Billy Thom
For Billy Thom, 1992 marks the anniversary of a remarkable drumming career which now spans 40 years. With over 150 LPs, excluding those made anonymously as a session musician, and innumerable radio and TV broadcasts to his credit, his expertise has bridged the gap between traditional music and the “Big Band” sound and has provided inspiration for many up and coming young players.
The musical story is based in the picturesque Stirlingshire town of Dunblane and starts in 1945 when 8-year-old Billy finally persuaded neighbour Willie Gemmell, leading drummer with the Dunblane City Pipe Band, to start him as a learner. With a natural feeling for rhythm and tempo and lots of hard practice, his progress was rapid and after two years he was competing regularly with the band and winning prizes in Grade 3 competition.
Where did the interest stem from? Well, there was no history of music in the family. Mum, “The Duchess” now 83, could get a tune out of a mouth organ and an accordion, but his late father was “tone deaf”. Dad did however organise dances in the local Victoria Hall, with all the top bands of the day, and it was there that Billy became fascinated by the sound and swing of Scottish dance music.
It was dance music that was to cut short Billy’s pipe band career, but not before he had moved briefly to the world famous “Red Hackle” Pipe Band which was based in Glasgow. Although increasing commitments were to rule out future participation in the band scene, recordings and major functions in later years were to bring him into contact with many leading exponents in that field. Billy particularly remembers Alex Connell, recently retired from the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, and Bert Barr and the late Alex Duthart of Shotts and Dykehead. Even today he attends “drum clinics” organised by another friend, Joe Noble, in his Sauchiehall Street premises.
After school, Billy worked as a message boy for local grocers D. & J. McEwan and it was during his rounds one evening that he was approached by Jim MacLeod who asked if he was interested in playing at a dance as part of the “Arthur MacLeod Quartet”. He still remembers that first band engagement for Mrs Kemp who ran the Cambusbarron Country Dance Club. Having played to the other group members’ satisfaction he became their regular drummer.
Billy is unreserved in his praise for Jim MacLeod and the late Alex MacArthur. Enthusiastic and dedicated, they gave him the chance to do his first radio broadcast that same year, 1952, at the age of only 15. One of Billy’s comments during that conversation mirrored Alex MacArthur’s, “Mistakes go for nothing so long as it swings.” Regular radio work was to follow on “Down at the Mains” and “Children’s Hour”.
This was to last up until 1957 when he was called up to do his National Service in the R.A.F. “But I must have been good,” he quips, “because Jim asked me back to do a video – in 1992!”
Based at R.A.F. St. Athan in South Wales, Billy was soon co-opted into the Regional Band of the R.A.F. and it was here that the next phase of his career began. Surrounded by professional “Big Band” musicians doing their stint, and sent for kit lessons from Les Thomas in Cardiff, he soon discovered a fascinating new side to drumming.
Demobbed in 1959, Billy was approached by Andrew Rankine who was putting a full-time band on the road. The following two years were spent in the company of Andrew, Ian Holmes, Ron Gonella, Tom McTague and Robert Campbell. “You’re only as good as the people around you,” commented Billy and throughout his playing career he considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to play with many of the finest around.
Incidentally, Billy considers himself a “brush” player as opposed to a “stick” player and this brought to memory a story I heard some time ago and which Billy confirmed. It was while he was doing live radio broadcasts with Andrew’s band that the producer received many complaints from listeners about a background “hiss” during transmissions. Technical equipment was thoroughly checked but the cause was finally tracked down to “the stir” in Billy’s powerful brush work on his finely tuned snare drum.
In 1961 he left Andrew to join a “swing outfit”, The Jimmy Watson Quintet, in The Rob Roy Motel in Aberfoyle. Indeed, in conversation with Billy it soon becomes obvious that his career has always had two component parts, namely Scottish and “Big Band” running in parallel, with one taking precedence for a while and then assuming a lesser role as the other comes to the forefront.
During his five years with Jimmy Watson, Billy was also appearing in “The White Heather Club” with Bobby MacLeod and Andy Stewart, and making records with Max Houliston (including, he says, an all time classic of continental music At the Piazza).
For two years from 1966, he formed his own jazz quartet as resident band at the Inchyra Grange Hotel at Polmont. This consisted of Bill Hendry (Falkirk) on piano, Alan Saddler on bass and Drew McRobert, “A marvellous modern accordionist from Dunblane.”
In 1968, it was time for another move, this time to Jim Johnstone’s full-time band with Ron Kerr, Tommy Lees (later John Carmichael), Billy Craib and Pam Brough. Billy remembers Tommy Lees, now residing in London, as an outstanding second box player with a unique style, especially in jigs. “Just listen to A Measure of Scotch to hear how a band should swing.” Once again life was hectic with The White Heather Club on tour and at the height of its popularity.
