Russell Gilbrook - Uriah Heep Drummer

Mark: 0:02

Hi, I'm Mark and welcome to Talk to the Band, the podcast that is passionate about contemporary music. Our guest this week is a UK drummer, who was depping in West End shows when he was only 12 and touring Europe with Alan Price of the animals when he was just 18. He's performed on pop recordings with the likes of John Farnham, Five Star and Boy Meets Girl, before joining Chris Barber's Jazz and Blues band. But he's best known for his hard hitting, high energy rock drumming, and he's been the drummer in the legendary British rock band Uriah Heep since 2007, a warm welcome to Russell Gillbrook. H, Russ, thanks for being on the show today.

Russell Gilbrook: 0:41

Yeah, thanks for asking me Mark.

Mark: 0:44

So you had your first drum lesson when you were only four?

Russell Gilbrook: 0:46

Mm hmm.

Mark: 0:47

How did that come about?

Russell Gilbrook: 0:48

Apparently, I was bornplaying drums. Actually not a lot of people know this, I was actually born with club feet. My feet were upside down, inside out, so theyt had to be broken. I was the first person in in the world actually to have this particular operation by a famous Professor Moncrief that did my operations. And, so therefore I was in Great Ormond Street for two years and I had to wear what I called White boots, but plaster cast on my feet to set them. And I used to drag myself around, take out plastic bowls, get the spoons out and play. Obviously, I didn't know the drum beats, so I used to play the rhythm to the melodies, the only thing I could latch on to. And then I used to crawl over to my dad when he played the piano and put my hand on his foot when keeping time and then when my mum did the hoovering, I'd go and lay down and put my head on the hoover for the vibrations. So they thought they had a drummer, at you know, about two years old, two and a half, three years old. And then obviously, I've got to four and my dad decided to take me to have drum lessons. And dad being dad, he seeked out the best he could. At the time we lived in Hornchurch and he seeked out a guy in Leytonstone called Georgie Scott who was quite a well known Jazz/Big Band drummer. Went round there and he said "Yeah, he's a natural" and I just started from there. And he couldn't teach me any more than I was six, he said you need one of these modern day drum teachers. There's a great guy in your town Hornchurch called Bob Armstrong, he's up and coming, he's fantastic. He said, Go see Bob. So at six, I went to see Bob and I stayed with Bob until I was Fourteen. And all I knew about was the Jazz-thing, because that's what Bob was into, Jazz, and Jazz Funk, and Fusion stuff, Instrumental...Chuck Mangione, Gap, Mangione, Tom Scott, that kind of thing. And my dad was into Jazz full stop. So I just sat in with all the Jazz bands, and I got my experiences as a kid sitting in and playing, with all these great guys and, so that, stood a real great foundation for me. And Bob wanted to give me of his dep work, I was good enough to do it. And I'd turn up and these people would start talking to my dad, "What you talking to me for? I'm not a drummer". Well who's the drummer?" And I was tiny. "Him!" And their faces are sort of like "Oh no!", and then when I played "Oh great, is he available next week?" and all that bit. And, so I always was playing, I was earning money, I was earning 30 a week when I was six. There's a guy called Adrian Baker, who did Sherry, Sherry Baby? His younger brother Ian was two years older than me, was a really good organ player, so me and him used to go around all

