Savoy Brown

Personnel changes & forming Foghat

After founding members Portius, Chappell, Manning and Stone departed, Chris Youlden and Dave Peverett joined as vocalist and second guitarist. Bob Brunning and Hughie Flint played on the single "Taste and Try (Before You Buy)" before being replaced by Rivers Jobe and Bill Bruford; Bruford left after a fortnight and was succeeded by Roger Earl. This lineup, now called Savoy Brown, recorded Getting to the Point and Blue Matter in 1968, with Youlden emerging as a songwriter.

The single "Train to Nowhere" appeared in 1969. A Step Further, released later that year, introduced bassist Tony Stevens. The band recorded Looking In as a four-piece, after which Peverett, Stevens and Earl departed in December 1970 to form Foghat with guitarist Rod Price.

1974-1980

By late 1974, Simmonds had brought back Paul Raymond and Dave Bidwell, along with new vocalist Dave Tedstone and bassist Andy Rae. After a 1975 UK and German tour, Tedstone was dismissed and Simmonds took over lead vocals for the first time. Bidwell left during the recording of Wire Fire; Tommy Farnell completed the sessions. The album was released in October 1975, followed by a tour; Rae was then replaced by Ian Ellis.

Skin 'n' Bone followed in April 1976, after which Raymond left to join UFO. Reduced to a trio, Simmonds placed Savoy Brown on hiatus. The band returned in early 1978 with Simmonds, Ellis and Farnell, joined by an unknown keyboardist who was dismissed before the album Savage Return, credited only to the trio. Simmonds relocated to the United States in 1978, settling in Ohio.

He toured in 1979 and 1980 with drummer/vocalist Richie Carmichael and bassist Mike Gardner, who left to join Ted Nugent and was replaced by a bassist named Jim, then by Don Cook. Simmonds gradually severed ties with his manager/brother Harry, who ended up in jail on a drug charge.

The 80s

After a two-year hiatus, Savoy Brown came back in late 1983 with Kim Simmonds, Andrew Gerome on vocals and guitar, bassist Stutz Bearcat, and drummer Tommy Amato. They toured through 1984, briefly operating as the Kim Simmonds Band. Around the mid-1980s, Simmonds played with Brian Auger, Gregg Errico, and Tim Bogert in a project called Maestro; no record came from that tour, and after Simmonds abruptly left, his manager Ira Blacker sued him, prompting a move to upstate New York.

In 1985, the band signed to Relix Records, bringing in vocalist and harmonica player Speedo Jones and bassist Chris Romanelli. The acoustic album Slow Train dropped in September 1986. Simmonds then assembled a new group with Jimmy Kunes on vocals, Jim Dagnesi on bass, and Al Macomber on drums; early the next year, Dave Walker returned to replace Kunes, and Shmutza-Hideous took over percussion. Make Me Sweat came out in January 1988, followed by Kings of Boogie in March 1989.

The 90s & beyond

Let It Ride was released in 1992, and the lineup toured through 1993. (2004). Steel was issued in 2007. Voodoo Moon was released in 2011. Whiting left in late 2012.

Simmonds returned to lead vocals, and after 2014 the group released several albums. The Devil to Pay (2015) reached number four on the US Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. Kim Simmonds died on 13 December 2022, and the band disbanded shortly after.

Did You Know?

• The band's name combined 'Savoy' from the American blues label Savoy Records (because it sounded elegant) with 'Brown' (because it was an extremely plain word).
• Founding member Brice Portius was one of the first black blues musicians to be a part of a British rock band.
• Bill Bruford was in Savoy Brown for only a fortnight before being replaced by Roger Earl; Bruford later found huge success as Yes's drummer.
• The single 'Run to Me', a cover of a Smokie song, became Savoy Brown's highest-charting US single, peaking at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 31 October 1981.