Kim Simmonds is so criminally underrated. I saw Savoy Brown many times from 1970 on thru the 80's. They were great shows with Kim being the linchpin of all the iterations of the band. I still listen to their music very often with Getting to the Point, Street Corner Talking and Hellbound Train being my favorites. I am amazed that he isn't included in the best blues players discussions. As usual Joe did a great job and I am thankful to him for bringing us such great content.
You are spot on. He's terribly underappreciated and plays with massive feel. Skilled technician and more than just strictly a blues player. Sweet licks for days.
Kim Simmonds is better now than ever. He has a gift that few others have. Bonamassa has it, Van Halen had it. The ability to improvise and make up sounds as they play. Simmonds is one of the best ever at this.
Kim's comment about "lucky for him" to get to see the blues greats in small clubs holds true for me. Kim loved playing Detroit & played here every year up to his passing. I'm one of the lucky ones who got to see him in a small club more times than I can remember. I've seen him in the bigger venues early in Savoy Browns career also. Been going to Kim Simmonds concerts for about 45 years. RIP Kim.
Have always loved Savoy Brown and especially Kim Simmonds! one of the most underrated guitarists ever. Saw them live 2 times. both in small quaint venues: Shades in Wheeling, Illinois & Ram'sHead Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland. Got his autograph and went back stage with the band with my new fiancee. The band let me get up on stage in Annapolis and ask my wonderful lady to marry me in front of the concert crowd. Kim had it video taped and gave it to us! He was a humble, wonderful man! his influence will live on forever! Rest in Peace Kim Simmonds! your are one of the greatest!
As i write this it was hearing of his death... Saw him many times over the years, and lived in my hometown, and had a chance to chat with him a few years back. Very humble man. Great legend, RIP and fly high Kim
I only discovered this tonight. Joe - Thanks for including Kim in your series. He's so unfairly overlooked in every way. Not only by the industry, but by other bands and musicians. No one came along to cover his songs or give his band opening slots on big tours. A shame. I saw Savoy Brown as a teenager in Rochester when Raw Sienna was current. Blisteringly great. I coincidentally went to college in Rochester a few years later, and became concert chairman at my school. So we booked Savoy Brown during the Street Corner Talking tour with Chicken Shack and Atomic Rooster as support. A friendly and gentle guy, always kind to fans. He was the best. Again - thank you.
My absolute favorite all time all the members come and went but Kim was the constant heartbeat and modest to the end,thanks for the memories and thank you God for Kim Simmonds
Mr. Simmonds - Is a class A - act and gentleman: At the Yale Club in Vancouver, BC, Canada on March 22, 2009, Mr. Simmonds was performing with Savoy Brown. I was there with my partner. We had seen Kim previously at the Yale but this night was different. A year earlier, my lady had suffered a stroke. We attended with her in her wheelchair. Because she was not able to speak, she had her white board with her. After the concert, I went up to Kim and explained the above. I asked Kim if we would like to come and say hello to her. Not only did Kim come but so did his band. They were very friendly and did not rush their time with us. They asked what had happened and how she was doing. Cris was delighted with their time with her and their interest in her condition. I asked if they would sign her white board. Not only did Kim and all his band members sign Cris' white board, they included the caption: "To Cris, Thank you for being here! You made it a wonderful night for us!!" Cris passed away the night years, 3 days before her 47th birthday. Thank you, Kim and your band mated. Thank you very much for being a fine man.
I was at that show! I was also at the previous show, when they were a 4 piece. It was okay. I'm the guy that talked them into playing Hellbound train. But that show in 2009, hooboy! 3 piece that played 1.5 hours, took a break and played 2 more hours.
Heartfelt sympathies Pete. Im from Vancouver too. I had the pleasure of dating Kim. I went on the road with his band in 1988 through some eastern US states. He is class A. Seeing his genuine love for his artistry and his fans (being a huge fan myself) was an experience I will always hold dear. Much love💚
Absolutely one of the best. Can't say enough about this guy and Savoy Brown. Looking in, Street Corner Talking are my favorites. Thanks for posting this Joe.
I was very sad to hear that Kim had passed. I was a huge fan of Savoy Brown and saw them many times, at the Filmore East, the Bottom line, the Great Southbay Music Festival and the Westbury Music fair, in different incarnations but always with Kim as the lead. He was a great guitar player, a great storyteller and a kind human being. So sorry I will never see him again. He left a great legacy of music behind.
I've seen Kim live, three times. In my opinion, he always ranked on a level with Clapton, Beck, Page, Peter Green, etc. Don't just read the trades mags, kids. Get out and see these guys in person. Kim is a monster player and always has been!
Absolutely Loved this Interview with Kim . What a wonderful and thoughtful man . And so Underrated that its almost criminal . Thank You Joe for Interviewing one of my Top Ten Guitarists of All Time . And Thank You Kim for all of the Fantastic Music you have given to us .
