He was one of the original members of the Spencer Davis Group, along with Spencer Davis and the brothers, Steve and Muff Winwood. York stayed with the band until 1969.
He left the Spencer Davis Group to form Hardin and York with Eddie Hardin.
Eric Clapton's Powerhouse was a short lived blues band in 1967. It starred Eric Clapton (guitar), and featured Paul Jones (harmonica) and Jack Bruce (bass), Steve Winwood (vocals) with York (drums), and Ben Palmer (piano).
In mid 1974 Pete invited Ian Paice (drums) and Lord (organ) to the latest set of Percussion Band rehearsals, and such a good time was had by all that two live performances were organised, with Paice and Lord skipping Deep Purple's Stormbringer writing sessions to take part. The brass and vocals were provided by the group Yipee, with the rest of the band consisting of ex-Spencer Davis Group musicians Charlie McCracken, Ray Fenwick and Pete York. A London show was recorded, and has now been released by Purple Records.
In the 80s he fronted an all-star band called Olympic Rock & Blues Circus featuring a rotating line-up of the likes of Jon Lord, Miller Anderson, Tony Ashton, Brian Auger, Zoot Money, Colin Hodgkinson, Chris Farlowe and many others. Olympic Rock & Blues Circus was touring primarily in Germany in 1981/82 and 1989.
In February 1987, York started his first series of "Superdrumming" featuring Ian Paice, Louie Bellson, Cozy Powell, Gerry Brown and Simon Phillips.
The next year, 1988, the second series of "Superdrumming" featured Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Dave Mattacks, Zak Starkey, Nicko McBrain, Jon Lord and Eddie Hardin.
The third series of "Superdrumming" featured Jon Hiseman, Steve Ferrone, Mark Brzezicki, Trilok Gurtu and the return of Ian Paice. The band on this series featured Miller Anderson, Colin Hodgkinson, Brian Auger, Jon Lord and Barbara Thompson.
In 1989, Brian Auger was musical director for the thirteen-part film retrospective series Villa Fantastica, made for German TV. A live recording of the series, Super Jam (1990), featured Brian Auger on piano, York on drums, Dick Morrissey on tenor saxophone, Roy Williams on trombone, Harvey Weston on bass guitar, plus the singers Zoot Money and Maria Muldaur.
In 1990, the fourth series of "Superdrumming" was held in Freiburg, Germany with drummers Ian Paice, Jon Hiseman, Cozy Powell and York.
Since 2004, York has teamed up with German multi-talent entertainer Helge Schneider on a regular basis, playing the drums on several of Schneider's recordings as well as accompanying him on tour. York also had a substantial acting part in Schneider's film Jazzclub (IMDB's entry for the film).
York participated in the 'Drum Legends' project with Herman Rarebell, where they released a live CD and DVD with the contribution of jazz drummer, Charly Antolini.
Keep On Running
Pete York Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep on hidin'
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
Oh yeah
I'm gonna be your man
Hey hey hey
Everyone is talkin' about me
Hey hey hey
Everyone is laughing at me
Makes me feel so sad
Keep on runnin'
Hey hey
All right!
Keep on runnin'
Runnin' from my arms
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
Oh yeah
I'm gonna be your man
Hey hey hey
Everyone is talkin' about me
Makes me feel so sad
Hey hey hey
Everyone is laughin' at me
Makes me feel so bad
Keep on runnin'
Runnin' from my arms
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
Oh yeah
I'm gonna be your man
The lyrics to Pete York's "Keep on Running" convey a sense of longing and determination. The singer urges someone else to "keep on runnin'" and "keep on hidin'", but promises that one day they will be the one to make the other person understand their feelings. The repetition of phrases like "hey hey hey" and "oh yeah" give the song a playful, energetic vibe, but the underlying theme of unrequited love adds a layer of sadness.
The lines "Everyone is talkin' about me/Makes me feel so bad" and "Everyone is laughin' at me/Makes me feel so sad" suggest that the singer may be an object of ridicule or gossip, further emphasizing their desire to be understood and accepted. The overall message of the song seems to be one of hope - that no matter how many obstacles or setbacks one may face, they will persevere in the pursuit of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep on runnin'
Continue to run away or avoid facing the issue at hand.
Keep on hidin'
Continue to keep a low profile and not confront the situation.
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
Someday, I will emerge as the one who solves everything.
To make you understand
To make the other person comprehend and empathize with my situation.
Oh yeah
Indicating strong agreement and positive affirmation.
I'm gonna be your man
I'm going to be there for you and support you.
Hey hey hey
Expression of disappointment, annoyance, or frustration.
Everyone is talkin' about me
Others are discussing me, possibly in a negative manner.
Makes me feel so bad
This negative attention or gossip causes me emotional harm.
Everyone is laughing at me
Others are ridiculing or mocking me.
Makes me feel so sad
This mockery causes me emotional pain.
Keep on runnin'
Continue to avoid the problem and not engage with it.
Hey hey
A vocal expression of enthusiasm, encouragement, or agreement.
All right!
A vocal expression of satisfaction or acceptance.
Runnin' from my arms
Avoiding physical comfort and emotional support that is offered.
To make you understand
Attempting to help the other person understand my situation and feelings.
Oh yeah
Expressing positivity or optimism.
I'm gonna be your man
I will step up and be the supportive partner you need.
Hey hey hey
Still expressing frustration or disappointment with the situation.
Everyone is talkin' about me
Others are still talking and gossiping about me, causing harm.
Makes me feel so sad
This negative attention still causes me emotional pain.
Everyone is laughin' at me
Others are still mocking me, causing emotional harm.
Makes me feel so bad
This continued mockery causes me emotional pain and shame.
Keep on runnin'
Still avoiding the problem instead of facing it head-on.
Runnin' from my arms
Refusing to accept the comfort and support being offered.
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
Despite all the current obstacles, I will eventually find a way to be the hero of this story.
To make you understand
I have a desire and a plan to communicate better and improve our situation.
Oh yeah
Still expressing faith and confidence in myself and the future.
I'm gonna be your man
Reiterating my commitment to support and care for you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACKIE EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vincent Kowski
Torsten, GB is the reason I play guitar and I know you love him too. I am also a huge fan of you brother 👍🎶👌 Sweet Torsten ! 👏
Rocky Watkins
Promo SM 🙈