With the heavy influence of Blues on the UK, and bands like John Mayall' s Bluesbreakers achieving massive appeal, another band at the forefront were The Savoy Brown Blues Band, later shortened to just Savoy Brown. Initially getting together in 1965, going official in 1966 and grabbing a label deal with Decca Records (Deram, the adventuresome subsidiary) in 1967. Being produced by Mike Vernon, who was responsible for numerous bands of the period including the early Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack and Duster Bennett (among so many others) and garnering a healthy following throughout the UK and Europe. What came out of their deal with Decca was their first album Shake Down. It did very well, although it wasn't issued in the U.S. (which was too bad as it was a great album and with a slightly different lineup). At this point there was shakeup in band personnel, with their first singer Bryce Portius, leaving and being replaced by Chris Youlden, whose voice made an unmistakable impression on their sound. With the new lineup in place, they went back to the studio and cut their first singles. The result is tonight's track, Taste And Try, Before You Buy. Again, never released in the States. It wasn't until their third album Blue Matter which came out in 1969 that they finally got exposure in the U.S. - after that, their popularity and non-stop touring of the U.S. made them much more of a household name here than in the UK.
The number of people in and out of Savoy Brown over the years probably rivals John Mayall's incarnations and just as many went on to achieve great names for themselves. And like Mayall, Savoy Brown are still together (although the only original member is Kim Simmonds) and still gigging around.
But if you wanted to hear them as they were back almost at the beginning, here's your chance.
