Carl Palmer (born
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer, 20 March 1950,
HandsworthHandsworth is an inner city area of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England.The Local Government Act 1894 divided the ancient Staffordshire parish of Handsworth into two urban districts: Handsworth and Perry Barr. Handsworth was annexed to the county borough of Birmingham in Warwickshire in 1911...
,
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s. In addition, Palmer is a veteran of a number of famous
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bands, including the
Crazy World of Arthur BrownThe Crazy World of Arthur Brown were an English psychedelic rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967.-Personnel:*Arthur Brown – vocals*Vincent Crane – organ, organ bass pedals*Nick Greenwood, Sean Nicholas – bass guitar...
,
Atomic RoosterAtomic Rooster were an English progressive rock band, formed by ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown members. Throughout its history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member, and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods, in the early 1970s and the early...
,
Emerson, Lake & PalmerEmerson, Lake & Palmer were an English progressive rock supergroup. In the 1970s, the band was extremely popular, selling over 35 million albums and headlining huge concerts...
, and
AsiaAsia is a rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup and included former members of veteran progressive rock bands Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Uriah Heep, U.K., Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and The Buggles...
. He has also contributed to works by
Mike OldfieldMichael Gordon "Mike" Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age and more recently dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
.
The
Crazy World of Arthur BrownThe Crazy World of Arthur Brown were an English psychedelic rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967.-Personnel:*Arthur Brown – vocals*Vincent Crane – organ, organ bass pedals*Nick Greenwood, Sean Nicholas – bass guitar...
was founded by
Arthur BrownArthur Brown is an English rock and roll singer best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Kiss and Bruce Dickinson, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and Canada, "Fire" in 1968.-History:Brown attended the University of London and...
, and their original drummer was Drachen Theaker.
Carl Palmer (born
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer, 20 March 1950,
HandsworthHandsworth is an inner city area of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England.The Local Government Act 1894 divided the ancient Staffordshire parish of Handsworth into two urban districts: Handsworth and Perry Barr. Handsworth was annexed to the county borough of Birmingham in Warwickshire in 1911...
,
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s. In addition, Palmer is a veteran of a number of famous
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bands, including the
Crazy World of Arthur BrownThe Crazy World of Arthur Brown were an English psychedelic rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967.-Personnel:*Arthur Brown – vocals*Vincent Crane – organ, organ bass pedals*Nick Greenwood, Sean Nicholas – bass guitar...
,
Atomic RoosterAtomic Rooster were an English progressive rock band, formed by ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown members. Throughout its history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member, and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods, in the early 1970s and the early...
,
Emerson, Lake & PalmerEmerson, Lake & Palmer were an English progressive rock supergroup. In the 1970s, the band was extremely popular, selling over 35 million albums and headlining huge concerts...
, and
AsiaAsia is a rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup and included former members of veteran progressive rock bands Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Uriah Heep, U.K., Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and The Buggles...
. He has also contributed to works by
Mike OldfieldMichael Gordon "Mike" Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age and more recently dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
.
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
The
Crazy World of Arthur BrownThe Crazy World of Arthur Brown were an English psychedelic rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967.-Personnel:*Arthur Brown – vocals*Vincent Crane – organ, organ bass pedals*Nick Greenwood, Sean Nicholas – bass guitar...
was founded by
Arthur BrownArthur Brown is an English rock and roll singer best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Kiss and Bruce Dickinson, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and Canada, "Fire" in 1968.-History:Brown attended the University of London and...
, and their original drummer was Drachen Theaker. However, Theaker suffered from aviophobia, and this meant he could not tour with his bandmates when the time arose for them to tour overseas. Thus, Theaker was the drummer on the band's eponymous album, but afterwards, Palmer took his place, and became a permanent member of the band.
Atomic Rooster
Following his departure from the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Palmer joined up with
Vincent CraneVincent Crane was a self-taught pianist, who studied theory and composition at Trinity College of Music. He graduated in 1964.- Career :...
to form a new band,
Atomic RoosterAtomic Rooster were an English progressive rock band, formed by ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown members. Throughout its history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member, and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods, in the early 1970s and the early...
. Palmer played on just one album before departing.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
After meeting up with a pair of other English musicians,
Greg LakeGreg Lake is an English bass guitarist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer, best known as a founding member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer....
, and
Keith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is a British keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he started Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
, the young musicians felt an "immediate chemistry", and by 1970, formed a band. In naming the new group, the trio chose their
last namesA surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases a surname is a family name; the family-name meaning first appeared in 1375. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name". It is also known as a "last name". In some cultures, the surname may...
alphabetically as the band's name, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, also shortened to
ELPEmerson, Lake & Palmer were an English progressive rock supergroup. In the 1970s, the band was extremely popular, selling over 35 million albums and headlining huge concerts...
