Steve Swindells
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Steve Swindells (born Ipswich, 21 November, 1952) is an English musician and club promoter.
Swindells grew up in the Bath and Bristol area, dropping out of art college to play keyboards in "classic rock" bands. Relocating to London in 1973 and living in squats, he recorded a debut solo album Messages for RCA in 1974. Produced by his manager Mark Edwards, Swindells felt the production poor despite the presence of quality musicians. A follow up album Swallows was recorded, mastered and test pressings manufactured, but "Edwards had blown Steve’s deal with RCA by sweeping everything off the managing director’s desk with his umbrella in a drunken/druggy rage"[1]
Splitting with his manager, Swindells joined Pilot recording the 1977 album Two's A Crowd. In 1978 he joined Hawkwind, then named Hawklords, for the 25 Years On album and tour. In 1980 he recorded another solo album Fresh Blood for ATCO, but was dropped when it failed to hit sufficient sales for the label. Swindells would go on to write and record with Roger Daltrey ("Martyrs and Madmen" and "Treachery") before turning his attention away from playing music.
He turned to club promoting and party organising in the burgeoning house scene and turned his hand to journalism, writing internet columns for Time Out and attitude. He still occasionally plays music, fronting a band named DanMingo.
[edit] Messages
- "Miles Away Again" (Swindells)
- "Energy Crisis" (Swindells)
- "The Earl's Court Case" (Swindells)
- "Living in Sin" (Swindells)
- "I Don't Like Eating Meat" (Swindells)
- "Shake Up Your Soul" (Swindells)
- "Surrender" (Swindells)
- "I Can't See Where the Light Switch Is" (Swindells)
- "Messages From Heaven" (Swindells)
- Personnel
- Steve Swindells – Keyboards, Vocals
- Bruce Knapp – Guitar
- Mark Warner – Guitar
- Caleb Quaye – Guitar
- Danny Thompson – Bass
- Dave Wintour – Bass
- John Gustafson – Bass
- Barry DeSouza – Drums
- Michael Giles – Drums
- Morris Pert – Percussion
- Chris Mercer – Saxophone
- Barry St. John – Vocals
- Rosetta Hightower – Vocals
- Doris Troy – Vocals
- Mountain Fjord Orchestra Orchestra
- Release details
- 1974 – RCA Victor – UK: LPLI5057
- Single released: "Energy Crisis" / "Shake Up Your Soul"
[edit] Fresh Blood
- "Turn It On, Turn It Off" (Swindells) 3:12
- "Fresh Blood" (Swindells) 3:36
- "I Feel Alive" (Swindells) 3:47
- "Low Life Joe" (Swindells) 4:16
- "Bitter and Twisted" (Swindells) 3:50
- "Don't Wait on the Stairs" (Swindells) 3:22
- "Is It Over Now?" (Swindells) 4:08
- "Down on Love Street" (Swindells) 5:37
- "Figures of Authority" (Swindells) 5:12
- "Shot Down in the Night" (Swindells) 5:12
- Personnel
- Steve Swindells – Vocals, keyboards
- Huw Lloyd-Langton – guitars
- Nic Potter – bass
- Simon King – drums
- Release details
- October 1980 – Atco – UK: K50738 – USA: SD38-128
- Singles released: "Shot Down in the Night" / "It's Only One Night of Your Life" (K11532, June 1980) and "Turn It On, Turn It Off" / "Low Life Joe" (K11605, April 1981).
- "Shot Down in the Night" was also recorded by Hawkwind (on 1980's Live Seventy-Nine), "Don't Wait On The Stairs" by Roger Daltrey (on 1984's Parting Should Be Painless) and "Bitter And Twisted" also by Roger Daltrey (on 1980's McVicar).
