Cozy Powell
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Colin Flooks (December 29, 1947 - April 5, 1998), better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer.
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[edit] Career History
‘Cozy’ Powell (real name Colin Flooks- the Cozy nickname came from famous jazz drummer Cozy Cole) was born in Cirencester in 1947, and started playing drums in the school orchestra, thereafter playing along in his spare time to popular singles of the day.
The semi-professional circuit was next with semi-pro outfit The Sorcerers, a vocal harmony pop bands. The late nights and usual on-the-road exploits began to effect his education, and Powell left to take an office job in order to finance the purchase of his first set of Premier drums. The Sorcerers performed in the 60's German club scene.
By 1968 the band had returned to England, basing themselves around Birmingham. Cozy struck up friendships with fellow musicians like Robert Plant and John Bonham (both at the time unknowns in Listen), future Slade vocalist Noddy Holder, bassist Dave Pegg and a young guitarist called Tony Iommi. The Sorcerers now became Youngblood, and a series of singles were released in late 1968-69. The group then linked up with the Move bassist/singer Ace Kefford to form The Ace Kefford Stand. Powell also began session work. Cozy with fellow Sorceres Dave and Dennis Ball formed Big Bertha.
Powell also worked briefly with soul star Tony Joe White. Cozy then landed the then highly prestigious drumming job with guitar icon Jeff Beck in April 1970. After the recording of two albums, ‘Rough and Ready’ (October 1971) and ‘The Jeff Beck Group’ (July 1972), the band fell apart.
By late 1972 Cozy had joined up with the Ball brothers again and with singer Frank Aiello formed Bedlam One eponymous album was produced for Chrysalis Records (CHR1048) and released in August 1973. Powell also busied himself with extracurricular activities. Beck’s studio producer had been impresario Mickie Most and Powell soon found himself drafted into many a session for artists signed to Most’s RAK label, including Julie Felix, Hot Chocolate, Donovan and Suzi Quatro.
Around this period Most managed to persuade Cozy to record an instrumental solo single. ‘Dance With the Devil’ became a smash and reached number 3 in the UK singles chart during January of 1974. The track served to inspire a whole generation of youngsters to take up the drums. ‘
To cash in on his chart success the drummer formed Cozy Powell’s Hammer in April 1974.
Powell had another passion in life - a fascination with fast cars and motorbikes, and raced for Hitachi on the UK saloon car circuit for a few months.
In 1976 he joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, the band for which he is probably best remembered.
In 1980, when Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died, Cozy was considered by the band as a possible replacement for Bonham. The band decided against it and disbanded.
Cozy made headlines when he appeared on the BBC children's programme Record Breakers where he set a world record for being the world's fastest drummer live on television.
On August 16, 1980, Rainbow headlined the first ever Monsters of Rock show at Castle Donington, England. Following the success of the event (which in turn followed the success of Rainbow's 1979 Down to Earth LP from which singles Since You Been Gone and All Night Long are taken), Powell left Rainbow along with vocalist Graham Bonnet to start work on Bonnet's new project called Graham Bonnet & the Hooligans, their most notable single being Night Games (1981). Powell then performed with a number of major bands - Michael Schenker Group from 1981 to 1982, Whitesnake from 1982 to 1984, then with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake in 1986 as a member of Emerson, Lake & Powell, Gary Moore in 1989, then Black Sabbath intermittently from 1989 to 1991, and again from 1993 - 1995.
Cozy along with Neil Murray (fellow ex-member of Cozy Powell's Hammer, Whitesnake, Gary Moore and Black Sabbath) were members of the Brian May Band, playing on the Back To The Light and Another World albums. They were due to start touring with the band in the Autumn of 1998. The duo also served a spell with returning blues legend Peter Green in the mid nineties.
[edit] Cozy's Death
Cozy Powell died on April 5, 1998 following a car crash, driving his Saab 9000 in bad weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol, while talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone. He had returned to the studio shortly before his death to record with ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green. By that time, he had been the drummer on at least 66 albums with minor contributions on many other recordings. It was generally felt that Powell's death was a great loss to the world of popular music. Countless rock-based drummers have cited Cozy Powell as an influence.
[edit] Equipment Information
Drum set ups through his career included; 1977-78 (with Rainbow): Ludwig red sparkle: Two 26-inch bass drums with Premier 250 pedals, two 14-inch racked tom-toms, two 16-inch floor toms. 6-inch metal symphonic snare. Cymbals (All Paiste): 24-inch ride (formula 602), 18-inch china, 18-inch crash-ride, 20-inch ride, 18-inch crash, two 16-inch crashes, 6-inch splash and a 15-inch hi-hat. Ludwig 35 sticks.
Circa 1983 (with Whitesnake): Yamaha custom in natural wood finish: Two 26-inch bass drums, two 15-inch racked tom-toms, an 18-inch floor tom and a 20-inch floor tom. 6-inch metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 2000 series): 24-inch ride, 18-inch china, 20-inch crash-ride, 20-inch crash,18-inch crash, 6-inch splash and a 15-inch hi-hat.