1971 saw a move back to the cabaret scene in the successful but ill fated Rangers Social Club. Initially playing with The Alan Cameron Quintet and later The Dave Mason Big Band, their time was spent backing nationally known names such as Matt Munro, Vince Hill and many others, several of whom are still personal friends.
From there it was a sideways move in 1976 to The Bob Stevenson Quintet in The Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy and then in 1980 to The Gleneagles Hotel with Ray Fierstone of The Entertainment Co., again backing cabaret artistes.
Around that time, Billy also started playing occasionally with the band of a colleague from earlier days, namely John Carmichael, and this has gradually snowballed into an almost full-time commitment. Mention here of another favourite LP, Tear Up The Tartan. Billy thoroughly enjoys the swing and lift the band sound has developed over the years and an added bonus is, “John’s patter – unbeatable”. Inevitably he still finds time to play with The Peggy O’Keefe Trio and make records with Gordon Pattullo, the latest being All The Best – another cracker.
“Who along the way particularly inspired you?” I asked. Two names instantly sprang to mind in the Scottish idiom, Arthur Easson, “Tremendous lift and swing,” and Ian McDougall from Bobby MacLeod’s band, “A wonderful modern player as well”. On the Big Band scene, session drummer Roy Sneddon is, “Outstanding – Scotland’s top session man”.
The foregoing are just some of Billy’s activities in what has been a very full career. Somewhere along the way he also “had the privilege” of making two LPs with Jimmy Shand, Dancing Through Scotland and Gateway to the Forth and EPs with the band and Ivy Carey, Jimmy’s singer. Another highlight was accompanying Bobby MacLeod, indeed that led to the only “two piece” broadcast on “Take the Floor” that has ever been done. Listen to The Man from Tobermory Billy advises, for the real MacLeod magic.
Advice to young drummers, “Get good tuition, take keyboard lessons and practise like mad.” Billy himself recalls practising six hours a day, six days a week, while he was involved in theatre pit work. “And remember, as a drummer you’re not playing for yourself, you’re accompanying a band.” The mention of keyboard lessons surprised me at first, but Billy stresses the importance of being able to read and understand any music score, not just drum scores.
To conclude therefore I would like to thank Billy for his time and hospitality and wish him many more years of enjoyment in his chosen profession.
Written by Charlie Todd
Box and Fiddle
December 1992/January 1993
The musical story is based in the picturesque Stirlingshire town of Dunblane and starts in 1945 when 8-year-old Billy finally persuaded neighbour Willie Gemmell, leading drummer with the Dunblane City Pipe Band, to start him as a learner. With a natural feeling for rhythm and tempo and lots of hard practice, his progress was rapid and after two years he was competing regularly with the band and winning prizes in Grade 3 competition.
Where did the interest stem from? Well, there was no history of music in the family. Mum, “The Duchess” now 83, could get a tune out of a mouth organ and an accordion, but his late father was “tone deaf”. Dad did however organise dances in the local Victoria Hall, with all the top bands of the day, and it was there that Billy became fascinated by the sound and swing of Scottish dance music.
It was dance music that was to cut short Billy’s pipe band career, but not before he had moved briefly to the world famous “Red Hackle” Pipe Band which was based in Glasgow. Although increasing commitments were to rule out future participation in the band scene, recordings and major functions in later years were to bring him into contact with many leading exponents in that field. Billy particularly remembers Alex Connell, recently retired from the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, and Bert Barr and the late Alex Duthart of Shotts and Dykehead. Even today he attends “drum clinics” organised by another friend, Joe Noble, in his Sauchiehall Street premises.
After school, Billy worked as a message boy for local grocers D. & J. McEwan and it was during his rounds one evening that he was approached by Jim MacLeod who asked if he was interested in playing at a dance as part of the “Arthur MacLeod Quartet”. He still remembers that first band engagement for Mrs Kemp who ran the Cambusbarron Country Dance Club. Having played to the other group members’ satisfaction he became their regular drummer.
Billy is unreserved in his praise for Jim MacLeod and the late Alex MacArthur. Enthusiastic and dedicated, they gave him the chance to do his first radio broadcast that same year, 1952, at the age of only 15. One of Billy’s comments during that conversation mirrored Alex MacArthur’s, “Mistakes go for nothing so long as it swings.” Regular radio work was to follow on “Down at the Mains” and “Children’s Hour”.
This was to last up until 1957 when he was called up to do his National Service in the R.A.F. “But I must have been good,” he quips, “because Jim asked me back to do a video – in 1992!”
