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Grinding to a halt with comedy
A couple of Whitesnake related historical anecdotes.
Simon Phillips tells a story how a cup of tea and biscuits with Roger Glover led to a gig with larger than life David Coverdale on the latter’s solo album WhiteSnake:
Rudy Sarzo recalls how he was a part of the MTV-friendly era of Whitesnake, when hairspray, makeup, and spandex suddenly became important.
Thanks to Uwe on both counts.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Simon Phillips, bless him. Wonderful stories there and yes he was a busy lad at that time. A superb drummer indeed, one of my favourites. Thanks for that little trip down memory lane. The Rudy Sarzo interview was a good one too. I want my MTV……………. money for nothing and the chicks for free…………… Cheers
October 18th, 2025 at 23:33You could say that the whole Sin After Sin album is a Simon Phillips drum clinic with Judas Priest playing in the background 😆:
https://youtu.be/YmD4qZj0lNY
https://youtu.be/TddtYPOBdOg
(Also Rob’s gay coming out song which however no one at the time got – probably because practices in NYC gay bars were not yet in common awareness; even Rob hadn’t been to one, just read about them, Priest didn’t tour the US for the first time until after Sin After Sin was released.)
When I first heard those songs in the spring of 1977,
[I bought Sin After Sin immediately after NME had given both it (“aimless guitar interplay”) and the single release Diamonds & Rust (“come back Deep Purple, if all can certainly never be forgiven, it is by now at least forgotten …”) scathing, but hilarious reviews, they piqued my interest.]
my first thought was, oh wow, here is a new Ian Paice – if not even better. The drumming really stood out and the Judas Priest guys were in awe too (making young Simon a job offer, but he had already signed up with Jack Bruce).
October 19th, 2025 at 14:14Judas Priest first thing in the morning, steady on there Uwe. At least my coffee didn’t curdle, he he he. If that was Ian Gillan screaming like a banshee, my coffee was done for. As I have said before, Priest back then had such a good sound to their oeuvre, everything in check, no unnecessary distortion and over the top compression, not trying to sound bigger than they were, for want of a better description. Thanks for that. I probably didn’t hear Simon Phillips drumming until a little later than that. Pete Townshend’s Empty Glass album or even the 801 live album. Cheers.
October 19th, 2025 at 20:59The Glover production of Sin After Sin is really good,
https://youtu.be/ZT1k2jw4Nbw
(Great eloquent lyrics btw, who says I can’t be whimsical, poetic and, yes, deeply romantic?!)
especially as it was miraculously all done in very short time as he was first forced on JP by CBS, JP then revealed that they really didn’t want a producer and he graciously stepped back only to get a few weeks later a cry for help from Halford and Tipton that they were failing in the attempt to produce themselves and could he please return to save them? 😂 And Roger, being the decent human being he is, didn’t scoff or gloat, but knuckled down to it and did the salvage job for them in record time (no pun intended!). Without even getting paid as he likes to remind members of JP to this day whenever he meets them! 🤣
Ian Hill who admired Roger as a bassist was likely chuffed by his return – he was certainly never again more audible on a Judas Priest record than on Sin After Sin. Call it professional courtesy from bassist to bassist! 🤗
I think my early falling for Priest had a lot to do with Roger’s production – Martin Birch-inspired as it was, it simply sounded familiar to me, you could hear everything neatly separated and clearly. At the same time it had a commercial sheen, but not too
much, Sin After Sin’s sound is very reminiscent of how the Nazareth albums sounded Roger had produced a few years earlier.
https://youtu.be/RYsjB4_1deM
Or also his great production of a Quo single which miraculously and lamentably did not lead to him producing a full album with them:
https://youtu.be/82_jIzWHPUY
(The bass you hear on that song is played by Roger emulating Alan Lancaster’s style – Alan was in Australia when the recording was made in England so Roger stepped in uncredited.)
I really liked that “Glover production sound”.
https://youtu.be/ED9wkABemBo
October 20th, 2025 at 14:43(That Barbi’s album with Roger has still not seen a CD release is a gaping and profusely bleeding wound in the flesh of my otherwise very comprehensive DP Kölleckshün, it drives me mad not to have it.)
The 1970’s and also the 60′ were so clean and to the point in the production of popular music. It certainly was uncluttered and more genuine in its delivery, until Punk came along at least. But even punk was uncluttered compared to the 1980’s equipment and production. Not to worry, history never repeats. I remember when Alan Lancaster moved to Australia. He never went back to ole Blighty, if my memory is correct on that. Playboy records, how long did that venture last. I remember that Barbi song, a good tune. Abba commenced there too from what I just read, not for long though as a major record company quickly snapped them up. Ole Hugh eh, putting another finger in another pie, well at least attempting too. It didn’t last past 1978 apparently. Not surprising. Cheers.
