Ray Cooper
Encyclopedia
Ray Cooper is an English
musician
. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison
, Billy Joel
, Eric Clapton
, and Elton John
. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow musicians as one of the greatest rock percussionists of all time. He is also regarded as one of the finest practitioners of the in-concert percussion and drum solo. Cooper absorbed the influence of rock drummers from the 1960s and 1970s such as Ginger Baker
, Carmine Appice, and John Bonham. Incorporation of unusual instruments (for rock drummers of the time) such as cowbells, glockenspiel, and tubular bells, along with several standard kit elements, helped create a highly varied setup. Continually modified to this day, Cooper's percussion set offers an enormous array of percussion instruments for sonic diversity such as the crash cymbals, tambourine, congas, bongo's, cowbells, tubular bells, toms, the gong, and tambourine. For two decades Cooper honed his technique; In the 1990s, he reinvented his style. He is known for the 7 minute percussion and drum solos he performed during the years 1990-1991 for Eric Clapton and for the 7 minute percussion and drum solos during the year 1994 during all the Face to Face Tours with Billy Joel, and Elton John, and the tours with the Elton John band during the years of 1994-1995.
, Hertfordshire
. Most notable is his work with Elton John, with whom he played on every album.
Cooper had a short stint with The Rolling Stones
playing percussion for their 1974 It's Only Rock'n Roll
album. Later in that decade he recorded with George Harrison, Wings
and Art Garfunkel
. Since then he has recorded with over ten musicians.
In the late 1970s Cooper toured with Elton John as a duo in which Elton would play a solo set and then be joined by Cooper on percussion for the second half of the concerts. The tour included concerts in Russia (1979), and in the course of the tour Cooper became a massive favourite with Elton John fans for his expressive energy and his incredible solos that he does. Fans always show up with signs for Cooper at every concert. The success of the "Solo" tour with Elton John was repeated in 1993-1994 when he and Elton John brought their two man show to a new generation in the United States. During that time, Cooper was also featured as part of a Disney Channel
concert telecast, A Special Evening With Elton John, recorded September 1994 at the Greek Theatre
in Los Angeles. Most recently, Cooper reunited with Elton John in the autumn of 2009, with a series of shows in France and Italy. Some of the earliest dates were as follows: September 24: Nantes Zenith de Paris, September 26: Amneville Le Galaxie, September 27: Grenoble Palais Des Sports
, September 29: Milan Mediolanum Forum, September 30: Toulouse Zenith and October 2: Palais des congrès de Paris
. (Note: this is an incomplete list).
Ray Cooper's relationship with the Rolling Stones continued into the 1980s. In 1981, Cooper contributed to Bill Wyman
's third solo album. In 1983, he participated in a short tour for the Ronnie Lane
ARMS Charity Concert
along with Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page
, Jeff Beck
and other stars (including Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts
). Cooper showed up on Christine McVie
's self-titled solo album in 1984. In 1985, Cooper appeared on both Mick Jagger
's She's the Boss
album and Bill Wyman's Willie & The Poor Boys. In 1997, he guested this time, with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
for Struttin' Our Stuff.
He is notable for his intense, hard-working percussion and drum solos for Eric Clapton (1990), Elton John (1994–1995), in the 1992 Eric Clapton Unplugged
performance as well as playing in the 2002 Concert for George
, a tribute to deceased former Beatle
George Harrison (he also served as a producer of the film). In 1997 he performed at the Music for Montserrat concert and can be seen in the DVD of the event. He also contributed to the tribute concert for Jim Capaldi
in January 2007.
s, playing small roles such as the preacher in Robert Altman
's feature film Popeye
(1980) starring Robin Williams
and Shelley Duvall
. He has also produced and performed music in several of Terry Gilliam
's productions, appearing on-screen in quirky roles like the technician who swats the beetle at the beginning of Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil
and as the functionary whispering in the ear of Jonathan Pryce
's Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson character in 1989's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
. He also appeared in the "Concert for Cascara" in the 1985 film Water
.
He also worked on Katie Melua
's album Pictures
(2007).
The role of Albert Arthur Moxey in the hit television series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
was written for Cooper by friends Dick Clement
and Ian La Frenais
, with the character originally being conceived as an Irishman, after Cooper expressed an interest in becoming an actor. The role was however given to Christopher Fairbank
, who opted to play him as a scouser, due to Cooper being unable to make it to the audition. The character of Moxey was given only limited lines and screentime in the first series of "Pet" due to Cooper's acting inexperience.