. It was arguably the most successful band in his career. Palmer remained with ELP until they eventually disbanded in 1980. They developed a sound that merged
art rockArt rock is a term describing a subgenre of rock music that tends to have "experimental or avant-garde influences" and emphasizes "novel sonic texture." Art rock is an "intrinsically album-based" form, which takes "advantage of the format's capacity for longer, more complex compositions and...
,
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
,
electronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
,
pop rockPop rock is a mix of pop music and rock music utilizing a catchy pop style with light lyrics, and guitar-based songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and
classicalClassical music is the mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times...
and found fans within their peers and the public alike. During that time Palmer released only one single of his own developing a solo career that he managed alongside ELP, and other future bands, for the remainder of his career.
Asia
Palmer followed Emerson, Lake and Palmer, with a new band called P.M., however he left that project in favour of
AsiaAsia is a rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup and included former members of veteran progressive rock bands Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Uriah Heep, U.K., Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and The Buggles...
with former members of
YesYes are an English progressive rock band that was formed in London in 1968. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, extended song lengths, abstract lyrics, and a general showcasing of instrumental prowess. Yes blends symphonic and other 'classical' structures with their own brand of...
,
King CrimsonKing Crimson is a progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969. They have typically been categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, although they have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation drawing from jazz, classical and...
, and
BugglesThe Buggles was a New Wave band formed in 1977 consisting of Trevor Horn , Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley.-Early days:...
.
Band: 3
Palmer and Emerson combined again, this time with American guitarist and singer
Robert BerryRobert Berry is a San Francisco based guitarist, vocalist and producer with Magna Carta Records. He has performed with Hush, 3, and Ambrosia, Alliance, and dozens of sessions and tribute albums to bands such as Rush, Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Jethro Tull...
, to form a group called
3. The trio released one relatively unsuccessful album in 1987.
Reunions
Palmer later rejoined the newly-reformed ELP in 1992 for
Black Moon,
In the Hot SeatIn The Hot Seat is an album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1994 . Keith Emerson had nerve problems in his right hand, which made it almost impossible to play the keyboards...
, a box set, as well as several DVDs and the subsequent tours. Following the final break-up of ELP in 1998, Palmer worked with
AsiaAsia is a rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup and included former members of veteran progressive rock bands Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Uriah Heep, U.K., Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and The Buggles...
's
John WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English singer, bass guitarist and guitarist.Born in Willington, Derbyshire, Wetton grew up in Bournemouth, Dorset...
in the band Qango, and subsequently toured with his 'Carl Palmer Band' featuring Paul Bielatowicz on guitar and Stuart Clayton on bass. In addition to these tours, he has released four "new" albums, most notably
Working Live Vol. I & II as well as an anthology album.
Influences
Having played with a variety of bands, including various anonymous schoolboy bands as a youth, Palmer's style was developed from a wide range of musical influences. Among Palmer's early drumming influence were
Joe MorelloJoe Morello is a jazz drummer perhaps best known for his twelve and a half-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet...
,
Philly Joe JonesJoseph Rudolph Jones was a Philadelphia-born United States jazz drummer, known as the drummer for the Miles Davis Quintet.-Biography:...
,
Art BlakeyArthur Blakey , born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, he was an American jazz drummer and bandleader....
,
Gene KrupaGene Krupa was an influential American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
and
Buddy RichBernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
. Inspiration from their technique can be heard in his own drumming style, which was initially influenced more from jazz than any other genre. Known for his technical prowess, another of Palmer's trademarks included solos in many of his performances. His later work in
AsiaAsia is a rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup and included former members of veteran progressive rock bands Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Uriah Heep, U.K., Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and The Buggles...
saw a more basic approach, although he began to play double bass drums more frequently during that period, and was one of the first drummers to be inducted into the
Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame.
Ringo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE , better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the rock group The Beatles. When The Beatles formed in 1960, Starr belonged to another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes....
purchased and donated Palmer's 2½ ton
stainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox, is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 11% chromium content by mass. Stainless steel does not stain, corrode, or rust as easily as ordinary steel...
drum kitA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
.
Recent years
In recent years, Palmer has performed a series of drum clinics across the UK, Europe and United States. Highlights of Palmer's live drum solo over the years have included the use of both gongs and tambourines, and also his ability to extract himself from his t-shirt while playing complex double bass drum patterns; the latter leaving him stripped to the waist to play the final part of his show. The removal of his shirt was a major attraction in Palmer's drum solos during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. On recent tours, however, his shirt has remained on throughout his performances.
Palmer recently toured with the original line-up of Asia, celebrating their 25th anniversary. A live album and
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
from the tour, entitled
Fantasia was released by
Eagle Rock Records-External links:* * ]]...
.
Solo
- 2001 - Anthology
- 2003 - Working Live - Volume 1
- 2004 - Working Live - Volume 2
- 2006 - In Concert: Carl Palmer plays the Music of ELP (DVD)
External links