Today's the birthday of Jimmy Nicol, a rock n' roll drummer that became the Biggest Drummer in the World - for almost two weeks.
Born in London, his professional career began when he was 18, playing in rock and roll bands around the city. In those days, rock and roll was defined by Chuck Berry around the world, Tommy Steele in the UK. Steele's little brother, Colin Hicks, was starting a band as well, and his manager recruited Jimmy for drums.
Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys had their greatest success in Italy, after filming this performance in the 1959 film, Europe By Night:
But he didn't stick around to tour Italy; he stayed in the London scene, doing session work and playing in bands for guys like Oscar Rabin and Georgie Fame. He even started his own combo, The Shubdubs.
It was a case of tonsilitis that got him his biggest gig ever. Ringo Star collapsed on June 3, 1964, on the eve of the Beatles' world tour. Manager Brian Epstein urged the other Beatles to get a replacement drummer until Ringo could get better and catch up with the rest of the band. Producer George Martin suggested Nicol, who had impressed Martin at previous sessions for other artists (and had, coincidentally, learned and recorded several Beatles songs for the studio band The Koppykats, in one of those 'inspired by' knockoff albums that record labels do.) He was auditioned, got his mop top cut, and played his first concert with the Beatles in Copenhagen, on June 4th.
For the next week, he fit well with the Beatles and kept up as best he could, while the band played the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia...
On June 14, Ringo was ready to return. Jimmy was plucked out of Australia in the middle of the night, and sent back to London with his check and a gold watch, presented in gratitude. He was a Beatle for ten days.
He contributed a footnote to the Beatles songbook, too. During his time as a Beatle, whenever John or Paul would ask how he was dealing with things, he would say he was "getting better", every time. The phrase stuck with Paul, and inspired the song "Getting Better" that would end up on the 'Sgt Pepper' album.
By his own account, he never recovered from his time as a Substitute Beatle. After Australia, the Shubdubs got a boost, but it wasn't enough to get the band's music on the charts. "Humpty Dumpty" wasn't that great a song, to be honest; but the B-side, the Shubdubs' arrangement of "Night Train", was pretty good:
He eventually ended up drumming with the Swedish instrumentalists the Spotnicks for a few years; then, he ended up in Mexico learning samba rhythms and starting a button factory. Eventually, he got out of music altogether.
Today, he's rather reclusive, and hasn't recorded in decades. Meanwhile, his son, Howie Nicol, is in the TV industry, and has become an award-winning sound recordist. He's never released a tell-all book or sold the movie rights (because he respects the Beatles that much), but I'd love to know the full story of this rock and roll Icarus: why he played and what he was working for when it started, what it was like to be a rock star for a week, and how hard was he chasing it after it was gone... Fortunately, he's not a statistic or even a rock music cliche, but I feel there's something to learn from his experience...
There's more to Jimmy than the Beatles, and that's why I'm going to finish up with another song by the Shubdubs, because I love that mod-rock instrumental sound:
Showing posts with label Beatles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beatles. Show all posts
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
September 2
MC Chris is not a nerdcore rapper. Even though he’s the voice of MC Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Even though he raps about video games and girls that look like Emily Strange. Even though he’s celebrating his birthday this weekend at Dragon Con in Atlanta. Do not call him a “nerdcore rapper” or his entourage will kick your ass…
Here’s a fanvid of MC Chris’ Adult Swim alias, MC Pee Pants:
Guy LaLiberte’s also celebrating his birthday later this month – in space. Not only is he the founder of Cirque de Soleil, not only is he a world-ranked poker player, not only can he breathe fire – he’d paid the million or thirty to buy a round-trip ticket to the International Space Station.
Or maybe he just traded tickets.
Dan Southworth, ex-Power Ranger, is celebrating his birthday today. He was the “Quantum Ranger” in the “Time Force” season, which is somewhere between being a Red Ranger and a Black Ranger, apparently.
I’m pretty sure that, in time, the Power Rangers casts will be a repository for tomorrow’s action stars. “Kids Inc.” gave us Martika, Raphael Saadiq, and Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas. “MMC” gave us Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. And it’s still early yet, but the Power Rangers have already introduced the world to Amy Jo Johnson and… I don’t know, a bunch of karate teachers, so far.