During 1994 and 1995 Face to Face tours with Billy Joel, and during Elton John's tours in 1995, Elton John would play "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", which would then flow clearly into a solo done by Cooper on the drums and percussion. After about a 7-minute percussion/drum solo, including the ending of the solo where he would complete a "360" on the drums, and break three drum sets by repetitive, extremely fast movements, he would lead the audience in a chant, then hit the giant gong nine times while John closed his segment with "Pinball Wizard". In the 1995 "Evening With Elton John and Ray Cooper" tours the two men performed in Argentina,Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica, where Elton would perform a setlist of songs by himself and his piano, then would be joined by Cooper on percussion and drums for the second half setlist of the show.
In every tour during 1990, Eric Clapton and the band would play "Sunshine of your Love", which would then flow clearly into a short one-minute drum solo by Steve Ferrone (drummer for Clapton's band on the tour), then into a 7-minute percussion solo by Ray Cooper on the tambourine, congas, and gong. In the middle of the solo he would lead the audience into a chant lasting about a minute, then finish the solo by shredding the conga drums with his hands, and breaking the giant gong after hitting it 10 times. Then the band finished the song, ending the shows.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow musicians as one of the greatest rock percussionists of all time. He is also regarded as one of the finest practitioners of the in-concert percussion and drum solo. Cooper absorbed the influence of rock drummers from the 1960s and 1970s such as Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
, Carmine Appice, and John Bonham. Incorporation of unusual instruments (for rock drummers of the time) such as cowbells, glockenspiel, and tubular bells, along with several standard kit elements, helped create a highly varied setup. Continually modified to this day, Cooper's percussion set offers an enormous array of percussion instruments for sonic diversity such as the crash cymbals, tambourine, congas, bongo's, cowbells, tubular bells, toms, the gong, and tambourine. For two decades Cooper honed his technique; In the 1990s, he reinvented his style. He is known for the 7 minute percussion and drum solos he performed during the years 1990-1991 for Eric Clapton and for the 7 minute percussion and drum solos during the year 1994 during all the Face to Face Tours with Billy Joel, and Elton John, and the tours with the Elton John band during the years of 1994-1995.
Life and career
Cooper was born in WatfordWatford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. Most notable is his work with Elton John, with whom he played on every album.
Cooper had a short stint with The Rolling Stones
The 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...
playing percussion for their 1974 It's Only Rock'n Roll
It's Only Rock'n Roll
It's Only Rock 'n Roll is the 12th British and 14th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1974. It would be the last Rolling Stones album for guitarist Mick Taylor and the songwriting and recording of the album's title track would have a connection to Taylor's eventual...
album. Later in that decade he recorded with George Harrison, Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
and Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
. Since then he has recorded with over ten musicians.
In the late 1970s Cooper toured with Elton John as a duo in which Elton would play a solo set and then be joined by Cooper on percussion for the second half of the concerts. The tour included concerts in Russia (1979), and in the course of the tour Cooper became a massive favourite with Elton John fans for his expressive energy and his incredible solos that he does. Fans always show up with signs for Cooper at every concert. The success of the "Solo" tour with Elton John was repeated in 1993-1994 when he and Elton John brought their two man show to a new generation in the United States. During that time, Cooper was also featured as part of a Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
concert telecast, A Special Evening With Elton John, recorded September 1994 at the Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year...
in Los Angeles. Most recently, Cooper reunited with Elton John in the autumn of 2009, with a series of shows in France and Italy. Some of the earliest dates were as follows: September 24: Nantes Zenith de Paris, September 26: Amneville Le Galaxie, September 27: Grenoble Palais Des Sports
Palais des Sports (Grenoble)
Palais des Sports, known also as the Palais des sports Pierre Mendes is an indoor ice hockey arena, in Grenoble, France. It was built in 1967 and holds 12,000 people....
, September 29: Milan Mediolanum Forum, September 30: Toulouse Zenith and October 2: Palais des congrès de Paris
Palais des congrès de Paris
The Palais des congrès de Paris is a concert venue and convention centre in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. The venue was built by French architect Guillaume Gillet, and was inaugurated in 1974. Nearby the venue are Bois de Boulogne and the affluent neighbourhood of Neuilly-sur-Seine...
. (Note: this is an incomplete list).
Ray Cooper's relationship with the Rolling Stones continued into the 1980s. In 1981, Cooper contributed to Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
's third solo album. In 1983, he participated in a short tour for the 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...
ARMS Charity Concert
ARMS Charity Concert
The ARMS Charity Concerts were a series of charitable rock concerts in support of Action into Research for Multiple Sclerosis in 1983. The first event took place at the Royal Albert Hall on September 21, 1983, with subsequent dates occurring in the United States, with slightly different lineups of...
along with Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
and other stars (including Bill Wyman and 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:...
). Cooper showed up on Christine McVie
Christine McVie
Christine McVie is an English rock singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. Her primary fame came as a member of the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac, though she has also released three solo albums...