Fantastic interview! So glad he's still killing it. Loved Kim's playing for fifty years now. Street Corner Talking started it all off for me and I've seen him live three times. I've always wondered if Kim was on the short list with Mick Taylor? Thanks JB!
Been listening to Kim Simmonds today, yes, Lots of different stuff….done so very well….a large variety…that I can’t really categorize it all in my mind, And Joe has educated my ear just enough, that now I know I don’t really know everything I used to know ❤️.¸¸.☆
Great interview. I met Kim through an artist friend and I've met him and watched him perform several times in recent years. He puts on a terrific show along with his band. Go see him, if you can.
To this day, and I'm 73 years old, Savoy Brown is still my favorite band. I've been listening to them since Getting To The Point, and backtracked to Shakedown. To me Savoy Brown meant Kim Simmonds, and Chris Youlden. After Youlden left it was more of a complete band effort. I totally enjoyed the complete interview, but was hoping for a little Youlden history. I remember driving through the jungles of Mexico in a VW bus listening to Getting To The Point on 8 track. RIP Kim.
Aloha from Hawaii 🏝️ Yeah, he was the main reason I got me a 1973 Gibson Flying V. Savoy Brown was one of my favorite bands as a teen in the early 1970's. 😎🤙
The guy who Kim forgot the name of at about 11 mins is Richard, who's a friend of mine. We were in a band together, and went to the Nags Head regularly looking for new material. We were really switched on to SB, and ended up covering about half of the Shake down album. so we were probably the first SB 'covers' band! Shake down is a great album, quite naive but was the most authentic British blues around, and maybe SB were the first mixed race band in UK.
For me it started with Blue Matter to A Step Further with Chris Youlden and the Boogie, to Hell Bound Train and Jack The Toad to Taking The Blues Back Home. Love the band and Kim forever.
I love Kim on a Gibson, but I also love when he plays a Strat. The first I can remember is All I Can Do is Cry, and one of my favorite CDs is Let It Ride, 'cause Kim plays a Strat a lot on that album
Two songs that just grabbed my nuts I believe 50 years ago. " Poor Girl and Looking In ". Just classic Brown. Songs that could trade off solos for 15 minutes. Unbelievable.
Kim Simmonds move to Oswego NY in the mid '80's. He lived less than an hour from where I live. I am so bummed he past away. I retired in 2017 at 57, I was going to follow him and watch all his shows. I wanted to audition for his band but he's not with us anymore. He is greatly missed..
Thank you Joe for having Kim Simmons on . Back in maybe late 60’s definitely early 70’s I and some friends were big Savoy Brown fans . Now I had seen Hendrix , Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter , Mountain , Ten Years After and many many others in that era . All great , Hendrix was my favorite. I saw literally all of these bands at the Spectrum in Philadelphia starting late 68 . However I was living in the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pa. Of all places I saw Savoy Brown in Hazelton , Pa at I believe it was a YMCA which had a decent sized indoor basketball court. It was like a large high school court or a decent small college court . It was sold out . I’m guessing three to four thousand fans . It was one of the best concerts I ever saw . The fans were fantastic. The band felt it and played feeding off the great energy that night . They played three or four encores . At the end Kim thanked the crowd. He said this was the end of that tour and that the audience that night was among the best of the whole tour. It seemed like such an unlikely place to witness such a great concert . I know it went way beyond my expectations. A great memory. If you get a chance go see them. I saw them in Phoenix at a local blues club a few years ago. Kim still has it . Of course it’s not the same as the early days but he’s still worth going to see . Again I want to thank Joe for having Kim on . As others have said he’s truly a great from a great time period of music and deserves more recognition then he has 🙏👌😊☮️❤️
Wow Savory Brown; Hadn't thought of them in so long; so appreciative to you Joe for bringing this interview to us! How does a Texas girl get to meet you? 😘🤍
One band i wished i got to see live especially the 67-69 era of the band with guys going on to join Foghat(or form i should say) the 2nd best era may have been a few years after that Hellbound Train, etc
Yes, Kim Simmons is a great blues guitarist but on some of the earlier albums especially, I could hear a bit of jazz technique where he could sound a bit like Wes Montgomery and also when he rocks like on the Looking In album, he flat out rocks. K.S. --- One of my favorites.
Kim’s been around for a while now, right? I saw Kim and Savoy Brown in 1975 I think, at the Main Point (Bryn Mawr, PA). They were touring the then brand new “Wire Fire” album and played a great, high energy, very loud show. Kim was playing a Gibson Les Paul TV model (I think) through an Acoustic Control amp head and cabinet. The Acoustic head was one of those solid state models with the graphic equalizers, and a large speaker cabinet.