I wanted to leave an update re: Dave Ball - however life kept getting in the way and I forgot. I also forgot about this wee blog.  

I was saddened to read that Dave Ball had died, I heard the news via the Procol Harum webpage run by Roland  and Jens, Beyond the Pale, see the link on this blog. 

Amazingly, before Dave Ball died he'd written 3 eBooks about his life. Musician, soldier and IT specialist probably  in that order. Was there any more to him? Yes, he became Australian, swapping his 'strong' Brummie accent for an Aussie one, and had become a father to 3 children. 

I realise that I sounded a little  sour in my last post but his 1st autobiography was  put together in a hurry.  I assume he hastily put his ebooks together for good reason. Though he seemed to have convinced himself that he'd noticed and reported the symptoms of bowel cancer with some alacrity and reported it to his doctor.  What he did by taking charge and going for tests early, gave him the time to write about his life. It was interesting in part to me, as he had known my sister and vice versa. But I didn't expect him to mention his crush on my sisters best friends sister, Candy and that was the connection, all 3 worked for a short time in the same firm.

But in his books Dave manages to bad mouth the 2 musicians that (when I was as a teenager ) I was a little in awe and in love with, BJ because they disliked each other. And Robin Trower - apparently Dave doesn't rate him highly, says he's an average guitarist. I have to disagree with that idiotic damning remark,  the evidence being on the very 1st Procol Harum (1967) album. Just compare the Robin Trower version of Repent Walpugis recorded in 1967 (there are a few versions on bootlegs too) - to the 1973 Repent Walpurgis found on YouTube - it's been there at least 6 years and has around 675,000 views. It's moving - especially watching BJ put 100% of himself to it. It's great but Dave Ball cannot begin to compare with Trower. The Trower in '67 especially, 

And he clearly doesn't like B.J. Wilson - perhaps he would have forgiven him the fight, but Barrie died long before.

I believe it's worth reading Dave's autobiography and musings. It's interesting that Dave has written from inside the beast itself (the beast being all things Procol Harum) and a very interesting beast that band was and partly still is. 

And I will tell Melody the story of Dave fancying her sister Candy - who if she looked anything like Melody, Dave would have been in awe of her and realised he didn't stand a chance. I still remember the name of one of Candys Beatnik friends - Smoky Joe. 

Candy was apparently the queen of cool, as was her younger sister Melody. My sister Sue was pretty cool herself in my eyes, so it was good to know they both worked (first jobs) in Munns Birmingham - a film processing factory. 
RIP to my sis, and also to Dave Ball.

So to end ... This is a comment I found on You tube by non other than Dave Ball to give his great opinion about the man and musician that clearly did not appreciate Dave. I'm glad Dave could say this.. There WAS no one quite like BJ.

Dave Ball

My opinion - for what it's worth - BJ Wilson was not just a timekeeper when he played. He played an "Instrument" with all that implies, so the colours are completely integral to the end result. He was quite unique I think in how he played. Of course, there have been, and are thousands of drummers who play instrumentally so please don't bother listing them out here - but no one was quite like BJ. 

Just thought I would say that. Dave Ball (the tall Superman)

B.J. Wilson listed in NME's 31 of the best drummers list

B.J Wilson: Having played with 70s prog types Procul Harum and not-very-proggy former Clash singer Joe Strummer, B.J.Wilson's drumming was put to some diverse use. Light of touch and a whizz with a drum fill, however, he adapted to the challenge.

Read more at 

http://www.nme.com/photos/31-of-the-best-drummers-to-grace-rock-n-roll/382661/#/photo/3#uryuGRYTT8XOxZXH.99

Photo: Getty

Added: 07 Jul 2015

Whilst in a longish spell of illness downtime I managed to find and read Dave Balls "Half Hippie - Half Man" c2012.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Hippie-Man-Dave-Ball-ebook/


This is his autobiography which appears to me to have cobbled together from diary notes in some urgency, perhaps while very ill from bowel cancer treatment. I'm glad to hear he survived the diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy and recover from enough to write another volume of his autobiography, basically updates of what he had forgotten to add to the first. Additionally a third volume has appeared also.
I can't recommend as a good read though it raised my eyebrows a couple of times.

