Bobby Rondinelli
Encyclopedia
Bobby Rondinelli is a rock drummer
best known for his work with the hard rock
/heavy metal
bands like Blue Öyster Cult
, Rainbow
, Quiet Riot
, Black Sabbath
, The Lizards, and Rondinelli.
.
Rondinelli missed out on replacing Peter Criss
of Kiss
in 1980 to Eric Carr
because, as Carr put it, his vocals were better than Rondinelli's. While playing with Rainbow
, Rondinelli was featured on a performance recorded live in San Antonio, TX for MTV
; his drum solo from this show was featured. Rondinelli also recorded the drum portions for the Scorpions
' much lauded and big-selling 1984 Love at First Sting
album. However, no one from the Scorpions has ever confirmed that any of his tracks made the final cut. Rhythm guitarist Rudolph Schenker wanted him to join the Scorpions full time but since they were the first successful German
rock band in America the management wanted to keep the band German. He played with Black Sabbath on the albums Cross Purposes
and Cross Purposes Live
and was a member in 1994 and again in 1995. He also played in the bands Rondinelli and Sun Red Sun with Ray Gillen
, and also was the drummer for Gidget Gein and the Dali gaggers fearturing Gidget Gein
. Between 2003 to 2008, he played in the NY band The Lizards, founded by ex-Cactus bassist Randy Pratt and guitarist Patrick Klein. Rondinelli has since gone on to join a Rainbow tribute band,"Over the Rainbow" From 2008 to 2010. Band members consisted of Joe Lynn Turner, Jurgen Blackmore, Paul Morris, and Greg Smith.
During the Summer of 2010, Bobby Rondinelli had joined Foghat, substituting for original drummer Roger Earl while Roger was recovering from surgery.
Rondinelli regularly holds drum clinics and is co-author of The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming published by Modern Drummer
.
His most recently tour was with Over the Rainbow which ended in 2010 in Finland.
His drum kit includes Ludwig Drums with Attack drumheads, Paiste cymbals and gongs, and he plays with Vater sticks.
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
best known for his work with the hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands like Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
, Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, The Lizards, and Rondinelli.
Background
Rondinelli took up drumming at the age of 11, having previously played guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
Rondinelli missed out on replacing Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
of Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
in 1980 to Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
because, as Carr put it, his vocals were better than Rondinelli's. While playing with Rainbow
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...
, Rondinelli was featured on a performance recorded live in San Antonio, TX for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
; his drum solo from this show was featured. Rondinelli also recorded the drum portions for the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
' much lauded and big-selling 1984 Love at First Sting
Love at First Sting
Love at First Sting is the ninth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1984 . Love at First Sting became the most successful album of the band in the USA where it peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1984 and went triple platinum...
album. However, no one from the Scorpions has ever confirmed that any of his tracks made the final cut. Rhythm guitarist Rudolph Schenker wanted him to join the Scorpions full time but since they were the first successful German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
rock band in America the management wanted to keep the band German. He played with Black Sabbath on the albums Cross Purposes
Cross Purposes
-Personnel:*Tony Martin – vocals*Tony Iommi – guitars*Geezer Butler – bass*Geoff Nicholls – keyboards*Bobby Rondinelli – drums-References:"Evil Eye" was written by Martin, Iommi and Butler with Eddie Van Halen, but Van Halen was not credited, due to his affilliation with Warner Bros...
and Cross Purposes Live
Cross Purposes Live
Cross Purposes Live is a live album recorded by the British metal band Black Sabbath. It was released in 1995. It is the only live-record with singer Tony Martin. It was available only as part of CD and VHS double-pack. The CD was housed within an oversize videotape-case but had its own inserts and...
and was a member in 1994 and again in 1995. He also played in the bands Rondinelli and Sun Red Sun with Ray Gillen
Ray Gillen
Raymond A. "Ray" Gillen was an American rock singer, best known for his work with Badlands, in addition to his stint with Black Sabbath in the mid-1980s and recording most of the vocals on Phenomena's classic Dreamrunner album....
, and also was the drummer for Gidget Gein and the Dali gaggers fearturing Gidget Gein
Gidget Gein
Gidget Gein was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the alternative metal band Marilyn Manson. His stage name references and dichotomises serial killer Ed Gein and the novel Gidget.-Early life:Bradley Stewart was born in Hollywood, Florida...
. Between 2003 to 2008, he played in the NY band The Lizards, founded by ex-Cactus bassist Randy Pratt and guitarist Patrick Klein. Rondinelli has since gone on to join a Rainbow tribute band,"Over the Rainbow" From 2008 to 2010. Band members consisted of Joe Lynn Turner, Jurgen Blackmore, Paul Morris, and Greg Smith.
During the Summer of 2010, Bobby Rondinelli had joined Foghat, substituting for original drummer Roger Earl while Roger was recovering from surgery.
Rondinelli regularly holds drum clinics and is co-author of The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming published by Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
.
His most recently tour was with Over the Rainbow which ended in 2010 in Finland.
His drum kit includes Ludwig Drums with Attack drumheads, Paiste cymbals and gongs, and he plays with Vater sticks.
With Rainbow
- Difficult to CureDifficult to CureDifficult to Cure is the fifth studio album by the British rock band, Rainbow, and was released in 1981. The album marked the further commercialization of the band's sound with Blackmore once describing at the time liking for the rock band, Foreigner....
(1981) - Straight Between the EyesStraight Between the EyesStraight Between the Eyes is the sixth studio album by Rainbow, released in 1982. A remastered CD reissue, with packaging duplicating the original vinyl release, was released in May 1999....
(1982) - Finyl VinylFinyl VinylFinyl Vinyl is a collection of live recordings and B-sides by Rainbow and was released in 1986, after the band had already disbanded in 1984...
(1986) (Rondinelli features on several tracks)
With Blue Öyster Cult
- Heaven ForbidHeaven ForbidThis article is about the Blue Öyster Cult album. For The Fray song, see How To Save A Life.Heaven Forbid is the eleventh studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album in a decade...
(1998) - Curse of the Hidden MirrorCurse of the Hidden MirrorCurse of the Hidden Mirror is the twelfth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2001. The only single from the record was the poorly received "Pocket". Lackluster sales led to the band being dropped by their label, Sanctuary Records...
(2001) - A Long Day's NightA Long Day's NightA Long Day's Night is a live DVD by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, recorded in Chicago, Illinois on 21 June, 2002. It is so named because that day was 2002's summer solstice, the longest day of the year....
(2002)
With The Lizards
- Rule (2003)
- The live ! (2005)
- Cold blooded kings (2005)
- Against all odds (2006)
- Archeology (2008)