Mick Avory
Encyclopedia
Michael Charles "Mick" Avory (born 15 February 1944, East Molesey
, Surrey
) is an English
musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the British rock band, The Kinks
, joining them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remaining with them until 1984, when he left amid creative friction with guitarist Dave Davies
. He is the longest-serving member of the band, beside the Davies brothers.
While not as flamboyant as other drummers of the period, such as Keith Moon
or John Bonham
, Avory is a talented and precise drummer and percussionist. He was largely influenced by jazz drummers like Art Blakey
, Max Roach
, Joe Morello
and Shelly Manne
. Although he is overlooked in the context of the band, his contribution to The Kinks' sound is unquestionable. Ray Davies said of him: "Mick had an important sound. Mick wasn't a great drummer, but he was a jazz drummer -- same school, same era as Charlie Watts
." He is mostly thought of as an expert back-up performer, known for his fluid jazz drumming and efficient steadiness.
. However he did not play at their first show at The Marquee Club on 12 July 1962. Tony Chapman
was the first Stones drummer. Charlie Watts
joined the Stones in January 1963.
) commonly did not feature Avory on drums; producer Shel Talmy
hired more seasoned session drummers (most notably Clem Cattini
and Bobby Graham
) for studio work well into 1965, but with Avory often providing supporting percussion. After the summer of 1965 Mick played drums on the vast majority of Kinks recordings. The first album to feature his drumming was Kinda Kinks
, though his most brilliant moments would come on the albums Village Green Preservation Society
and Arthur
.
Avory was always considered the quietest and most easy-going member of The Kinks lineup and was Ray Davies's best friend. However, his turbulent working relationship with guitarist Dave Davies
resulted in many legendary onstage fights. In the most notorious (and widely mis-reported) incident, at the Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, South Wales, in 1965, Avory hit Davies with his drum pedal (not the cymbal stand, which, according to later interviews with Avory "would have decapitated him"), in reprisal for Davies kicking over his drum kit as revenge for a drunken fight the previous night in Taunton, apparently won by Mick. He then fled into hiding for days to avoid arrest for Grievous Bodily Harm. On other occasions, fuming, he would hurl his drumsticks at Dave.
Ultimately, the relationship between Avory and the younger Davies brother deteriorated to the point where Avory left the band. By agreement with Ray Davies, he ceased performing and recording with the band in 1984, but accepted an invitation to manage Konk Studios, where the band and the Davies brothers record most of their records - a position he has held ever since.
Ray explained the situation: Avory was replaced by Bob Henrit
, former drummer with Unit 4 + 2
and Argent
.
Later on, it would seem that Dave Davies and Avory settled their differences, as Avory subsequently played the drums on "Rock 'N' Roll Cities", a track on the Think Visual
album written by Dave Davies. Avory was asked to rejoin by Ray Davies, but he declined as he wanted a rest from the non-stop touring, working and performing schedule of two decades.
, along with John Dalton
, Dave Clarke
(no relation to the Dave Clark of "The Dave Clark Five
"), and John Gosling
. He has performed with them ever since.
In the 90s, he also formed Shut Up Frank with Dave Clarke
, Noel Redding
and Dave Rowberry
of The Animals. They toured extensively and recorded several albums, which are still available on Mouse Records.
Avory was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 1990 and the UK Music Hall of Fame
in 2005, with original bassist Pete Quaife
and the Davies brothers.
By April 2004 at the request of The Animals
, who were about to do their 40th anniversary tour, Chip Hawkes (formerly of The Tremeloes
) was asked to form a band to tour along with them. This he did and brought together a true beat-era supergroup. The band features former original members of British '60s groups, including Avory, Eric Haydock
(The Hollies
) and Hawkes, who have now combined to perform as The Class of 64 (referring to the actual year the British Invasion
took America by storm), also featuring guitarists 'Telecaster Ted' Tomlin and Graham Pollock. The band have toured around the world, and have recorded an album of their former bands' hits.
In 2007 Avory left The Class of 64 and, with other former 64 members Haydock, Pollock, Tomlin, formed a new band called The Legends of the Sixties, which also features Martin Lyon. Avory made a special guest appearance onstage at Ray Davies' Royal Albert Hall
performance on 10 May 2007. He played tambourine. Also guesting was Ian Gibbons
, the former longtime Kinks keyboard player.
Avory also currently plays in The '60s All Stars' band, featuring members of successful British 1960s groups: John Dee (The Foundations), Alan Lovell (The Swinging Blue Jeans) and Derek Mandell (The George Harrison Band). The band can be seen playing regularly at the Cardinal Wolsey pub in Hampton Court in Avory's native East Molesey, Surrey. Avory was selected to pick up the sticks for From The Jam following Rick Buckler
's departure and will be touring with them in December 2009.
