Bobby Graham
| Bobby Graham | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert Francis Neate |
| Born | 11 March 1940 Edmonton, North London, England |
| Died | 14 September 2009 (aged 69) |
| Occupations | Session musician, drummer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1960s–2009 |
| Website | www.bobbygraham.co.uk |
Bobby Graham (11 March 1940 – 14 September 2009) was an English session drummer, composer, arranger and record producer. Shel Talmy, who produced The Kinks, David Bowie and The Who, described Graham as "the greatest drummer the UK has ever produced."[1]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Born Robert Francis Neate at North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, North London, England, Graham became a member of The Outlaws and worked with Joe Meek.[2] He left to join work with Joe Brown in 1961.[2] Graham insisted that he was approached by Brian Epstein when it was decided to remove Pete Best from The Beatles. Graham claimed that he turned Epstein down as he was then the drummer for a much more successful band, Joe Brown and The Bruvvers, and so Epstein instead chose Ringo Starr.[3]
Graham was noted for having drummed on many group's sessions that produced hit songs out of England in the early to mid 1960s, such as The Kinks. He also claimed to have drummed on many of The Dave Clark Five hits,[4] a claim supported by music insiders such as orchestra leader/musical director/songwriter Les Reed OBE,[5] though Clark is on record as having denied this.[6]
Graham is said to have played on number one singles by The Kinks, Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield, and he himself claimed that he appeared on a total of 40 UK top five hits.[7]
Graham also toured the UK as drummer in his own jazz band.
He died of stomach cancer in September 2009.[1]
[edit] Recording credits
Graham played on over 15,000 titles,[8] including:
- "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks
- "Downtown" by Petula Clark
- "Green Green Grass of Home" by Tom Jones
- "I Only Want to Be with You" by Dusty Springfield
- "I Believe" by The Bachelors
- "Is It True?" by Brenda Lee. Produced by Mickie Most in 1964.
[edit] Literature
- Patrick Harrington: The Session Man (Broom House Publishing Ltd., 12 Nov 2004) - ISBN 0-9549142-0-1
[edit] References
- ^ a b "UK’s king of drums dies at 69". Express.co.uk. 2009-09-15. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/127349/UK-s-king-of-drums-dies-at-69. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ a b "Bobby Graham career". Bobbygraham.co.uk. http://www.bobbygraham.co.uk/bobbygraham/career.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ Herrington and Graham, The Session Man: The story of Bobby Graham, the UK's greatest session drummer, Broom House Publishing Limited, Monmouthshire, 2004 p 84-86
- ^ "Bobby Graham - the man who turned down The Beatles". Retrosellers.com. http://www.retrosellers.com/features138.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ "Tributes". Bobbygraham.co.uk. http://www.bobbygraham.co.uk/bobbygraham/tributes.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ Weinberg, Max, foreword by Bruce Springsteen, The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Great Drummers, Billboard Books, NY, 1984/1991 p. 139
- ^ "Kinks and Tom Jones drummer dies". BBC News. 2009-09-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8261473.stm. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ Herrington and Graham, The Session Man: The story of Bobby Graham, the UK's greatest session drummer, Broom House Publishing Limited, Monmouthshire, 2004 p 9