1989 (when in Black Sabbath): Yamaha 9000 series custom in black and silver: Two 26-inch bass drums, four racked tom-toms: a 16 x 6-inch, 18 x 8-inch, 13 x 9-inch and a 14 x 10-inch. An 18-inch and a 20-inch floor tom. 6-inch metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 3000 series): 24-inch ride, 18-inch china, 20-inch crash-ride, 20-inch crash, 18-inch crash, 6-inch splash and a 15-inch hi-hat and a 36-inch gong.
[edit] Current Releases
In October 2005, Cozy made a "new" appearance on an album. Former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin released a studio album (Scream), and on it is a track named "Raising Hell". This was a track that Cozy had recorded the drum track for back when he and Tony were in Hammer in 1992, and gave to Tony for "future use". There are apparently as many as 19 additional drum tracks also recorded that could turn up in the future. Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton has also released material recorded before Cozy's death on the 2005 solo collection 'Edge of the World'..
[edit] Discography & Appearances
- Rough & Ready - Jeff Beck Group (1971)
- Clowns - Ed Welch (1971)
- Jeff Beck Group - Jeff Beck Group (1972)
- A Writer of Songs - Harvey Andrews (1972)
- Clotho's Web - Julie Felix (1972)
- Cosmic Wheels - Donovan (1973)
- Bedlam - Bedlam (1973)
- You And Me - Chick Churchill (1973)
- Nigel Lived - Murray Head (1973)
- First of the Big Bands - Tony Ashton / Jon Lord (1974)
- Peter & The Wolf - Various (1975)
- Every Word You Say - Peter Sarstedt (1975)
- The First Starring Role - Bob Sargeant (1975)
- Rising - Rainbow (1976)
- Fourteen Greatest Hits - Hot Chocolate (1976)
- On Stage - Rainbow (1977)
- Long Live Rock 'n' Roll - Rainbow (1978)
- Down to Earth - Rainbow (1979)
- Over the Top - Cozy Powell (1979)
- And About Time Too - Bernie Marsden (1979)
- Monsters of Rock - Rainbow (1980)
- Look At Me Now - Bernie Marsden (1981)
- Tilt - Cozy Powell (1981)
- M.S.G. - Michael Schenker Group (1981)
- Line Up - Graham Bonnet (1981)
- One Night at the Budokan - Michael Schenker Group (1982)
- Before I Forget - Jon Lord (1982)
- Pictures At Eleven - Robert Plant (1982)
- Octopuss - Cozy Powell (1983)
- Slide It In - Whitesnake (1984)
- Phenomena - Phenomena (1985)
- Under a Raging Moon - Roger Daltrey (1985)
- Finyl Vinyl - Rainbow (1986)
- Emerson, Lake & Powell - Emerson, Lake & Powell (1986)
- Who the Am Dam - Boys Don't Cry (1987)
- Sanne Salomonsen - Sanne Salomonsen (1987)
- Triumph & Agony - Warlock (1987)
- Forcefield I - Forcefield (1987)
- Super Drumming - Pete York / Cozy Powell (1987)
- Long Cold Winter - Cinderella (1988)
- Southern Region Breakdown - James Darby (1988)
- K.2. - Don Airey (1988)
- Forcefield II - Forcefield (1988)
- After the War - Gary Moore (1989)
- Headless Cross - Black Sabbath (1989)
- Timewatch - Minute By Minute (1989)
- To Oz And Back (Forcefield III) - Forcefield (1989)
- Live in Germany 1976 - Rainbow (1990)
- Tyr - Black Sabbath (1990)
- Let the Wild Run Free (Forcefield IV) - Forcefield (1991)
- The Connoisseur Collection Vol II - Ritchie Blackmore (1991)
- The Drums are Back - Cozy Powell (1992)
- Instrumentals - Forcefield (1992)
- Back To The Light - Brian May (1993)
- Live at Brixton Academy - Brian May (1994)
- Forbidden - Black Sabbath (1995)
- The Music of Jimi Hendrix - Various (1995)
- The Sabbath Stones - Black Sabbath (1996)
- Baptizm of Fire - Glenn Tipton (1997)
- The Best of Cozy Powell - Cozy Powell (1997)
- Peter Green Splinter Group - Peter Green Splinter Group (1997)
- SAS Band - S.A.S. Band (1997)
- Facing the Animal - Yngwie Malmsteen (1997)
- Another World - Brian May (1998)
- Twin Oaks/Especially For You - Cozy Powell (1999)
- Scream - Tony Martin (2005)
- Edge of the World - Tipton, Entwistle & Powell (2006)
[edit] External link
| Whitesnake |
| Members |
|---|
| David Coverdale - Doug Aldrich - Reb Beach - Uriah Duffy - Tommy Aldridge - Timothy Drury |
| Former members: Jon Lord - Dave Dowle -Warren DeMartini- Ian Paice - Cozy Powell - Denny Carmassi - Aynsley Dunbar - Neil Murray - Rudy Sarzo |
| Bernie Marsden - Mel Galley - Micky Moody - John Sykes - Adrian Vandenberg - Vivian Campbell - Steve Vai - Warren DeMartini - Marco Mendoza |
| Discography |
|
Studio albums: Snakebite - Trouble - Lovehunter - Ready an' Willing - Come an' Get It - Saints & Sinners - Slide It In - Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue - Restless Heart - |
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Live albums: Live...In the Heart of the City - Starkers in Tokyo - Live: In The Shadow Of The Blues |