East Molesey
Molesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the British rock band, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, joining them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remaining with them until 1984, when he left amid creative friction with guitarist Dave Davies
Dave Davies
David Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
. He is the longest-serving member of the band, beside the Davies brothers.
While not as flamboyant as other drummers of the period, such as Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
or John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, Avory is a talented and precise drummer and percussionist. He was largely influenced by jazz drummers like Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
, Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
, Joe Morello
Joe Morello
Joseph Albert Morello was a jazz drummer best known for his 12½-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet. He was frequently noted for playing in the unusual time signatures employed by that group in such pieces as "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk"...
and Shelly Manne
Shelly Manne
Shelly Manne , born Sheldon Manne in New York City, was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, swing, bebop, avant-garde jazz and fusion, as well as contributing...
. Although he is overlooked in the context of the band, his contribution to The Kinks' sound is unquestionable. Ray Davies said of him: "Mick had an important sound. Mick wasn't a great drummer, but he was a jazz drummer -- same school, same era as Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
." He is mostly thought of as an expert back-up performer, known for his fluid jazz drumming and efficient steadiness.
Before the band (1962-1963)
Before he joined The Kinks, Avory was asked twice to rehearse on drums at the Bricklayers Arms pub in London during late May/early June 1962 for a group of musicians who were later to become The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. However he did not play at their first show at The Marquee Club on 12 July 1962. Tony Chapman
Tony Chapman
Anthony 'Tony' Chapman was a British drummer, especially active during the 1960s. He played with an early line-up of The Rolling Stones before they settled on their permanent band members...
was the first Stones drummer. Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
joined the Stones in January 1963.
The Kinks (1964-1984)
Avory joined The Kinks in January 1964, after their previous drummer Micky Willet left the band. Avory was hired to replace him after their management saw an advertisement Avory had placed in the trade magazine Melody Maker. Despite his ability, early Kinks recordings (including hits such as You Really Got MeYou Really Got Me
"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
) commonly did not feature Avory on drums; producer Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy is an American record producer, songwriter, arranger best known for his work in London with The Who and The Kinks in the 1960s, with a role in many other English bands including Cat Stevens and Pentangle...
hired more seasoned session drummers (most notably Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
and Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham 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."...
) for studio work well into 1965, but with Avory often providing supporting percussion. After the summer of 1965 Mick played drums on the vast majority of Kinks recordings. The first album to feature his drumming was Kinda Kinks
Kinda Kinks
Allmusic wrote that the album was uneven, but that "...what was first-rate was also highly memorable, and what wasn't also wasn't bad." They also made note of some maturing in Ray Davies's songwriting.-Side 1:# "Look for Me Baby" – 2:17...
, though his most brilliant moments would come on the albums Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Kinks, released in November 1968. It was the last album by the original quartet, as bassist Pete Quaife left the group in early 1969...
and Arthur
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Arthur is the seventh studio album by English rock band The Kinks, released in October 1969. Kinks frontman Ray Davies constructed the concept album as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play and developed the storyline with novelist Julian Mitchell; however, the television programme was...
.
Avory was always considered the quietest and most easy-going member of The Kinks lineup and was Ray Davies's best friend. However, his turbulent working relationship with guitarist Dave Davies
Dave Davies
David Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
resulted in many legendary onstage fights. In the most notorious (and widely mis-reported) incident, at the Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, South Wales, in 1965, Avory hit Davies with his drum pedal (not the cymbal stand, which, according to later interviews with Avory "would have decapitated him"), in reprisal for Davies kicking over his drum kit as revenge for a drunken fight the previous night in Taunton, apparently won by Mick. He then fled into hiding for days to avoid arrest for Grievous Bodily Harm. On other occasions, fuming, he would hurl his drumsticks at Dave.
Ultimately, the relationship between Avory and the younger Davies brother deteriorated to the point where Avory left the band. By agreement with Ray Davies, he ceased performing and recording with the band in 1984, but accepted an invitation to manage Konk Studios, where the band and the Davies brothers record most of their records - a position he has held ever since.
Ray explained the situation: Avory was replaced by Bob Henrit
Bob Henrit
Bob Henrit is an English drummer who has been a member of several musical groups, including Buster Meikle & The Daybreakers, The Hunters, Unit 4 + 2, The Roulettes, Argent and The Kinks....
, former drummer with Unit 4 + 2
Unit 4 + 2
Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band, who had a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.-Early days:...
and Argent
Argent (band)
Argent are an English rock band founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of The Zombies.-Career:The first three demos from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod on bass guitar though he was not meant to become a member of the group.Original members of the band were...
