Paul Hammond (musician)
| Paul Hammond | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
1952 Marlow, Buckinghamshire |
| Died | 1992 |
| Genres | Progressive rock, hard rock |
| Occupations | Drummer, composer |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1964–1992 |
| Associated acts | Atomic Rooster, Hard Stuff |
Paul Hammond (1952–1992) was an English rock drummer, best known for his time with the progressive rock band Atomic Rooster.
Career
Born in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Hammond began playing drums aged 12, and joined his first band, The Farm, after winning a competition in the Melody Maker music newspaper.[1] When Atomic Rooster drummer Carl Palmer left the group to form Emerson, Lake & Palmer in August 1970, Hammond was recruited to replace him, joining vocalist / guitarist John Du Cann and keyboard player Vincent Crane. The band subsequently recorded the Death Walks Behind You album in September of that year, followed by the hit singles "Tomorrow Night" and "Devil's Answer". After the recording of In Hearing of Atomic Rooster in the summer of 1971, Hammond left the band along with Du Cann.[1]
Hammond and Du Cann joined forces with singer Al Shaw and bass guitarist John Gustafson to form Daemon, later changing the name to Bullet, and then Hard Stuff. Hammond recorded two albums with Hard Stuff before the band split up in 1973. He later suffered serious leg injuries in a car accident in Belgium, and spent two years recovering.[1]
In 1977 Hammond joined The Intellektuals, an art punk band from London, led by Jack Hues and Nick Feldman.[1] After the group split in 1978, Hues and Feldman formed Wang Chung. Hammond then worked on Du Cann's solo album,[2] and in 1980 he rejoined Atomic Rooster, which now once again consisted of Hammond, Du Cann and Crane. After Du Cann had left again, and the band recorded the unsuccessful Headline News album in 1983, they disbanded for good.
Hammond died in 1992 from an accidental drug overdose.[1]
Discography
Atomic Rooster
- Death Walks Behind You (1970)
- In Hearing of Atomic Rooster (1971)
- Headline News (1983)
Hard Stuff
- Bulletproof (1972)
- Bolex Dementia (1973)
John Du Cann
- The World's Not Big Enough (1977, released 1992)
References
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