Dave Walker Discussion

[chriskisn]

Ok so I take my life in my hands and go forth to once again spruik the virtues of Mr Dave Walker, the contributor of two songs to this great band we call Fleetwood Mac.

Dave has often been unfairly criticised over the years, partly because many people do not like (I'm A) Roadrunner or The Derelict, and partly because Dave was never seen as fitting in to the Fleetwood Mac sound (that elusive FM sound that no-one can quantify).

Yet, Dave was so much more than two songs on Penguin. He has featured on several Savoy Brown albums and various other bits and pieces. His discography includes:

The Redcaps - 3 x singles
Idle Race - Time Is (1971)
Savoy Brown - Street Corner Talking (1971)
Savoy Brown - Hellbound Train (1972)
Savoy Brown - Lion Share (1973)
Dave Walker Band - Dave Walker Band (1979 - unreleased)
Savoy Brown - Make Me Sweat (1988)
Savoy Brown - Kings of Boogie (1989)
Savoy Brown - Live In Central Park '72 (1989)
Savoy Brown - Live & Kicking (1990)
Dave Walker & The Ambulators - Mostly Sonny (2005)
Dave Walker - Walking Underwater (2007)

He also contributed some vocals to two albums by Donovan's Brain (Tiny Crustacean Lightshow and The Great Leap Forward) both albums are about as enjoyable as listening to a strangled cat but that is beside the point and certainly the Dave vocals are the highlight.

Personally I always liked The Derelict from the moment about 14 years ago that I bought a second-hand copy of Penguin and I never looked back.

While I acknowledge that Dave's voice isn't for everyone, he really does have a fantastic raw blues voice like so many great blues singers before him. I would encourage anyone who hasn't managed to get past his Penguin contributions to give the earlier Savoy Brown albums a listen or his two latest albums.

Additionally I am informed that there is a new album in the works, so we can only hope!

So other than John (wetcamelfood) and myself, who likes Dave and his contributions not only to FM but also in his non-FM work. It is mighty lonely for John and myself being a two man fan club. :lol:

[chriskisn]

Oh and here is a current picture of Dave (which I stole directly from the Dave Walker Band page on Facebook).

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u19/thekimbers/DaveW.jpg

[holidayroad]

Well, I wish I could get into liking Dave more. I've heard some well written songs, but I don't care for his voice. So I guess I could say I like him as a musician but not a vocalist.

[chriskisn]

Well, I wish I could get into liking Dave more. I've heard some well written songs, but I don't care for his voice. So I guess I could say I like him as a musician but not a vocalist.

I guess you aren't a Bob Dylan fan either? :laugh:

What stuff of Dave's have you listened to?

[holidayroad]

Again, Bob Dylan is also someone I like more for the songs he wrote than the way he sings.

[holidayroad]

Oops! Missed your other question! I have a couple early Savoy Brown albums from before Dave was in FMac.

[chriskisn]

I think you need to try Walking Underwater (the album not literally) which is certainly some of his best stuff. The link below allows you to hear a few short samples of the tracks on the album.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/walkerdave

[holidayroad]

I'll check it out. Thanks for the advice!

[holidayroad]

chriskisn, are you the one who reviewed the album?

[chriskisn]

chriskisn, are you the one who reviewed the album?

Damn it you caught me out! It is an old review though, when I first started digging back into his back catalogue. I hadn't heard any of his Savoy Brown stuff when I bought Walking Underwater.

[holidayroad]

:laugh: I'm just an observant person.

[Dr.Brown]

I like Dave too but must add that he definitely has that derelict look about him these days. :nod:

[ohwell]

He actually replaced Ozzy in Black Sabbath too! :)

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I like him in that song, I haven't listened to his solo-stuff...

[wetcamelfood]

Yeah it's annoying to think that whoever recorded the audio from that Sabbath TV show obviously has the video too but the vid has never surfaced just the audio, shame.

There's some other stray tracks from his Savoy/Idle/Donovan's eras too which are also quite good. :)

John

[Almost Simon]

There was a recent feature in Uncut magazine, I think, where Tony Iommi was interviewed and they had photo's from throughout his career. One was a picture of Walker with Black Sabbath.

Damn! I threw the mag out, should've taken a scan of it and posted it.

[chiliD]

I have his pre-FMac Savoy Brown albums. Great stuff...especially Street Corner Talkin'...THAT is, for me, Savoy Brown's all-time best album.

While I don't care at all for Fleetwood Mac's rendition of "(I'm A) Roadrunner", Dave's vocal on Savoy Brown's cover of the Temptations' "Can't Get Next To You" is fantastic. Dave can do Motown!! I just think Fleetwood Mac's song choice (and execution) was poor. Had they done a different Motown cover...one such as "Can't Get Next To You", where the vocal really carries the song...it probably would've gone over much better than "Roadrunner" (on that one, it's not really DAVE that makes the song bad, the whole band just doesn't do the song justice)....it's just a "blah" song to BEGIN with, I'm just surprised that they even would've THOUGHT to cover it.

The really odd thing, Savoy Brown's cover "Can't Get Next To You" actually sounds MORE like Fleetwood Mac than Fleetwood Mac does in covering "(I'm A) Roadrunner".

[bretonbanquet]

Dave is excellent on the Idle Race album "Time Is". He didn't write much of the album but his vocals are really worth a listen :nod:

[holidayroad]

I have his pre-FMac Savoy Brown albums. Great stuff...especially Street Corner Talkin'...THAT is, for me, Savoy Brown's all-time best album.

While I don't care at all for Fleetwood Mac's rendition of "(I'm A) Roadrunner", Dave's vocal on Savoy Brown's cover of the Temptations' "Can't Get Next To You" is fantastic. Dave can do Motown!! I just think Fleetwood Mac's song choice (and execution) was poor. Had they done a different Motown cover...one such as "Can't Get Next To You", where the vocal really carries the song...it probably would've gone over much better than "Roadrunner" (on that one, it's not really DAVE that makes the song bad, the whole band just doesn't do the song justice)....it's just a "blah" song to BEGIN with, I'm just surprised that they even would've THOUGHT to cover it.

The really odd thing, Savoy Brown's cover "Can't Get Next To You" actually sounds MORE like Fleetwood Mac than Fleetwood Mac does in covering "(I'm A) Roadrunner".

I agree completely that "Can't Get Next To You" would have been a FAR better choice!

[Wouter Vuijk]

Anyone familiar to the Jess Roden version of Can't Get Next To You (JR Band, PLay It Dirty, Play It Class)? Personally I regard Jess having a more soulfull voice than Dave Walker.

[michelej1]

From an article on the Yardbirds, from April 2009

http://www.goldminemag.com/tag/eric-clapton

According to future Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac frontman Dave Walker, who recorded his own album-length tribute to Williamson in 2004 (Mostly Sonny), “There was a simplicity to Sonny Boy … the same as Jimmy Reed, it was just a shuffle, but it was a beautiful shuffle. Some of those old guys, you listen to the records and they’re out of tune, or you can’t understand them. But Sonny Boy’s records were so warm and so exciting.”