Dave Ball is a guitarist, a musician from Birmingham, England. He has worked with Brum band The Applejacks, drummer Cosy Powell, Bedlam, Long John Baldry and Procol Harum and probably a few others. Although after a brief spell with Long John Baldry he decided to join the army in a move of desperation due to lack of cash it would appear. Jobbing for Procol would however prove fruitful in that he was guitarist on the live orchestral album and whilst in the army received a cheque for a large amount of money.

I remember Dave Ball replaced the absolute chasmic void that appeared when Robin Trower left Procol Harum circa June 1971, in what I would describe as his legendery ascendancy to the very heights of Procol Harum. That then struggling but very wonderful as well as successful band with 5 albums under his belt, songs written by him and the focus very much placed on him. He was the most popular member of the band it seems to me, from witnessing 3 gigs with Procol's Robin Trower period. There were a lot of Trower fans in that audience.

I was personally devastated back then (at age of 16) to hear Trower had left and scoured the music press to discover more. Very little information about the whys and wherefore, but I discovered he'd joined a band very much led by him. Along with Glaswegian Frankie Miller on vocals, fellow Scot James Dewar on bass (Stone the Crows) and drummer Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull) they formed the rather short-lived combo Jude. I was lucky enough to see them when they played the tiny Henry's Blueshouse club in Birmingham. I count myself lucky but can't remember too much about it. A photo exists at least which I sourced from the web, photographer unknown. I will take it down if that person objects.

So Dave Ball stepped in after being recruited from 80 other guitarists and it was a shock. Then I discovered he was from Birmingham and 5 years older than me, the same age as my sister who i asked if she knew a Dave Ball. A tall order (sic) but she said yes I know him, he's a musician who my friend Candy McCready knows well. Or similar. It was Candy's beautiful sister Melody who was my sister's lifelong friend but she also knew and worked with Candy. Apparently Dave Ball worked with Candy also at the same workplace, happily admitting in his book that he had a massive crush on her that was unrequited.
I skimread through his badly written book, I say badly written but perhaps I mean poorly proof read looking for anything interesting! It's basically his diary but without dates attached.

The reason I've added a mention in BJ Wilson's blog is that Ball mentions that his ousting from the band was at the hands of Barrie, who it appears did not like him and found working with him difficult.
Reading between the lines I would say that Ball might have been unreliable, due to a large appetite for drugs and alcohol. Not unusual in any 70's band but it was something that Ball blames on his fight with Barrie Wilson.

I hope he comments more about this swift ending in his third time. Perhaps more later then.

Drunk Again 1974

Procol Harum on Beat club circa 1974.

How good were this band, without this really strong gifted line-up I think the band would have folded. Post Robin Trower who won many Procoholic hearts and minds. But then so did BJ Wilson.


http://youtu.be/877s7_5ML4w

Bringing home the bacon Rockpalast 1976

Sadly this is out of sync, which is annoying but still it is always great to see clear shots of Barrie and the band.

Another rare gig of procol Harum live and the last great line-up imho anyway. ( I missed the return of Matthew Fisher to the past decades later).

The line-up here is Gary Brooker, piano; Barrie J Wilson, drums; Mick Grabham, guitar; Alan Cartwright, bass; Chris Copping, organ. KeithReid, possibly lurking in the background, words.

http://youtu.be/PW6ZfF6swJc

For Liquorice John 1973

Our hero at work on one of their (Procol Harum) best songs .

An ode to a true friend from the older days, who lost his life by his own actions. A magically beautifully well crafted song written by Brooker and Reid but one wonders what it'd sound like without this most gifted and sensitive drummer.

Barrie J Wilson the expression on his face is a a sign he's giving his all to this song.