Based at R.A.F. St. Athan in South Wales, Billy was soon co-opted into the Regional Band of the R.A.F. and it was here that the next phase of his career began. Surrounded by professional “Big Band” musicians doing their stint, and sent for kit lessons from Les Thomas in Cardiff, he soon discovered a fascinating new side to drumming.
Demobbed in 1959, Billy was approached by Andrew Rankine who was putting a full-time band on the road. The following two years were spent in the company of Andrew, Ian Holmes, Ron Gonella, Tom McTague and Robert Campbell. “You’re only as good as the people around you,” commented Billy and throughout his playing career he considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to play with many of the finest around.
Incidentally, Billy considers himself a “brush” player as opposed to a “stick” player and this brought to memory a story I heard some time ago and which Billy confirmed. It was while he was doing live radio broadcasts with Andrew’s band that the producer received many complaints from listeners about a background “hiss” during transmissions. Technical equipment was thoroughly checked but the cause was finally tracked down to “the stir” in Billy’s powerful brush work on his finely tuned snare drum.
In 1961 he left Andrew to join a “swing outfit”, The Jimmy Watson Quintet, in The Rob Roy Motel in Aberfoyle. Indeed, in conversation with Billy it soon becomes obvious that his career has always had two component parts, namely Scottish and “Big Band” running in parallel, with one taking precedence for a while and then assuming a lesser role as the other comes to the forefront.
During his five years with Jimmy Watson, Billy was also appearing in “The White Heather Club” with Bobby MacLeod and Andy Stewart, and making records with Max Houliston (including, he says, an all time classic of continental music At the Piazza).
For two years from 1966, he formed his own jazz quartet as resident band at the Inchyra Grange Hotel at Polmont. This consisted of Bill Hendry (Falkirk) on piano, Alan Saddler on bass and Drew McRobert, “A marvellous modern accordionist from Dunblane.”
In 1968, it was time for another move, this time to Jim Johnstone’s full-time band with Ron Kerr, Tommy Lees (later John Carmichael), Billy Craib and Pam Brough. Billy remembers Tommy Lees, now residing in London, as an outstanding second box player with a unique style, especially in jigs. “Just listen to A Measure of Scotch to hear how a band should swing.” Once again life was hectic with The White Heather Club on tour and at the height of its popularity.
1971 saw a move back to the cabaret scene in the successful but ill fated Rangers Social Club. Initially playing with The Alan Cameron Quintet and later The Dave Mason Big Band, their time was spent backing nationally known names such as Matt Munro, Vince Hill and many others, several of whom are still personal friends.
From there it was a sideways move in 1976 to The Bob Stevenson Quintet in The Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy and then in 1980 to The Gleneagles Hotel with Ray Fierstone of The Entertainment Co., again backing cabaret artistes.
Around that time, Billy also started playing occasionally with the band of a colleague from earlier days, namely John Carmichael, and this has gradually snowballed into an almost full-time commitment. Mention here of another favourite LP, Tear Up The Tartan. Billy thoroughly enjoys the swing and lift the band sound has developed over the years and an added bonus is, “John’s patter – unbeatable”. Inevitably he still finds time to play with The Peggy O’Keefe Trio and make records with Gordon Pattullo, the latest being All The Best – another cracker.
“Who along the way particularly inspired you?” I asked. Two names instantly sprang to mind in the Scottish idiom, Arthur Easson, “Tremendous lift and swing,” and Ian McDougall from Bobby MacLeod’s band, “A wonderful modern player as well”. On the Big Band scene, session drummer Roy Sneddon is, “Outstanding – Scotland’s top session man”.
The foregoing are just some of Billy’s activities in what has been a very full career. Somewhere along the way he also “had the privilege” of making two LPs with Jimmy Shand, Dancing Through Scotland and Gateway to the Forth and EPs with the band and Ivy Carey, Jimmy’s singer. Another highlight was accompanying Bobby MacLeod, indeed that led to the only “two piece” broadcast on “Take the Floor” that has ever been done. Listen to The Man from Tobermory Billy advises, for the real MacLeod magic.
Advice to young drummers, “Get good tuition, take keyboard lessons and practise like mad.” Billy himself recalls practising six hours a day, six days a week, while he was involved in theatre pit work. “And remember, as a drummer you’re not playing for yourself, you’re accompanying a band.” The mention of keyboard lessons surprised me at first, but Billy stresses the importance of being able to read and understand any music score, not just drum scores.
To conclude therefore I would like to thank Billy for his time and hospitality and wish him many more years of enjoyment in his chosen profession.
Written by Charlie Todd
Box and Fiddle
December 1992/January 1993