Aynsley Dunbar: Where's the Love?

Aynsley Dunbar was also on " A Hard Road " which was the second John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers album (Also the same album featuring Peter Green). The first three Aynsley Dubar albums are worth seeking out. I always thought they were the best English blues band that nobody ever heard of.

He had auditioned for Jimi Hendrix, but Hendrix ended up picking Mitch Mitchell.

One of the top drummers IMHO. His body of work as described in other replys on this thread is formidable.

 

Pretty serendipitous. Was just listening to Jefferson Starship's Modern Problems today and thinking - "Damn, those drums sound great!". I've always been impressed with everything I've heard him work on.

 

Love his playing on "Pin Ups" and "Nils Lofgren"!

 

Wow, I never knew he drummed in Journey. "Wheel in the Sky" is the ONLY Journey song I like.

He is pretty great on Mick Ronson's first solo album, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." (That album, on the whole, is a lost gem.)

 

Here's the love...I'm a drummer, too, and no had idea until about 10 years ago what a great drummer he was. He was one of the most sought-after guys in the studio for rock and blues, and he has his pick of touring acts in the 70s.
To hear Aynsley say it, he was fired from Journey for hitting one too many drums during a fill, or some such nonsense. There may have been a pre-existing conflict, as others have mentioned, but I think it was ultimately about him not wanting to play too much of a pop style, although he has certainly played a lot of pocket and straight groove stuff. I never heard about him having a drug problem, but then again, scandalous bios are never written about drummers, they seem only to be written by drummers.

 

Always enjoyed his playing but the rumor that he has a thing for underage girls never set well with me.

 

Find their first three albums. In particular their s/t debut is more in the fusion/prog vein and has a lot of great drumming.