Nigel Olsson

Nigel Olsson

Olsson in the Elton John band; May 2007 in Alabama
Background information
Born (1949-02-10) 10 February 1949
Wallasey, Cheshire
England, United Kingdom
Genres Rock and roll
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments Drums, vocals, percussion, tambourine, congas
Years active 1967–present
Labels Page One, Uni, Rocket, Polydor, Columbia, Bang, 81, Artful Balance
Associated acts Plastic Penny, Elton John, Uriah Heep, Spencer Davis Group
Website www.nigelolsson.com

Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer, and singer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John.

A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of John's original power trio alongside bassist Dee Murray. When not working with John, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician. Olsson has composed, recorded, and produced albums for his own solo career.

Career

Early years

Olsson was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, England, the second of five boys of John and Elsa Olsson.[1] He began his musical career playing the guitar in small bands, and took up the drums at a gig where the drummer did not show up.[2] His first appearance on a record album was in the band Plastic Penny, which released Two Sides of a Penny on Page One Records in 1968. Olsson was spotlighted on one song on that album, "I Want You," performing both lead vocals and a drum solo. In 1969 he played drums on the "flower power" pop single "Mr. Boyd" b/w "Imagine" by Argosy, a one-off group which also included Reginald Dwight (later known as Elton John), Caleb Quaye, and Roger Hodgson.[3] Olsson also served a brief time with the English hard rock band Uriah Heep, playing drums on one song on their 1970 debut LP, Very 'eavy... Very 'umble. Subsequently, he played drums on one track on Elton John's debut album, Empty Sky, and then became a member of The Spencer Davis Group with bassist Dee Murray. The pair joined John on the road as his touring band, and played with John during his debut tour in the United States at the Troubadour Club on 25 August 1970. Only permitted at first to play on one track of John's studio albums, Olsson and Murray were added, along with guitarist Davey Johnstone, who was newest to the band, and all teamed up to play and sing backing vocals on Elton John's early 1970s albums.

Joining the Elton John band

Olsson in 1971

With Johnstone, Olsson and Murray on board, John enjoyed a string of critically acclaimed albums and hit singles. The albums include Honky Chateau, Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Caribou. Shortly before the Captain Fantastic studio sessions, percussionist Ray Cooper toured as a sideman in what was billed as The Elton John Band. Olsson played during all of John's original American tours and confesses that he still gets nervous before going on stage.[4]

The Elton John band, while still a trio- Olsson in the center on drums, 1971

In 1971, Olsson produced and released his debut solo album Nigel Olsson's Drum Orchestra and Chorus on Uni Records; featuring Murray and Hookfoot guitarist Caleb Quaye, who had played on John's early albums. Olsson also teamed up with the Liverpool trio, The Big Three, for their reunion album Resurrection (1973).

In May 1975, Olsson and Murray were dismissed from John's band following the release of Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, which, upon release, hit the charts at #1. Olsson's second solo album, Nigel Olsson, appeared later that year on John's own record label, The Rocket Record Company, and featured a cover of the Bee Gees' penned "Only One Woman", which featured the combination of John, Johnstone, Murray, and Cooper, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. The album was produced by Robert Appere.

Olsson continued working as a studio musician, releasing another self-titled album that was produced by Paul Davis on Columbia in 1978. Although that album brought no Top 40 recognition, in 1979, he released the album Nigel and enjoyed some mild success as a solo artist, scoring a pair of Top 40 hits on the U.S. pop chart with "A Little Bit of Soap" and "Dancin' Shoes", the latter of which cracked the Top 20 at #18. "Dancin' Shoes" was originally written by Carl Storie, and first recorded by his Faith Band.

In August 1980, he released the album Changing Tides on CBS's Bang Records, but the album failed to achieve chart success. That same year, Olsson returned to Elton John's band to begin a four-year tenure, appearing on John's albums 21 at 33 and The Fox. He rejoined former bandmates Murray and Johnstone for the tour behind John's 1982 album Jump Up!, and stayed with the reformed band through the next two albums and tours for Too Low for Zero (1983) and Breaking Hearts (1984). Following another line-up change, they would rejoin only one more time in 1988 for backing vocals on Reg Strikes Back prior to Murray's untimely death on 15 January 1992.

