If any musician, let alone drummer, seeks the deepest insight into being a team player then it's all here. Simon is the most gracious, humble and self deprecating drummer. A total giver who underplays how supremely gifted he really is. Not only as a drummer but, also as a producer. A beautiful human being!. Thank you everyone at VRP Rocks for this amazing tete - a - tete 🙏
I was hoping Simon would mention any one of the four albums he did with the amazing Hiromi Trio. The Hiromi Trio was Hiromi Uehara (keyboards), Anthony Jackson (bass) and Simon Phillips (drums).
Was hoping that Toyah live LP would make the list; it is absolutely a one of one effort. It was a glimpse of what the 80s could bring, a mash up of punk, prog, and pop delivered by a band with top chops and unrelenting energy. Simon was a massive part of that.
Agreed. Wonderful work on Warrior Rock and Changeling as well. I guess Toyah today is forgotten and not relevant, but a many of those songs on those albums had great drums. I am still trying to figure out how to play "Good morning universe".
Ian Hunter spoke of Simon Phillips as a drummer he really wanted to work with, but he was too young at the time ('75). The first Michael Schenker Group album is my fave Simon Phillips album. MSG wasn't even a band at the time, but it sounded completely like a band effort.
Man he's worked with so many legends how does he pick just 5?? I'm guessing Jeff Beck, Toto and Pete Townshend will get mentions though. Looking forward to this one!
I've saved this , .. it's great to see Simon talk about his 5 favourites , and as I'm also a Jeff Beck fan , with the vinyl album ' There and Back' which blew me away ! Is my favourite 👍💯
I enjoyed this interview so much!!! How's tricks is one of the first albums I bought as a kid, Jeff beck ditto, went to a life concert of Duncan Brown in the Netherlands. The life sound was outer-world amazing. He had a row of 12 strings electric guitars and they sounded amazing! What an amazing drummer who stayed "normal" and a very likeable person.
With such an extensive catalogue to choose from, these five are really interesting choices. I love listening to Si Phi talk about these recordings - such wonderful stories. Thank you.
So glad to hear Simon speak so highly of White City/Give Blood. I have always held that album and song in high regard and can think of few other songs which combines amazing players, fantastic production and intense forward motion, all while remaining commercially 'reachable' by the general public.
I am Always critical on this Channel poll, but when it comes to interviews and musical stories, this Channel is Simply amazing.. great job, great interview, super Deep and full of intelligence..
I've never understood why he eschews the Touch Me There album by L Shankar, which he played on. His drumming, and Mr. Zappa's production of it, is at an exceedingly high level. The album deserves a top ranking IIMHO, though Simon apparently disagrees for reasons undisclosed.
The Golden Road, from There and Back by Jeff Beck, was described by Simon as a 'ballad' but Beck also shreds on it in multiple places, and its finally soars beautifully and dramatically. Yes, it starts as a 'ballad' but morphs into so much more. A favorite of mine on the album, so glad he mentioned it.
I have just listened to the live album with Toyah. I had never heard of her, let alone of Simon having played with her. This live recording is a real drum class. High energy, melodic, punchy playing. Drum sound is amazing. His fills, octaban phrases and precision are otherwordly. I am blown away!
Nigel Glockler was a great Toyah drummer who went on to great things with Saxon… their 10 year anniversary live video from Rock City Nottingham is excellent !
He really is. I've had the pleasure of chatting with him a couple of times and he always comes across as a nice down to earth guy, with amazing stories! 👍🤘
give blood was the first song i pulled off and knew i could actually groove, changed my playing actually, i met Simon at the outdoor amphitheater in santa monica at his drum clinic in 1988, he was awesome and explained to me the rolling triplet and how to play space boogie, super nice guy to a young drummer in awe
Simon's relaxed manner, & his enthusiasm for conveying anecdotes, must have made this something of an 'interviewers dream'! That aside his inclusion of Toyah among his choices makes perfect sense! Because i think that her later material has more depth, than she has been credited with!
Simon is spot on about Beck...there are a lot of Olympians in the guitar world, athletes that can do millions of things, at amazing speed at that....but when it comes down to expression, to giving the instrument a voice which is genuinely post-modern, in other words, when it comes down to real artistry...then only a handful are left over.