Mark: 3:21

Right, so let's talk about you turning pro. So you've the clubs as The Young Sensationals, playing all the Pop hits and all that bit. An that's how I got all m experience, started earni g money, and then doing all t e tours from there. I was playin with all the comedians and caba ets and stuff when I was 10/11/ 2. Sat in, that's when I sat i for the first time for Bob Bob put me in for Jesus Chris Superstar. I was 12 years ol and what happened was, the drum er, don't even know who that dru mer was now, but he was ill. B b couldn't do it, no-one else c uld do it, so they went to Bo and Bob recommended me. And I s ot up there within an hour be ore curtain call and the MD comes legging out with all th music and everything, he st rts talking to my dad and after 10 minutes my dad says "Wha are you taking to me for, it's not me, it's him". Turn aroun and saw me and went white be ause we're getting close to cur ains up, and he started panick ng "You gotta be joking, you'v brought a kid, this is a joke this is". "No, no, no, he ca do it, he can do can do it". nyway, eventually, he did come o er, he said "Nut can you read, can you..". I said I can re d all that. "Well, do you wa t to have a look at it". I don't what do I need to look at it fo , I'm gonna play it, aren't I? Don't even want to just go ov r it, I mean there's stuff in /4 and everything.." No it's a right, I can just read it, becau e I could read anything. I went in there and just sight re d it. I did, I did the Wiz, I d pped for, Bob Armstrong was doi g The Wiz in London. Yeah, the Q incy Jones version. I already been in the West when you're 12?

Russell Gilbrook: 4:59

Mmm

Mark: 5:00

You just left school and what happened next?

Russell Gilbrook: 5:02

Straight in! As I said, I did that 16 week tour, Wizard of Oz. And then, I was involved with, the agency that actually booked that, liked me and so did the MD, so I ended up doing, dozens and dozens and dozens of, whether it was cabarets, you know they have these variety shows. So you got a comedian on, you might hav someone like Patty Boulai , a singer, cabaret singer, I id Little and Large, Bernie Cl fton, Tommy Cooper. So I did. ena Martell, all of those kin of cabaret

Mark: 5:31

Like a Variety Show?

Russell Gilbrook: 5:32

Yeah, all the variety show, because it was, it was work, and it was an experience to play with different musicians. It kept my reading up, and probably for a good two or three years, I was just doing anything. And sometimes I'd play in a pub to just the barman and a packet of peanuts, because I got booked to play in this Irish band. But even that's experience because, I don't know if the bass player is suddenly a top session producer or whatever. Bob Armstrong said the greatest thing to me, when that phone rings, there is only one word you say, it's yes. If that opportunity comes your way, you'd better be ready for it because they don't come every week.

Mark: 6:12

Right. So I'm looking down the list of some of the people you've performed with. Alan Price?

Russell Gilbrook: 6:17

That's right. So when I did a show in the West End, it was the first the first and only show that was mine. He wrote a musical called Andy cap, right. We did it in Manchester at teh Royal Exchange and then it got moved to London. And Tom Courtney, the famous actor was in it. Alan price wrote all the music. Well, I was the guy, that was in there playing drums glockenspiel, ratchet, cowbell and, he quite liked my drumming. Well, unfortunately, he was due to do a tour after the musical stopped. And his drummer got in trouble, with drugs unfortunately. So he was going inside for six months. So he asked me would I mind doing it? Well I was 18. And it was like, hang on a minute, this is a famous musician. You know, I'd never really, not at that league, I've never really come across anything like that. So I said yes, and he, invited me up. He said right, we're gonna have about three or four weeks rehearsals, I got a brand new band. So I didn't know anybody. And we're going to Easy Hire, which was a famous studio in London and I turned up at this rehearsal beer studio. I walked in, and my mouth hit the flipping floor, I'd never seen a room so flippin big in all my life. The rehearsal I'm used to are like 10 by 10, this was like flipping 50 by 50, with drum risers and speakers and the whole band. God this is amazing!. And he'd given me back then, he'd given me a tape, he said just learn that set. And I remember, ringing him, up after about listening to it for a couple of days. And I was trying to ask, which bits he liked, and which bits.... "Russ, I booked you to play the drums, just play the drums". I said Yeah, I know. "No buts, not buts, just play the drums". Because up until that point I got taught you got to be as accommodating as possible. Not to be yourself 100%, he wanted me to be myself. So we turned up, set the kit up, played 16 bars, he stops. "You gonna play the drums Russ or what?" I am. He said "I can't hear anything!". did it again, he stopped me again. I won't use the language but, "Can you hit them hard Russ please? Can you hit them hard, I want to feel your energy!" I'd never come across that in my life. So it was great because now I had to tweak my technique, I suddenly had a different way of thinking, I was being myself, and having to project my energy and everything to please him to do a fantastic... you know, we were doing 120 days a year. And it was great, so I owe him a lot, because he really did, bring out, Russell Gillbrook, in my playing. Fantastic!

