Cozy Powell
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| Cozy Powell | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Colin Flooks (birthname) |
| Born | December 29, 1947 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England |
| Origin | Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | April 5, 1998 (aged 50) Bristol, England |
| Genre(s) | Rock Hard rock Heavy metal |
| Years active | 1968 - 1998 |
| Label(s) | Various |
| Associated acts | Cozy Powell's Hammer Youngblood (a.k.a. The Sorcerers) The Jeff Beck Group Rainbow Michael Schenker Group Whitesnake Emerson, Lake & Powell Black Sabbath Brian May Band Various others |
| Website | www.cozypowell.com |
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 was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, and started playing drums in the school orchestra, thereafter playing along in his spare time to popular singles of the day. The first band he was in was called the Corals, and played each week at the Youth Club in Cirencester - he was a fantastic drummer even then (aged 15) and already had worked out an impressive drum solo. The nickname 'Cozy' was borrowed from the jazz drummer Cozy Cole.
The semi-professional circuit was next, with semi-pro outfit The Sorcerers, a vocal harmony pop band. The late nights and usual on-the-road exploits began to affect 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 German club scene of the 1960s.
By 1968 the band had returned to England, basing themselves around Birmingham. Powell 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. Powell with fellow Sorcerers Dave and Dennis Ball formed Big Bertha.
Powell also played with swamp rocker Tony Joe White at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. Powell then landed the then highly prestigious drumming job with guitar icon Jeff Beck's group 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 Powell had joined up with the Ball brothers again and with singer Frank Aiello to form 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 Powell to record an instrumental solo single. ‘Dance With the Devil’ became a smash and reached number 3 in the UK singles chart during January 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. Powell, together with Blackmore, were the only constants in the band's line-up over the next five years, as Blackmore evolved the sound of the band from a neo-classical hard rock to a more commercial AOR sound. Rainbow's 1979 Down to Earth LP from which singles Since You Been Gone and All Night Long are taken)proved to be the band's most successful album thus far, although Powell was concerned over the overtly commercial sound. Powell decided to leave rainbow, although not before Rainbow headlined the first ever Monsters of Rock show at Castle Donington, England on August 16, 1980. The festival was Powell's last show.
In 1980, when Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died, Powell was one of several drummers considered by the band as a possible replacement for Bonham. The band decided against it and disbanded.
After Powell left Rainbow he worked with ex vocalist Graham Bonnet on Bonnet's new project called Graham Bonnet & the Hooligans, their most notable single being the UK top 10 single Night Games (1981), also on Bonnet's solo "Line Up" album.
Powell then performed with a number of major bands - Michael Schenker Group from 1981 to 1982, and Whitesnake from 1982 to 1984. In 1985 he started recording with Phenomena for their first album, which was released in 1986 when he joined up with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake as a member of Emerson, Lake & Powell. A stint with Gary Moore followed in 1989. His most well-known project was Black Sabbath from 1988 to 1991, and again from 1995 - 1996.
Powell 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.
Between late 1992 and early 1993, Powell put together an ocassional touring band using the old band name 'Cozy Powell's Hammer' featuring himself on drums, Neil Murray on bass, Mario Parga on guitar and Tony Martin on vocals and occasional rhythm guitar/synth module. The band performed throughout Europe and appeared on German T.V.
Powell along with Neil Murray were members of Queen guitarist Brian May's band, playing on the Back To The Light and Another World albums. Cozy played with Brian May opening for Guns N' Roses on the second American leg of their Use Your Illusion tour in 1993. The duo also served a spell with returning blues legend Peter Green in the mid nineties.
[edit] Band timeline (not including session work)
Text in bold indicates solo work
- The Sorcerers (1967-1968)
- Youngblood (1968-1969)
- The Ace Kefford Stand (1969-1970)
- Big Bertha (1970)
- The Jeff Beck Group (1970-1972)
- Bedlam (1972-1973)
- Cozy Powell (1974)
- Cozy Powell's Hammer (1974-1975)
- Rainbow (1976-1980)
- Cozy Powell (1979)
- Graham Bonnet & the Hooligans (1980-1981)
- Cozy Powell (1981)
- Michael Schenker Group (1981-1982)
- Cozy Powell (1982-1983)
- Whitesnake (1983-1984)
- Emerson, Lake & Powell (1985-1986)
- Pete York/Cozy Powell (1987)
- Black Sabbath (1988-1991)
- The Brian May Band (1991-1992)
- Cozy Powell (1992)
- Cozy Powell's Hammer (1992-1993)
- The Brian May Band (1993-1994)
- Black Sabbath (1994-1995)
- Peter Green Splinter Group (1997)
- Tipton, Entwistle and Powell (1997)
- The Brian May Band (1998)
- Peter Green Splinter Group (1998)
[edit] 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 was living at Lambourn in Berkshire at the time and had returned to the studio shortly before his death to record with Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green. By that time, he had been the drummer on at least 66 albums with minor contributions on many other recordings. Powell's death was a great loss to the world of popular music, and countless rock drummers have cited him as a major influence.