Simon is such a great story teller, really brings the emotion of the event to life. Great list of albums, not heard of Duncan Browne or The Wild Places, but with both Tony Hymas and John Giblin as players, can't be bad. Will track it down. In terms of Toyah and the live album, there are 2 Live Albums from this era, "Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!" released in 1981 without Simon (Steve Bray played drums), yet future re-releases included did include tracks from later in the tour, involving Simon. The 1982 version of the Live album, called "Warrior Rock: Toyah on Tour" is all Simon. Recorded at Hammy Odeon across 2 nights (17/18 July 82) at the end of "The Changeling" tour. And, yeh, sounds amazing. There is an Old Grey Whistle Test (OGWT) video of the 24th December 1981 gig at The Theatre Royal Dury Lane. Not sure who was the set designer was, or who was in charge of TV lightning, there wasn't any, but putting Simon 12 feet up on a drum riser means any close-ups or cuts to him playing is like watching black cats in a coal cellar! Always wondered why there wasn't a follow-up to There and Back, now i know why. As Derek 'Delboy' Trotter might have said to Simon when reminiscing the Dave Gilmore incident, "you 42 carrot plonker". A classic, and typical honestly by Simon. My favorite Simon track is off the first Michael Rutherford solo album, Smallcreep's Day, "Out into the Daylight", some totally amazing double bass drum playing. First saw him play in 1969 at a school production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. The lad; not done bad.
Loved his work on Pete’s All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes along with Mark Brzezicki but neither are credited on individual tracks so I never knew who played on which song. I saw Simon giving a drum clinic in 1991 so I asked him about it and he said he didn’t remember. I ran across a video last week that featured a guy talking about his love of the Chinese Eyes album and he had the opportunity to ask Mark which songs he played on and he mentioned that Simon played drums on three of my four favorite tracks on the album (“Stop Hurting People,” “Slit Skirts,” and “Somebody Saved Me”) and the one Mark played on (“The Sea Refuses No River”), Pete told him to play like Simon on. Fantastic drummer. Got to see him play with The Who in 1989. And he’s a great human being as well.
@5:49 *Battle of Bannockburn: This battle took place on June 23-24, 1314, between the armies of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland and King Edward II of England. The Scots won a decisive victory, which is considered Robert the Bruce's greatest victory ever. Cheers!* 🤘🏼
Thanks for the Duncan Browne insight. The instrumental track referenced by Simon with his piano intro is the instrumental song Camino Real from the Wild Places album. The Streets of Fire track is also a great instrumental track though! Both albums and the Metro album are must-haves for any lover of the Simon Phillips-John Giblin team up.
I see Jon Anderson's Olias of Sunhillow on the display wall behind you. He played on his Animation album and the track on that album, the same name as its title, is stunning. Not only will the song itself move you, Simon's playing is breathtaking......
I’m so glad that the Toyah live album finally gets the praise it deserves by himself. It really is the best live powerhouse rock drumming album, but no one ever seemed to talk about it. There has just been released a new remaster version which I can’t v recommend enough.
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm about the Toyah live album! You're right, amongst the pantheon of great 'live' albums that is one that never gets a mention. It was nice to see that Simon included it in his top5!👍🤘
So glad "There and Back" made a mention, it came out in my senior year and was a huge thing n our click of musical friends, forever a monument. Also Give Blood, Pete, Simon, Dave fantastic song and performance by all.
I still love Big Country's underated The Buffalo Skinners album, where Simon temporarily replaced Mark Brzezicki, and of course they're both amazing drummers. Now i'm not saying for one moment here that he's the best guitarist ever, or better than Jeff Beck, or anything like that at all, but i do have to mention here that he will always be my fave guitarist of all time, and that is Stuart Adamson of Big Country. As a young teenager, that first time hearing him play with The Skids, that exciting, anthemic sound, that energy, was just so exciting, and of course later with with Big Country, especially on Buffalo Skinners, The Crossing, Steeltown and The Seer, so, on a selfish level i'd have loved to have heard all about Simon's time working with Stuart. Just a personal thing though, because the guys mentioned on the list are all genuinely amazing, and this is a fantastic and interesting interview, cheers.
You've found a kindred spirit here, Andy. I'm also a huge Big Country fan and Buffalo Skinners is a great record too. I did a video with Bruce Watson where he answered fans questions about that album for its 30th anniversary, its here if you'd like to watch: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--bQDC6QRia0.htmlsi=Tr0eAN319EAQHkPq Glad you enjoyed this chat with Simon, thanks for watching 👍🤘
@@VRPRocks Thank youuu, I really enjoyed watching this, it's another excellent interview by you again, and as always, it's very interesting to listen to Bruce talking about the band. Bruce has announced there will be a documentary and a new official book about Stuart, The Skids and Big Country at some point soon in the future, with contributions from people who really knew him, so i can't wait for these to appear. Thanks again! 🙂🎸🎶🤘
I love "How's tricks", nice he picked that one! I actually didn't know he played on Duncan Brownes "Streets of fire" record but had my suspicions listening to "Fauvette" numerous times since 1978; his playing has got a certain lightness to it and he's got a "sound". To me, another drummer with kind of this lightness is Brian Downey of Thin Lizzy.
