Cozy Powell

Cozy Powell — aka Colin Trevor Flooks (Dec. 29, 1947 — April 5, 1998) — was an English rock drummer from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, who initially gained renown as part of the Jeff Beck Group during the early 1970s. Over the subsequent two decades, he played in the bands Bedlam, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Phenomena, ELP, Black Sabbath, and numerous others. As a solo artist, he released three albums on Polydor between 1979 and 1983, followed by a fourth disc on Electrola in 1992.

Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; December 29, 1947 — April 5, 1998) was an English drummer whose career included the Jeff Beck Group and Rainbow. He later joined Whitesnake and Black Sabbath. Emerson, Lake & Powell gave him a co-billed trio, while the Brian May Band carried his playing into the 1990s. Polydor issued three solo albums from 1979 through 1983; Electrola followed in 1992 with The Drums Are Back. Seven months after his death, Polydor issued a Japanese edition of Especially for You.

Background

Colin Trevor Flooks was born on December 29, 1947, in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. He began playing drums at age twelve in a school orchestra. Flooks adopted Cozy from jazz drummer Cozy Cole and Powell from his adoptive mother’s maiden name. He first played with the Corals at a Cirencester youth club, then joined the Sorcerers for professional work. Powell next joined Youngblood and Ace Kefford Stand. Big Bertha reunited him with guitarist Dave Ball and singer Frank Aiello.

Jeff Beck recruited Powell in 1970 after preliminary sessions with producer Mickie Most. Singer Bobby Tench and keyboardist Max Middleton joined the new Jeff Beck Group; bassist Clive Chaman completed the rhythm section. Powell recorded Rough and Ready and Jeff Beck Group before the lineup dissolved after the second album. Bedlam carried the Powell–Aiello–Ball partnership into a quartet with bassist Denny Ball.

Most booked Powell for RAK sessions and produced “Dance with the Devil,” which RAK issued in October 1973 (b/w “And Then There Was Skin”); the instrumental reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. “The Man in Black” followed in 1974 and peaked at No. 18. Cozy Powell’s Hammer took “Na Na Na” to No. 10 later that year. Guitarist Bernie Marsden and keyboardist Don Airey worked in the Hammer lineup, which also retained Aiello.

Ritchie Blackmore recruited Powell in 1975 for Rainbow’s second lineup. The drummer appeared on Rising and On Stage, then continued through Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll and Down to Earth. Polydor paired Powell with Airey for a full-length instrumental album.

Over the Top

Powell released his debut solo album, Over the Top, in October 1979 on Polydor.

The instrumental set paired Powell with bassist Jack Bruce and keyboardist Don Airey, who arranged the material. Gary Moore and Bernie Marsden supplied one guitar part each, while Clem Clempson played two tracks. Max Middleton replaced Airey on “The Loner.”

A1. “Theme One” (3:36) – George Martin
A2. “Killer” (7:16) – Don Airey
A3. “Heidi Goes to Town” (2:57) – Cozy Powell, Airey
A4. “El Sid” (5:09) – Bernie Marsden
B1. “Sweet Poison” (8:24) – Max Middleton
B2. “The Loner” (4:50) – Middleton
B3. “Over the Top” (8:39) – Airey, Powell, Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Powell recorded most of the album in 1979 at Central Sound Studios in Manchester. The Town House in London hosted “Killer” and the final mixes, while Martin Birch produced and engineered the sessions. Birch also produced Rainbow’s concurrent Down to Earth and moved next to Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell.

Powell devised a cover concept that shows him clearing a Yamaha drum kit on a motocross bike. Photographer Bob Carlos Clarke constructed the action image, while Ian Murray’s Acrobat Design supplied art direction. Clarke also photographed Pete Townshend for Empty Glass and Barclay James Harvest for Turn of the Tide within the next two years.

Ariola lifted “Theme One” as a November 1979 single (b/w “Over the Top”), which reached No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart. Over the Top peaked at No. 34 on the UK Albums Chart.

Tilt

Powell released his second solo album, Tilt, in September 1981 on Polydor.

Powell worked with four separate studio combinations across the album. Elmer Gantry fronts the first three tracks with guitarist Kirby Gregory and bassist Chris Glen. Frank Aiello sings “Living a Lie” beside Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray. Jeff Beck appears on the Jan Hammer pieces, while Gary Moore plays “Sunset” and “The Blister.”

