Rob Townsend

Rob Townsend is a British Batteur of Rock born the July 7th 1947 with Leicester (England). He is more particularly known like having been the beater of the progressive group Family of 1967 until 1973.

Biography

Less famous than its compatriots Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones), Keith Moon (The Who) or John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), his admirors and the critics regard Rob Townsend as one of the best beaters of rock'n'roll of its generation.

Beginnings

Rob Townsend is born and grows with Leicester, city where it takes taste with the music and begins his training of the battery, influenced between-others by musicians of Jazz like Buddy Rich or Gene Krupa. It spends its youths playing within various groups of Leicester like the Beatniks , Broodly Hoo or Legay .

Family

It joined Family in 1967, substitute Harry Overnall who was not any more in phase with the new musical orientations of his group, very little time before the recording of the first simple one of Family Scene Through The Eye Of has Lens/Gypsy Woman .

When Family records its first album Music In has Doll' S House in July 1968, Townsend points out himself on the songs The Chase and Hey Mr. Policeman . On the album 1969 of the group, Family Entertainment , Townsend already obtained a reputation of beater precise metronome which transports Family to the sandstone of varied tempos and particularly worked arrangements.

In 1970, its contributions on the albums has Song For Me and Anyway makes it possible Family to maintain the course. Its power with the battery was impressive as its service shows it on The Weaver' S Answer .

With the principal vocalist Roger Chapman and the guitarist John " Charlie" Whitney, Rob Townsend is one of the only members of Family to remain active until the final dissolution of the group in 1973. The frequent changes of personnel often obliged Townsend to adapt his style to a news " basse". It had, in company of the bass player, to provide the base of the rhythm section of Family. He will play within Family with four famous bass players - Rick Grech, John Weider, John Wetton then Jim Cregan - and will have to get along with each one of them.

The Seventies

After the dissolution of Family, Townsend joined Medicine Head, whose producer was not other than Tony Ashton (ex-Family). After eighteen months spent with the group, Townsend leaves Medicine Head when the group decides to do without permanent beater. Townsend then continues his career until the end of the Seventies like independent beater. This period sees some interesting collaborations with for example the singer Kevin Ayers, the future guitarist of Police Andy Summers, or even John " Charlie" Whitney within the transitory group Axis Not .

Continuation

Since 1982 Rob Townsend was member of The Blues Band with Paul Jones, Dave Kelly, Tom McGuinness and Gary Fletcher. It also appears with Jones and McGuinness within The Manfreds. Although it never obtained the transatlantic success of some of its compatriots British beaters, Townsend was always happy to make what it liked.

Reference

In its original version, this article is a translation of the article Rob Townsend, on English Wikipédia.

External bond

(in) Strange Band - the page on Family

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