RIP Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown)

[pb2015]

Died of cancer a few days ago.

https://www.syracuse.com/news/2022/1...-resident.html
https://bestclassicbands.com/kim-sim...uary-12-15-22/

[moecurlythanu]

One of the most bizarre moments of my concert going career was seeing the Kim Simmonds band in 1979 or 1980 or 1981 at a newly opened greasy spoon diner in rural Ohio near Berlin Heights. The audience consisted of myself and 3 or 4 friends, the woman who ran the place (owner?,) and some kid who was mainly interested in playing arcade games. The volume was ear-splittingly loud. I can still picture Kim, head tilted, playing & singing "Hellbound Train" in my mind's eye. It had to be the nadir of his career.

[StarThrower]

Sorry to be reading this news. He lived in my neck of the woods for many years. Caught him a few times in area clubs, and at the NYS Blues Fest. RIP

[Steve F.]

I was a very very big fan of the original Savoy, with vocalist Chris Youlden, back in my teenage 'white kid with a guitar playing the blues without any feeling and too many notes' daze of about 13-15 years old, before and and still when I was also discovering weirdo music.

And I still think "Raw Sienna" is a great, under-rated album.

rest in peace, Kim!

[spellbound]

Rest in peace, Kim. Your music brought joy to my life. I will continue to play albums by you and by Savoy Brown, for as long as I have on this planet.

[Lopez]

I was a very very big fan of the original Savoy, with vocalist Chris Youlden

Same here. First time I heard the album A Step Further in 1969, I was floored. Great stuff.

So many are leaving us.

[pb2015]

One of the most bizarre moments of my concert going career was seeing the Kim Simmonds band in 1979 or 1980 or 1981 at a newly opened greasy spoon diner in rural Ohio near Berlin Heights. The audience consisted of myself and 3 or 4 friends, the woman who ran the place (owner?,) and some kid who was mainly interested in playing arcade games.

The new wave/MTV years must not have been easy for him.

In the last decade or so it seemed like he came through Chicago on tour quite often, but I never got around to checking him out.

[Jimmy Giant]

I'm really not into blues, so I never went out to see Savoy Brown when I lived in Syracuse.
I did meet Kim once, didn't realize who he was until he mentioned he was in Savoy Brown.
We had practice places somewhere in the same building and we were chatting outside waiting for someone to let us in. Nice guy, very friendly. Never saw him again though.
Safe journey brother...

[rapidfirerob]

So many great early Savoy Brown albums. How many musicians passed through the band? 40 to 50, I'd guess. Thanks for all the great music, Kim.

[bobert]

Very sorry to hear this news. I loved Savoy Brown as a kid and have kept up with the band over the years.
RIP Kim.

[Steve F.]

How many musicians passed through the band? 40 to 50, I'd guess. Thanks for all the great music, Kim.

I *believe* that I remember seeing an article somewhere when the number hit 100, some years ago.

[pb2015]

Bill Bruford said that his first notable gig was with Savoy Brown. He was fired after a few days, but he said it still helped him as a drummer in those days because he could say he was "ex-Savoy Brown."

For a bit more prog content, I understand that bassist Rivers Jobe from 1968 was a Charterhouse student and friends with the Genesis guys. I remember reading that when the band began planning tours of America, he didn't like that and left the group, and later had mental troubles and died under mysterious circumstances.

[rapidfirerob]

I *believe* that I remember seeing an article somewhere when the number hit 100, some years ago.

Damn! Good for him for keeping the band going for so long.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[the winter tree]

I saw them open for BOC on their "Spectres" tour ('77 or 78?). They were three piece and the singer/bassist looked like Geddy Lee and played a black Rickenbacher. I wasn't familiar with their music but they sounded good.

[richt]

Saw them many times in and around NYC, thanks for the memories Kim, great times. Mannys Car Wash NYC in the 90's was tremendous, RIP brother......

[spacefreak]

One of my guitar heroes. Very sad news...

[Guitarplyrjvb]

In January 1975, he was the cover artist in Guitar Player magazine. I probably have a copy laying around somewhere. RIP.

[bfd]

Sorry to hear this- have to agree that "Raw Sienna" was the best of their extensive catalog...(small P) progressive british blues in the Blodwyn Pig/Keef Hartley mold. Never quite the same without Chris Youlden- although their biggest seller in the US was "Looking In"..Dave Walker on that one, if memory serves. Godspeed Mr. Simmonds!

[Munster]

He seemed to have a preoccupation with trains. No complaints here.

[Steve F.]

. Never quite the same without Chris Youlden[/video]

The committee vote AYE.

although their biggest seller in the US was "Looking In"..Dave Walker on that one, if memory serves. Godspeed Mr. Simmonds! [/video]

Looking in was the last one I paid attention to and I remember it as being rather good. But the vocals were handled by rhythm guitarist, Lonesome Dave.

[bfd]

I stand corrected sir! Dave Walker showed up on the next album which contains the only Savoy Brown song I ever heard on the radio long ago (in the Late Devouring Period when fish became obnoxious.) Tell Mama!

[pb2015]

Looking In was effectively Foghat but with Kim Simmonds instead of Foghat's lead guitarist. It doesn't sound like Foghat at all though.

[Rajaz]

The first time I heard Savoy Brown was for Raw Sienna and loved it, especially the brass arrangements. I kept following them for Looking In and saw them live only twice and those were decades apart. The last time was in 2016 at a small theater venue in Austin, TX when they played as a trio, I always considered them the blues and boogie pioneers.
RIP Kim Simmonds, your guitar sounds will live forever in our hearts.

[Jerjo]

RIP to a player with a fluid style and a really sweet tone. It's a pity that Chris Youlden and then the Foghat boys left Savoy Brown. I think if that lot had stayed Savoy might have made the jump up to the next tier. Foghat took that boogie style and made it harder, eventually finding the path to selling a lot of tickets/albums.

[Trane]

RIP Kim.


Big Savoy fan from Getting To The Point until Lion's Share, but they really peaked with Raw Sienna & Looking In.

Preferred the Foghat Brown era to the Savoy Shack era, but got to see none of them (way too young)....

I did manage to catch them in 81 or 82 and sometimes in the late 90's, but was not impressed either times.
I didn't even stay for the encore at the Ten Wijngart show in Brussels. I eventually gave away the drum stick thrown in the crowd (directly at me), to someone that I crossed path again and he became a buddy

Bill Bruford said that his first notable gig was with Savoy Brown. He was fired after a few days, but he said it still helped him as a drummer in those days because he could say he was "ex-Savoy Brown."

For a bit more prog content, I understand that bassist Rivers Jobe from 1968 was a Charterhouse student and friends with the Genesis guys. I remember reading that when the band began planning tours of America, he didn't like that and left the group, and later had mental troubles and died under mysterious circumstances.

I knew for decades about the Jobe link to Genesis (but never realized the guy has been dead), and recently saw (in a Yes rockumentary, I think) that Broof had also played in the band,