[edit] Equipment information
Drum set ups through his career included; 1977-78 (with Rainbow): Ludwig red sparkle: Two 26" bass drums with Premier 250 pedals, two 14" rack toms, two 16" floor toms. 14"x6" metal symphonic snare. Cymbals (All Paiste): 24" ride (formula 602), 18" china, 18" crash-ride, 20" ride, 18" crash, two 16" crashes, 6" splash and 15" hi-hats. Ludwig 3S sticks.
Circa 1983 (with Whitesnake): Yamaha custom in natural wood finish: Two 26" bass drums, two 15" rack toms, and 18" and 20" floor toms. 14"x6" metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 2002 series): 24" ride, 18" china, 20" crash-ride, 20" crash,18" crash, 6" splash and 15" hi-hats.
1989 (when in Black Sabbath): Yamaha 9000 series custom in black and silver: Two 26" bass drums,6"x16", 8"x18", 13"x9", and 14"x10" rack toms, 18" and 20" floor toms. 14"x6" metal snare. Cymbals (Paiste 3000 series): 24" ride, 18" china, 20" crash-ride, 20" crash, 18" crash, 6" splash, 15" hi-hats and a 36" gong.
[edit] Current releases
In October 2005 Powell 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 Powell 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 Powell's death on the 2006 solo collection 'Edge of the World'..
[edit] Discography and appearances
- Jeff Beck Group - Rough & Ready (1971)
- Ed Welch - Clowns (1971)
- Jeff Beck Group - Jeff Beck Group (1972)
- Harvey Andrews - A Writer of Songs (1972)
- Julie Felix - Clotho's Web (1972)
- Donovan - Cosmic Wheels (1973)
- Bedlam - Bedlam (1973)
- Chick Churchill - You and Me (1973)
- Murray Head - Nigel Lived (1973)
- Tony Ashton / Jon Lord - First of the Big Bands (1974)
- Various - Peter & The Wolf (1975)
- Peter Sarstedt - Every Word You Say (1975)
- Bob Sargeant - The First Starring Role (1975)
- Rainbow - Rising (1976)
- Hot Chocolate - Fourteen Greatest Hits (1976)
- Rainbow - On Stage (1977)
- Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978)
- Rainbow - Down to Earth (1979)
- Cozy Powell - Over the Top (1979)
- Bernie Marsden - And About Time Too (1979)
- Rainbow - Monsters of Rock (1980)
- Bernie Marsden - Look At Me Now (1981)
- Cozy Powell - Tilt (1981)
- Michael Schenker Group - M.S.G. (1981)
- Graham Bonnet - Line Up (1981)
- Michael Schenker Group - One Night at Budokan (1982)
- Jon Lord - Before I Forget (1982)
- Robert Plant - Pictures At Eleven (1982)
- Cozy Powell - Octopuss (1983)
- Whitesnake - Slide It In (1984)
- Phenomena - Phenomena (1985)
- Roger Daltrey - Under a Raging Moon (1985)
- Rainbow - Finyl Vinyl (1986)
- Emerson, Lake & Powell - Emerson, Lake & Powell (1986)
- Boys Don't Cry - Who the Am Dam (1987)
- Sanne Salomonsen - Sanne Salomonsen (1987)
- Warlock - Triumph and Agony (1987)
- Forcefield - Forcefield I (1987)
- Pete York / Cozy Powell - Super Drumming (1987)
- Cinderella - Long Cold Winter (1988)
- James Darby - Southern Region Breakdown (1988)
- Don Airey - K.2. (1988)
- Forcefield - Forcefield II (1988)
- Gary Moore - After the War (1989)
- Black Sabbath - Headless Cross (1989)
- Minute By Minute - Timewatch (1989)
- Forcefield - To Oz And Back (Forcefield III) (1989)
- Rainbow - Live in Germany 1976 (1990)
- Black Sabbath - Tyr (1990)
- Forcefield - Let the Wild Run Free (Forcefield IV) (1991)
- Ritchie Blackmore - The Connoisseur Collection Vol II (1991)
- Cozy Powell - The Drums are Back (1992)
- Forcefield - Instrumentals (1992)
- Brian May - Back To The Light (1993)
- Brian May - Live at the Brixton Academy (1994)
- Black Sabbath - Forbidden (1995)
- Various - The Music of Jimi Hendrix (1995)
- Black Sabbath - The Sabbath Stones (1996)
- Glenn Tipton - Baptizm of Fire (1997)
- Cozy Powell - The Best of Cozy Powell (1997)
- Peter Green Splinter Group - Peter Green Splinter Group (1997)
- S.A.S. Band - SAS Band (1997)
- Yngwie Malmsteen - Facing the Animal (1997)
- Brian May - Another World (1998)
- Cozy Powell - Twin Oaks/Especially For You (1999)
- Tony Martin - Scream (2005)
- Tipton, Entwistle & Powell - Edge of the World (2006)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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