For Liquorice John.

http://youtu.be/S3HY9G77Y5A

A fine tribute to BJ Wilson

Just found this great review of Procol Harum's remastered A Salty Dog (Salvo) CD
By Stephen Reid (probably not a relative tho' you never know). Copy and Paste of write up,

By Mr. Stephen Reid - 30 Dec 2011

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great album, made better by the bonus tracks. The production (and orchestration) by Matthew Fisher is flawless. The title track is a haunting and atmospheric song of the sea. The keyboards (both Brooker's piano & Fisher's Hammond) are sublime, Keith Reid's lyrics are simultaneously witty, scholary and raunchy. Robin Trower shows why he was regarded by many as a natural heir to Jimi, and Gary Brooker's vocals make you wonder how the hell he was overlooked while the likes of Rod Stewart were held in such critical awe for so long. The album cover (a brilliant spoof of the old Player's Navy Cut cigarette pack) is one of the most iconic of the sixties. But thats not what this review is about. No, this review is about Barrie Wilson's drumming. 

The late Barrie (BJ) Wilson was in my opinion the best of the five best drummers of the rock era - you don't want to know the other four (oh okay then, its John Bonham, John Densmore, Topper Headon and Dave Mattacks). Good drummers keep the beat almsost unobtrusively - they drive the rhythm, and that's it, but when BJ plays you find yourself listening to the drums like they were a lead instrument, with no detriment to the rest of the track. His drumming quite literally punctuates Procol's melodic and lyrical masterpieces. Listen for example to "The Milk Of Human Kindness" (and the bonus "raw" track) - I defy you not to anticipate every across the beat hit he makes. Apparently he used to sit side on to the drum-kit, leading one reviewer of a Procol gig to comment that BJ looked like an "octopus in the bath" while drumming - what a great image!
Hail to the drummer; Barrie Wilson - powerhouse behind the kit.

Joe Cocker A Whiter Shade of Pale

Joe Cocker A Whiter Shade Of Pale at the Loreley Amphitheatre (St. Goarshausen, Germany) Aug 20, 1983

BJ Wilson on drums is instantly recognisable to those that know his unique inimitable style. Concert is up on Wolfgangs Vault. http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/joe-cocker/video/a-whiter-shade-of-pale_1005646.html

Apologies for not keeping up my BJ page. It's sad to say there is scant information about this great musician.

He remains one of the very best rock drummers of all time but also quite obscure and not well known.

His time was mostly spent working for the band Procol Harum, having followed them from sixties RnB band The Paramounts.

The man himself seems to have had a slight lack of confidence, despite accolades from fans and the band, it's great that he chose to stay with Procol Harum to the bitter end.

I'd like to know more about the metal bands he worked with while in America. But the AllMusic can't seemingly be bothered to find out. I know he auditioned for Tom Petty's Heartbreakers but 'didn't fit', whether that was his or their feeling, I don't know!

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bj-wilson-p138773/biography

DRUM magazine feature on BJ Wilson and a YouTube BJ Wilson page .... 

http://www.drummagazine.com/drumpedia/post/bj-wilson/

http://www.youtube.com/topic/W35Fa4AK8oM/bj-wilson

Barrie Wilson with Procol Harum (Home)

Nothing that I didn't know



A promo from the Home album, where both Robin Trower and BJ Wilson both honed their skills, which were made more obvious due to the departure of Matthew Fisher.

Below a video from the same director, the brother of the new organist/bassist the now postgraduate Chris Copping, ex Paramounts bassist.

The Dead Man's Dream



Director - Robin Copping

Repent (Walpurgis)

Letters of support!

PLANT TALKS SHRUBBISH! (in Uncut, Spring 2005)

Regarding the interview with Robert Plant (May 2005, Take 96), I must take issue with Plant over the crass comment he made about Procol Harum’s late drummer BJ Wilson, where he stated that Wilson wasn’t in the same league as John Bonham.

I certainly agree that John Bonham was an incredible, dynamic drummer, but so was BJ Wilson.

Come off it, Percy. Do you really believe that Jimmy Page would have even considered approaching Wilson if he didn’t think he was a top-league drummer? Surely Page must have seen Wilson’s ability when he worked with him on the 1968 sessions for Joe Cocker’s With A Little Help From My Friends album.

Furthermore, even the late great Cozy Powell once commented after seeing Procol live back in 1970 that perhaps a few so-called heavy metal drummers should check out BJ Wilson and perhaps they could learn a few points on technique.

