Steve Swindells grew up in the Bath and Bristol area of England and dropped out of art college to play keyboards in the classical-rock band Squidd. Relocating to London in 1973 and living in a squat, he recorded a debut solo album 'Messages' for RCA in 1974. Produced by his erstwhile manager Mark Edwards, the production was poor, despite the famous musicians involved. This was largely due to Mark Edwards' substance and alcohol abuse. A follow up album 'Swallow' was recorded, mastered and test pressings manufactured. However, Mark Edwards blew Steve’s deal with RCA by sweeping everything off the managing director’s desk with his umbrella in a drunken/druggy rage.
Having escaped from his abusive manager, Swindells joined the hugely successful pop band Pilot, recording their 1977 album 'Three's A Crowd' in the famous Abbey Road Studio 2 (produced by Alan Parsons), but the band split up soon after.
In 1978 he joined Hawkwind, who were then named Hawklords, for the '25 Years On' album and tour. When singer Robert Calvert left the band after the tour, he was offered the job of lead singer. Steve declined, as the band had no record deal and were broke. But now - karma has kicked-in. See www.hawklords.com
Back to 1979. Steve recorded some demos and was taken to New York for the first time by an Italian Count (as you do). He then got signed to Atco Records (part of WEA at the time) by the CEO Doug Morris (now the main man at Universal Music). All this happened within three days, thanks in part to Bill Curbishley's help (he was, and still is, the manager of The Who). David Bowie offered to produce the album, amongst many other big names.
The potential producers were obviously 'over-budget', so Steve's self-produced ‘Fresh Blood’ album came out world-wide to considerable critical acclaim in 1980 and reached number 3 in the US airplay charts in its second week of release. Then... nothing.
Following all that classic music-biz-bullshit, the considerably disillusioned Steve went into club promotion with the (now legendary) Lift, which was the first-ever black-music, gay/mixed club in London in the UK, in 1983. He went on to co-found The Pure Organization with Kevin Millins, which ran several hugely successful 80s club nights such as Jungle, Bad and Babylon. They also organized parties for Prince, Madonna, several record companies and Time Out and The Face magazines, amongst others.
In 1985 Steve embarked on another innovative project called Downbeat in a tiny piano bar in Soho's Frith Street. This was a jam session for singers and musicians, with Eric Robinson on the piano (because he knew millions of songs) and Jon (Culture Club) Moss on the bongos!
The jam session was the first of its kind and people - many of them seriously well-known - got up and spontaneously sang soul, pop, dance, reggae, funk, or jazz classics. It was packed every Thursday, and then moved to the larger Dakota Bar at Heaven for a while. As the sessions became more popular, it moved on to the Wag Club on Thursdays, where the entire Whitney Houston Band jammed for an hour on one memorable night. Finally, it found its spiritual home at Browns which was a (largely black) celebrity haunt in Covent Garden. George Michael rarely missed a night there and the entire Stevie Wonder band amazed the crowd by jamming one night - whilst Mr Wonder happily listened. Other regular performers and visitors included Mica Paris, Victoria Wilson James and Kim Mazelle from Soul II Soul, Juliet Roberts, Taka Boom, Sarah-Jane Morris, Angie Brown, Mary Pearce, Leee John, De La Soul, Alexander O'Neal, Chaka Khan, Jimmi Sommerville, Stephen Dante, Robert Owens and many more. The concept then got copied by other promoters, so Steve upped the ante by re-naming the jam session 'Groove' and moved it to Sunday nights at WKD in Camden. The mantra for the show was 'No known songs allowed'. The band and the singers had to make-up songs on the spot, so it was totally unpredictable, entertaining and exciting. Groove was an instant success and soon switched to Friday night, where it was packed every week for many years, featuring loads of exceptional musicians and singers, including Dale Davis, Amy Winehouse's current musical director (who also plays bass on three of Steve's band DanMingo's double album tracks), Simple Minds' drummer Mel Gaynor, Prefab Sprout's Neil Conti, flautist supreme Phillip Bent, Saxist Valentino, house-music legend Robert Owens, Yazz, Angie Brown, Mary Pearce, Kim Mazelle, and many more.
In 1995, Steve Swindells reinvented himself as a journalist, having moved back to his home town of Bath for a while. His musical ouput there, prior to it and right up to the present day is featured on his new online double album 'Demos For The Departed' (www.isound.com/steve_swindells_gb). It's rapidly heading for 50,000 plays and has regularly featured in this huge site's top ten most-played.
In the late 90s, Steve found himself collaborating and recording with the legendary German pruducer Zeus B Held, as they both lived close to each other in NW London. This led to Steve's friend, Culture Club's Jon Moss, asking to play drums on the track 'Now Voyager' which Steve had recorded in Zeus's studio in Willesden Lane. Then John Waterhouse (R.I.P), a childhood friend of Steve's, who was running Christchurch Studios in Bristol, invited Steve to record there for nothing. So Steve invited Jon Moss, Hawkwind's ex-guitarist Jerry Richards and Massive Attack's bass player Winston Blissett to join them. Thus,DanMingo was born (www.myspace.com/steveswindellsstuff - www.isound.com/danmingo - www.myspace.com/danmingospace - www.danmingo.com) and their double album 'Leap Of Faith - The Prequel'is heading for 120,000 plays on www.isound.com/danmingo
Steve also collaborated with Jerry Richards on his excellent Earth Lab album ‘Element’. He has also been writing and recording with the young (and extremely talented) R&B singer Cato Parks, Spirits Burning, London’s finest female rapper Lady Sovereign, and he's mentoring an amazing 19 yr-old Anglo/Egyptian female singer/songwriter called Gehan.
