Simon Phillips

I believe he grew up playing big band music with his father, yes? Can't recall exactly the details, but I think his pops was a musician.

Yes Larry, Simon's Dad (Sid Phillips) was a clarinet player, at the tender age of 12, Simon joined his Father's band, The Sid Phillips Orchestra, and played professionally with the band until he was 16 when his Father died, he then went on the road as a session player, the rest is history.

Here's a rare recording of a very young SP playing with his Father's band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24tFn3sFP6A
 
He is BURNING that ride. That's some good stuff, right there.

And I was surprised to see him leading with right hand from the get-go. Too long/on my way to work, didn't watch all of it, but I did see him finally switching over to his normal left hand lead at about 34 minutes... interesting.
 
I'm just listening to Hiromi's new album, "Alive," for the first time and all I can say is Simon Phillips is on fire on this album. What a beast!

This album is a must have and just beautiful music.

It's beyond labels... Fusion, jazz, whatever (Who cares!)... It's just a joy to listen to.
 
I watched about the first 10 minutes. Very nice playing indeed! Good to see him play like that. What's scarier is the fact that he can do either right or left-hand lead!
 
Hi Drummerworld

I found this clip of Veronique Sanson live at The Olympia (Paris, France) from 1976, it feature the presentation of the musicians... and here you go, a 19 years old Simon Phillips on drums... he looks so young ...and the kit, my God, the kit... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bh7fz30dcE#t=338
Wow! How the hell did you find that Henri? The kit is something else. A pyramid of mounted Ludwig toms! Ah well, it was that time ;)

Have to say, I listened to the whole track. Vocals are - erm - an acquired taste. Over playing percussionist needs shooting on the spot. Even Simon dropping the odd "one fill too many". Ah well, I'm the same age as Simon, & if I think back to my playing at that time, there's no way I could grace that stage.

Priceless Henri :)
 
Nice find, but I can't stand the lyrics with the constant forced-vibrato going on.
 
Simon plays Remo heads and has for many decades.

There's no Remo in the Zodiac signs :)

zodiac.gif
 
I've had a Simon question for YEARS. It's pretty obscure, but if anybody can shed any light on it, feel free...

Simon played in the concert with Roger Daltry in the mid-90's, the "Music of the Who" special with Michael Kamen and the Juilliard Orchestera. They played it on PBS I think a whole bunch of times. He was playing the classic Simon monster kit, dual China cymbals over his head, the whole deal. It's one of the first videos of drumming I've ever seen that made me REALLY want to be a drummer. During the song "Who Are You", when there's a breakdown in the song and people are singing, he gets up and removes one of his toms. Unscrews it from the rack and passes it behind him. Of the four ride toms in front of him, I think it was second from the right. Then the song kicks back on and he finishes it without it. Always tried to figure out why he did that! It was the last song of the show.

I can only assume he broke the head and passed it to his tech to replace, but he didn't get it back. Why do that and disrupt the song and distract the people around you? Just leave the head and let your tech fix it between songs. Simon was/is no stranger to performing, there had to be a REALLY good reason he did that and I can't figure it out. It could be that the video that was shown on TV was edited and that really wasn't the last song, so the tech had time to fix it and there were other tunes to play after that. But still why do that in the middle of a song. Maybe I misremembered it, but it always stuck out at me.
 
So interesting. I've always enjoyed listening to Simon being interviewed. Great musical insights, wisdom and experience.

He was also the first 'world class' drummer I saw in the flesh - with Jeff Beck around 1980 here in the UK - long before the age of drum DVDs and YouTube allowed us to watch the best players at our leisure.

To a teenage drummer - me - who'd just started playing, his performance was positively mind-blowing, and I've never forgotten it. He was only in his early 20s at the time.

Dom knows his stuff too, of course!
 
If you ever get the opportunity to see Dom in a clinic, go. I saw him here in Florida and the entire time he had my attention. I met him before the clinic, thru Paul Quin, forum member, and it was if he had known me forever. He is THE International Educator, and please don't take my word for it, go see him.
 
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