| Atomic Rooster's |
| Ric Parnell |
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| Many thanks to Jan Horjus, "Dixie" Howard, Victor, Miguel
Terol for helping fill out some of those missing years, and to Spike
Healey and Eric Thatcher for bringing us up to date.
Ric is the son of the big band/jazz drummer, Jack Parnell 70: Ric first joined Rooster early summer '70, filling in after the departure of Carl, being replaced by "Hammy" by the end of August. Ric then joined a band called HORSE, a sought after doom hardrock album on Victor, 71:Ric is recruited back into the Rooster fold for the Made In England LP. Ric not only records the drums on this LP, but also contributes two songs -A Little Bit Of Inner Air and All In Satan's Name. Ric tours with Rooster and records on Nice N Greasy, continuing touring until '74 74:Ric was with The Prog Italian band Ibis. He was the drummer on their excellent LP Sun Supreme released in Italy. On the liner notes, it mentions his nickname as "Spyder." 75:After this Ric moves to the USA 76:He appears with a band, Nova, (Chicago without horns).
80:He also played drums on the Jimmy Spheeris Album 'Spheeris' 81:Ric and John played on album by Lisa Dalbello, "Drastic measures". 84: Ric makes an appearance in "fictional" legendary rock band Spinal Tap*, playing twin brothers, Ric and Mick Shrimpton, both of whom spontaneously combust, the one replacing the other, of course. 92:When Spinal Tap* reform and play live, Ric is on drums as Ric and Mick Shrimpton's unnamed cousin. 97: Ric is gigging with L.A. band Brown Ring, who have been likened to Alice Cooper on Steroids. 00:Ric Parnell is alive and well and living in Los Angeles. (see below for latest updates) Any new information on Ric, please contact us. |
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*From "Dixie" Howard, August
2000......*Spinal Tap are a fictional band? Comprised of American comedy
writers portraying British musicians who made a movie in 1984 about all
the pitfalls bands go through. The ironic thing is, just about every
incident in the movie actually happened to some of the bands we know and
love. Ric Parnell played Ric Shrimpton the drummer (the only real
musician in the band) who died only to be replaced by his twin Mick
Shrimpton (who died also - combusted on stage). Very funny stuff. In
1992 they reformed and held auditions for the drumming position. 100's
applied (including Mick Fleetwood & the guy from Jane's Addiction
,only a send up). But they settled on Ric & Mick's cousin, Parnell
again (only to be credited as the unknown drummer courtesy of Ric
Shrimpton, courtesy of Mick Shrimpton) and released a new album "Break
Like The Wind" which included tracks like "Bitch School" &
"Christmas With The Devil". Anyone who has never seen the "This
Is Spinal Tap" movie. Rent it on video, you'll laugh your arse off.
Kind of like Bad News, only much, much funnier. "....."Spinal
Tap is reforming and playing a "gig" in L.A. Sept. 5. I
e-mailed their "so-called" manager asking if Parnell was
playing the drums as usual and he only replied that the original 3
members were guaranteed to be there. In other words, he didn't know.
Typical.
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From Spike Baron, August 2000.......".Ric is alive and well and living in Los Angeles, playing drums for a sort of living with bands, like MC5's guitarist Wayne Krammer, and other local bands like Brown Ring. He plays pretty regular at a Jewish Deli called 'Canters,' best known for helping the beginning lean years of bands like the "Wallflowers" and "Guns & Roses" neither who played there as a whole, but many of their members subsisted there on Jammin' and Pastrami.Ric doesn't own a computer or know how to work one, and probably will never see the site, but he is flattered that anyone cares about what he is doing now and still takes an interest in Atomic Rooster and their legacy." |
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From Eric (El Diablo) Thatcher, September 3rd...... Here is a picture of Brown Ring @ their last gig. BR is mine & Ric's idea, Spike & I did most of the writing. Spike, our bass player, toured with Iron Butterfly & Mountain, Pete Pigmy from the Pygmy Love Circus, with Montrose & Berlin. Ric with Jeff Beck, Rooster & has been kicked out of almost as many Bands as I have.... More WAY more :) he is a character. PS Ric is the best drummer he has ever been right now & I have known him for the last 7 years. Check us out when you get a chance. Our new Album is titled It's Delicious and is due out soon. |
| <see enlargement> | http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Brown_Ring/
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| *Whatever Happened
to the Band?
*Vincent Crane *Carl Palmer *Nick Graham *John DuCann *Paul Hammond *Pete French *Chris Farlowe *Steve Bolton *Ric Parnell *John Goodsall *Preston Heyman *Bernie Torme |
