Robin Russell
Encyclopedia
Robin Russell is an American
drummer, songwriter, and recording artist from Los Angeles, California
.
ensemble New Birth
and their instrumental counterpart, the Nite-Liters. Russell has performed with Little Richard
including the performance at "The London Rock and Roll Show
", Wembley Stadium, London, England, August 5, 1972. Russell also performed with Johnny "Guitar" Watson, disco era giant Sylvester, and has performed with a variety of artists in the Los Angeles area including Richard Berry
(composer of "Louie Louie
") and Danny Flores
(composer of "Tequila
"). Since the onset of digital recording technology in the 1980's, Russell's drums have been sampled by a number of Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B artists including Jamie Foxx
, Mariah Carey
, LL Cool J
, Big Daddy Kane
, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G.
, Fat Joe
, De La Soul
, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest
, and more. In 2001 Russell contributed liner note comments for legendary jazz/fusion drummer Billy Cobham
's Rudiments-Anthology CD, and Russell was a featured artist in the June 2010 issue of Modern Drummer
magazine. Russell periodically joins New Birth for reunion shows.
, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
, Soul Train
, The Merv Griffin Show
, Soul, and in 1975 Russell made a cameo appearance as a guest percussionist with Buddy Miles
& the Earth Rockers in an episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
. Russell's performance with Little Richard
at Wembley Stadium
was filmed, aired on television, included as part of a DVD released in 1973 as "The London Rock and Roll Show
", and released in 2001 as a CD of the same title.
, starring Paul Winfield
, where New Birth performed the song "Come On and Dream Some Paradise," and around 2006-07 a Jeep Compass
commerical was aired on television using an altered sample of New Birth's "Got to Get a Knutt", of which Russell is a co-writer.
, California's Griffith Park
, where he is known to hold sunrise-to-sunset solo drum sessions. Russell has also been a solo performer (aka "Drum Beats") at the Los Angeles Marathon
since 2004, typically drumming non-stop for hours as a source of inspiration and energy for race participants.
As New Birth
As The Nite-Liters
With Little Richard
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drummer, songwriter, and recording artist from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Career
As of September 1972, Russell is the original drummer with the rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
ensemble New Birth
New Birth (band)
New Birth is an American funk and R&B group, originally conceived in Detroit, Michigan by former Motown songwriter/producer and veteran musician Vernon Bullock, and co-founded in Louisville, Kentucky by Vernon, with former Motown songwriter/producer Harvey Fuqua, and music industry veterans, Tony...
and their instrumental counterpart, the Nite-Liters. Russell has performed with Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
including the performance at "The London Rock and Roll Show
The London Rock and Roll Show
The London Rock and Roll Show was a concert held at Wembley Stadium in London, England on August 5, 1972. It was the first ever concert held at the stadium....
", Wembley Stadium, London, England, August 5, 1972. Russell also performed with Johnny "Guitar" Watson, disco era giant Sylvester, and has performed with a variety of artists in the Los Angeles area including Richard Berry
Richard Berry
Richard Berry was an African American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles doo-wop and close harmony groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs and The Robins....
(composer of "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
") and Danny Flores
Danny Flores
Daniel Flores was the singer on his self-written song, "Tequila", an American Billboard number one hit in 1958 for The Champs....
(composer of "Tequila
Tequila (song)
"Tequila" is a 1958 Latin-flavored rock and roll song recorded by the group, the Champs. The title of the song constitutes the entirety of the lyrics, and is spoken a total of three times during the course of the song. "Tequila" became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its...
"). Since the onset of digital recording technology in the 1980's, Russell's drums have been sampled by a number of Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B artists including Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, and more. In 2001 Russell contributed liner note comments for legendary jazz/fusion drummer Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham
William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....
's Rudiments-Anthology CD, and Russell was a featured artist in the June 2010 issue of Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
magazine. Russell periodically joins New Birth for reunion shows.
