Henry Spinetti

Spinetti was born in Cwm, near Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales.) His first band, aged about 12{{frac|1|2}} or 13, was The Toby Four (named after Toby beer), which rehearsed in the Ambray Hotel and played songs by The Shadows, amongst others. He then joined another group called The Choice from Tredegar, with a guitarist influenced by Jimi Hendrix. After this he got into a group in Cardiff called The Clockwork Motion, which played as far afield as Newcastle and Birmingham, with Spinetti playing a Premier Black Pearl drum kit. He then secured an audition for a London band Floribunda Rose. He travelled to London, with his drums, on the train, and went to the band's flat in Earls Court; he played four or five numbers and got the job. The band became Scrugg and went to the Top 10 Club in Hamburg.

Spinetti began his recording career with Scrugg, which recorded on the Pye label. Band members included fellow Welshman Jack Russell, Christos Demetriou and the South African singer-songwriter, John Kongos. In the early 1970s, Spinetti appeared with Kongos on BBC Television's Top of the Pops performing Kongos' chart hit single, "He's Gonna Step on You Again".{{cite web|url=http://www.garagehangover.com/?q=taxonomy/term/1057/9 |title=Floribunda Rose and Scrugg at |publisher=Garagehangover.com |access-date=28 October 2011}} After leaving Scrugg, Spinetti's early work included spells with The Herd and Judas Jump, who were the opening act at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p18585|label=Judas Jump}} The line-up of The Herd and Judas Jump included Andy Bown, who later joined Status Quo. He was a member of the UK band Hustler which released two albums—High Street (1974) and Play Loud (1975), the latter of which was produced by Roy Thomas Baker.

Spinetti played on eight of the ten tracks on Gerry Rafferty's album City to City (including the hit "Baker Street"),{{cite web |url=http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=2288 |title=Interview with Henry Spinetti at mikedollar.com |publisher=Mikedolbear.com |date=1 May 2011 |access-date=28 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714093317/http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=2288 |archive-date=14 July 2011}} and also played in the 2002 memorial concert for George Harrison, "The Concert For George".{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba7eadfbb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123225401/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba7eadfbb|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 November 2022|title=Henry Spinetti|publisher=BFI |accessdate=4 April 2023}} In 2011 Spinetti recorded with Andy Bown again, playing drums on Bown's solo album, Unfinished Business. Spinetti was a member of Eric Clapton's touring band in the 1980s and the 2010s.

{{Incomplete list|date=June 2024}}

Spinetti's recording credits include the following:

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With Joan Armatrading

• Whatever's for Us (Cube Records, 1972)
• Show Some Emotion (A&M Records, 1977)
• To the Limit (A&M Records, 1978)

With Vicki Brown

• Lady of Time (RCA Victor, 1989)

With Chanter Sisters

• Shoulder to Shoulder (Safari, 1978)

With Eric Clapton

• Another Ticket (RSO Records, 1981)
• August (Warner Bros. Records, 1986)
• Old Sock (Surfdog Records, 2013)
• I Still Do (Surfdog Records, 2016)

With Roger Daltrey

• Ride a Rock Horse (Track Records, 1975)

With Bob Dylan

• Down in the Groove (Columbia Records, 1988)

With Roger Chapman

• Chappo (Arista Records, 1979)
• Hybrid and Lowdown (Polydor Records, 1990)

With George Harrison

• Gone Troppo (Dark Horse Records, 1982)

With Paul McCartney

• CHOBA B CCCP (Melodiya, 1988)

With Katie Melua

• Call Off the Search (Dramatico, 2003)
• Piece by Piece (Dramatico, 2005)
• Pictures (Dramatico, 2007)
• The House (Dramatico, 2010)
• Secret Symphony (Dramatico, 2012)
• Ketevan (Dramatico, 2013)

With Gerry Rafferty

• Can I Have My Money Back? (Line Records, 1972)
• City to City (United Artists Records, 1978)

With Cliff Richard

• Stronger (EMI, 1989)

With Leo Sayer

• Silverbird (Chrysalis Records, 1973)

With Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane

• Rough Mix (MCA, 1977)

With Bonnie Tyler

• Diamond Cut (RCA Records, 1978)

With Bill Wyman

• Groovin' (Roadrunner Records, 2000)

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He is the younger brother of actor Victor Spinetti (1929–2012).{{Cite web|url=https://www.victorspinetti.co.uk/biography.html|title=Victor Spinetti - Biography|website=Victorspinetti.co.uk|access-date=21 July 2020}} Henry Spinetti married Susan Styles in Coventry, Warwickshire, England in 2004.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.procolharum.com/procolhs.htm Work with Procol Harum & Gary Brooker]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20021119012642/http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Diner/2674/hspin_b.htm The Musician's Olympus]
• {{discogs artist}}

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Category:1951 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Ebbw Vale

Category:Musicians from Cardiff

Category:Welsh rock drummers

Category:Welsh session musicians

Category:Welsh people of Italian descent

Category:Italian British musicians

Category:The Herd (British band) members