Island Records/UMe will release the definitive career retrospective of one of the all-time greats of rock 'n' roll on June 8, 2010. Entitled Revolutions – The Very Best Of Steve Winwood, it is a portrait of one of the most influential musicians in rock history, a singer-songwriter, peerless vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player. With tracklistings personally selected by Steve Winwood from his five decade career, Revolutions – The Very Best Of Steve Winwood will be available in two high quality formats: a single CD for the casual fan and a four CD deluxe box set including a 52 page book for the connoisseur, with sleevenotes by writer Dylan Jones. Also included in the four CD deluxe box set and single disc is a re-recorded version of "Spanish Dancer."
Taken from his 1980 second solo album "Arc Of A Diver," "Spanish Dancer" is written by Winwood and Academy Award winning lyricist Will Jennings and has become a staple of Winwood's live show. The new version of the song features a new vocal by Winwood recorded at his home studio on his farm in Gloucestershire and it is mixed by Grammy Award-winning New York producer and recording artist Ben Wisch, one of the US's most in-demand piano players.
A child prodigy, Winwood first performed live on stage at the tender age of 8 in his father's traditional jazz band, and joined the Spencer Davis Group at 14. His stunning vocal style was compared to Ray Charles. He left Spencer Davis to form Traffic then later teamed up with Eric Clapton in Blind Faith at the tail-end of the Sixties. Arguably his biggest successes came with his solo work from the Seventies on.
In his teens Winwood played in pick-up bands for touring blues legends including Muddy Waters, BB King, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley.
In a career lasting nearly 50 years he has sold over 50 million albums and several of his songs have become standards, notably "Gimme Some Lovin'" (memorably covered in The Blues Brothers film), "Can't Find My Way Home," "The Low Spark Of The High Heeled Boys," "Higher Love" and "Roll With It."
He has been awarded multiple Grammy Awards – for "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Higher Love" (a US no 1 in '86)
Steve Winwood will perform at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival on June 26 in Chicago followed by a U.S. tour with Santana.
Revolutions: The Very Best Of Steve Winwood full tracklistings are below:
Revolutions: The Very Best Of Steve Winwood – Single CD:
Gimme Some Lovin – Spencer Davis Group
I'm A Man – Spencer Davis Group
Forty Thousand Headmen – Traffic
No Face No Name No Number – Traffic
Dear Mr Fantasy – Traffic
Low Spark Of The High Heeled Boys - Traffic
Glad – Traffic
Can't Find My Way Home – Blind Faith
While You See A Chance – Steve Winwood
Valerie – Steve Winwood
Spanish Dancer – Steve Winwood **NEW RECORDING**
The Finer Things – Steve Winwood
Higher Love – Steve Winwood
Back In The High Life – Steve Winwood
Roll With It – Steve Winwood
Dirty City – Steve Winwood
Don't You Know What The Night Can Do – Steve Winwood
Revolutions: The Very Best Of Steve Winwood – 4 CD Box Set
CD 1
Keep On Running
Somebody Help Me
Gimme Some Lovin'
I'm A Man
Paper Sun
Coloured Rain
No Face No Name No Number
Heaven Is in Your Mind
Smiling Phases
Dear Mr Fantasy
Pearly Queen
Forty Thousand Headmen
No Time To Live
Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring
Shanghai Noodle Factory
Medicated Goo
Withering Tree
Well Alright
Can't Find My Way Home
Presence Of The Lord
CD 2
Stranger To Himself
John Barleycorn (Must Die)
Glad
Freedom Rider
Empty Pages
The Low Spark Of The High-Heeled Boys
Rainmaker
Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory
Something New
Walking In The Wind
When The Eagle Flies
Mozambique
CD 3
Vacant Chair
While you See A Chance
Arc Of A Diver
Spanish Dancer
Night Train
Valerie
Higher Love
Freedom Overspill
Back In The High Life Again
Don't You Know What the Night Can Do
Spy In the House Of Love
Different Light
Dirty City
CD 4
This Hammer
Waltz For Lumumba
When I Come Home
Love
In The Light Of Day
There's A River
Hold On
The Morning Side
Far From Home
Holy Ground
State Of Grace
Why Can't We Live Together
Domingo Morning