John French (musician)
John French ( b. 1949 ), also known as Drumbo, is an American drummer and singer, best known for his work with Captain Beefheart 's Magic Band.
- 2.1 With Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
- 2.2 Henry Kaiser
- French Frith Kaiser Thompson 2.3
- 2.4 Solo
- 2.5 With Magic Band
- 2.6 collaborations
Musical career
Early years
John French was living in Lancaster ( California), in the same area as Frank Zappa, Don Van Vliet and other members of the Magic Band and the Mothers of Invention. As a teenager, he was very interested in the local music scene, went about with Doug Moon and saw The Omen on the stage.
By 1964, he played at Merrell & The Exiles, a band in which Jeff Cotton ( Antennae Jimmy Semens ) was a guitarist. French and Cotton met in 1966 in the band Blues in a Bottle on Mark Boston ( Rockette Morton ). Later came Bill Harkleroad ( Zoot Horn Rollo ) to the band. This ensured that the core of the band, the album Trout Mask Replica grossed, come together.
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
John French came in late 1966 for the Magic Band, replacing Paul Blakeley on drums. After playing on the album Safe as Milk, shaped his distinctive drumming style heavy psychedelic blues of Strictly Personal (1968) and Mirror Man (1968 produced, but only published in 1971 ). For Trout Mask Replica ( 1969) he transcribed the musical ideas that Beefheart played him on the piano and recorded it for the band. After the completion of Trout Mask Replica John French was fired from Beefheart and replaced by Jeff Bruschell. Soon, however, Beefheart took him back and he took with him the album Lick My Decals Off, Baby and Spotlight Kid, on which he played with Art Tripp ( Ed Marimba ) drums and percussion. In late 1972 he left again the Magic Band shortly before the U.S. tour.
Beefheart was due to contractual issues under his own name not tour and record, so he toured with Frank Zappa on his Bongo Fury tour. After Beefheart John French hired again as a drummer and musical director. In 1976, the original version of Bat Chain Puller was recorded, which was published for legal reasons in this form until 2012. John French played here on some songs the guitar. When his friend John Thomas (keyboards) was fired from Beefheart, also went John French. In 1977, he helped Beefheart again, ended up being disillusioned to continue working with him.
In 1980 he was involved in search of work in the recording of Doc at the Radar Station. Here he played guitar and drums on two tracks. As Beefheart gave him a list of forty songs he should learn within three months, he announced final and left the band before the upcoming tour.
Other projects
John French made two solo albums: Waiting On The Flame (1994, with Henry Kaiser, among others, Bill Harkleroad and Scott Colby ) and O Solo Drumbo (1998, on John Zorn's Avant Records). He was also a member of the Experimental Band French Frith Kaiser Thompson ( with Fred Frith, Bass, Henry Kaiser, guitar and Richard Thompson, guitar). He played again with Henry Kaiser. In 2000 he was involved in the production of Beefheart Grow Fins anthology. He also was in The Artist Formerly Known as Captain Beefheart BBC documentary insight into the problems of working with Captain Beefheart.
In 2003 there was the reunification of the Magic Band as a live band, with Rockette Morton, Denny Walley and Gary Lucas. John French took over vocals and harmonica, the drums he left Robert Williams. They released the album Back to the Front (2004) and the live CD 21st Century Mirror Men ( 2005).
2008 John French released the album City of Refuge under the name Drumbo. He was supported by the old Magic Band sidemen John Thomas, Rockette Morton, Zoot Horn Rollo and Greg Davidson ( Ella Guru ). The album was released by the English label Proper Records.
In 2010 he published with Beefheart: Through The Eyes Of Magic memories of his time with the Magic Band (Proper Music Publishing, London).
Discography
With Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
With Henry Kaiser
With French Frith Kaiser Thompson
Solo
With Magic Band
- 2004: Back To The Front, ATP Records
- 2005: 21st Century Mirror Men, Proper Records
- 2011: Oxford, UK- June 6.2005, Sundazed Records