.
Later on, it would seem that Dave Davies and Avory settled their differences, as Avory subsequently played the drums on "Rock 'N' Roll Cities", a track on the Think Visual
Think Visual
Think Visual is an album by English rock band, The Kinks, released in 1986.-Track listing:All songs by Ray Davies, except as noted.#"Working at the Factory" – 2:58#"Lost and Found" – 5:19#"Repetition" – 4:06#"Welcome to Sleazy Town" – 3:50...
album written by Dave Davies. Avory was asked to rejoin by Ray Davies, but he declined as he wanted a rest from the non-stop touring, working and performing schedule of two decades.
Current work (1985-present)
After the band stopped working in 1996, he started playing with The Kast Off KinksThe Kast Off Kinks
The Kast Off Kinks are a band composed of members formerly in the British Invasion band The Kinks. They mostly tour Europe and attend reunion for fans and for charity, such as the Leukemia Research Fund...
, along with John Dalton
John Dalton (musician)
John Dalton is a British bass guitar player, best known as a member of The Kinks' from 1969 to 1976, replacing original member Pete Quaife.- Biography :...
, Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke (musician)
Dave Clarke is a singer, guitarist and keyboard player.-Biography:Clarke started playing piano at the age of 4 and guitar at 9. His first record in 1963 was produced by Luigi Creatore at New York’s Roulette Records. Often confused with his Dave Clark Five namesake, his 1971 solo album Pale Horse...
(no relation to the Dave Clark of "The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
"), and John Gosling
John Gosling
not to be confused with John Gostling John Gosling , is an English classically trained organist and pianist....
. He has performed with them ever since.
In the 90s, he also formed Shut Up Frank with Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke (musician)
Dave Clarke is a singer, guitarist and keyboard player.-Biography:Clarke started playing piano at the age of 4 and guitar at 9. His first record in 1963 was produced by Luigi Creatore at New York’s Roulette Records. Often confused with his Dave Clark Five namesake, his 1971 solo album Pale Horse...
, Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
and Dave Rowberry
Dave Rowberry
Dave Rowberry was an English piano and organ player, most known for being a member of the rock and R&B group The Animals in the 1960s....
of The Animals. They toured extensively and recorded several albums, which are still available on Mouse Records.
Avory was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 1990 and the UK Music Hall of Fame
UK Music Hall of Fame
The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The Hall of Fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five more members selected by a public televote, two from each...
in 2005, with original bassist Pete Quaife
Pete Quaife
Peter Alexander Greenlaw "Pete" Quaife was an English musician, artist and author. He was a founding member and the original bass guitarist for The Kinks, from 1963 until 1969....
and the Davies brothers.
By April 2004 at the request of The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
, who were about to do their 40th anniversary tour, Chip Hawkes (formerly of The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
) was asked to form a band to tour along with them. This he did and brought together a true beat-era supergroup. The band features former original members of British '60s groups, including Avory, Eric Haydock
Eric Haydock
Eric Haydock was the original bass guitarist with The Hollies from December 1962 until 1966. Although considered a great bassist, he was replaced in 1966 by Bernie Calvert, after disputes related to the conduct of the band's managers.-External links:*...
(The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
) and Hawkes, who have now combined to perform as The Class of 64 (referring to the actual year the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
took America by storm), also featuring guitarists 'Telecaster Ted' Tomlin and Graham Pollock. The band have toured around the world, and have recorded an album of their former bands' hits.
In 2007 Avory left The Class of 64 and, with other former 64 members Haydock, Pollock, Tomlin, formed a new band called The Legends of the Sixties, which also features Martin Lyon. Avory made a special guest appearance onstage at Ray Davies' Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
performance on 10 May 2007. He played tambourine. Also guesting was Ian Gibbons
Ian Gibbons
Ian Gibbons is an English keyboardist, most notable for playing with The Kinks.Gibbons began playing the accordion at the age 9, playing in the school band, and solo at music festivals, competitions and charity events. At the age of 14, he started a school rock band, playing guitar and singing...
, the former longtime Kinks keyboard player.
Avory also currently plays in The '60s All Stars' band, featuring members of successful British 1960s groups: John Dee (The Foundations), Alan Lovell (The Swinging Blue Jeans) and Derek Mandell (The George Harrison Band). The band can be seen playing regularly at the Cardinal Wolsey pub in Hampton Court in Avory's native East Molesey, Surrey. Avory was selected to pick up the sticks for From The Jam following Rick Buckler
Rick Buckler
Rick Buckler , is the former drummer of The Jam, an English rock band that enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom from 1977 until disbanding in 1982...
's departure and will be touring with them in December 2009.