Mark: 8:49

What a great experience though?

Russell Gilbrook: 8:50

Amazing. What a great player! Flippin eck!.

Mark: 8:53

And I was gonna say, you're not known for quiet playing anyway.

Russell Gilbrook: 8:56

No.

Mark: 8:56

Although you can. (Laugh)

Russell Gilbrook: 8:57

Yeah, I know it's funny how people perceive me. Obviously my career's gone down that road of hard hitting, but you know I was on tour with Chris Barbers Jazz band for six years. Yes, they were ferocious at times, but I to play Snake Rag and stuff like that, just like Baby Dodds. I can play quiet, it's just that, people know me, not to be quiet just simply because my career's gone down that road, and you're not going to play Enter the Sandman as a Bossa Nova are you?

Mark: 9:22

No (laugh) I wouldn't mind hearing that though! (laughs)

Russell Gilbrook: 9:23

Well yeah. (laughing)

Mark: 9:25

Right, let's talk about a few of the others...Van Morrison, John Farnham, Five Star, and Boy Meets Gir. So was some of this recording

Russell Gilbrook: 9:33

Yes. So, John Farnham, Five Star, Boy Meets Girl, because the band Alan Price got together, had a really good keybaord player, who was the MD for Blood Brothers for donkey's years in Londonm, a man called Dave Rose. Really good keyboard player. Well he was in with RCA Records, and, the guy from RCA Records, if there's any sessions, bits and pieces ging, would ring Dave and say "Get a band in, we're gonna do it" and so because Dave was with Alan Price, it's one of them things again, right? He liked the way Steve Grant played and his brother on bass, Pete Grant, and me, so he just booked us all to do all of these things. So it was 1987, and a great time for me because it, it was the side of the business, that is completely separate, to what I was doing. I did Helen Shapiro as well for two years.

Mark: 10:20

Oh OK

Russell Gilbrook: 10:21

Also her MD, when Bob Cranham didn't want to do it, I became her MD, went to Australia with her, sacked three bass players, because they couldn't read and then - all this whole bit like that. So that was another new, I was 21 years old, and an MD, and it was a different thing for me, but still great fun. And the Van Morrison thing only came about because I was with Lonnie Donegan for a few years (laugh), and Lonnie Donegan came out through Chris barber. Because Alan Price's booking agent in England is the same as Chris Barber's. So when I left Alan Price, the agent who had seen me, recommended me to Chris. Chris Barber rung me up. My dad nearly freaked out. Because he's got all his records and everything. And I actually turned round and said, I, I don't think I'm the drummer for you. I said, I'm, yeah, I'm playing more, sort of rock fusion and like Billy Cobham. "Billy who? Billy who?" he's going. My dad's going "Take the gig, take the gig" and I'm going no, no, no, I don't want to do that, don't want to do that. Well, I ended up, he flew me to Holland to watch it. I thought, you know, this is actually quite good., old Orleans Jazz, where are you gonna get to learn that properly? So I got all the old records out. I got Baby Dodds out. I studied some of the old Ziggy side drumming thing for syncopated. And, I had a flamin ball, and some of the guests we had were phenomenal. I played with, Duke Ellington's sax player was a guest for three weeks, and obviously they'd leave the stage and there'd be just a quartet left there for him to do his little feature for two songs. And there, there I am playing Honeysuckle Rose with, Howard Ashby, one of Duke Ellington's sax players.