Television and Film appearances
During the early and mid 1970's Russell (with New Birth and the Nite-Liters) appeared on numerous syndicated television shows including American BandstandAmerican Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert is a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated to television stations...
, Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
, The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
, Soul, and in 1975 Russell made a cameo appearance as a guest percussionist with Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles
George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...
& the Earth Rockers in an episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert is a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated to television stations...
. Russell's performance with Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
was filmed, aired on television, included as part of a DVD released in 1973 as "The London Rock and Roll Show
The London Rock and Roll Show
The London Rock and Roll Show was a concert held at Wembley Stadium in London, England on August 5, 1972. It was the first ever concert held at the stadium....
", and released in 2001 as a CD of the same title.
Movie Scores and Television Commercials
Russell's drumming can also be heard as a portion of the sound track for the 1973 action movie Gordon's WarGordon's War
Gordon's War is a 1973 action film written by Howard Friedlander and Ed Spielman, and directed by Ossie Davis. It stars Paul Winfield as Gordon Hudson.-Synopsis:...
, starring Paul Winfield
Paul Winfield
Paul Edward Winfield was an American television, film, and stage actor. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film Sounder which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Winfield also portrayed Dr....
, where New Birth performed the song "Come On and Dream Some Paradise," and around 2006-07 a Jeep Compass
Jeep Compass
The Jeep Compass is a compact crossover SUV introduced for the 2007 model year. The Jeep Compass, along with the Patriot both slot below the Jeep Wrangler as Jeep's entry-level sport utility vehicles, and is one of Jeep's first crossover SUVs....
commerical was aired on television using an altered sample of New Birth's "Got to Get a Knutt", of which Russell is a co-writer.
Drumming in the Great Outdoors
With a deep appreication for the forests and other senic wonders of mother nature, Russell has developed a passion for drumming in the great outdoors, and will frequently set up in the mountains of Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California's Griffith Park
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
, where he is known to hold sunrise-to-sunset solo drum sessions. Russell has also been a solo performer (aka "Drum Beats") at the Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon
The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986...
since 2004, typically drumming non-stop for hours as a source of inspiration and energy for race participants.
Discography
As Robin Russell- Drum Beats (CD Baby, 2004)
As New Birth
- Birth Day (RCA, 1973) US #31, US Black Albums #1
- It's Been a Long Time (RCA, 1974) US #50, US Black Albums #7
- Comin' From All Ends (RCA, 1974) US #56, US Black Albums #20
- Blind Baby (Buddah RecordsBuddah RecordsBuddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
, 1975) US #57, US Black Albums #17 - Love Potion (Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, 1976) US #168, US Black Albums #22 - Disco (RCA, 1977)
- God's Children (PNEC Records, 1998)
As The Nite-Liters
- A-Nal-Y-Sis (RCA, 1973) US Black Albums #34
With Little Richard
- The London Rock and Roll Show - CD (2001 TKO/Magnum Music)
Singles with New Birth
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Pop Singles Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Black Singles | ||
| 1973 | "I Can Understand It" | 35 | 4 |
| "Until It's Time for You to Go Until It's Time for You to Go "Until It's Time for You to Go" is a song from the 1965 album Many a Mile by Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. It was never released by her as a single, but was a UK Top 20 hit for British group The Four Pennies in 1965, and for Elvis Presley in 1972, and a US Hot 100... " |
97 | 21 | |
| 1974 | "I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal, Part I" | 88 | 46 |
| "It's Been a Long Time" | 66 | 9 | |
| "Wildflower" | 45 | 17 | |
| 1975 | "Comin' From All Ends" | - | 76 |
| "Dream Merchant Dream Merchant Dream Merchant is a R&B ballad written by Larry Weiss and Jerry Ross. The song was original recorded by Jerry Butler in 1967 as "Mr. Dream Merchant". The Jerry Butler version reached number twenty-three on the soul charts and number thirty-eight on the Hot 100.-Cover versions:*In 1975 the song... " |
36 | 1 |