Mick Underwood obit

Mick Underwood Passed Away

 He was not on the list.

One of the most unassuming legends, Mick Underwood, died yesterday, July 28th, at 78 years of age. “I’m just a drummer,” he said during a long conversation we had eleven years ago, because that was how Mick saw himself: having played in such prominent ensembles as EPISODE SIX, QUATERMASS and, of course, GILLAN, to name but three, Underwood was more concerned about his musicianship and his then-latest- and, as it sadly turned out to be, last – project, GLORY ROAD. Still, without this modest Englishman a huge chunk of British rock would not have sounded the same.

It’s not only the likes of “Mr. Universe” or “Unchain Your Brain” – the heavy numbers revealing the amplitude of the Underwood powerhouse – that are etched on the souls of many listeners; it’s also such cuts as THE OUTLAWS’ “That Set the Wild West Free” – one of the Joe Meek-produced tracks which featured, alongside Mick, Ritchie Blackmore and Chas Hodges – and “So Much in Love” and other early sides by THE HERD that made the drummer an indelible part of pop-history. One may wonder if it was the presence of Underwood that brought QUATERMASS’ “Black Sheep Of The Family” to Blackmore’s attention and prompted the guitarist, when DEEP PURPLE refused to cut this piece, to leave and form RAINBOW, yet what leaves no doubt is the fact that it was Underwood who suggested Ritchie hear Ian Gillan sing which led to the vocalist join the guitarist’s collective; and had Paul Rodgers not decided to reform FREE, the trio PEACE which the singer fronted and Mick backed would have been massive. Factor in the skin-hitter’s stints with SAMMY and STRAPPS, his work with Graham Bonnet and, in QUATERMASS II, with Nick Simper, his groove on a MONTY PYTHON soundtrack and an invitation to join HOT CHOCOLATE, and the veteran’s importance would be impossible to overestimate.

Only Mick himself could do it. “As far as working on a new drum part – depending, of course, on the material – I try to come up with something that I think will work well,” thus Underwood described his method to me. “The actual piece itself will govern much, but to create a good groove and feel which is appropriate, I feel is vital. The melodic side is also equally important. I try to enhance this as well so as to set the song up as well as I can. I think of it as a song: the first and foremost, a song is a song, and it doesn’t start with me. We’re not thinking what I can play in it as far as doing something flash or impressive; my job is to make that song sound the best for its own sake, not for mine.” And he did made songs sound the best while he was able to, before mixed dementia stopped him and robbed the world of a legend. Rest in Peace, my old friend.