Mark: 11:52

So how old were you when you were playing with Chris

Russell Gilbrook: 11:54

I gotta think now, about 27, did about five Barber? years, yeah. And I, again, again, I have to... everyone I've worked with you know, I do have to say, whether it's good, bad, indifferent, it doesn't matter what it is, they've been a massive help in portraying who I am now. Alan Price brought out me. I hadn't played that loud before, I had to work out how to do it. With, Chris Barber, who's gonna play New Orleans Jazz and Dixieland Jazz, and with some of the greatest Jazz musicians in the world. Who's gonna do that gig? Those gigs aren't about, and I absorbed all that I want. I sat down with a drink and I just kept, he didn't mind.Kept asking him questions about, what is it? What is it that makes a great jazz drummer? I want to know from you, what you listen for in a great jazz, because I wanted to learn. I wanted to have those special magic things. Chris Barber, happened because of, Vic Harris, which was the agent for Alan Price. And when it was their 40th anniversary, Chris Barber took out, what he could of the original band. Well in the original band on banjo was Lonnie Donegan. He started off in the Chris Barber Jazz band. And me and Lonnie got on really well. He said to me "Look, I've got a drummer, Chris Hunt is very good". He said "but, I need you in my band, play percussion and on backing vocals". So I was with him for two years, .and when Chris couldn't do it, I went on drums. When poor, Lonnie died, in fact before he died, we did some shows and he had Van Morrison guest because Van, says, Lonnie is the guy who made me happen. And Bill Wyman said the same, we did a concert, Lonnie and at the Royal Hall. A lot of people with a lot of respect for Lonnie Donegan. So through that, was Van Morrison, I only did a little while, with Van.

Mark: 13:39

So how did you go from that, to 2007 with Uriah Heep, because that is a major leap?

Russell Gilbrook: 13:45

Yeah, I, I've been really lucky actually because you know, to go from Jazz to Metal, I've even, you know I've worked with Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath doing some demo stuff with him. So to go from Rock Metal, Jazz, a bit of the old school sort of bluesy rock thing with Alan Price, and then the pop thing with Five Star...so it's great. But how I went from, from that, was after Chris Barber, I just had enough, it had run its course with Chris Barber and, I saw that, them being a lot older than me at that time. Where was I going to go? You know, the Jazz gigs aren't exactly around the corner everywhere in England not to earn a decent money. Don't forget we did, I do 220 days a year with Chris Barber, 160 of them in Europe. And you know, sometimes 5000 people. I mean, it was massive, a massive Jazz band and a great experience, but I'd out, out done that and it came towards the end. Soon as I left Chris Barber, I did have some offers for other Jazz bands who wanted me and I'd, just had enough of that. And then I can find a gig. And you know, it doesn't matter how good you are. And it doesn't matter if you available. People aren't going to sack people because you're about.

Mark: 15:00

No of course they're not.

Russell Gilbrook: 15:01

And you can't, there's only so much hustling you can do. And because I'd done the Alan Price, and the Helen Shapiro, and Chris Barber, was basically 10/11 years of my life, from 18 to 30 ish. That kept me away from this other scene, even though they were great gigs, I'm not knocking them. But I was away doing that for a decade. So I lost out on that, so when the time I come out of that, the whole scene had, I wasn't used to that scene,

Mark: 15:29

You almost had to start all over again?

