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Memories of a Birmingham Musician (Drummer)!

norfolk brummie said:
View attachment 96180View attachment 96181Around 1977 I was booked to work with the lovely Diana Dors at a club in South West Birmingham, around the Redditch, Bromsgrove, Rednal area. I cannot remember where.

I had to travel over from Leicester, and decided that, on the way, to call in to see my Mother in Yardley Wood. I told her that I was working with Miss Dors......."Oh, can you get her to autograph my book?". In my 65 years in the music business, I had never asked anyone for an autograph. "OK, Mum".

I arrived at the club, and we ran through the band arrangements with Diana. She was actually a good singer, and had released an LP called 'Swinging Dors'. After the rehearsal, she decided to have coffee and sandwiches, and we joined her. It was fun, and she was a wonderful conversationalist. As you can see, I did get my mother her signed book. Eddie
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I saw Diana Dors singing with Georgia Brown and Petula Clarke they sang Three Little Maids from school (they were at school together) and I read also with Irene Sutcliffe, Coronation Street's Maggie Clegg.
 
Gordon said the modern drummers don't hold their sticks properly he used to get mad, he showed me to hold them - palms upwards between the 1st finger and thumb never palms down.
 
Louis Bellson 001.jpgSelf with Louis Bellson. Louise was the great drummer with the Duke Ellington Band, SKIN DEEP (featured by most drummers), and THE HAWK TALKS, are among his best known compositions. Louise was married to the great Pearl BAILEY, and they had a daughter that sang great jazz. Many years ago, at my request, or suggestion, he came to Loughborough to play with a youth band, who had been rehearsing SKIN DEEP. The kids were absolutely blown away, and Louis had a great time with them. Such a wonderful man.

My last occasion with Louis was an evening in London, when we went out for an Indian curry. Joining us around the table was the great American drummer - Harvey Mason, and our own Eric Delaney and Kenny Clare. Just the five of us. I was in drummers heaven for the evening.

Eddie
 

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  • Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson 001.jpg
    Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson 001.jpg
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Nice stories, Eddie, and you and Harvey are the only ones still alive. That's the problem with getting old, every time I go back to the UK and ask "How's so-and-so" the response is almost always "Oh, sorry he's no longer with us"! Still I bet that was a great night.

Maurice
 
You are a name dropper Eddie, & why not if you`ve met so many famous people. Tony Blair walked past our house when he lived in the village, & i waved at President Bush as he went past, but neither of them could play the drums!!
 
On the basis of " bin there, done that, got the T-shirt" you must have enough to cover a few football pitches Eddie. What an extraordinary wonderful life you have led. Long may it and your stories continue.
 
Smudger,

My apologies.

When I started this thread (at the request of couple of members), I was worried that some may think I was name dropping. I promise you that it was never my intention.

Anyway I do hope you are enjoying 'my memories'.

At least, Smudger, and thank God, I have not met Tony Blair or George Bush. Not my favourite people, and I can assure you that I have never met the Pope, but I know some one who has!!

Eddie
 
I have told Eddie before, "You should write a book Eddie" What a great gift for future generations to read. Great stuff Eddie keep em coming. John Crump Parker. Colorado USA
 
norfolk brummie said:
Smudger,


Anyway I do hope you are enjoying 'my memories'.

At least, Smudger, and thank God, I have not met Tony Blair or George Bush. Not my favourite people, and I can assure you that I have never met the Pope, but I know some one who has!!

Eddie
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Yes Eddie i am enjoying your memories, (most of mine would be too black to put on here) & don`t be too disappointed that you haven`t met the Pope, i hear he`s ok on the Maracas but lousy on the drums!!
 
I have done proof reading Eddie. You should write it all down if you haven't already. I have seen the Pope John Paul 3 times but not to shake hands. Several actors, as my office was opposite the theatre and a lot of them stayed at the Leofric where I used to pop in for a drink.
 
Harvey Mason 001.jpgMaurice,

This is a lovely photo that I had taken of Harvey Mason, and then persuaded Dennis Matthews, the Managing Director of Crescendo magazine to put on the front cover. Initially Dennis was reluctant to put the photo on the cover, due to the fact that Harvey was shown endorsing cymbals, and that was not the policy of Crescendo, but Dennis agreed that it was such a good photo that he finally agreed.

