Carl Palmer

The legend of the international rock scene comes to Cyprus. One of the three prominent musicians of the famous Emerson Lake and Palmer, a group that sold over 35,000.000 discs, Carl Palmer never ceased to play leading part in contemporary rock music making recordings and touring throughout the world, being for years the best drummer ever.

Carl Palmer is a drummer's drummer. A consummate professional, a brilliant technician and a dynamic showman, he has thrilled listeners and audiences alike for nearly four decades with some of music's most memorable bands including Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Along the way his dazzling speed and mastery of the drums, combined with his infectious stage personality, have secured for him a respected place in history as one of Rock and Roll's greatest drummers.

Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer was born in Birmingham, England, on March 20th, 1950. From the beginning it was clear that music was in the stars for the young Carl Palmer. His grandfather played the drums, his grandmother was a symphony violinist, his mother played an assortment of instruments, and his father sang, danced and played the guitar and drums as a semi-professional entertainer. In a musical family where even his brothers picked up the guitar and drums, Carl's fascination with music began early and classical violin studies followed.

Already a respected working drummer by 16, Palmer moved on to join Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds which also featured guitar great Albert Lee (later with Eric Clapton, Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Bill Wyman & the Rhythm Kings) and keyboardist Dave Greenslade (later in Colosseum). Pete Solley would eventually replace Greenslade in the band. Recalls Palmer, "yeah that was a blues band, a soul band with saxophones and everything. At the time, we were produced by none other than Mick Jagger." It was Jagger who had originally discovered Farlowe. With Palmer in the band the Thunderbirds enjoyed moderate success with the single "My Way of Giving" but it was the Rolling Stones cover "Out Of Time" which propelled Farlowe to the top of the UK charts.

It was with Atomic Rooster that Carl Palmer enjoyed his first real success as a founding member of a band. Media and fans alike immediately embraced Crane, Palmer and bassist/vocalist Nick Graham as the late 60's progressive rock scene was thriving. Their debut album, Atomic Rooster, hit number 49 in the U.K., and they enjoyed success with the singles "Tomorrow Night" and "Devil's Answers." All the while, fueled by his brilliant drum solos, Palmer's reputation grew as a drummer with phenomenal skill and dizzying speed.

In the spring of 1970, Carl Palmer received a phone call that changed his life forever. Keyboard virtuoso Keith Emerson, himself enjoying Top 10 U.K. success with The Nice, was forming a new band with King Crimson founder Greg Lake who had also just experienced real success with his band's legendary "In The Court Of The Crimson King". After trying out several drummers, including Mitch Mitchell, the two wanted Palmer to audition for a spot in the new trio but Palmer was uncertain if he wanted to leave the growing success of Atomic Rooster behind. Reluctantly, he agreed to meet and rehearse with the band and thank God he did.

The trio's first rehearsal mostly featured Nice and King Crimson standards, including
"Rondo" and "21st Century Schizoid Man", and all three musicians describe it as a "magical feeling" when they first played together. The session blew everyone away and Palmer was offered the job right there on the spot. Still not convinced however, he told Emerson and Lake that he would need to think it over. Returning the next day to another brilliant rehearsal, Carl Palmer accepted the invitation and joined the band.

In 1988 the chance came for Carl Palmer to team up once again with Keith Emerson in a new group with California-based singer/bassist Robert Berry. 3, as they were called, released their only album, To The Power Of Three, on Geffen records. Though the group received respectable FM airplay and followed with a successful club tour, their release generated little interest and they disbanded early in 1989.

Later in 1989 the Asia banner was raised once again when an invitation play a series of stadium dates with the Beach Boys brought Carl Palmer and John Wetton back into the Asia fold along with hired guns John Young and Alan Darby. Encouraged by the reception they received, Asia arranged another tour for the fall and convinced Geoff Downes to return.

In 1991, Carl Palmer released his much-anticipated two-disk anthology Do Ya Wanna Play, Carl. The collection showcased Palmer's greatest recordings with ELP, Asia, Atomic Rooster plus and several rare and never-before-released tracks from every professional group had ever been in. Highlights included cuts from sessions with British rock artist Mike Oldfield, and a live track featuring Carl with his childhood idol, drum jazz icon Buddy Rich and his Orchestra. Perhaps the biggest gem for fans was the inclusion of the piece fans had been asking for since the seventies. "Concerto for Percussion" made its debut fifteen years after it had been recorded.

In a 1991 interview he said, "The album has been in the works since 1976, when ELP took its hiatus to do solo projects. What came of it was the WORKS double LP, with one band side and three solo sides. It was then that I did the "Percussion Concerto." It didn't make it to Works, Vol. 1 or Works Vol. 2. I have always wanted to release it and now it has finally come out."

The current Carl Palmer Band lineup did a highly successful US tour in 2006 and continues to tour throughout the world. Details of the upcoming 2010 Spring/Summer tour will be coming soon!! In 2006, Carl also regrouped for the long awaited reunion of the original ASIA, with Steve Howe, Geoff Downes and John Wetton. The band has done four world tours and recorded a new studio album, PHOENIX, released on Frontiers and EMI Records. Says Palmer: "I have the best of both worlds now. I have an active schedule with The Carl Palmer Band, and I continue to tour and record with my friends in the original line up of ASIA. It is very satisfying and gratifying to know the fans are still out there and willing to support and enjoy the music I create. I hope to keep doing this for many more years to come."