Perhaps Plant should check out the 10 Procol Harum albums that Wilson worked on, particularly Broken Barricades, Grand Hotel and Exotic Birds And Fruit, which is probably Wilson’s finest work with the band. However, to really appreciate Wilson’s talent was to witness him playing live, as he never played the obvious and was one of the most powerful, inventive and unorthodox drummers that ever lived. He didn’t just play drums, he orchestrated them.

Sadly, BJ Wilson died in tragic circumstances in 1990 and I am in no doubt if Procol Harum had made it into the ranks of the Top 10 bands of the era (in terms of sales and public attention) then Wilson’s reputation would have surpassed many of his peers. Rest in peace, Barrie BJ Wilson.
Dan Kirby, Sidcup, Kent


HEAVY AS LED

How surprising to read, between the lines, that Robert Plant harbours resentment towards his more critically acclaimed, more talented contemporaries The Who and the Stones. I guess that on planet Zeppelin, the album charts of the 1970s were a Corinthian contest of quality untainted by the whims of the market.

As a consumer of less rarefied air, I recall a plethora of pop compilations and disco soundtracks, each more fun than a Zeppelin opus. Fact is, once over the utter self-absorption of adolescence, Led Zeppelin’s music has nothing to offer bar a sense of time passing discordantly and far too bloody slowly.
Kevin Doyle, Cheetham, Manchester

Thanks to 'Beyond The Pale'
http://www.procolharum.com/bjtxt13.htm

Barrie on You Tube

There are several videos with BJ as drummer, currently to be seen amongst the Joe Cocker and Procol Harum posts. Check them out.

I love this (Dylan) tune below, not just for BJ's contribution although I recognised his phrasing and drumming immediately. For me his best work was with Procol Harum, with whom he worked for ten years. Prior to Procol he had been drummer in The Paramounts in the mid-sixties. They had had moderate success with one of their singles "Poison Ivy" and had toured with both The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, but never got the success they deserved, plus Robin Trower left, due largely to pressure from their record company who'd wanted them to pursue popular music and forgo the R&B they did well. After the band split for good, Gary Brooker started Procol Harum, largely with musicians from the original Paramounts, including: BJ Wilson, Robin Trower, Chris Copping and Gary Brooker.

Joe Cocker at his best below.

You Tube Added February 24, 2007From Krumden

Obituary for Barrie J Wilson

This is one version anyway, I'm sure there are far better and more personal obituaries elsewhere. See the website 'Beyond The Pale' has it's own BJ page at www.procolharum.com/procolbj.htm check it out, it's got lots of information here.


Born : Edmondon, N.London, Mar. 18, 1947, England
Died : Oct. 8, 1990 Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon, USA
Left : Two daughters with ex wife, Sue Wilson.
Rests in Peace: Oakland Cemetary, Corvallis, Oregon, USA Block 9, Section 59, Plot 6.




Occupation: Musician - Drummer, Percussion.



He was the drummer for the British group Procol Harum. Barrie quickly took the place of their original drummer Bobby Harrison in 1967. He played on all their classic LPs, including Shine On Brightly (1968), A Salty Dog (1969), Home (1970), Broken Barricades(1971), Live With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (1972), and Grand Hotel (1973). With the band's structured songs, he brought a fast powerful style to their sound. He played with the group until they disbanded in 1977. He also drummed for Joe Cocker. He lived in Oregon with his wife Sue and family, and he died there of pneumonia in 1990. He was in my eyes uncomparable as a drummer. He had style.

To steal a beautiful quote from Steve Braitman, because it says it all.

' ... BJ was the true heart of Procol Harum ... BJ's drumming was almost literary – following and emphasizing the narrative with far more power and passion than any mere beat structure.

... In the usual descriptions of Procol Harum's style, "grandeur" is a typical adjective. BJ created that grandeur with stunning punctuations, great open spaces, surprising reversals of rhythm.

... BJ Wilson made the drums express both the unpredictability and inevitability of fate. He was awesome, and he will be missed.'