Russell Gilbrook: 15:31

Almost had to start all over again. And I got bits and pieces in, but there was nothing to satisfy me, I knew deep down that I had something to offer as a, musician, within a band. I'd suddenly found the vision, and I tried to explore different avenues, try a few bands, and then obviously I had to earn money, so I did the teaching thing, did it at BIMM (Brighton Institute for Modern Music), did some private teaching, trying to tick over. The companies were fantastic to me, so I was doing lots of drum clinics. One of these drum Clinics was up in Hull, where, Trevor Bolder, bass player who has sadly died now bless him, who was in the original Spiders from Mars with David Bowie, phenomenal bass player. He lived up in Hull, I used to do a clinic up there, and the owner of Repercussion up in Hull whose name was Phil, he's not there anymore. He used to say to Trevor "You've got to ome and see this guy lpay rums, he's right up your treet". Well, Uriah Heep being ery busy, he was always on tour lways. Well, this one articular time he wasn't. So 'm up there doing a clinic in ront of 250 people and he's here. And afterwards, he turned round and went "Oh my God. I an't believe it. That's henomenal playing. Absolutely antastic!", and we became ates. It wasn't until about even or eight years later, that e, rang me up and said "Russ, oor Lee Kerslake's health is eteriorating. We've just signed recording contract, we got a orld tour with it. Would you be p for joining the band?" Now as e said that, all that happened n my brain is Uriah Heep, 970s, not another old band, I ant something a bit...so I said, I need, I need to think about it. He said "Well, I'm sorry to ay" he said "I'd have you in he band now, but the management ave organised auditions, and he audition process is tarting. You'd have to do an udition. I said I don't mind oing auditions. So I put the hone down. I think about it. I id a bit of googling. Hang on a inute. Recording contract and a orld Tour..hmm. This could be ctually, really good. Anyway, t turned out to be really good,

Mark: 17:26

240?. nd there was 240 drummers hroughout the world that went or the audition.

Russell Gilbrook: 17:31

Yeah. And they whittled it down, and it was the final 40, of which, the producer of the next album they were

Mark: 18:56

Can you remember what they were? gonna to do, he brought in two of his favourite drummers, I'm

Russell Gilbrook: 18:57

Yeah. They were Easy Living - double handed shuffle. My God, the amount of drummers they told me that not gonna name some of them as it's not really fair. And then, couldn't do the double handed shuffle because their week hand other ones that have been recommended. And I was in the couldn't do the shuffle properly.

Mark: 19:05

Do you want explain to some people, what, what a double running. It was at Terminal studios, which is sadly gone

Russell Gilbrook: 19:07

Yeah, I'd better (laugh). A double handed shuffle is basically, you got one, and two, and three, and now. So Mick Box rings me up Russ, we're doing the auditions handed shuffle is? (laugh) four, and one and a two, and a three, but you play it with both ll week. What can you make?" So his is all a plan by me. I said hands. And, for a lot of drummers as they probably will know. Your weak side, doesn' really like doing doubles I could do Thursday'. "Thursday Okay Yep. What sort of time certainly shuffles either. So lot of them failed on that. An midday?" 'Yep, I can do midda ', put it down. I left it half h

Mark: 19:25

So did you actually know who Uriah Heep really were, then there was July Morning which is one of their progg ur and then I called him ba k, deliberately. 'Oh Mick, sorry type of epic songs. There wa Between Two Worlds which i I can't do Thursday, I made a mi take. I've got something on then quite fast, and then there wa "Gypsy" which is another, har . "Can you do Friday?" It's ll a ploy. 'Yeah I can do Frid hitting one. So they picked variant of technicalities tha y'. "Okay, what sort of time " 'I could only, what time ar might push a drummer, and there was some great drummers there, you there until?' "I think t e last audition is 4, half pas there were some drummers who a tually came in and just played 4". I said 'Can I do four o clock? I'll tell you why, I'v xactly what Lee Karslake d ne. And I thought, there's tw got a couple of session in on Friday'. I hadn't, I wa ways that Heep are going to ta e this, they either want som doing nothing. He said "Yep, th t's no problem". So I'd wang one, because they feel safe a ter having a drummer for 36 ed the last audition. Great. "Don't worry about a kit Russ, ears, to play exactly what Le plays or they want a fre here's a kit up there". I said ' o, no, I do worry about the kit h. So I took a gamble and went well this is my time, I'm go ecause I destroy them. So I eed to bring mine. "Oh, well, n ng to be Russell Gilbrook, no Lee Karslake. So I went in one's really bringing...." . ' ut I'm the last audition, it oesn't matter, does it?'. "Oh yeah, you're right. Yeah, here with double bass drums, the whole bit. So they gav ou can bring your kit". So I angled the last audition and everyone five songs. And do you know, the last 40, apparently, my own drum kit. Now they sent o t five songs, and they here was only about 10 that ha learned the five songs. How unp re all challenging, obviously, ecause they want to know w at the drumm ofessional was that? Oh, that was the other thing. I said, I could only be up there for the last audition at half pa t 4, I was up there at nine o' lock in the morning, because I anted to hear the competiti n. And at that time, my other w fe who was there, we were loo ing at some of the drummers, th y had headphones on, they're tap ing away. I said 'they are not going to do it. "How do y u know that?" I said 'if they've got to put the headphones on, a d refresh themselves now.... . "Well you know it don't you?" 'Yeah I know it' and I was real y confident. So they come at lunchtime, and their faces are d ained, they've had a whole we k of it. "Oh, well, there are few good ones, but my God, we'r struggling". So it comes my tur and of course Trevor knows me I'm in there setting the kit up and I'm just finishing, a d, Mick says: "So you've learne the five songs then?" I went ' o'. Well, you could have a pin d op. "What?" I said no, I h ven't learnt the five songs,. I've learned your whole live set I can do it now. And they were like "What?" I said, yeah, I' e learnt your whole live set, w can play it now. And talk abou I probably got the gig just for that alone. And I said 'The whole live set and of cour e they were "Whey! What do w nt to play?" I said 'What do yo want to play?' "Well no we'l let you play it". I said "Ok y", I'll count them, count them n. We did "Between Two Wo lds first, do a nice rocker an get it going. I said 'You'd b tter turn your amp up Mick , he's had a before you went for that audition, before you got offered?