Eddie
 
Eddie:

Great picture and I well remember Crescendo and Dennis Matthews. Right now we're in the middle of a thunderstorm and hail - don't think the sun always shines in Crete!

Maurice
 
Although jazz, and jazz drummers, were my main interest, I also worked very closely with many drummers that made their name in the world of rock music.

In 1978, Keith Moon's 'roadie', who lived in Leicester, called into my office to give me an expensive bottle of brandy, from Keith, as a thank you for looking after Keith and his drums. Two days later, Keith was dead.

One day, around 1977, I received a 'phone call from a Peter Leeds, telling me about this wonderful new group that he had brought over from the States, and were going to be very big, and the drummer wanted to arrange a drum kit deal. I used to get many calls along these lines, and usually ignored them, but this one, I felt, had some substance.

I arranged to meet Peter Leeds, and the group, in some dingy little backstreet hotel in the Paddington area. When I arrived there was the band, three guys and a girl, with Peter. They looked really lost, and in need of a good meal. Peter was a hard talker, but after a while, and sitting with the drummer to establish his needs, we reached a deal.

That drummer was Clem Burke, and the group was Blondie. Clem remained a true and loyal endorser for Premier drums and Zildjian cymbals, and, as usual, whenever I had the chance, I would go and meet the band, who always welcomed me backstage.

Eddie
 
Eddies Special Premier Drum 001.jpg

This was the lovely snare drum that the Premier Drum Company presented to me when I left, in 1978. The engraving says best wishes for the future, from the Board of Directors. When I quit, I gave the Directors three months notice, and they accepted it. A bit unusual for an employee.

I have been offered a lot of money for it, but will not part with it.

Eddie
 
Buddy Rich & Premier drums 001.jpg

This photo got me into a lot of trouble. During one of his visits to the UK, I got Buddy Rich to play my drum kit, and I took some photos.

The Premier Drum Company decided to print this photo in their drum magazine.

Buddy's drum endorser, the Slingerland Drum Company, in the USA, went ballistic, and demanded an apology and a full explanation of what happened. I wrote to them, apologised,and after a while, it all cooled down. Later, Don Osborne, the President of Slingerland, saw the funny side of it, and we remained good friends.

Eddie
 
Ha ha, perhaps Buddy didn't realise the photograph would go outside of your personal collection, or if he did, he should have known better. I can well understand Slingerland getting a bit upset!

Maurice
 
Did you use brushes much Eddie? I used to go to a free and easy and a Jazz night at the Earlsdon Cottage Coventry. Their resident drummer Ralph had a bass drum once cymbal and a snare drum. That's all but ee still did a solo in the middle of Bill Bailey ("won't you please come ho"me) with the intro from the singer the publican Wally, "Oh Ralphie won't you play right now". I don't know what Ralph's surname wasbut he had a tash and a hair lip he looked a bit like Inpector Blake from 'On the Buses.'
 
I used brushes a lot, Nico. Perfect for jazz playing, small group, or nice soft dinner music.

For many of todays drummers, brushes are something that they think you sweep the floor with. (My old Tommy Webster quote).

I loved playing with brushes, and just before I finished playing completely, last year, I made a DVD in which I feature brushwork. Not something seen on many drummer DVD's.

Eddie
 
Nico said:
He was a charachter, he was very short and he drank cursed and smoked a lot, a cigarette on a very long holder which he twirled like a baton. Gordon met Di Dors as he called her in her pink jag, he was a lorry driver in the daytime for Alfred Herberts. He shouted "hi Di" she replied "hi darling." She was appearing at the Hppodrome. Not stuck up at all he said neither was Dame Shirl. He claimed to have stood in for Ivy Benson's drummer whe she was taken ill suddenly, he was on the same bill, he didn't dress in drag but he had done in a trio with Larry Grayson when he worked under the name of Billy Breen. He was gutted when he was not included in his This is Your Loife with Eammon Andrews. So people didn't believe him. His late wife asked me to try and sell his 2 drumkits but as I found out no one wants them anymore, like pianos. I was offered £50 for the 2 sets but she turned it down. One was red and blue and the other silver. Pity she is not still around as I hear bongoes are all the rage he had 2 as part of his set. What do you call that instrument on the drumkit Eric in the middle and it makes a sort of tinny horse clopping sound when struck? I always wondered.
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Nico,

It is called a COWBELL.

Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
I used brushes a lot, Nico. Perfect for jazz playing, small group, or nice soft dinner music.

For many of todays drummers, brushes are something that they think you sweep the floor with. (My old Tommy Webster quote).

I loved playing with brushes, and just before I finished playing completely, last year, I made a DVD in which I feature brushwork. Not something seen on many drummer DVD's.



Eddie
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I was always fixed on the drummer as a kid it was like he was stirring the drum with the brushes
 
norfolk brummie said:
Nico,

It is called a COWBELL.

Eddie
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Thanks Eddie, now I know. I have also seen what looked to be like little black boxing gloves in a fist (to me as a kid) they were roundish with sort of indents/gashes and they sounded like wooden blocks being whacked with the sticks. I think Gordon had 4 drums (snares and sides) I remember the notes going down when he opened up or in the middle of a tune, rubadub rubadub rudadub rubadub or maybe it was only 3. The memory fades. Mum had a go once at the Buff club.
 
Eddie, can you think of any "drum" records making it into the top twenty? I can only think of one & that was Sandy Nelson`s "Let there be drums" in the 50`s. Jet Harris & Tony Meehan also had a hit with "Diamonds" with Meehan on drums having a good solo bash in the middle.
 
Smudger:

Yes, you are right: Sandy Nelson 'Let There Be Drums', and Meehan/Harris - 'Diamonds'.

Cozy Cole, the great American jazz drummer had a top 20 hit with 'Topsy', around the late 50's, early 60's. I cannot remember exactly when.

Another popular drum record was by the other Cozy....Cozy Powell, with 'Dance With The Devil', but I cannot remember whether it was a Top 20 hit.

Always popular in the big band days was Louis Bellson's 'Skin Deep'. All self respecting drummers played this drum feature.

By the way, during the sixties, Jet Harris was given the job of bass player with the big band in Nottingham Palais. He lasted two nights. It appears that he was complete rubbish. The drummer with the band at the time, told me when we met up.

Eddie
 
There was a spooky film with Peter Cushing Christopher Lee and Roy Castle. In three sections. In Roy Castle's section his character hears a voodoo drum rythym/tune which he subsequently writes down and though he is told not to play it, he does, to music, in a club and the club gets destroyed, literall blown away, it's a good beat. I am also thinking of bongoes to give mood ina James Bond film. My partner has an LP called Curried Jazz which had the Indian drums on.
Billy Don't be a Hero by Paper Lace, and Distant Drums. Don't know what position they were at. I went to see Paul Simon in Concert at the NEC and he broke his nail badly and the drum section and backing singers sang and played for half an hour till he taped it up and came back. He had a big African drum section then.
I have been to a French music festival where they had drummers rehearsing in the woods. It was awesome, (as they say nowadays), it reverberated but it sounded natural. I hate artificial drums! Cliff Richard's Congratulations has some mighty booms of the base drum. Guess that's not what you meant though?
 
Eddie, i seem to remember a video of Cozy playing a duet with Gene Krupa & they seemed to be in tandem, which leads me on to this silly question; Do drummers read music or is it all instinct? It`s just that they were hitting the same notes & cymbal at the same time. As for Jet harris being complete rubbish playing with a big band, you have to remember that he was a VERY heavy drinker,(as his 4 wives would probably tell you ) & he was often at loggerheads with the other Shadows over his drinking. Sospiri, sorry i don`t recall Topsy though i suppose if it was in the top twenty i probably did hear it.
 
I think it was the Grimethorpe Colliery Band the lady drummer there (kettle drums) read/s music but I would think drummers play by ear. When to use brushes when not etc as I have seen them change from brushes to sticks and back. Though I can't remember where they put them!
 
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