Ken Foote's Summer Songs: Steve Winwood And 'Roll With It'
(CBS11) - What can one say about Steve Winwood? As for me, a talented and versatile musician who could manage the volatility of music trends as well as anyone. Someone who knew R&B, pop/rock, soul, and album rock and could rock the house better than anyone!
Born in Birmingham, England on May 12, 1948 (he just turned 70 about five weeks ago), he is a musician that can play many instrument. His early musical interests started in jazz, performing with his father and older brother Muff. By the mid 60's, he and Muff joined Spencer Davis to form the Spencer Davis Group (along with drummer Peter York). That group charted two songs on Billboard with their most successful being "Gimme Some Lovin'" in 1967. Steve left the group that same year to form the group Traffic with Dave Mason, Chris Wood, and Jim Capaldi. He also had been a member of the rock band Blind Faith with former Cream members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. By the start of the 80's, he started recording his own hits starting off with "While You See A Chance" in 1981, "Higher Love" in 1986 and "The Finer Things" in 1987. But his most successful song on the Billboard chart was "Roll With It," a #1 hit in 1988. Winwood charted 10 songs on Billboard with two #1 hits with six of those ten songs ranking in the top 10.
"Roll With it" was released during the summer of 1988 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1989. It spent 14 weeks on the charts and four weeks in a row at #1. Written by Winwood, Will Jennings, and the award winning Motown team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and produced by Winwood and Tom Lord-Alge, the song lyrics (running 4:30) go like this:
"When life is too much, roll with it, baby
Don't stop and lose your touch, oh no, baby
Hard times knocking on your door
I'll tell them you ain't there no more
Get on through it, roll with it, baby
Luck'll come and then slip away
You've gotta move, bring it back to stay
You just roll with it, baby
Come on and just roll with it, baby
You and me, roll with it, baby
Hang on and just roll with it, baby, hey"
So, from the summer of 1988, here is Steve Winwood with "Roll With It."
