Strand Ventures, Inc. Presents
Carl Palmer Band
Carl Palmer is a drummer’s drummer. A consummate professional, a brilliant technician and a dynamic showman, he has thrilled listeners and audiences alike for nearly four decades with some of music’s most memorable bands including Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Along the way his dazzling speed and mastery of the drums, combined with his infectious stage personality, have secured for him a respected place in history as one of Rock and Roll’s greatest drummers.
Already a respected working drummer by 16, Palmer moved on to join Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds which also featured guitar great Albert Lee (later with Eric Clapton, Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Bill Wyman & the Rhythm Kings) and keyboardist Dave Greenslade (later in Colosseum). Pete Solley would eventually replace Greenslade in the band. Recalls Palmer, “yeah that was a blues band, a soul band with saxophones and everything. At the time, we were produced by none other than Mick Jagger.” It was Jagger who had originally discovered Farlowe. With Palmer in the band the Thunderbirds enjoyed moderate success with the single "My Way of Giving” but it was the Rolling Stones cover “Out Of Time” which propelled Farlowe to the top of the UK charts.
It was with Atomic Rooster that Carl Palmer enjoyed his first real success as a founding member of a band. Media and fans alike immediately embraced Crane, Palmer and bassist/vocalist Nick Graham as the late 60’s progressive rock scene was thriving. Their debut album, Atomic Rooster, hit number 49 in the U.K., and they enjoyed success with the singles “Tomorrow Night” and “Devil's Answers.” All the while, fueled by his brilliant drum solos, Palmer’s reputation grew as a drummer with phenomenal skill and dizzying speed.
In the spring of 1970, Carl Palmer received a phone call that changed his life forever. Keyboard virtuoso Keith Emerson, himself enjoying Top 10 U.K. success with The Nice, was forming a new band with King Crimson founder Greg Lake who had also just experienced real success with his band’s legendary “In The Court Of The Crimson King”. After trying out several drummers, including Mitch Mitchell, the two wanted Palmer to audition for a spot in the new trio but Palmer was uncertain if he wanted to leave the growing success of Atomic Rooster behind. Reluctantly, he agreed to meet and rehearse with the band and thank God he did.
The trio's first rehearsal mostly featured Nice and King Crimson standards, including "Rondo" and "21st Century Schizoid Man”, and all three musicians describe it as a “magical feeling” when they first played together. The session blew everyone away and Palmer was offered the job right there on the spot. Still not convinced however, he told Emerson and Lake that he would need to think it over. Returning the next day to another brilliant rehearsal, Carl Palmer accepted the invitation and joined the band.
Immediately dubbed a “supergroup” by the media, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) entered the musical arena with great expectations. In August of 1970, while they were still working on the tracks that would eventually form their first album, ELP played its first show at Plymouth, and moved on immediately to the legendary Isle of Wight Festival. Following their set, which included an explosive version of “Pictures At An Exhibition” (complete with cannons), the fallout was massive. Said Palmer of the festival, “I don’t recall how well we played. All I know is that we went down incredibly well.” Even that may have been an understatement. Perhaps signaling the path of the band itself, critical acclaim was monumental and overnight the band was thrust down the path to superstardom.
Looking for new horizons beyond ELP Carl Palmer formed his own band, PM, for which he recruited vocalist Todd Cochran from the band Automatic Man and blues guitarist John Nitzinger, along with Erik Scott and Barry Finnerty. The band, an attempt at Top 40-style rock, released one album, entitled 1:PM, which was released in 1980 in Europe only. Success eluded the album and the band, which broke up shortly thereafter.
Opportunity knocked again for Carl Palmer when manager Brian Lane approached him in 1981. Lane was trying to put together a supergroup concept for Geffen records and, reportedly, one of his first attempts brought together Palmer along with bassist/vocalist John Wetton (U.K., King Crimson), Rick Wakeman (Yes) and guitar ace Trevor Rabin (Rabbit, Manfred Mann and later Yes). A deal with Geffen is said to have fallen through when Wakeman bailed. Still intent on his idea of a supergroup, Lane introduced John Wetton to Yes axeman Steve Howe. When that musical fit seemed right Lane brought in Palmer and keyboardist Geoff Downes (The Buggles, Yes) filled out the lineup. The group Asia was born.
In 1988 the chance came for Carl Palmer to team up once again with Keith Emerson in a new group with California-based singer/bassist Robert Berry. 3, as they were called, released their only album, To The Power Of Three, on Geffen records. Though the group received respectable FM airplay and followed with a successful club tour, their release generated little interest and they disbanded early in 1989.
Later in 1989 the Asia banner was raised once again when an invitation play a series of stadium dates with the Beach Boys brought Carl Palmer and John Wetton back into the Asia fold along with hired guns John Young and Alan Darby. Encouraged by the reception they received, Asia arranged another tour for the fall and convinced Geoff Downes to return.
Hoping to generate interest in another Asia album the group set out on a feverish touring schedule accompanied by guitarist Pat Thrall. For the well traveled Carl Palmer it meant a return to the road and successful tours ensued in Germany, the U.K., Japan, Brazil and Russian. The Russian shows in particular represented another high in the Asia saga and were captured for posterity in the CD and video releases of Asia Live in Moscow. As Asia prepared to write a new album in 1991 John Wetton decided to leave and Carl Palmer jumped at the chance to reunite with his old mates Keith Emerson and Greg Lake in ELP.
In 1991, Carl Palmer released his much-anticipated two-disk anthology Do Ya Wanna Play, Carl. The collection showcased Palmer’s greatest recordings with ELP, Asia, Atomic Rooster plus and several rare and never-before-released tracks from every professional group had ever been in. Highlights included cuts from sessions with British rock artist Mike Oldfield, and a live track featuring Carl with his childhood idol, drum jazz icon Buddy Rich and his Orchestra. Perhaps the biggest gem for fans was the inclusion of the piece fans had been asking for since the seventies. “Concerto for Percussion” made its debut fifteen years after it had been recorded. In a 1991 interview he said, “The album has been in the works since 1976, when ELP took its hiatus to do solo projects. What came of it was the WORKS double LP, with one band side and three solo sides. It was then that I did the “Percussion Concerto.” It didn’t make it to Works, Vol. 1 or Works Vol. 2. I have always wanted to release it and now it has finally come out.”
Following more tours and clinics in 2003, Palmer released another CD. Working Live: Volume 1 captured the dynamic Palmer trio in concert and displayed for all the direction, power and originality of the band. His newest album is: Working Live: Volume 2, released in 2004 (including original material) and the band continues on a torrid touring schedule to this very day.
When asked recently what he has yet to accomplish Palmer replied, “I would still like to accomplish that great Emerson, Lake & Palmer album that I know we have still yet to make. This is still a dream, but as long as I can prove that I am getting better all the time, that to me is ultimate accomplishment.” Whether or not that reunion will ever materialize is something only EL&P can know but for now the rejuvenated Palmer is happy providing nightly thrills for fans from the stage, where he is meant to be.
A renowned showman and a musician of the highest order Palmer has entertained fans and crowds for generations and left an indelible mark on the music world. With no sign of his ever slowing down one can only assume the best is yet to come for Carl Palmer. Fans will be ever the richer for it.
Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 7pm
$26.00 (All Seats)
(Plus Service Charge)
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