But in this month’s Teen Vogue, apparently one of those former Power Rangers convinced one of his karate students to try acting, and that kid grew up to be…
Taylor Launter…
JACOB! JACOB! JACOB!
TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!
That oughta pick up the web hits…
And for all the Power Ranger and Twilight fans who’ve wandered in, allow me to introduce you to some real ass-kicking, courtesy of movie director and birthday celebrant Prachya Pinkaew. From the director of Ong-Bak and The Protector, here’s “Chocolate”:
(46 fishes to you, Prachya!)
We end today’s column with a tribute to Billy Preston, the sixth Beatle. There’s been plenty of writing about candidates for “fifth Beatle”, and I’m sure I’ll get into it later this year as their birthdays come up. I’m going to nominate, right here and now, Billy Preston as Beatle number six, because he came along near the end of the road, and helped the band produce some of their greatest songs before they were done.
The year is 1969, and Preston’s in London, playing in Ray Charles’ band. Among those attending is George Harrison, who walked out of the “Let It Be” recording sessions, with half a mind not to return. Having a second thought, he brings Preston to the studio. Being polite and British at their core, the Beatles behaved themselves and started to enjoy making music together again. The Beatles would go on to finish the “Let It Be” album and record one more, “Abbey Road.”
There’s too many contributions of Billy’s that I’m grateful for: “Let it Be” and “The Long and Winding Road”; Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful”; the Rolling Stones’ “Shine a Light” and “Wild Horses”… From Sam Cooke to the Red Hot Chili Peppers… Let me spotlight one of his solo numbers:
Here’s a fanvid of MC Chris’ Adult Swim alias, MC Pee Pants:
Guy LaLiberte’s also celebrating his birthday later this month – in space. Not only is he the founder of Cirque de Soleil, not only is he a world-ranked poker player, not only can he breathe fire – he’d paid the million or thirty to buy a round-trip ticket to the International Space Station.
Or maybe he just traded tickets.
Dan Southworth, ex-Power Ranger, is celebrating his birthday today. He was the “Quantum Ranger” in the “Time Force” season, which is somewhere between being a Red Ranger and a Black Ranger, apparently.
I’m pretty sure that, in time, the Power Rangers casts will be a repository for tomorrow’s action stars. “Kids Inc.” gave us Martika, Raphael Saadiq, and Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas. “MMC” gave us Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. And it’s still early yet, but the Power Rangers have already introduced the world to Amy Jo Johnson and… I don’t know, a bunch of karate teachers, so far.
But in this month’s Teen Vogue, apparently one of those former Power Rangers convinced one of his karate students to try acting, and that kid grew up to be…
Taylor Launter…
JACOB! JACOB! JACOB!
TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!
That oughta pick up the web hits…
And for all the Power Ranger and Twilight fans who’ve wandered in, allow me to introduce you to some real ass-kicking, courtesy of movie director and birthday celebrant Prachya Pinkaew. From the director of Ong-Bak and The Protector, here’s “Chocolate”:
(46 fishes to you, Prachya!)
We end today’s column with a tribute to Billy Preston, the sixth Beatle. There’s been plenty of writing about candidates for “fifth Beatle”, and I’m sure I’ll get into it later this year as their birthdays come up. I’m going to nominate, right here and now, Billy Preston as Beatle number six, because he came along near the end of the road, and helped the band produce some of their greatest songs before they were done.
The year is 1969, and Preston’s in London, playing in Ray Charles’ band. Among those attending is George Harrison, who walked out of the “Let It Be” recording sessions, with half a mind not to return. Having a second thought, he brings Preston to the studio. Being polite and British at their core, the Beatles behaved themselves and started to enjoy making music together again. The Beatles would go on to finish the “Let It Be” album and record one more, “Abbey Road.”
There’s too many contributions of Billy’s that I’m grateful for: “Let it Be” and “The Long and Winding Road”; Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful”; the Rolling Stones’ “Shine a Light” and “Wild Horses”… From Sam Cooke to the Red Hot Chili Peppers… Let me spotlight one of his solo numbers:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