A1. “The Right Side” (3:50) – Kirby Gregory, John Cook
A2. “Jekyll & Hyde” (4:38) – Gregory, Cook
A3. “Sooner or Later” (3:02) – Gregory, Elmer Gantry
A4. “Living a Lie” (5:37) – Powell, Bernie Marsden, Don Airey
B1. “Cat Moves” (5:12) – Jan Hammer
B2. “Sunset” (4:32) – Gary Moore
B3. “The Blister” (4:22) – Moore, Airey
B4. “Hot Rock” (4:36) – Hammer

Powell recorded Tilt at Britannia Row Studios in London with co-producer and principal engineer Guy Bidmead. Peter MacNamee engineered “Sunset” and “The Blister,” while Nick Griffiths joined Powell and Bidmead for final mixes. Bidmead also produced and engineered Bernie Marsden’s contemporary Look at Me Now; Griffiths came from Pink Floyd’s The Wall engineering team.

Hipgnosis’s late-period design team created the sleeve around a photograph by Rick Brackett. The bandaged portrait first appeared in a rejected proposal for Scorpions’ Blackout before the team assigned it to Powell’s album.

Polydor issued “Sooner or Later” in September 1981 (b/w “The Blister”). Tilt reached No. 58 on the UK Albums Chart.

Michael Schenker Group and Whitesnake

Powell left Rainbow in 1980 and joined the Michael Schenker Group. He recorded MSG and the concert set One Night at Budokan before leaving in 1982 after the tour. Whitesnake recruited him for the touring lineup behind Saints & Sinners, then used him on the British version of Slide It In. His final appearance with the band came in January 1985 at Rock in Rio.

Octopuss

Powell released his third solo album, Octopuss, in May 1983 on Polydor.

Bassist Colin Hodgkinson and guitarist Mel Galley form the principal trio with Powell. Jon Lord and Don Airey divide keyboard parts, while Gary Moore returns for “Dartmoore.” John Du Prez arranged the film themes “633 Squadron” and “The Big Country.”

A1. “Up on the Downs” (3:55) – Mel Galley, Cozy Powell
A2. “633 Squadron” (4:13) – Ron Goodwin
A3. “Octopuss” (5:35) – Powell, Colin Hodgkinson
A4. “The Big Country” (2:56) – Jerome Moross, Morty Neff, Jack Lewis
B1. “Formula One” (3:21) – Galley, Powell
B2. “Princetown” (4:37) – Galley, Powell
B3. “Dartmoore” (5:41) – Gary Moore
B4. “The Rattler” (2:57) – David Coverdale, Powell

Sessions spanned September through October 1982 at Britannia Row Studios in London. Powell and Nick Griffiths produced the album; Griffiths mixed recordings engineered with Mike Johnson. Griffiths previously worked on Pink Floyd’s The Wall, while Johnson assisted on Joy Division’s Closer after joining Britannia Row in 1979 as a staff engineer.

Powell supplied the cover concept, and Bob Watson developed the graphics through Graphtec. Photographer Bob Hayden framed Powell behind a double-bass kit against an orange circular field; the rear sleeve extends the drum-stage portrait across a black ground.

Octopuss reached No. 86 on the UK Albums Chart. Hear No Evil Recordings gathered the album with Over the Top and Tilt in the 2017 four-disc set The Polydor Years, which added singles and studio outtakes.

Later Activity

Keith Emerson and Greg Lake recruited Powell in 1985 for a new trio. The trio released a self-titled album the next year and toured Europe and North America before financial disputes ended the project. Forcefield then linked Powell with guitarist Ray Fenwick across four albums from 1987 through 1991 on the project’s original sequence.

Tony Iommi brought Powell into Black Sabbath for Headless Cross and Tyr. He left before Dehumanizer, then returned for Forbidden and part of the supporting tour. Powell also recorded with Gary Moore and Peter Green, while the Brian May Band placed him beside bassist Neil Murray on the Back to the Light tour.

The Drums Are Back

Powell released his fourth solo album, The Drums Are Back, in June 1992 on Electrola.

Steve Makin and Neil Murray form the main guitar-bass pairing, with Geoff Nicholls on keyboards. Brian May joins Don Airey on “Ride to Win,” while John Deacon plays bass on “Somewhere in Time.” Other sessions bring in guitarists Steve Lukather and Ray Fenwick, with Billy Sheehan and Lawrence Cottle on bass.

A1. “The Drums Are Back” (4:20) – Cozy Powell, Geoff Nicholls
A2. “Ride to Win” (3:46) – Jamie Page
A3. “I Wanna Hear You Shout” (3:38) – Gerry Lane
A4. “Light in the Sky / Return of the 7” (6:04) – Powell, Don Airey
A5. “Battle Hymn” (4:45) – Powell, Nicholls
B1. “Legend of the Glass Mountain” (5:05) – Nino Rota
B2. “Cryin’” (4:53) – Lane
B3. “Classical Gas” (3:18) – Mason Williams
B4. “Somewhere in Time” (3:51) – Powell, Nicholls, Steve Makin
B5. “The Rocket” (3:35) – Powell, Nicholls

Powell recorded the album at RAK and Marcus studios in London, then continued at Monnow Valley and Rockfield in Wales. He also used Fleece Studios in Surrey and Record One in Los Angeles. Leif Mases mixed the album from recordings engineered chiefly by Justin Shirley-Smith and Sean Lynch. Rail Rogut and Steve Pimm covered additional sessions. Shirley-Smith also co-produced and engineered Brian May’s contemporary Back to the Light, which featured Powell and Murray.

