On the Record: How old was Winwood when he recorded ‘Gimme Some Lovin’  ’?

A: Steve Winwood was born in May 1948. At the age of 11, along with his brother Muff, he formed the first of many bands in which he would perform.

He and his brother were joined by Spencer Davis in 1963, and thus the Spencer Davis Group was born. Their first big hit came in December 1965 when “Keep On Running” reached No. 1 on the British charts. It was followed three months later by “Somebody Help Me,” another No. 1 hit.

By the time “Gimme Some Lovin’” was released in October 1966, Winwood was 18 years old. The song became the group’s biggest American hit, and it brought Steve Winwood to the attention of the American public.

Q: Sometime around the mid- to late ’60s, at the height of the Vietnam War, someone published a song titled something like “An Old Man Walked in Echo Park.” It was about a man who moved from one park bench to another, commiserating the loss of his son who was killed in the war. I would love to know the name of the song and who wrote/sang it.

A: The song is “Echo Park,” written by Buzz Clifford and sung by Keith Barbour. It is the title song on Barbour’s 1969 solo album.

Echo Park is located just north of downtown Los Angeles and about a mile west of Dodger Stadium. In 1961, Clifford scored a Top Ten hit with the million-seller, “Baby Sittin’ Boogie,” which featured a real baby making cute “goo-goo” noises at the end of each refrain.

Eager to cash in on the success of “Baby Sittin’ Boogie,” Clifford’s record company tried unsuccessfully to turn him into a teen heartthrob. When the novelty wore off, Clifford joined the National Guard. When he was released, he moved to Los Angeles and wrote songs for such artists as Petula Clark, Lou Rawls and Kris Kristofferson. He was also part of the band Carp, which included actor Gary Busey.

In 1969, he penned “Echo Park” for Barbour, a member of the New Christy Minstrels. The song peaked at No. 40 on the Pop Singles chart.

Q: I recently heard “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel and have always wondered about the significance of Solsbury Hill to the song. Can you tell me?

A: “Solsbury Hill” is the second song on Gabriel’s first (of three) eponymously titled solo album following his exit from Genesis, the progressive rock band he co-founded while in school. It was also his first solo single.

Solsbury Hill itself is a 625-foot high, flat-topped hill in Somerset, England, that overlooks the town of Bath in southwest England. Reportedly, Gabriel wrote the song after climbing the hill and taking in the sweeping panorama it offers.

By brilliantly and succinctly explaining why he left Genesis (“which connection I should cut”), the song is ultimately a testament about finding one’s courage to take the risk of possibly giving up everything in order to achieve something greater.

Gabriel has been quoted saying the song is about letting go. It has been reported that the eagle represented Bruce Springsteen. Gabriel was said to have seen Springsteen in concert around this time and was impressed with the Boss’ energy. So much so that it inspired Gabriel to leave Genesis. While this might be true, we can find no evidence that Gabriel has actually confirmed this story.