The band is proud and excited to have released its new album, Blues All Around, worldwide on Quarto Records, on February 17.
The release of the new album is especially poignant in that it comes after the December 13 passing from cancer of band founder and sole constant Savoy Brown member guitarist/lead vocalist Kim Simmonds.
Simmonds is considered one of music’s premier blues/blues rock guitarists and songwriters and is also discussed as one of the architects of the 1960’s British blues scene in London.
Simmonds, an early pioneer of the British blues movement and a passionate proponent of the blues, lost his hard-fought battle with cancer just a week after turning 75.Blues All Around follows Savoy Brown’s critically acclaimed 2022 album, Ain’t Done Yet, and is lovingly dedicated to the band’s families, friends, and Savoy Brown fans everywhere.
Savoy Brown was formed in 1965 by Simmonds in London, England as the Savoy Brown Blues Band. Simmonds had been the group’s guiding hand from the first singles released in 1966 through the band’s newest effort, Blues All Around. Throughout the years, the band became known for their fierce dedication to blues music, music which not only remained faithful to their deep blues-roots but could also rock like mad. The band were always true road warriors as well, their non-stop touring also becoming a hallmark of the band’s legacy.
Lead by Simmonds’ clean, crisp, biting guitarwork, the band’s peerless sound quickly became a staple of the 60s music scene and lasted right up through Kim’s unfortunate passing. The band developed a loyal core following throughout the world, particularly in the U.S.
Energetic blues/ blues-rock was the calling card of the band from the beginning. Blues Rock became the catch-all phrase in the late 1960s to describe the band’s music along with that of contemporaries like Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and Jimi Hendrix.
In fact, in the 2013 movie, “Jimi Hendrix: All Is by My Side,” a Savoy Brown song co-written by Simmonds was included in the soundtrack.
Many of the band’s singles and albums have appeared on the Billboard charts. Through the 60s, 70s and 80s songs such as I’m Tired, Train to Nowhere, Tell Mama and Lay Back in The Arms of Someone became Billboard Hot 100 entries and band staples.
Two of the band’s albums in the 70s, Looking In and Hellbound Train, appeared on the Billboard Top 40 charts and Street Corner Talking charted in the Billboard Top 100. All remain classics to this day.
This pattern continued with Witchy Feelin’, the band’s 2017 album, reaching #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. They also garnered great chart success on many blues charts worldwide.
Along the way, Savoy Brown toured continuously, making it one of the longest running blues rock bands in existence. Through the years, the band headlined concerts at many prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, the Fillmore West, and London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall.
Savoy Brown, having established national status in the 1970s, provided opportunities for other bands to launch their careers. Some of the bands who opened for and toured with Savoy Brown back in the day include Kiss, ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers amongst many others.
Many notable names have performed with Savoy Brown over the decades and went on to perform with other name bands, including, among others, singer Dave Walker (Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath), Bill Bruford (King Crimson), Andy Pyle (The Kinks) and Paul Raymond (UFO). Most notably, classic rock legends Foghat were formed by Savoy Brown alumni Roger Earl, Lonesome Dave Peverett and Tony Stevens.
Simmonds received many accolades over the years, including appearances on the covers of a multitude of guitar magazines including the cover of Guitar Player magazine of which he was a devout fan, enshrinement on the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame and acceptance in many regional “Halls of Fame” in the U.S and Canada.
Savoy Brown helped spawn the 1968 UK blues rock boom and later opened the eyes of many 1970s American music fans to their own homegrown blues artists, many of whom had a huge influence on Savoy Brown’s music. Blues All Around is a fitting, final tribute to both the amazing career of Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown. Link to Savoy Brown website: https://savoybrown.com