Bruce Rowland (drummer)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Rowland is an English rock
drummer
best known for his memberships of The Grease Band
and folk rock
band Fairport Convention
. He is also a prolific session musician
.
, Middlesex
In 1968, he played drums on the Wynder K. Frog
album "Out of the Frying Pan", and in 1969 joined The Grease Band
, who were then Joe Cocker
's backing band. He played for Cocker's performance at the Woodstock Festival
, on Cocker's second album, Joe Cocker!
, and on the UK top ten hit single "Delta Lady".
In 1970, Cocker and the Grease Band parted company, and Rowland stayed with them for their albums "The Grease Band" (1971) and "Amazing Grease" During this period, Rowland also played session for Shawn Phillips
, Andy Mackay
, Jackie Lomax
, Gallagher and Lyle
, and others, also contributing drums to the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar
. He spent some time with Ronnie Lane
's Slim Chance, including his solo debut album, Anymore for Anymore
, and the Lane/Ronnie Wood soundtrack album Mahoney's Last Stand
before becoming a full-time sessionist.
began in 1972, a particularly turbulent year for them, during which they had three drummers. His contributions later appeared on the unreleased, but much bootleg
ged "The Manor Album".
The arrangement became more formal during the recording of Rising for the Moon
(1975), when Dave Mattacks
left the band during the recording sessions, due to differences between himself and producer Glyn Johns. Following a tour, during which roadie Paul Warren played the drums, Johns suggested Bruce Rowland as a permanent replacement for Mattacks. By the following album, Gottle O'Geer
, Rowland had become a full member of the band and his contributions extended beyond drums to keyboards and backing vocals, and this continued with the two succeeding studio albums The Bonny Bunch of Roses
and Tipplers Tales
, and the 1979 live album Farewell Farewell
. Fairport took a break apart from playing concerts between 1979 and 1985 and during this period Rowland (sometimes at the same time as Mattacks) provided drums for these performances; he appears on the live album of the 1981 reunion, Moat on the Ledge
. Rowland later quit the music business and moved to Denmark.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
best known for his memberships of The Grease Band
The Grease Band
The Grease Band was a rock band that started out as Joe Cocker's backing band. They recorded two albums in the 1970s. They are probably most widely known for their performance of The Beatles song, "With a Little Help from My Friends", with Joe Cocker at the Woodstock Festival in 1969...
and folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
. He is also a prolific session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
.
Early career
Rowland was born at Park RoyalPark Royal
Park Royal is an area in northwest London, UK. It is the largest industrial and business park in London, occupying about , and is promoted commercially by the Park Royal Partnership...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
In 1968, he played drums on the Wynder K. Frog
Mick Weaver
Mick Weaver is a session musician best known for his playing of the Hammond B3 organ and is a much respected exponent of the Blues and Funk styles.-Career:...
album "Out of the Frying Pan", and in 1969 joined The Grease Band
The Grease Band
The Grease Band was a rock band that started out as Joe Cocker's backing band. They recorded two albums in the 1970s. They are probably most widely known for their performance of The Beatles song, "With a Little Help from My Friends", with Joe Cocker at the Woodstock Festival in 1969...
, who were then Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
's backing band. He played for Cocker's performance at the Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
, on Cocker's second album, Joe Cocker!
Joe Cocker!
Joe Cocker! is a 1969 album by Joe Cocker, his second.-Track listing:# "Dear Landlord" – 3:23# "Bird on the Wire" – 4:30# "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" – 2:15...
, and on the UK top ten hit single "Delta Lady".
In 1970, Cocker and the Grease Band parted company, and Rowland stayed with them for their albums "The Grease Band" (1971) and "Amazing Grease" During this period, Rowland also played session for Shawn Phillips
Shawn Phillips
Shawn Phillips is a folk-rock musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s.Phillips has recorded twenty albums and worked with musicians including Donovan, Paul Buckmaster, J. Peter Robinson, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bernie Taupin, and many others...
, Andy Mackay
Andy Mackay
Andrew "Andy" Mackay is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founder member of the art-rock group Roxy Music....
, Jackie Lomax
Jackie Lomax
John Richard 'Jackie' Lomax is a British guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his association with George Harrison and Eric Clapton...
, Gallagher and Lyle
Gallagher and Lyle
Gallagher and Lyle was the Scottish pairing of singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle.-Career:They joined forces in 1959, initially as members of the local Largs based band, The Bluefrets. They began writing original material for the band and also wrote "Mr Heartbreak's Here Instead"...
, and others, also contributing drums to the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar (album)
Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The album musical is a musical dramatisation of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion....
. He spent some time with Ronnie Lane
Ronnie Lane
Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
's Slim Chance, including his solo debut album, Anymore for Anymore
Anymore for Anymore
Anymore for Anymore is the debut solo album by Ronnie Lane, one of the founding members of Small Faces and Faces. The recording sessions started in 1973 at his farm in Wales with his band "Slim Chance", using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio...
, and the Lane/Ronnie Wood soundtrack album Mahoney's Last Stand
Mahoney's Last Stand
Mahoney's Last Stand is an album by Ronnie Wood and Ronnie Lane - the music soundtrack for the 1972 Canadian film Mahoney's Estate starring Sam Waterston, Alexis Kanner and Maud Adams...
before becoming a full-time sessionist.
Fairport Convention years
Rowland's involvement with Fairport ConventionFairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
began in 1972, a particularly turbulent year for them, during which they had three drummers. His contributions later appeared on the unreleased, but much bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
ged "The Manor Album".
The arrangement became more formal during the recording of Rising for the Moon
Rising for the Moon
Rising for the Moon is a Fairport Convention album. It reached number 52 in the UK albums charts. This was the last Fairport album to feature Sandy Denny....
(1975), when Dave Mattacks
Dave Mattacks
Dave Mattacks is a rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician, and as a performance artist...
left the band during the recording sessions, due to differences between himself and producer Glyn Johns. Following a tour, during which roadie Paul Warren played the drums, Johns suggested Bruce Rowland as a permanent replacement for Mattacks. By the following album, Gottle O'Geer
Gottle O'Geer
Gottle O'Geer is the eleventh studio album by English folk rock band Fairport Convention...
, Rowland had become a full member of the band and his contributions extended beyond drums to keyboards and backing vocals, and this continued with the two succeeding studio albums The Bonny Bunch of Roses
The Bonny Bunch of Roses (album)
The Bonny Bunch of Roses is an album by Fairport Convention.This album had the highest number of traditional songs that Fairport had recorded since Liege and Lief. For this album, Simon Nicol returned after an absence of five years although he had contributed some guitar to the previous record,...
and Tipplers Tales
Tipplers Tales
Tipplers Tales is a 1978 album by Fairport Convention; recorded in only ten days, it was the last album the band recorded for Vertigo. Simon Nicol later wrote Dave Pegg would later say...
, and the 1979 live album Farewell Farewell
Farewell Farewell
Farewell, Farewell is a live Fairport Convention album recorded on the band's farewell tour in 1979. It is the last Fairport album to feature fiddler/mandolinist Dave Swarbrick. Tracks are drawn from three performances of the Farewell Tour during Spring 1979: at Birmingham University, Southampton...
. Fairport took a break apart from playing concerts between 1979 and 1985 and during this period Rowland (sometimes at the same time as Mattacks) provided drums for these performances; he appears on the live album of the 1981 reunion, Moat on the Ledge
Moat on the Ledge
Moat on the Ledge: Live at Broughton Castle, August '81 is a live folk rock album by Fairport Convention. The album was produced by Simon Nicol and Dave Pegg....
. Rowland later quit the music business and moved to Denmark.