Let those drum sticks rest: Lee Kerslake

[4stringer77]

In case you haven't heard, RIP Lee Kerslake.

[uwe]

I didn't know, I was just aware he wasn't well, hadn't been for while, but took it all in good stride. Sad. Drum on, Lee. I always liked his playing and what he projected.



In Europe, he's much more famous for being part of the classic Uriah Heep line up (Heep gained a popularity in Europe and especially Germany in the 70ies, it never attained in the US or at home) than for his (commercially unlucky) stint with Ozzy. He played on 16 Uriah Heep studio albums in the 70ies, 80ies and 90ies alone - along bass greats such as Gary Thain, John Wetton, Trevor Bolder and Bob Daisley. Here's some eye candy for Mark of his favorite (poster) boy group (there are now only two guys left - Hensley and Box - from this particular and most famous Heep line-up):



Did Kerslake ever perform live with Ozzy at all or was it all Aldridge from the first official gigs?

A Lee Kerslake obituary can't be complete without this song - he co-wrote it about his estranged wife, although regarded as twee, it was a huge hit in Germany, Heep's last chart entry in fact:



And although as '80ies as it gets, I always dug his playing on this song:



And my favorite Heep song is still this little three chord wonder:



Ok, those three compete too! 

[4stringer77]

Thanks for the new thread Uwe.
Here's a cool one Lee played on in 1970. I'm sure many here will appreciate the song titles.

[uwe]

I thought Lee deserved an own thread. Our turn to remember ...



That Head Machine album and its innuendo-less titles



I was unaware of. It sure sounds like early Heep, no wonder with Hensley at the helm. And who would be a better, uhum, rhythm fit on that album than the appropriately named John Glascock on bass?

[doombass]

Did Kerslake ever perform live with Ozzy at all or was it all Aldridge from the first official gigs?

Lee and Bob did play all the gigs (never went outside Europe or even the U.K?) between the release of Blizzard of Ozz and recording Diary of a Madman. They got fired after the recording and I believe Sarzo and Aldridge did a whole bunch of gigs before Diary of a Madman got released, which might have contributed to them being on the album sleeve (apart from Sharon's illwill of course).

[uwe]

You're goddam right!!!



I saw the line-up with Aldridge and Sarzo opening for Whitesnake and Slade in 1981 or so, they were a lot more heavy-handed at the time and I wasn't too impressed especially since Slade and Whitesnake were well-oiled machines in comparison.

And after Sharon got her way, Kerslake and Hensley joined the Mad Max set Heepsters again ...

[gearHed289]

Lee was great, RIP. Man, he sure played with some great rock and roll bass players.

[uwe]

Heep, never the most cerebral band even in the hard rock world, always had an exquisite taste and choice in bassists. Way over what their music or hard rock in general demanded.

To think that even John Glascock played with Hensley and Kerslake, what might have been had he joined Heep ... Blackmore tried to poach him for Rainbow at one point, but he wisely stuck with Jethro Tull which he had joined after the criminally underrated Carmen.

[TBird1958]

I did see Uriah Heep with Lee Kerslake on the drums, John Wetton on bass, it was the "Return to Fantasy" tour. My fave lineup was when Gary Thain played for them, if I recall like most in the U.S. "Easy Livin" was the first Heep song I heard, the one that stuck for me was "Sweet Lorraine". .....Seattle used to have good FM Rock, those days are long gone. 
RIP Mr Kerslake, and thank you for the great music.

[doombass]

I totally missed this: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/lee-kerslake-gets-his-ozzy-platinum-discs/

[uwe]

The was probably his last interview in Classic Rock (the magazine) some months ago where he was over the mountain moon at having received these. Nice move by Ozzy and Sharon, you have to give them credit once in a while.