Premier Percussion
Encyclopedia
Premier Percussion Limited is an English
manufacturer of drum
s and percussion instrument
s.
The company was founded in 1922 as the Premier Drum Company by London drummer Albert Della Porta and drum builder George Smith. At first, the company produced drum kit
s for wholesalers, who then would sell them as their own, but Premier soon began producing drums under its own name.
Premier also began producing symphonic percussion, marching percussion
, and cymbal
s in addition to drum kits. Premier was originally located in central London (where the current Footes Music Store is now) and moved to purpose built premises in Acton in the 1930s. When WW2 broke out, Premier was engaged in the manufacture of gun sights for tanks and aircraft, but the factory was bombed out in 1940 and the company was relocated to a new Leicester facility shortly thereafter.
The company enjoyed great success during the Beat Boom of the 1960s not only in the UK, but worldwide, and won the Queen's Award to Industry in 1966. During the 1970s, Premier invested heavily in a new, purpose built factory to meet demand for their products, but in 1983, the Della-Porta family resigned from the board and the company's name was changed to Premier Percussion in 1984 following a management buyout.
In October 1987, Premier was merged with Yamaha, which owned the Leicester factory until 1992. During this period, Limited was appended to the company name. In 1992, Tony Doughty, who originally arranged the Yamaha merger, took over the company. In February 1995, Premier was sold to the Verity Group of Companies before yet another buyout by a British consortium a few years later. This buy-out went into Administration in 2006 before being brought back by the same management team, and again in 2009. Today, Premier continues to produce drum kits, marching percussion, and symphonic percussion (including timpani
and mallet percussion).
Premier has had a history of new ownership. Although the chrome plating was lauded, the actual hardware and drum quality has been variable. In the 2000s, Premier started making drums in Taiwan under the Artists maple and birch series. The Premier series, maple, birch or hydbrid/ gen-x shells are made in England. Distribution in the USA isn't as large as it was in the past. The hardware is made on the same assembly line in Taiwan as Tama's.
Noteworthy drums:
- Premier 2000 Snare
- All drums made of African Mahogany at 70:s
- Resonator Series
- Signia and Genista Series
- APK/XPK
- Olympic Series
- Artist Series
- Premier Series (Maple/Birch/Gen-X Hybrid)
- Gordon Mann 1 Wing Pipes and Drums
Early Premier drums were mostly made of 3-ply birch, with reinforcing hoops as was common with most drums from that period.
In the 1960s Ludwig, Rogers
and Slingerland were being sold in greater number than Premier drums. This decrease in popularity, despite Premier's equal quality, was only temporary and Premier continues to produce quality drums today.
For some years during the mid-1970s, Premier began using African Mahogany in their drum construction. Premier drums from that period were mostly made of three-ply mahogany with beech wood reinforcing hoops (or glue rings.).
True mahogany from Khaya Nyasica, Africa have an approximately 20% increase in low frequency resonance over the maple drums. Mid and high frequencies are mostly the same from a reproduction point of view, but because the Mahogany has the 20% low end increase, the perceived tone is warmer.
Vintage Premier drum kits are somewhat rare nowadays and are considered by most experienced drummers as high quality drums. Premier's modern upper-range drum kits are made of birch or maple, both excellent drum-making materials.
drum lines:
Olympic starter kits in either stage or rock sizes
Performance Series APK available in 4 lacquer finishes
Performance Series XPK with 3mm undersize shells
Heritage Series Available in Jazz and Club Kit configurations
Genista Series available in birch shells
" Signia Series" Available in thin Maple Shells with re-enforcing hoops.
" Signia Marquis" Available in Maple Shells ( no re -enforcing hoops)
Premier Series the company's flagship kits
1970s-80s
1960s
During an appearance on the Smothers Brothers
television show, Keith Moon over-loaded his Premier bass drum with explosive charges which were detonated during the finale of "My Generation", which according to legend resulted in permanent hearing damage for bandmate Pete Townshend
and caused Bette Davis
to faint.
Led Zeppelin's John Bonham
received his first drum kit at the age of 15, an old rusty Premier set.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
manufacturer of drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s.
The company was founded in 1922 as the Premier Drum Company by London drummer Albert Della Porta and drum builder George Smith. At first, the company produced drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s for wholesalers, who then would sell them as their own, but Premier soon began producing drums under its own name.
Premier also began producing symphonic percussion, marching percussion
Marching percussion
Marching percussion instruments are specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum to a special harness worn by the drummer. The drums are designed and tuned for maximum articulation and projection of sound, as marching activities are almost always outdoors or...
, and cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s in addition to drum kits. Premier was originally located in central London (where the current Footes Music Store is now) and moved to purpose built premises in Acton in the 1930s. When WW2 broke out, Premier was engaged in the manufacture of gun sights for tanks and aircraft, but the factory was bombed out in 1940 and the company was relocated to a new Leicester facility shortly thereafter.
