In 1986 I worked at a local music store. It was the first job I had at the age of 15. I had many drumming influences but at that time Neil Peart was my main influence and Simon Phillips was an up and coming drummer on my “influence” radar of drummers to watch. I wanted Neil’s kit so bad but Ludwig was my favorite manufacturer and his red kit at the time was TAMA. I was tickled when he switched to Ludwig. Any way I saw Rush during their Signals tour and I had to get my hands on a pair of TAMA Gong Bass Drums! The first job I got was at a local music store that dealt with Ludwig, TAMA and Pearl. As luck would have it someone had purchased 2 22" (with 24" drumheads) cherry wine TAMA Gong Bass Drums! They sat in that store for 2 years and the owner never came to pick them up. I wanted those things sooo bad because there’s nothing that sounds like them. Plus even by today’s standards they were expensive. I think the drum and roll away stand combined was over $2K and this guy bought 2 of them. We found out that the reason the owner never picked them up was because he was killed in a training accident at Camp Lejeune. We had no other way to get in touch with a family member so those Gong Bass Drums sat in the music store for another year. I kept working there so I could find a way to get my hands on them. That day finally came and the owner said I could have them because he wasn’t legally required to keep them in storage any more and it clearly stated on the receipt the guy signed that all fulfilled pre-paid orders must be pick up within 90 days of store delivery. I waited way past that time! I took one GBD to the Ludwig factory in Monroe NC and had them refinish that drum to match the rest of my blue flame Ludwig kit. Monroe is only an hour drive from where I live so it was super easy. Unfortunately Tama doesn’t make the 22" GBD anymore and hasn’t since the late 80’s. TAMA still makes the 20" GBD (with the 22" drumhead) but nothing sounds as guttural, throaty and resonant quite like the 22" GBD…
Wonderful. A shame that the sound quality is bad, but fortunately almost the same solo is included as "Free form solo 2" on Simon's instructional DVD from the 90's with studio quality.
![Simon Phillips (L. Ritenour & M. Stern) - Smoke 'n' Mirrors, [drums only camera]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SFGkvF_rK-A/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks so much for sharing!
Utterly sublime 👏👏👏👏👏👌👌👌
was it live with Jack Bruce ?
In 1986 I worked at a local music store. It was the first job I had at the age of 15. I had many drumming influences but at that time Neil Peart was my main influence and Simon Phillips was an up and coming drummer on my “influence” radar of drummers to watch. I wanted Neil’s kit so bad but Ludwig was my favorite manufacturer and his red kit at the time was TAMA. I was tickled when he switched to Ludwig. Any way I saw Rush during their Signals tour and I had to get my hands on a pair of TAMA Gong Bass Drums! The first job I got was at a local music store that dealt with Ludwig, TAMA and Pearl. As luck would have it someone had purchased 2 22" (with 24" drumheads) cherry wine TAMA Gong Bass Drums! They sat in that store for 2 years and the owner never came to pick them up. I wanted those things sooo bad because there’s nothing that sounds like them. Plus even by today’s standards they were expensive. I think the drum and roll away stand combined was over $2K and this guy bought 2 of them. We found out that the reason the owner never picked them up was because he was killed in a training accident at Camp Lejeune. We had no other way to get in touch with a family member so those Gong Bass Drums sat in the music store for another year. I kept working there so I could find a way to get my hands on them. That day finally came and the owner said I could have them because he wasn’t legally required to keep them in storage any more and it clearly stated on the receipt the guy signed that all fulfilled pre-paid orders must be pick up within 90 days of store delivery. I waited way past that time! I took one GBD to the Ludwig factory in Monroe NC and had them refinish that drum to match the rest of my blue flame Ludwig kit. Monroe is only an hour drive from where I live so it was super easy. Unfortunately Tama doesn’t make the 22" GBD anymore and hasn’t since the late 80’s. TAMA still makes the 20" GBD (with the 22" drumhead) but nothing sounds as guttural, throaty and resonant quite like the 22" GBD…
Amazing sound .... first time I've seen him using a CS on the snare though ..,usually a reverse dot.
Cracking snare sound
Love that basic beat of Eric Idles. Pretty much funk department.
Wonderful. A shame that the sound quality is bad, but fortunately almost the same solo is included as "Free form solo 2" on Simon's instructional DVD from the 90's with studio quality.
Oh yeah...thanx Fred
Yes, with the polymetric groove
wow that gong drum mic is clipping. but still Si Phi is a beast!!
Jack Bruce @ 8:46
Nice Tama pants!
Why is this rare? Is Simon not often on fire in Poland?
Is the cam guy still alive?
Hey back to the spandex era, and he needs it, what a work out.
simon amazing like always, the way is filmed is horrible, but thanks a lot for share it
artstar kit
Very fast fills one after another
He didn't like that batch of sticks.
never before seen has 18.000 views ! ha ha