Russell Gilbrook: 21:54

A little bit. Because I've got a buddy, mate of mine who's obsessed with Heep, obsessed, and he always, I went to three concerts and never really grabbed me. I wasn't really that. Yeah, I enjoyed it, but it was like, it's probably because, I don't know, it wasn't something, that I'd been into, so I wasn't really paying as much attention as probably I could have. But when Trevor said about it, and when I okayed it, I delved more into it. I thought, I didn't realise that they had that song, I didn't realise they had that song. I knew them here in the back of my mind. I just didn't realise how many songs they had.

Mark: 22:32

They're one of those bands that, kind of, don't seem to have got the recognition in the UK that they probably deserved.

Russell Gilbrook: 22:37

No because, they, it was the big four. You had Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. And when Uriah Heep came out, unfortunately, the press decided to choose them as the bad boys. So they went "Well, bye then, we can play in all the other countries", which is what happened? Hmmm

Mark: 22:55

I mean, let's talk about them. I mean, some of the stats, That is pretty amazing. And of course in 2019, finally are pretty amazing. Toured in over 53 countries.

Russell Gilbrook: 23:00

Well 63 now

Mark: 23:01

63?

Russell Gilbrook: 23:02

63 countries yeah

Mark: 23:04

In 2011, they toured 23 countries in 229 days, that's going some? They've sold over 40 million albums, two European Grammy Awards. They've released 25 studio albums, 18 live albums inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal Fame. and 39 compilation albums, and 12 of the band's studio albums have actually made the UK chart.

Russell Gilbrook: 23:29

Yeah, I know. It's quite, and, it's, it's fel like for the band, whether it' the time I've been with them o the time before, because I'v had loads of chats with th guys, Mick especially. It's bee an uphill struggle since da one. They've had manage ial problems they've had re ord company problems, and it's a most like every bit of bad luck that stops you accelerating i this business has fallen Ur ah Heep's way, which is a sha e, but what an iconic band. You talk to a lot of the rock band of the world now, and they'd a ways say about, oh heavy influ nces: Uriah Heep, or Blac Sabbath, or Led Zeppelin. St ll one of the big four and it' just great to be, involved in s ch

Mark: 24:12

It's time for the final five. If you were to recommend one album or song, old or new, that you feel everybody should listen to at least once in their lifetime, what would it be and why?

Russell Gilbrook: 24:26

The Driver album by Buddy Rich is just mind blowing.