In 1991 Olsson reunited with Johnstone in the band 'Warpipes', releasing Holes in the Heavens. Although the album was critically successful, it failed commercially when their label, Artful Balance, went bankrupt, and the band was unable to tour to support the record. Olsson also sang on Davey Johnstone and Guy Babylon's production of Addison Steel's Stormy Blue that year.

On 31 March 2000, Olsson sang backing vocals alongside Billy Trudel and Ken Stacey as part of John's band when John was promoting the soundtrack to the film The Road to El Dorado by appearing on The Today Show. On 3 April, Olsson played drums on three songs at the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit saluting John at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City. By the time of John's "One Night Only" concerts in New York City on 20 and 21 October, Olsson was alternating with and playing drums alongside Curt Bisquera. In January 2001, Olsson took over the full-time drumming chores when Bisquera left to pursue other projects.

In 2001 Olsson released another solo album entitled Move The Universe on 81 Records. Davey Johnstone and Guy Babylon produced the record and played on all of the tracks, along with Bob Birch on bass, Elton John alumnus Fred Mandel on piano, John Mahon on percussion, and Billy Trudel on backing vocals. Kiki Dee sang lead vocals on "Naked Without You", and Olsson's brother Kai sang lead vocals "When I'm Dead an' Gone." The track "Building A Bird" had been written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin in 1994 during the sessions for Elton's album "Made in England," but never recorded. Olsson dedicated the album to the late Dee Murray.

In the studio, he played and sang backing vocals on several tracks on John's Songs from the West Coast (2001). He then played all the drums on Peachtree Road (2004) and The Captain & the Kid (2006), as well as continuing in the touring band, along with Johnstone, Bob Birch (bass), Kim Bullard (keyboards) and John Mahon (percussion). With bassist Matt Bissonette replacing the late Bob Birch in 2012, this band recorded Wonderful Crazy Night in 2015 for release in February 2016.[1]

On 9 November 2014, Olsson played his 2000th concert with Elton John at the Ice Hall Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[5]

Personal life

Olsson has two children: Justin, who lives with his wife Angela in Los Angeles, and Annette, who lives with her husband Barry and children Ashley and Katie in England.[1] „” He married Schanda Butler in 1989[1] and resides in Los Angeles.

Olsson is a longtime car and racing fanatic, and has been associated with VARA and HMSA as both a racecar driver and a pace car driver.[1]

Equipment

Olsson endorses DW drums, pedals & hardware,[6] Paiste cymbals,[7] Remo drumheads and Vic Firth drumsticks.[8] He frequently wears headphones and gloves onstage - according to the FAQ on his official website, the reasons he wears gloves is to protect his hands from splinters and calluses, to maintain a better grip on his sticks, and "because they're flash".[9]

Discography

Albums

Year Album Billboard 200 Record label
1971 Nigel Olsson's Drum Orchestra and Chorus — DJM Records
1975 Nigel Olsson — The Rocket Record Company
1978 Nigel Olsson (second self-titled) — Columbia Records
1979 Nigel 140 Bang Records
1980 Changing Tides —
2001 Move The Universe — 81 Records

Singles

Year Title Peak chart
positions		 Record Label B-side Album
US Pop US AC
1971 "Some Sweet Day" — — Uni Records "Weirdhouse" Nigel Olsson's Drum Orchestra and Chorus
"Sunshine Looks Like Rain" — — "And I Know in My Heart"
1972 "Alabama" — — DJM Records "Sunshine Looks Like Rain"
1974 "Something Lacking in Me" — — The Rocket Record Company "Songs I Sing" Nigel Olsson
"Only One Woman" 91 — "In Good Time"
1976 "Get It up for Love" — — "Can't You See"
"Girl We've Got to Keep On" — — "A Girl Like You" (US #107)
1978 "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" — — CBS Records International "Living in a Fantasy" Nigel
"Dancin' Shoes" 18 8 Bang Records "Living in a Fantasy"
1979 "Little Bit of Soap" 34 9 "Thinking of You"
"Part of the Chosen Few" — — "All It Takes"
1980 "Saturday Night" — — "Trapeze" Changing Tides

References

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