The Spencer Davis Group was a British rock band and part of the “British Invasion.” The are best known for their songs “Gimme Some Lovin‘” and “I’m a Man,” and as the starting place for Stevie Winwood.

They were formed in 1963 in Birmingham, Wales by guitarist and singer Spencer Davis (b. Spencer Davies, with brothers Stevie (vocals, organ, piano) and Muff Winwood (bass), and drummer Pete York. They began playing covers of American Blues and R&B, and quickly gained a following in the local music scene. They released their first single, a cover of the John Lee Hooker song “Dimples,” in 1965.
Later that year, they released their breakout single, “Gimme Some Lovin‘,” which reached #1 on the British charts. The song was notable for Winwood’s (who was only 19 at the time) soulful singing, which was so convincing the single was banned by several segregated radio stations in the US, who thought Winwood was black.

In the next year and a half, they released several albums and a handful of successful singles, most notably, “Gimme Some Lovin‘” and “I’m a Man,” both of which reached the US top 10.

In 1967, the Winwoods left the group, Stevie to form his own band, Traffic, and Muff to work in the music industry. Davis recruited new members, keeping the band going for several more years, and releasing the small hit “Time Seller.” The band had disbanded by the end of the decade.