The company enjoyed great success during the Beat Boom of the 1960s not only in the UK, but worldwide, and won the Queen's Award to Industry in 1966. During the 1970s, Premier invested heavily in a new, purpose built factory to meet demand for their products, but in 1983, the Della-Porta family resigned from the board and the company's name was changed to Premier Percussion in 1984 following a management buyout.
In October 1987, Premier was merged with Yamaha, which owned the Leicester factory until 1992. During this period, Limited was appended to the company name. In 1992, Tony Doughty, who originally arranged the Yamaha merger, took over the company. In February 1995, Premier was sold to the Verity Group of Companies before yet another buyout by a British consortium a few years later. This buy-out went into Administration in 2006 before being brought back by the same management team, and again in 2009. Today, Premier continues to produce drum kits, marching percussion, and symphonic percussion (including timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
and mallet percussion).
Premier has had a history of new ownership. Although the chrome plating was lauded, the actual hardware and drum quality has been variable. In the 2000s, Premier started making drums in Taiwan under the Artists maple and birch series. The Premier series, maple, birch or hydbrid/ gen-x shells are made in England. Distribution in the USA isn't as large as it was in the past. The hardware is made on the same assembly line in Taiwan as Tama's.
Noteworthy drums:
- Premier 2000 Snare
- All drums made of African Mahogany at 70:s
- Resonator Series
- Signia and Genista Series
- APK/XPK
- Olympic Series
- Artist Series
- Premier Series (Maple/Birch/Gen-X Hybrid)
- Gordon Mann 1 Wing Pipes and Drums
Early Premier drums were mostly made of 3-ply birch, with reinforcing hoops as was common with most drums from that period.
In the 1960s Ludwig, Rogers
Rogers Drums
The Rogers company was started in 1849 by an Irish immigrant from Dublin named Joseph Rogers. Rogers came to the United States and started crafting drum-heads. His son began making drums in the mid-1930s at a Farmingdale, New Jersey location...
and Slingerland were being sold in greater number than Premier drums. This decrease in popularity, despite Premier's equal quality, was only temporary and Premier continues to produce quality drums today.
For some years during the mid-1970s, Premier began using African Mahogany in their drum construction. Premier drums from that period were mostly made of three-ply mahogany with beech wood reinforcing hoops (or glue rings.).
True mahogany from Khaya Nyasica, Africa have an approximately 20% increase in low frequency resonance over the maple drums. Mid and high frequencies are mostly the same from a reproduction point of view, but because the Mahogany has the 20% low end increase, the perceived tone is warmer.
Vintage Premier drum kits are somewhat rare nowadays and are considered by most experienced drummers as high quality drums. Premier's modern upper-range drum kits are made of birch or maple, both excellent drum-making materials.
drum lines:
Olympic starter kits in either stage or rock sizes
Performance Series APK available in 4 lacquer finishes
Performance Series XPK with 3mm undersize shells
Heritage Series Available in Jazz and Club Kit configurations
Genista Series available in birch shells
" Signia Series" Available in thin Maple Shells with re-enforcing hoops.
" Signia Marquis" Available in Maple Shells ( no re -enforcing hoops)
Premier Series the company's flagship kits
Users
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1970s-80s
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band - Bobby ColombyBobby ColombyBobby Colomby is an innovative jazz-rock fusion drummer, and an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears...
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1970-71 - Mick UnderwoodMick UnderwoodMick Underwood is a British drummer best known for his work with Episode Six, Quatermass and Gillan. First playing drums at the age of 14, he was a professional musician by the time he left school...
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1960s
- Louis HayesLouis HayesLouis Hayes is an American jazz drummer.-Biography:His father played drums and piano and his mother the piano and he refers to the early influence of hearing jazz, especially that of big bands, on the radio...
- Keith MoonKeith MoonKeith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
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band - Mitch MitchellMitch MitchellJohn Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
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- Moody Blues - Philly Jones
During an appearance on the Smothers Brothers
Smothers Brothers
The Smothers Brothers are Thomas and Richard , American singers, musicians, comedians and folk heroes. The brothers' trademark act was performing folk songs , which usually led to arguments between the siblings...
television show, Keith Moon over-loaded his Premier bass drum with explosive charges which were detonated during the finale of "My Generation", which according to legend resulted in permanent hearing damage for bandmate Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and caused Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
to faint.
Led Zeppelin's John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
received his first drum kit at the age of 15, an old rusty Premier set.
See also
- Multivox PremierMultivox PremierMultivox Premier was a New York-based manufacturer of guitars and amplification equipment, including amplifiers for guitar, bass and other instruments, PA amplifiers and hi-fi stereo amplifiers...
, a manufacturer of guitars, musical instrument amplifiers, and hi-fi amplifiers using the Premier brand name.