I met Ronnie quite a number of years ago & had a lesson from him,with me sitting behind his red Yamaha kit. He was simply a great drummer and a great character. There are many funny stories about him
Looking at this today, I am very touched with how many people have viewed this and commented so warmly & appreciatively. To be honest, playing with Ronnie and having him with my band was a total pleasure, A real gent and a true legend. Along with Ronnie Verrell and Kenny Clare what more could the drumming world need. It was because of Ronnie and Kenny, I have a successful drumming career spanning over 30 years and still learning!
How many drummers can do that in their mid seventies? Scratch that, how many drummers can play like that, regardless of age? Ronnie was a revelation and a true great!
At 73 years old, just amazing! One of my teenage heroes. When you have paid for the whole kit you may as well use all of it!!! :) I just wish I had met him or Jack Parnell.
Ronnie Verrell and Johnie Hawksworth used to do fantastic drum/ base duets when they both played with the Ted Heath Orchestra. I saw them play in The empress ballroom at Blackpool Winter Gardens around1959 and for a few years after that. Later I also saw Ronnie in a series of Drum Duets with Jack Parnell. Those were Halcyon Days for we young men, hardly any trouble at these venues when the "Big Bands" were playing.
Another great drummer who played Premier...Britain’s finest drums. Pity they got into all sorts of problems later on . Very well made drums with a great sound.
One of my drumming heros. Watching and listening to him play with Parnell was what got me really inspired as a kid in the 70s. Still a better drummer at 73 than I would ever be!
I had the honour of being a pupil of the great London drum teacher Max Abrams for a while during the 1970s . ( Jack Parnell was one of his pupils, as were several well known top drummers including film comedian / comic Norman Wisdom ) I used to travel from Newcastle upon tyne once a month to Max at his home in Knightsbridge for a three hour lesson during which time I was playing with the 15 piece Northumberland Fusiliers volunteer ( later the Dominiques ) swing dance band six nights a week for seventeen years ! ---- wonderful memories ! My best lessons were never missing Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Ronnie Verrell out front with the Great Jack Parnell Big Band ! I am now 80 years of age and would still be playing if not for Covid .
No one has mentioned the great band ! Well done Ian, good job man.......................Ronnie is sadly missed but this is a great tribute Show as many young drummers this as possible it will inspire them
after watching hrs of Rich and the wonderful Krupa....Thomas Langs, Portnoys etc...who are all superb, Gene being my utmost fav......this rendition was absolutely beautiful to watch, so refreshing, never mind his age, wow, Used to see him back in the 70's etc....But I really enjoyed this, Thanks .
Grew up with the great British bands in the 19 fifties. Remember when Ronnie took over from Jack Parnell in the wonderful Ted Heath band. He said he wasn't accepted straight off but soon won them over. Last saw Ronnie some years ago with Sid Laurence band at the reopening of the Theatre Royal in Norwich. Took my young son along ( became a drummer like me ) a
I saw Ronnie Verrell play live in Rayners Lane in Middlesex in 1992 & the drum head on his Ludwig snare drum broke, so there was a pause whilst he replaced the drum head. He played the Hawaiian War Chant drum solo that evening which was great to witness.
He also played The Hawaiian War Chant as a drum duet in the late fifties/early sixties with Johnie Hawksworth on the double base Just Sheer Bloody Magic from BOTH of them.
Great drumming from both men. I believe Ronnie was from my area the Medway towns, sadly he has not geen given the recognition as a great drummer he deserves
All we need now is a copy of "Viva Verrill" from the early 50's to really make my DAY. Brings back so many Memories from 1954 and the Orchid Ballroom in Purley
Those Premiers sound great...what was the amazing snare..as good as I’ve heard. Anyone know which model Ronnie was using. His ride cymbal was very tight...it barely moved. Not sure why the drummer in the background needed to play.
I remember how good Ronnie`s snare & toms sounded at the famous USA Carnegie Hall Concert in 1957. Incredible band performance. I wondered if he was playing Premier then? It sounded so amazing. Miss you Ronnie.
I'd rather heard him play solo but that was business as usual back then when you had a guest musician. Classic BG song they did, of course Gene Krupa had the first honors for that one.
Very proud to have known and worked with this wonderful man for about 7 years with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra and subsequently in small group settings. He was the complete drummer, showman but sensitively playing brushes during a ballad, and an all-round good egg. We miss you Ronnie x By the way, is that the same Ian Young I used to know from Alton?
Good to see Premier drums here and still be around today, after the great Slingerlands and Rogers didn't survive. Huub Janssen, probably Europe's greatest drummer from Holland , loved Premiers and of course, so did Keith Moon. Like a lot of drum companies from the 60s, Premier struggled against Ludwigs, during Ringo's Beatles period.
