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SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND "Shake Down" (1967) UK 1st mono  (Decca LK 4883) 1A/1A

Artist

SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND

Title

"Shake Down"

Label/Cat No

Decca LK 4883 (mono)

Year & Country of issue

1967 (UK)

Grading

Record: EX+/EX+

Sleeve: EX (front cover has some light creases in the laminate and the rear is slightly discoloured (probably due to being in a smokers house) and has a small very light water stain in bottom right corner (see pics)

Labels: EX+/EX+

Matrix number stamped in run out groove

Side 1: ARL 7887 1A

Side 2: ARL 7888 1A

Other information

Lovely original very 1st mono issue, with unboxed Red mono labels and Robert Stace sleeve of the Savoy Brown Blues Band debut gem. 

The very 1st Mono issues are very hard to find and much sought after as it is a far better mix than the Stereo.

This copy gives flawless sound reproduction, and when played with an appropriate mono stylus delivers a sound rich in depth, warmth and clarity.

Savoy Brown Blues Band (later shortened to just the Savoy Brown), are a British blues rock band formed in 1965 in Battersea, South West London.Part of the late 1960s blues rock movement, Savoy Brown primarily achieved success in the United States, where they promoted their albums with non-stop touring.

The band was formed and led by guitarist Kim Simmonds. Others have attributed the constant lineup adjustments to the "creative accountancy" employed by the band's manager, Harry Simmonds, brother of Kim.

The original lineup included singer Bryce Portius, keyboardist Trevor Jeavons, bassist Ray Chappell, drummer Leo Manning and harmonica player John O'Leary (O'Leary appeared on record with the band on its initial recordings for Mike Vernon's Purdah label). Portius was one of the first black blues musicians to be a part of a British rock band. Jeavons was replaced by Bob Hall shortly after the band's formation, and this was followed shortly by O'Leary's departure and the arrival of Martin Stone on guitars. 

This line-up appeared on the band's 1967 debut album, Shake Down, a collection of blues covers.

Further line-up changes ensued, with founding members Portius, Chappell and Manning departing along with recently recruited guitarist Stone over a short period of time. Chris Youlden and "Lonesome" Dave Peverett would become the band's new vocalist and 2nd guitarist respectively. Initially Bob Brunning and Hughie Flint (from John Mayall's Clapton-version Bluesbreakers) filled the bassist and drummer positions on the single Taste and Try (Before You Buy), but they were subsequently replaced by Rivers Jobe and Bill Bruford. Within a fortnight of Bruford's arrival in the band, he had been replaced by Roger Earl (Bruford went on to huge success later as Yes's drummer). This lineup recorded two albums in 1968, Getting to the Point, and Blue Matter, which demonstrated Youlden's rise as a songwriter alongside Simmonds. It was this lineup that released the single "Train to Nowhere" in 1969. A Step Further was released later that year, and introduced bassist Tony Stevens replacing Jobe. They developed a loyal core following in the United States, due to songs such as "I'm Tired," a driving, melodic song from the album.

Following the release of Raw Sienna (also released in 1969) both Youlden and Hall departed the band. Raw Sienna had marked the first time that a single lineup of the band had recorded successive albums without any changes in personnel. The band recorded their next album, 1970's Looking In, as a four-piece, and following this album Peverett, Stevens, and Earl left to form Foghat with guitarist Rod Price.

Simmonds continued the band with Dave Walker on vocals, Paul Raymond on keyboards and guitars, Andy Silvester on bass, and Dave Bidwell on drums — almost the complete Chicken Shack line up.

They were one of the bands that UK Decca (US London/Parrot) stuck with through the lean times until they started selling records; it took four or five albums until they started to sell in the U.S. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the band managed to break into the Billboard Hot 100. Superstardom perpetually evaded them, though, perhaps in part because of their frequent line-up changes, but despite that their next album, Hellbound Train (1972) was a Top 40 album for them in the US. In January 1974, the British music magazine, NME reported that Stan Webb was joining Savoy Brown, following the break-up of Chicken Shack.

The grading standard used is the UK Record Collector magazine gradings as described below 

Mint: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

All items are securely packaged in purpose made mailers, with at least 2 cardboard stiffners, clearly marked fragile, with the record removed from the outer sleeve (to avoid sleeve splits whilst in transit) in a brand new polythene sleeve. 

Sorry, but I do not send packages to Central & South America, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Africa due to high fraud rates.