in the UK (and probably most of Europe) is a different version than the one issued in the US on the United Artists label, with the UK version slower, clearer and with none of the studio live antics featured on the US single.

The single features the sound of the Hammond B-3 organ.

[edit] Cover versions

The song has been covered by many other artists, most notably by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Just before that, Olivia Newton-John recorded it for her 1978 album Totally Hot with members of Toto. In 1982-83 Chicago included it as an encore in their live set with Peter Cetera taking the lead vocal. Queen also often played it during their 1986 Magic Tour.

Other groups who have covered the song include:

• In 1971, The Supremes and The Four Tops, who recorded a duet version, but it remained unreleased until 2009.

• Also in 1971, Traffic, with Winwood as lead singer, on their live album Welcome to the Canteen.

• French disco group Kongas on their 1977 album Africanism, along with the songs, "Africanism" and "Dr. Doo-Dah", Kongas' cover reached number three on the disco chart.^[2]

• The Dutch band "Janse Bagge Bend" covered the song in a Dutch dialect in 1983, naming it "Sollicitere" and featuring it on their album "Flazjelettentaere".

• Raven covered the song on their 1986 album The Pack Is Back.

• Thunder on their 1990 album, Backstreet Symphony.

• Hanson opened shows with it on their 1998 Albertane Tour (captured on their subsequent Live from Albertane album).

• Spanish group Mägo de Oz covered it on their 1994 album, Mägo de Oz.

• The Grateful Dead also covered it in concert with the lead vocal shared by Phil Lesh and Brent Mydland.

• Serbian hard rock band Cactus Jack recorded a version on their live cover album, DisCover in 2002.

• It was also covered by rock group Great White on their 1986 album, Shot in the Dark.

• New York City third-wave ska band The Toasters covered it on their album Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down and have also played it live.

• Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge covered it on their 2008 CD "Greatest Hits Live".

• One More Girl covered it in their shows in 2010.