@@roybeckerman9253 I'm sure you would love the 80s Resonator Kit which I play. The thing I found with Premier isthat you can tune them to produce the sound YOU like. Keep The Beat Roy ! regards Sid.
@@roybeckerman9253 The B303 was /is a good set. I had the same during the 70s and still have the superb bongoes bought at the same time . They have the perfect original white velum heads.
What was the green kit in the back. He didn’t really need to be playing. Notice how stiff Ronnie’s ride cymbal is. Not much movement. The white Premiers sound great. They were top drums..
The UK had three great jazz drummers in the UK at that time Kenny Clare Martin Drew and then Ronnie Verrell all of which Buddy Rich held in great esteem, until Buddy had a Drum Battle with Ronnie on the Muppet show and totally crushed him. Here's the evidence... ua-cam.com/video/VJh9W3Gcpmo/v-deo.html
@@SAHBfan Kids show or not, i seriously doubt that Verrell could play even half the chops Buddy Rich played. I used to watch the Jack Parnell big band show in the 70's with Verrell behind the drums, he never played anything like Rich, also he had a reputation of playing with the fastest arms in drumming world. Infact i would say that Jack Parnell himself was a better drummer than Verrell.
He had fused vertebrae following a car crash after which he couldn't play for 10 months. It was a miracle he returned to playing and playing whilst in terrible pain.
Yes - BOTH drummers did so wonderfully well to remember exactly all the right notes from the score.............................although I think Ronnie missed an Eb in bar 969.........
The other behind him looks very wooden & bounces up & down on his stool. I used to tell my students keep solid on the stool & let the power & movement come from the body & arms. Wasted energy.
I knew him when I was a child, our gardens backed onto each other. I once fell in his goldfish pond. A lovely lovely man.
I met Ronnie quite a number of years ago & had a lesson from him,with me sitting behind his red Yamaha kit. He was simply a great drummer and a great character. There are many funny stories about him
Buddy loved Ronnie and that says it all. When Buddy complimented a drummer that drummer must live up to Buddys comment. Ronnie Verrell certainly did.
I do think that Verrell lived up to Buddy's standards one bit
Not only a wonderful drummer but also was the one who provided all the drums for Animal in The Muppets
Looking at this today, I am very touched with how many people have viewed this and commented so warmly & appreciatively. To be honest, playing with Ronnie and having him with my band was a total pleasure, A real gent and a true legend. Along with Ronnie Verrell and Kenny Clare what more could the drumming world need. It was because of Ronnie and Kenny, I have a successful drumming career spanning over 30 years and still learning!
U played with this guy, ??holy sh#t
Is that you on the other kit behind Ronnie
I always loved Ronnie’s drum tone. It sounded always like a rich maple drum kit on the Muppet show perhaps with the bottom resonant heads removed.
Here’s to another thirty years!
What a hitter !!! Killing me Ronnie ! God bless. the power is unbelievable ! Amazing Drummer ! can't say enough OMG!
How many drummers can do that in their mid seventies?
Scratch that, how many drummers can play like that, regardless of age?
Ronnie was a revelation and a true great!
indeed sir
Buddy Rich
@@newking70 Louie Bellson
I came to Ronnie Verrell by way of my love of Ted Heath's band. Ronnie was a force of nature, a true master!
At 73 years old, just amazing! One of my teenage heroes.
When you have paid for the whole kit you may as well use all of it!!! :)
I just wish I had met him or Jack Parnell.
When you get to 78 like myself, you need friends to carry it all !
Ronnie Verrell and Johnie Hawksworth used to do fantastic drum/ base duets when they both played with the Ted Heath Orchestra. I saw them play in The empress ballroom at Blackpool Winter Gardens around1959 and for a few years after that. Later I also saw Ronnie in a series of Drum Duets with Jack Parnell. Those were Halcyon Days for we young men, hardly any trouble at these venues when the "Big Bands" were playing.
Thank goodness that there is some decent film with Ronnie`s drumming. I saw him many times & was blown away each time.
Check out the Ted Heath band at New York`s Carnegie Hall concert on CD. It`s fabulous from beginning to end. Just amazing.
Yes! Even Buddy Rich loved his playing.
Another great drummer who played Premier...Britain’s finest drums.
Pity they got into all sorts of problems later on .
Very well made drums with a great sound.
One of my drumming heros. Watching and listening to him play with Parnell was what got me really inspired as a kid in the 70s.
Still a better drummer at 73 than I would ever be!
I had the honour of being a pupil of the great London drum teacher Max Abrams for a while during the 1970s . ( Jack Parnell was one of his pupils, as were several well known top drummers including film comedian / comic Norman Wisdom ) I used to travel from Newcastle upon tyne once a month to Max at his home in Knightsbridge for a three hour lesson during which time I was playing with the 15 piece Northumberland Fusiliers volunteer ( later the Dominiques ) swing dance band six nights a week for seventeen years ! ---- wonderful memories !