Mark: 24:29

Okay

Russell Gilbrook: 24:29

The playing on it, the, just the, whole thing of it, the organic way in which it's recorded. It's just raw as anything with unbelievable playing, or Drum Spectacular that's got Ronnie Stevenson and Kenny Clare on it. And he's got all the greatest, Jazz trumpets and saxophone players. I'd have to say The Driver then.

Mark: 24:52

Okay

Russell Gilbrook: 24:53

Because that's the earliest, biggest, wow moment. I tried my hardest to play The Driver, the song itself, because it's so flippin fast, it's. unbelievable and, whoever's playing the vibe solo. You've got to check it out. It's unbelievable.

Mark: 25:08

What artists and albums are you currently listening to

Russell Gilbrook: 25:11

Alter Bridge, I like Alter Bridge.

Mark: 25:13

Okay.

Russell Gilbrook: 25:14

Great melodic songwriting, he's such a, such a great singer as well. And, I like Disturbed, I think they're very unique - this is a rocky metal side now. But I'll still go back to things that Harvey Mason's Earthmover. I mean, that was another one that will come second to The Driver. When I heard Earthmover by Harvey Mason because, I'd gone from the Jazz into the Funk and I enjoyed that, real good musicians playing grooves, that were, nice and funky. And Earthmover came up, and when he played that three whistle, that percussion thing, I said to Bob Armstrong, I said I've got to get one of them whistles. He said I've got one of them. I said I want one, I've got to get one, got to get one just so I can go (whistling sound). That was all, I couldn't do anything else with it. I just wanted one of those whistles because of the Earthmover. Fantastic!

Mark: 26:04

Name a musician or artist who has had a profound effect on you and tell us why

Russell Gilbrook: 26:08

Well, it would be Billy Cobham.

Mark: 26:09

Okay

Russell Gilbrook: 26:10

Because I'd never heard anything like it, the way, you know the speed of those, strokes and everything, and his sense of timing, and that particular album just had phenomenal playing on it. Yeah, it just took me by surprise really. Buddy Rich, and Billy Cobham, but I did listen to a hell of a lot, it was, Gene Krupa with Teddy Wilson on keyboards, Lionel Hampton on vibes. My God Almighty did they wing? I'd never heard swingin like it. And at one point hen you take the chorus round ag in, you know? At one point, Gene Krupa's hitting the ride so erociously, he is almost obli erating the other musicians, because the way in which he et up. But do you know what The magic of

Mark: 27:04

If it was possible for you to speak to your younger self, when you were first setting out, what advice would you give to yourself then?

Russell Gilbrook: 27:11

I'd do exactly what I did back then.

Mark: 27:14

You wouldn't change a thing?

Russell Gilbrook: 27:15

I wouldn't change a thing. Because the advice given to me by my dad and certainly Bob Armstrong, about the phone rings, just say yes. You got to take every gig, forget the money, because you need contacts, experience and to fail, and hopefully that sets the platform for you for the future.

Mark: 27:38

Right, last one. Of all the times over the years you performed. Can you tell us one gig or show that is really memorable.

Russell Gilbrook: 27:48

Probably San Paolo in Brazil, with Uriah Heep. We played to 120,000 people. Can't say any more than that. It's six kilometres it went back, all you saw was just a sea of heads of crazy, craziness. And to be on stage, playing in front of that, you know, I mean I've done Hell Fest which is like 60,000 people, we've done Download. Yeah, we've done the big ones, between 25,000 up to 80,000, but 120,000 in Brazil was, incredible.

Mark: 28:20

Well, I'm afraid that's all we've got time for today. Russ, thank you so much for being on the show. It's been an absolute pleasure. And of course, a big thank you to you, our listeners. Our guest this week is a bass player and vocalist. His performance and recording credits include Sir Cliff Richard, Mary Wilson's Supremes, The Foundations, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, Plan B and many, many more. He's also played on West End and touring shows such as Mamma Mia, Grease, Dancing in the Streets. Never Forget, I Love You Because, and The Carpenter's Story. If you'd like to find out more, you're gonna have to join us next week. Take care