Playing on this MySpace Page is Steve Swindells 'Demos For The Departed' Double Album which is available for download at www.isound.com for just $9.99.
Hot news! The Who's Roger Daltrey's versions of Steve's songs 'Bitter And Twisted','Martyrs And Madmen' and 'Treachery' are now all available on iTunes.
And 'Fresh Blood', Steve's second solo album from 1980 is set to be re-released on iTunes and CD. Space this watch.
Unfortunately, the Hawklords gig at the Roundhouse on June 7th has been cancelled. See www.hawklords.com for more details
There are TWO free, live tracks from the Hawklords' legendary Hernia Bay to download for a limited period on www.ilike.com/artist/hawklords
Word the spread!
Steve is also PR & Promo director of the IOW Jazz Festival (www.iowjazzfestival) and will be putting together 'Jam Today' - an all-star line-up of amazing musicians and singers who will make-up freestyle songs on-the-spot for the finale of the festival, which runs from April 9th to the 11th, 2010 in an amazing array of venues in Ventnor. Now how's that for forward planning?
NEWS JUST IN! Steve's classic 1980 album 'Fresh Blood' is being released on CD for the first time on Atomhenge/Cherry Red (http://cherryred.co.uk/atomhenge/product.php?display=ATOMCD1015)
Who I'd like to meet:
Steve Swindells and DanMingo's Music can be heard and downloaded on the following sites by clicking on the links:
Please celebrate GAY PRIDE on our new LGBT station at www.IMRadio.com Enjoy our new gay/gay-friendly radio station, with Promoter Barbara Sobel as its Program Director. Enjoy the music! peace, Paddy at IMRadio.com
Hey Steve....nice to have you back.....hope the phishing problem is sorted. Don't know if I mentioned it when you revealed your secret identity as 'Computer Guy' in Time Out but I was working in London back then...and read it religiously! So funny to meet you years later! And so many of the things you wrote were so spot on! xxJ See you soon on 7th June! Just treated myself to 16GB flash card for the event!
Hi there, I’m a lead male singer from Treviso, ITALY, and would like to relocate to the UK. I've won many music competitions in Italy. I would like to live in London or in another good location to be able to meet like-minded musicians and to help develop my music relationships in the UK. I am looking for a roommate who has the same interests and can help me. I’m 34, easy going, and open minded. Please let me know if you know any talented musicians in the UK? I am interested in collaborating and starting new and exciting projects where we can all benefit from our mutual talents.
Do you want see what I look like,and listen to my music? Why not go to www. myspace. com/kemjo74 to hear my music! When you enter my site, be sure to listen to my new hit-track "I SWEAR" . It will be released at the beginning of February in Italy, and will be distributed throughout Europe as part of Joy di Maggio’s album, "THE SOUND OF MANIA". Let me know what you think about it.......Thank You!!! I work at the moment as a trained nurse in Italy. My goal in life is to be a front man and lead singer with a successful band!!!.......Music that has been an influence in my work :DEPECHE MODE, DURAN DURAN, TRAVIS, NEW ORDER, ELECTRONIC, DUBSTAR, MADONNA, COLDPLAY, KEANE, ENYA, SIMPLE MINDS, A-HA…...etc.
My mobile phone is + 393394494446 :Sms, mms, videocall +393475386803 sms, mms, videocall.
My Msn account is: northernhill@hotmail.it and kemjo.kemjo@yahoo.it e-mail: lothlorien@vodafone.it Skype: paulhumbertbrennan Facebook: Paul Humbert Brennan Please let me know if you are interested in a project with me….....Let’s not waste any time. I am willing to be totally flexible and make my schedule available for the good of the project, and to make any sacrifices necessary for our success. I'm a for real and have the drive and determination to become a highly successful male singer for you! I'm available for your immediate collaborations! Thanks ! Kemjö
It's official! Hawklords are confirmed to headline an all-day 'implosion' at London's Roundhouse on Sunday, March 8th. Following the success of the now-legendary 'Hernia Bay' Robert Calvert memorial concert, ex-Hawkwind/lords Nik Turner, Jerry Richards, Terry Ollis, Martin Griffin, Alan Davey, Adrian Shaw, Harvey Bainbridge, Ron Tree and Steve Swindells will be performing with special guests, including Bridget Wishart , (more to be confirmed) and four dancers (The Bubblettes!!!!) choreographed by Angel Flame. It promises to be a spectacular event,and will also be a special tribute to the late Barney Bubbles, who had such massive creative imput with Hawkwind/lords (an excellent book about BB called 'Reasons To Be Cheerful' by Paul Gorman is now available in Paul Smith shops worldwide). The stage set will be based on his original designs for The Space Ritual, which were never actually used, so this will be a first. Think Pythagorus and the music of the spheres. Doors open at 3pm. 'Space this watch' for more details, including support acts, as they emerge. Tickets are now available from... http://www. roundhouse. org. uk/whats-on/productions/the-space-ritual-2009-2925 Word that spread (and add your own URLS)!
Paleday and other musicians in conjunction with Casa Records and Deet Promotions have formed the Dance All Stars and have released a dance remake of 'Winter Wonderland' where all profits go to the Make A Wish Foundation! The song can be heard here:
