| Steve Swindells | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 November 1952 Ipswich, Suffolk, England, UK |
| Genres | Rock, space rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock |
| Occupations | Singer–songwriter, musician, poet, journalist, producer, writer, painter, photographer |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | RCA, Atomhenge/Cherry Red, Esoteric Recordings |
| Associated acts | Hawkwind, Hawklords |
Steve Swindells (born 21 November 1952) is an English singer-songwriter, keyboardist, party organiser, club promoter and journalist.
Swindells grew up in the Bath and Bristol area, dropping out of art college to play keyboards with the rock band Squidd. Relocating to London in 1973 and living in squats, he recorded his debut solo album, Messages for RCA in 1974. Produced by his manager Mark Edwards, Swindells felt the production quality to be poor, despite the presence of quality musicians. A follow up album Swindells' Swallow was recorded, mastered and test pressings manufactured, but the deal fell through with Swindells blaming his manager's behaviour.[1]
Departed from his manager, Swindells joined Pilot, recording the 1977 album Two's A Crowd. In 1978 he joined a reformed Hawkwind, renamed as Hawklords, for the 25 Years On album and tour. In 1980 he recorded another solo album, Fresh Blood, released by ATCO, but was dropped when it failed to hit sufficient sales, despite reaching #3 in the US airplay charts. Swindells would go on to write for Roger Daltrey on "Martyrs and Madmen" and "Treachery", before temporarily turning his attention away from the music business. In 1983, Swindells switched careers to club promoting and party organizing. In the early 1990s, he decided to re-invent himself as a journalist, writing the internet column for Time Out under the name Spyder for many years, as well as a gadget/lifestyle colourmn for Attitude, before becoming the editor of the magazine's website. Through-out his career changes, Swindells continued to compose and perform music, as evidenced by Demos For The Departed, a double album of home demos from 1983 through 2008. In 2003, Swindells played keyboards and sang lead vocals in the band Danmingo together with Jerry Richards, Jon Moss and Winston Blissett. Steve wrote most of the songs, apart from two band collaborations. Swindells re-discovered two 'lost' albums from 1980: The Invisible Man, and Treachery. His 1980 album Fresh Blood was released on CD for the first time with the label Atomhenge/Cherry Red in August 2009.[2] His 1974 album Messages, along with Swindells' Swallow will be re-released by Esoteric Recordings/Atomhenge on November 26, 2009.[3]
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