Illustrator James Stevenson Ward created the cover. The 1992 title-track single reused the same drum-kit graphic. Electrola issued that track on CD and 12-inch formats. Brian May reworked “Ride to Win” as “Resurrection” with Powell in 1993; the single reached No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart.

Especially for You

Polydor released Powell’s fifth solo album, Especially for You, in November 1998 as a Japanese CD.

The album draws from 1995 sessions with singer John West, guitarist Mike Casswell, and bassist Neil Murray. Keyboardist Lonnie Parks supports the principal lineup, while Ken Boley and Mike Burns cover additional parts. Sylvain Mizrahi plays guitar on “Haunted by the Devil.” Casswell wrote or co-wrote six tracks, and Brenda Brooker supplied four lyric partnerships.

1. “Man With a Mission” (4:39) – John West, Mike Casswell

2. “Ivory Towers” (4:36) – West, Casswell

3. “Why Does Love Hurt” (4:46) – Brenda Brooker, Mike Burns

4. “Haunted by the Devil” (4:15) – Brooker, Viracocha

5. “Doing the Natural Thing” (5:10) – Casswell

6. “All I Wanted Was Your Love” (5:29) – Brooker, Burns

7. “Call Me Mayhem” (4:08) – Casswell

8. “The Light” (3:50) – West, Mathis

9. “High Time to Fly” (3:34) – West, Lonnie Parks

10. “Make You a Man” (4:36) – Casswell

11. “Power in the Wrong Hands” (6:15) – Casswell

12. “You’re All I Believe In” (4:22) – Brooker, Burns

Powell produced the 1995 recordings, with Kelly “Dred” Liebelt credited for engineering and Brenda Brooker for executive production. Brooker carried the same executive role from The Drums Are Back, while Casswell came from Powell’s work with the Brian May Band.

Polydor’s Japanese package pairs a color head-and-shoulders portrait on the front with a black-and-white drum-kit image on the disc. The rear cover places a second portrait inside a distressed rectangular border; the package credits no photographer.

Tipton, Entwistle & Powell

Glenn Tipton approached Powell in 1994 with material written outside Judas Priest. Bassist John Entwistle joined through manager Bill Curbishley, and Don Airey added keyboards to selected recordings. Atlantic declined the proposed trio, leaving the tapes unreleased while Tipton recast other material for Baptizm of Fire.

Powell died on April 5, 1998, after a car crash near Bristol. Entwistle died in 2002, and Tipton later returned to the shelved recordings for a posthumous release.

Edge of the World

Rhino released Tipton, Entwistle & Powell’s singular album, Edge of the World, in March 2006 through WEA.

Tipton sings and plays guitar beside Entwistle and Powell. Airey contributes keyboards, while Neil Murray adds bass to “Stronger Than the Drug.” The program compiles the trio sessions recorded before Baptizm of Fire.

1. “Unknown Soldier” (1:20)

2. “Friendly Fire” (5:31)

3. “Holy Man” (5:00)

4. “Never Say Die” (4:47)

5. “Resolution” (6:50)

6. “Searching” (4:40)

7. “Give Blood” (3:54)

8. “Crime of Passion” (5:17)

9. “Walls Cave In” (4:35)

10. “Edge of the World” (5:39)

11. “Stronger Than the Drug” (5:18)

The trio began sessions at Monnow Valley Studios in Monmouth, then continued at Entwistle’s home studio. Tipton and Sean Lynch produced and mixed the material. Lynch later worked on Judas Priest albums after establishing the connection through these sessions.

Illustrator Mark Wilkinson created the cover, continuing an association with Tipton that included Judas Priest’s Ram It Down and Painkiller. Rhino directed album proceeds to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Discography

Studio Albums

Over the Top (1979 • Polydor)
Tilt (1981 • Polydor)
Octopuss (1983 • Polydor)
The Drums Are Back (1992 • Electrola)
Especially for You (1998 • Polydor)

Tipton, Entwistle & Powell

Edge of the World (2006 • Rhino/WEA)

Discography:

• Over the Top (1979)
• Tilt (1981)
• Octopuss (1983)
• The Drums Are Back (1992)
• Especially for You (1998)
• Edge of the World (2006 • Tipton, Entwistle & Powell, recorded 1996)