October 21st, 2025 at 22:17Saw Simon with The Who in 1989, a fantastic drummer, they did a 3 and a half hour show with a slight intermission. They also did Townshend, Daltrey solo songs as well and even played Entwistle’s Too Late the Hero in the set and he played wonderfully.
October 23rd, 2025 at 02:07I never understood why The Who ceased to play with him.
October 23rd, 2025 at 12:10I think the answer was simply that Zak Starkey was closer to Keith Moon’s style, along with Moon being Zak’s so-called Godfather. I remember Zak saying that Moon gave him his enormous white Premier kit after The Who’s 1976 tour (Moon’s last before his death in 1978) shame what happened between Zak and Roger in particular in this years supposed final tour. I think the real reason was they could get Scott Devours for less money!
October 23rd, 2025 at 21:44Simon Phillips was never a member of The Who, was he? They didn’t exist as a regular touring band at that 1989 period did they? My memory of it anyway. Those Tommy shows and a few others and sidroman was incredibly fortunate to see that gig, a special one by the sound of it. Phillips then permanently joined Toto, Starkey linked with The Who as they restarted serious touring again. I do think that Starkey suited The Who more than any other drummer after Moon left the planet. As sidroman said, that link to the band from Moon. In regard to the recent drummer fiasco, from what we read Daltrey blew that big time. I watched that performance when he pulled the band up and appeared to chastise Starkey, well at least that is how it looked and it is what was in the press and was later revealed to be the case. Maybe Zak just had enough of all the drama and antics of ole Roger. Daltrey does seem to be getting a little tetchy lately, he has health issues and the band probably has gone on too long. Who know’s, no pun intended. Cheers.
October 24th, 2025 at 08:48Simon wasn’t an official member. The only ones were Townshend, Daltrey, and Entwistle. Then only Townshend and Daltrey after John died. I seem to recall that after Zak became their regular drummer in 1996’s Quadrophenia tours that he was offered full time band membership but turned it down because I believe he was drumming with Oasis as well as some other side projects. Scott Devours briefly filled in for Zak I believe it was 2013 because Zak had tendinitis or some other injury and couldn’t play. Simon Philips was on standby, but when Devours proved to be capable at an audition Philips told him he played well and got the gig.
October 24th, 2025 at 10:45To the current drama I last saw The Who in 2019 and didn’t really enjoy it, too much like a tribute band, and I’m glad I didn’t see them on this last tour, I watched a few videos on YouTube, and they really need to retire. Townshend btw said a few years back that Daltrey picks their touring musicians, and if he had his way, he’s have Simon Phillps, Pino Palladino, and Rabbit Bundrick who Roger fired for some reason back in 2011.
Zak is a fine drummer, I saw him with Oasis a few times. But he is no Simon Phillips – very few people are and there is no shame in that.
October 24th, 2025 at 13:39Townshend often says he loathes touring and playing live, he would prefer to be at home in the studio etc. A bit hard to take Pete’s word, meaning which way, does he really mean that, now days he does by the sound of it, hence the ‘goodbye’ tour in the USA. Daltrey has always seemed to be the stumbling block for Townshend to get around, at least in these later years and especially with his health issues. In 2009 Pino was on bass and Rabbit on keys, it was a high level concert, those songs delivered that way was stunning for me. That of course is without Thunder fingers Entwistle. I cannot imagine how mind blowing that would be with him there. I have the 1990’s and early 2000′ live concerts on dvd. I also taped on vhs back in 1989 that broadcast of the Tommy performance, wonderful that is and it is now also on dvd paired with the Quadrophenia concert from ’96 or thereabouts. Simon Phillips is in a league of his own, he did a really good job with The Who back then. However Zak has that Moon effect, his style that suits them better to my ears. That ‘roly poly’ slap happy approach. (drummers talk Uwe, you will get used to that talk one day). Starkey was grand in 2009. They all were. Cheers.
October 25th, 2025 at 11:06Very true Uwe, Simon is no doubt the better technical drummer, but Zak has that chaotic feel. Moon himself said “I suppose I’m adequate, but I only want to play in The Who.” Moon himself never really practiced, did drum clinics and unlike many of his fellow drummers rarely played drum solos. Moon thought soloing was boring, there is a video of him doing a solo in the mid 70’s with a Vistalite clear drum kit and he has goldfish in water in a few of the drums. Other than that, I think in The Who’s club days if the power went out then Moon would play a solo.
October 25th, 2025 at 11:45Billy Cobham once saw Moon playing up close and told him “I don’t know what the hell you’re doing but keep doing it!”
That is a classic comment from Billy Cobham, nice to hear that. Cheers
October 25th, 2025 at 22:25Fascinating interview with Simon Phillips from 2107. Plenty of history and didn’t Simon commence his drumming journey very young. At 16.15 the Deep Purple, Coverdale and Glover comments begin. Cheers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKzr65G4ULo&t=949s
November 1st, 2025 at 22:44