My best lessons were never missing Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Ronnie Verrell out front with the Great Jack Parnell Big Band ! I am now 80 years of age and would still be playing if not for Covid .
@@Copper3T Much to envy in your story.
Stay safe.
As soon as that drumbeat I knew exactly what they was playing. A perfect number to let the drummer shine with multiple solos
No one has mentioned the great band !
Well done Ian, good job man.......................Ronnie is sadly missed but this is a great tribute
Show as many young drummers this as possible it will inspire them
yes indeed
the late great mr ronnie verrell a fantastic drummer.great upload brings back great memories many thanks.
after watching hrs of Rich and the wonderful Krupa....Thomas Langs, Portnoys etc...who are all superb, Gene being my utmost fav......this rendition was absolutely beautiful to watch, so refreshing, never mind his age, wow, Used to see him back in the 70's etc....But I really enjoyed this, Thanks .
Grew up with the great British bands in the 19 fifties. Remember when Ronnie took over from Jack Parnell in the wonderful Ted Heath band. He said he wasn't accepted straight off but soon won them over. Last saw Ronnie some years ago with Sid Laurence band at the reopening of the Theatre Royal in Norwich. Took my young son along ( became a drummer like me ) a
I saw Ronnie Verrell play live in Rayners Lane in Middlesex in 1992 & the drum head on his Ludwig snare drum broke, so there was a pause whilst he replaced the drum head.
He played the Hawaiian War Chant drum solo that evening which was great to witness.
He also played The Hawaiian War Chant as a drum duet in the late fifties/early sixties with Johnie Hawksworth on the double base Just Sheer Bloody Magic from BOTH of them.
Great drumming from both men. I believe Ronnie was from my area the Medway towns, sadly he has not geen given the recognition as a great drummer he deserves
My gran lived in John street in Rochester. Her neighbour was a jazz drummer called Don Barnicott. Ronnie was a friend and also Dons teacher.
Premier projector drums underrated for sure!!
A great drummer sadly missed
I always thought PREMIER and SLINGERLAND, had a similar sound......Classy and warm..
Would loved to have seen Buddy Rich play these at sometime.
All we need now is a copy of "Viva Verrill" from the early 50's to really make my DAY. Brings back so many Memories from 1954 and the Orchid Ballroom in Purley
The best British jazz (and session) drummer ever.
Bob Graham, & Clem Cattini followed and also admired Ronnie.
What about Phil Seaman?
Premiers were really world class drums.
I hope the new ones today, are as well..
Wow I never knew Will Hay played drums!! Seriously what a great player Ronnie was.
I thank Hal Blaine for sharing this and making my day!!!
Those Premiers sound great...what was the amazing snare..as good as I’ve heard.
Anyone know which model Ronnie was using.
His ride cymbal was very tight...it barely moved.
Not sure why the drummer in the background needed to play.
I remember how good Ronnie`s snare & toms sounded at the famous USA Carnegie Hall Concert in 1957. Incredible band performance. I wondered if he was playing Premier then? It sounded so amazing. Miss you Ronnie.
I'd rather heard him play solo but that was business as usual back then when you had a guest musician. Classic BG song they did, of course Gene Krupa had the first honors for that one.
I think it's a premier projector kit, I have one similar.
logan paul
What year/s
What Metal or wood snare ?
@@roybeckerman9253 my kit is around 1985, 12, 16, 22,finnishl birch shell, I have 400 sd, I don't know what Ronnie's was,
Notice how Ronnie often hit the crash cymbal twice to increase the volume over the loud big band passages.
Very proud to have known and worked with this wonderful man for about 7 years with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra and subsequently in small group settings. He was the complete drummer, showman but sensitively playing brushes during a ballad, and an all-round good egg. We miss you Ronnie x
By the way, is that the same Ian Young I used to know from Alton?
If God has a big band in Heaven, then Ronnie must be the drummer!!!
One of the Big Band drummers in Heaven, there are just too many greats
If you just listen and don't watch the old geezer on drums, he sounds pretty young.
Good to see Premier drums here and still be around today, after the great Slingerlands and Rogers didn't survive.
Huub Janssen, probably Europe's greatest drummer from Holland , loved Premiers and of course, so did Keith Moon.
Like a lot of drum companies from the 60s, Premier struggled against Ludwigs, during Ringo's Beatles period.
Dont forget AJAX (from Boosey And Hawkes) still got mine bought new in 1955. Still playing them at 83 !!
Many of today's younger drummers, don't realise how good Premier drums were.
You mean ARE !
@@Copper3T
Yes...I have a 70s Premier kit.
I’ve never had a chance to play the new ones.
A bit hard to come by, in Australia, unfortunately.
