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Nigel Olsson

English drummer (born 1949) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nigel Olsson
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Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English drummer, best known for being a lifelong member of the Elton John Band. He has had an equally long career as a session musician and composed, recorded and produced albums as a solo artist.

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Career

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Early years

Olsson was born to John and Elsa Olsson in Wallasey, Cheshire, England, the second of five boys.[1] His family were originally from Gothenburg and he spent his early life living in Sunderland, where he worked on the pilot boats on the River Wear.[2] He began his musical career playing the guitar in small bands, including the Sunderland based Fireflies; and took up the drums at a gig where the drummer did not show up at the last minute.[3] 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.[4] Olsson also had a brief stint with the English hard rock band Uriah Heep, playing drums on two songs 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 replaced Dave Hynes in The Spencer Davis Group, joining forces with bassist Dee Murray. The pair joined John on the road as his touring band in April 1970, 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 each of John's early studio albums, Olsson and Murray, along with guitarist Davey Johnstone, became Elton's studio band with the recording of Honky Chateau in January 1972.

Joining the Elton John band

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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 Caribou studio sessions, famed session percussionist Ray Cooper joined permanently, having previously been a sideman, what was billed as The Elton John Band. Olsson played during all of John's tours, and confesses that he still gets nervous before going on stage.[5]

In 1971, Olsson produced and released his debut solo album Nigel Olsson's Drum Orchestra and Chorus on Uni Records, featuring Murray, Cochise (band) guitarist Mick Grabham, 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, entered the charts at No. 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 had been recorded with John and his band in August 1974 during the sessions for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. The album was produced by Robert Appére.

Olsson continued working as a studio musician, releasing another self-titled album produced by Paul Davis on Columbia in 1978, while managed by Martin Pichinson. 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 No. 18. "Dancin' Shoes" was 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 for what was to be 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.

On 31 March 2000, Olsson sang backing vocals alongside Billy Trudel and Ken Stacey when John appeared on The Today Show to promote the soundtrack to the film The Road to El Dorado. 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 titled 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 Roachford's "Naked Without You", and Olsson's brother Kai sang lead vocals on McGuinness Flint's "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.[6]

On his 68th birthday, 10 February 2017, Olsson played his 2,267th concert with Elton John at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.[7]

On 25 June 2023, Olsson played with headliner Elton John at the Glastonbury Festival.

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Personal life

Olsson has one son, Justin, from his marriage to Lisa Gombatz (twin sister of Dee Murray’s wife Maria), and one daughter, Annette, who lives with her husband Barry and their children Ashley and Katie Marie in England. In 1989, Olsson married Schanda Butler, daughter of music producer Larry Butler. They live in Los Angeles.

Olsson is a longtime car and racing fanatic, and has been associated with the Vintage Auto Racing Association and the Historic Motor Sports Association in the United States as both a race car driver and a pace car driver.

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Discography

Solo albums

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Singles

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With Elton John

Empty Sky, 1969
Elton John With Dee Murray And Nigel Olsson 11-17-70, 1970[16]
The Early Years, 1970[17]
Tumbleweed Connection, 1970
Very Alive, 1971[18]
Friends, 1971
Madman Across the Water, 1971
Tokyo Shakes: Live in Japan 1971, 1971[19]
First Visit 1971, (Italy) 1971[20]
Honky Château, 1972
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, 1973
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973
Live, (Hollywood Bowl) 1973[21]
Caribou, 1974
Live at Hammersmith, 1974[22]
Apple Pie, 1974[23]
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, 1975
Stand At The Seattle Center Coliseum, 1975[24]
Here and There, 1976
Elton John Band Featuring John Lennon and The Muscle Shoals Horns, 1976[25]
Concierto Grabado En Vivo!, 1976[26]
21 at 33, 1980
The Fox, 1981
In Central Park, 1981[27]
Too Low for Zero, 1983
Breaking Hearts, 1984
Reg Strikes Back, 1988 (vocals)
The Night Time Concert, 1990[28]
To Be Continued…, 1990
The One, 1992 (vocals)[29]
Madman Shakes Tokyo!, 1998[30]
The Road to El Dorado soundtrack, 2000 (vocals)[31]
Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits, 2000
Songs from the West Coast, 2001
Peachtree Road, 2004
Dream Ticket, 2004
The Captain & the Kid, 2006
Live At Rose Hall, 2006[32]
Live At Watford Football Club, 2006[33]
Elton 60 – Live at Madison Square Garden, 2007
The Red Piano, 2008[34]
Elton John In Japan, 2008[35]
Live 2009 - Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, 2009[36]
Wonderful Crazy Night, 2016

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With other artists

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References

External links

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