- Muff Winwood
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Mervyn "Muff" Winwood (born 15 June 1943, Erdington, Birmingham[1]) is an English songwriter and record producer, and the older brother of Steve Winwood. Both were formerly members of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s, in which Muff Winwood played bass guitar.[2] He produced the first Dire Straits album, Dire Straits (1978).[2]
Contents
Early life
His father Lawrence was a motorcycle engine fitter who also played tenor saxophone in dance bands and had a collection of jazz and blues records. He attended the Cranbourne Road Primary School and the new Great Barr School which was one of the first comprehensive schools. He was a choir boy at St John's Church, Perry Barr and became interested in the guitar and then the bass.
Spencer Davis Group
Main article: Spencer Davis GroupRecord producer
After leaving the Spencer Davis Group in 1967, Winwood moved within the music industry to a position as A&R man at Island Records.[2] He was there until 1978, when he became an executive at Columbia Records (ultimately EMI Records) until well into the 1990s. Besides Dire Straits, Winwood had earlier produced the hit album, Kimono My House (1974), and attaching hit single, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" for Sparks.[2] He also produced their other 1974 album, Propaganda (which included the "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" single). As part of his A&R duties, Winwood signed Terence Trent D'Arby, Sade and The Psychedelic Furs amongst others.[2]
His other work included production with Marianne Faithfull, Nirvana, Sutherland Brothers ("Sailing"), Traffic, Mott the Hoople, Love Affair, Kevin Ayers, Unicorn[3][4], After the Fire and The Noel Redding Band.
See also
References
- ^ IMDb.com - accessed October 2009
- ^ a b c d e "Biography by Steve Kurutz". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
- ^ http://www.unicornmusic.net/ Unicorn Official Site
- ^ Unicorn discography at Discogs
External links
- Muff Winwood at the Internet Movie Database
- Muff Winwood discography at Discogs
- Spencer Davis Group discography (includes Muff Winwood references)
Spencer Davis · Steve Winwood · Muff Winwood · Pete York
Eddie Hardin · Ray Fenwick · Phil Sawyer · Nigel Olsson · Dee Murray · Colin HodgkinsonStudio albums (UK) Their First LP · The Second Album · Autumn '66 · With Their New Face On · Funky · Gluggo · Living in a Back StreetSingles (UK) "Dimples" · "I Can't Stand It" · "Every Little Bit Hurts" · "Strong Love" · "Keep on Running" · "Somebody Help Me" · "When I Come Home" · "Gimme Some Lovin'" · "I'm a Man" · "Time Seller" · "Mr Second Class" · "After Tea" · "Short Change"Related Discography · Albums · SongsCategories:- 1943 births
- Living people
- English songwriters
- English rock bass guitarists
- People from Birmingham, West Midlands
- English record producers
- A&R people
- Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands
- British rhythm and blues boom musicians
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