's self-titled solo album in 1984. In 1985, Cooper appeared on both Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's She's the Boss
She's the Boss
She's the Boss is the solo album debut by The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger released in 1985. When the Stones signed with CBS Records in 1983, one of the options available to them was for individual projects, and Jagger—ready to spread his wings after recording exclusively with the famous...
album and Bill Wyman's Willie & The Poor Boys. In 1997, he guested this time, with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings are a blues-rock band founded and led by former Rolling Stones bass guitarist Bill Wyman. Together with his lifelong musical partner Terry Taylor, The "Dirty Boys" duo produce, arrange and compose original material for the award winning band.The Rhythm Kings are known for...
for Struttin' Our Stuff.
He is notable for his intense, hard-working percussion and drum solos for Eric Clapton (1990), Elton John (1994–1995), in the 1992 Eric Clapton Unplugged
Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)
Unplugged is a live album by Eric Clapton released in 1992. It was recorded live in England for the MTV Unplugged series and includes both the hit single "Tears in Heaven" and a heavily reworked acoustic version of "Layla"....
performance as well as playing in the 2002 Concert for George
Concert for George
The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organized by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne...
, a tribute to deceased former Beatle
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
George Harrison (he also served as a producer of the film). In 1997 he performed at the Music for Montserrat concert and can be seen in the DVD of the event. He also contributed to the tribute concert for Jim Capaldi
Jim Capaldi
Nicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
in January 2007.
Acting roles
He has also worked in filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, playing small roles such as the preacher in Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's feature film Popeye
Popeye (film)
Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
(1980) starring Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
and Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall is an American film and television actress best known for her roles in The Shining, Popeye, Thieves Like Us and 3 Women....
. He has also produced and performed music in several of Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
's productions, appearing on-screen in quirky roles like the technician who swats the beetle at the beginning of Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil
Brazil (film)
Brazil is a 1985 British science fiction fantasy/black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It was written by Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard and stars Jonathan Pryce. The film also features Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm...
and as the functionary whispering in the ear of Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
's Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson character in 1989's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a 1988 British adventure comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, and Robin Williams.-Plot:...
. He also appeared in the "Concert for Cascara" in the 1985 film Water
Water (1985 film)
Water is a 1985 comedy film scripted by Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais, directed by Clement, and starring Michael Caine. This HandMade Films production was released in U.S. theatres in April 1986 by Atlantic Releasing.-Plot summary:...
.
He also worked on Katie Melua
Katie Melua
Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
's album Pictures
Pictures (Katie Melua album)
-Variants:The iTunes release includes a bonus track, "Under the Cherry Moon".The Japanese release also contains extra tracks, "When You Taught Me How to Dance" and "Closest Thing to Crazy "....
(2007).
The role of Albert Arthur Moxey in the hit television series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
was written for Cooper by friends Dick Clement
Dick Clement
Dick Clement, OBE is an English writer.Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, Clement was educated at Bishop's Stortford College and is best known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais. Generally, Clement and La Frenais write comedies, or dramas with a comic tone...
and Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
, with the character originally being conceived as an Irishman, after Cooper expressed an interest in becoming an actor. The role was however given to Christopher Fairbank
Christopher Fairbank
Christopher Fairbank is an English actor best known for his role as Albert Arthur Moxey in the hit comedy-drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.-Career:...
, who opted to play him as a scouser, due to Cooper being unable to make it to the audition. The character of Moxey was given only limited lines and screentime in the first series of "Pet" due to Cooper's acting inexperience.
Recent work
Cooper is also serving as Elton John's percussionist in his band, and also for a small exclusive series of shows out of the US. It will be a solo show by Elton John but with Ray Cooper on percussion also. This will be the first time since 1995 that Cooper and John have played together. This is a repeat of the show in the late 1970s that toured extensively across Europe and most notably in Russia.During 1994 and 1995 Face to Face tours with Billy Joel, and during Elton John's tours in 1995, Elton John would play "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", which would then flow clearly into a solo done by Cooper on the drums and percussion. After about a 7-minute percussion/drum solo, including the ending of the solo where he would complete a "360" on the drums, and break three drum sets by repetitive, extremely fast movements, he would lead the audience in a chant, then hit the giant gong nine times while John closed his segment with "Pinball Wizard". In the 1995 "Evening With Elton John and Ray Cooper" tours the two men performed in Argentina,Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica, where Elton would perform a setlist of songs by himself and his piano, then would be joined by Cooper on percussion and drums for the second half setlist of the show.
In every tour during 1990, Eric Clapton and the band would play "Sunshine of your Love", which would then flow clearly into a short one-minute drum solo by Steve Ferrone (drummer for Clapton's band on the tour), then into a 7-minute percussion solo by Ray Cooper on the tambourine, congas, and gong. In the middle of the solo he would lead the audience into a chant lasting about a minute, then finish the solo by shredding the conga drums with his hands, and breaking the giant gong after hitting it 10 times. Then the band finished the song, ending the shows.