She always had good bands backing her, but I can’t stand her vocals, I owned a few of her albums years ago when I was younger, but could never get past her singing, even to this day when I would see those videos with her and Fripp they started during the pandemic, I am reminded how I much I can’t stand her voice. Lol.
"love underfire" with ASIA on aqua (1992) Is lovely Simon brought a different approach to TOTO, and "tambu" Is plenty of musicianship, as well as "mindfields" and "falling in beetween" "Kings of the day" and "free" are.so Great to with ASIA on AURA (2000)
I saw simon drum with the who..in 1989 on the tommy tour..very very good..obviously completely different from moony...but totally professional..and a grand job letting roger..pete..and the ox..take the limelight..fantastic 👍 night..like his stuff with toto too...legend session drummer 👍
Excellent drummer in every aspect, regarding the Metro album I'm suprised that it doesn't get more credit + discussion here as it is a true masterpiece timeless and yet so retro, sad that they didn't reach further with this one careerwise, I love Duncan's albums as well but the Metro LP definitely stands out on it's own, I advice those of you who never heard it to check it out if you like music with quality and not a bad song on the entire album all very well written and recorded***
Think Simon played on Gary Boyle's 'Electric Glide' album in the late 70's. Some great tracks on there with brilliant drumming. Gary Moore is on two track there as well and the band really rip it up. Great fusion.
Simon has alluded (but not this time) to "jamming" with Jeff Beck and bassist Mick Karn and it being a negative experience ? He told his story at a drum clinic in the late 90's in Adelaide, Australia. Mick later told his side of the story in his book about him being out of his depth, and not having the ability to "jam", but it was Jeff's wish to hang with Mick. I love Simon's playing (his playing on Townshend's solo album are masterful), but he should have made an effort to find some common ground with Karn and maybe expanded his musical palette by "following the bassist" as an experiment. After all Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford, Yukihiro Takahashi and Steve Jansen all made amazing music with Mick.
There and Back tour watching Simon play on all the songs unlike the album where the amazing keyboardist but far weaker drummer, Jan Hammer, insisted on playing his own compositions.
Jan Hammer only player drums on track #1, Star Cycle. Simon Phillips played drums on tracks #2-7(“The Final Peace” does not have any drums). Jan played keyboards on tracks #1-3 which he wrote. Tracks #4-7 were co-written by Hymas & Phillips. Track #8 was co-written by Hymas & Beck. I saw this tour. The band was made up of JB, Tony Hymas, Simon Phillips, and Mo Foster. Jeff’s last tour using a pick. JB toured Japan only in support of the album “Flash”. Jeff is a “God” in Japan. I would know because I lived there for several years in the 1980’s. I was lucky enough to see Jeff on this 1986 tour. The band was comprised of JB, Simon Phillips, Jan Hammer, and Doug Wimbish. And when a song called for a vocalist they were handle by Jimmy Hall (who I really have nothing good to say about). From a virtuoso standpoint, this was probably Jeff’s best band but I prefer Tony Hymas over Jan Hammer. I watched Jeff play in concert with my jaw on the ground 11 times between 1980 to 2014. I consider myself very luck because of that. RIP Jeff Beck the supreme wizard of the guitar.
Neither of the late Duncan Browne's two Sire albums - The Wild Places, Streets of Fire - were produced by Simon Phillips. Browne was a wonderfully gracious and modest gentleman who would not have hesitated to credit Phillips should credit have been due. It was not. Cheers!
Simon didn't claim to have produced either of those records. He said he produced a few tracks for him later that were never released. He had the rough tapes but they were destroyed in Simons house fire which happened a few years ago
if Jack Dick Head 0:01 Bruce was a mega rockstar according to you Simon, what were Led Zeppelin members LOL !!!!!! Mega, Megs, mega, mega. mega Rock stars ???? because Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Eric Clapton didn't think much of Led Zeppelin only out of pity and jealousy to me that shows who they are as people !!!!! If Jack Bruce was a mega rockstar for his producing, where would you place Jimmy Page ????? 🤔😘😂😂😂
There’s ALWAYS this guy that leaves an utterly nonsensical comment. This is not germane to the video at all. I don’t believe anyone will affirm your ludicrous position. Why are you here? Move on, You wretched little man.