Stephen Braitman, letter to the Editor, Goldmine Magazine, 31 May 1991

BJ's other work

Barrie was drummer to Joe Cocker between 1979 and 1984 after having originally played drums on the original recording, along with session player Jimmy Page on guitar, on Cocker's uncomparable version of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends". The single reached No.1 in the UK in 1969.

Joe Cocker's "The Letter"




My heart leapt a beat when I watched a rerun of Joe Cocker live a couple of years ago, I actually recognised the drumming style but thought it was perhaps a copy of BJ, when I saw the drummer I wanted to cry. But there he was in all his long armed and legged glory. They called him The Octopus (some did) for it seemed like he was not only ambidextrous but had extra long limbs. I actually remember him of being average height and not "that" tall. Certainly nowhere near the height of past Procol Harum bandmember Dave Ball who stood at 6'.4".

In 1983 Wilson was brought in to play drums on AC/DC's Flick Of The Switch album after their drummer Phil Rudd had left the band halfway through the recording for the album. Sadly although none of Wilson's contributions were used in the final album, there is a cover version of AC/DC performing the Junior Wells song "Messin' with the Kid" available on some bootlegs which may feature Wilson on drums.

B.J. Wilson was the drummer on the movie soundtrack of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, on which his former Procol Harum bandmate, guitarist Mick Grabham, also played. Wilson's last recorded work was on the 1985 Gary Brooker solo album Echoes in the Night, along with his former Procol Harum bandmates Brooker, Keith Reid and Matthew Fisher, on tracks "Ghost Train," "The Long Goodbye" "Hear What You're Saying" and "Mr. Blue Day". http://en.allexperts.com/e/b/b/b.j._wilson.htm

IMDB ~ Barrie J Wilson~

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0933029/bio







Biography for B.J. Wilson (I)
Date of Birth 18 March 1947, Edmonton, London, England, UK
Date of Death 8 October 1990, (pneumonia)
Birth Name Barrie James Wilson

Trivia

He played drums in The Paramounts with keyboardist/vocalist Gary Brooker from 1961 to 1966. When Brooker left to form Procol Harum in 1967, original drummer Bobby Harrison left after three months, and Wilson joined the group.
His friend, arranger Richard Hartley (who had once unsuccessfully auditioned to play piano in the Paramounts), asked him to play drums on the soundtrack sessions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) in the fall of 1974. Wilson brought Procol Harum guitar player Mick Grabham to the sessions.

Still There'll Be More (Barrie Wilson & friends)

Procol Harum in their element, albeit without Matthew Fisher, Dave Knights and Robin Trower



Added September 12, 2006

From 'heavyrevolution'

Procol Harum smoking through a song from the Home record on German TV.
Check out the amazingly brilliant B.J. Wilson on the drums.

BJ Wilson - today would be his birthday

b. 18th March 1947 ~ d. 8th October 1990


Drummer of Procol Harum from 1967 to 1977.



It was a short life, but if you were ever lucky enough to see him in action as drummer to Procol Harum, you could have seen that he packed a lot of living into those 46 years.

He was very much loved by PH fans. And I mean VERY much Loved! I am sure most that met him and got to know him would not forget the guy. He had little ego but knew he was a capable and very gifted drummer. He very nearly drummed for Led Zeppelin after getting on Page & Plant's shortlist. He also drummed for Joe Cocker and others, but for most of his career it was two bands, The Paramounts and Procol Harum.

You couldn't go to a Procol concert and miss the fact that BJ, Barrie James Wilson was an incredibly skilful percussionist/drummer/sticksman.

I'm not a musician, but I recognise technical prowess when it stares me in the face and he was a master of his trade. I would go to Procol gigs and be transfixed by his drumming. It was like watching Nureyev dancing on stage, he was just amazingly clever and gifted.

Procol Harum would not have been the same without him. He helped construct the songs, adding an embellished bit of technical wizardry via his drumkit, it was almost like the added punctuation in a paragraph, to me.


Please check out 'Beyond the Pale' for more information :-
http://www.procolharum.com/

and for a great synopsis of Wilson, via a better fan than me...

http://community-2.webtv.net/Jem33nospamplez/druminfo/index.html

and the Wikipedia page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.J._Wilson