@@roybeckerman9253 I'm sure you would love the 80s Resonator Kit which I play.
The thing I found with Premier isthat you can tune them to produce the sound YOU like.
Keep The Beat Roy ! regards Sid.
@@Copper3T
I have the B303 Premiers from the 70s. 👍🏿
@@roybeckerman9253 The B303 was /is a good set. I had the same during the 70s and still have the superb bongoes bought at the same time . They have the perfect original white velum heads.
Britain’s best drummer. No question.
Ronnie Verrell was a great drummer no doubt,but I regard the late,great Kenny Clare to be Britains best
mr Verrell has a very idiomatic kind of playing... superb!
Was talking to my grans next door neighbour Don the other day. Turns out Ronnie was his drum teacher.
Ronnie was the guv'nor!
Ronnie Verrell, who provided the drum tracks for Animal on The Muppets...
He also played the part with Dizzie Gillespie ... Ronnie you are the hero of my childhood :O)
Go!! Animal....yah...yah...yahhhh.
Classic Ronnie was one of the few.
I wonder what kit Ronnie played when he did his famous drum duel as Animal, against Buddy Rich.
Ronnie was Animal on the Muppets, did all his drumming. you can hear it throughout this solo
No animal era de rock el es jazz, Keith Moon si
He’s Amazing
Great to see Ronnie play those Premiers so brilliantly.
What are the green drums in the background.
I believe that Ronnie was the drummer behind Animal of the Muppets
Nooo Keith Moon él era de rock
leyendaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Genial!! :D
LEDGEND Drummer,X,,WOW x.
What was the green kit in the back. He didn’t really need to be playing.
Notice how stiff Ronnie’s ride cymbal is. Not much movement.
The white Premiers sound great. They were top drums..
ronnie played the animal drum parts vs buddy, took a lot of balls to go there.
Not much movement in the ride cymbal…it must be very tight.
Great playing and great sounding Premiers…
who knows the name of the song?
sing sing sing.
The UK had three great jazz drummers in the UK at that time Kenny Clare Martin Drew and then Ronnie Verrell all of which Buddy Rich held in great esteem, until Buddy had a Drum Battle with Ronnie on the Muppet show and totally crushed him.
Here's the evidence...
ua-cam.com/video/VJh9W3Gcpmo/v-deo.html
Not true.
YES TRUE !! and please explain why you think otherwise!
It was a kids puppet show? Er... Animal was supposed to lose? Is that a real test of Buddy Rich's ability to 'crush' an opponent? Lighten up...
What about Phil Seaman Jack Parnell and Eric Delaney?
@@SAHBfan Kids show or not, i seriously doubt that Verrell could play even half the chops Buddy Rich played.
I used to watch the Jack Parnell big band show in the 70's with Verrell behind the drums, he never played anything like Rich, also he had a reputation of playing with the fastest arms in drumming world.
Infact i would say that Jack Parnell himself was a better drummer than Verrell.
Who says old guys can't play drums??!!??
20019 -- I am now 78 and still playing a 1980s Premier kit using my ( 1st and only ) Royal Ace C.O.B. ten lug snare.
@@Copper3T wow sir,amazing
The "Old Guys" were great musicians, none of this modern Synth crap, THEY had talent by the bucketful so they didn`t need synthetic "Music"
Birch or Mahogany drums.?
Birch with beech hoops
@@darrenproctor1687
Thanks 👍🏿
Love his snare...not sure what it is..
Ronnie has his ride cymbal very tight..it barely moves..
@@roybeckerman9253 premier a premier royal ace snare very popular or a 2000 share if had a few preferred them to Ludwig snares if am honest
How old was Ronnie here ?
73
I’m here looking at who Quincy Jones was talking about, who had to fix Ringo’s drumming. 🤫 yikes Ringo.
taught Ringo
@bernieholland775 Studio
"The seat is already taken by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich?" What the fuck are you talkin' about..................
You can only be be American !
Foul
I don’t think Gene Krupa would have wanted a second drummer playing along with him...no need for it...😡
Maybe not but Ronnie did.
@@grayswood1962
Obviously.
Excellent drum solo. Dated chart that didn't age well.
verrell looks like he about to drop dead in front of his kit
He had fused vertebrae following a car crash after which he couldn't play for 10 months. It was a miracle he returned to playing and playing whilst in terrible pain.
First rate playing and it swings, but sorry, it ain't jazz, folks. Jazz is improvisation first and last.
Yes - BOTH drummers did so wonderfully well to remember exactly all the right notes from the score.............................although I think Ronnie missed an Eb in bar 969.........
@@richardanderson7986 If you look again Richard, you'll see the 'back up' drummer was reading the score from a stand on his left.
The other behind him looks very wooden & bounces up & down on his stool. I used to tell my students keep solid on the stool & let the power & movement come from the body & arms. Wasted energy.