Nigel Olsson : Drums

Nigel Olsson started his professional career in the band Plastic Penny, which many thought would get a promising career, but didn't quite make it as big. For a short while after Nigel played in the band Spencer Davis Group, where he for the first time played with Dee Murray ( Bass player ) After a tour in the USA with Spencer, he played a few times with band whom would later become Uriah Heep. He later started jamming with Dee Murray and Elton John.
Nigel contacted his manager at that time and told him that Elton's music was that kind of music he wished to play, but his manager told him that with Uriah Heep the money would better and faster coming.
Nigel's first number he recorded with Elton was " Lady What's tomorrow " from the first EJ album " Empty Sky ". From 1970 until 1975 was Nigel a part of Elton's live band. In the studio he first fell in from the Honky Chateau album from 1972.
The stories says that Gus Dudgeon didn't thought that he was ready to play in a studio and that he also was used to use his own special musicians.
One thing is for sure, Nigel has given Elton's music strength just like the Bass player Dee Murray and the Guitarist Davey Johnstone have done.
Nigel has told the fan magazine " East End Lights " that he loved being a little behind the beat in the music, which does that he got that " Leaned back " and calm style. Nigel had always preferred playing the ballads, he never fancied the hard Rock'n'roll numbers but off course he thinks that they are nessecary at concerts.
From '75 till '80 Nigel was involved with names like Billy Joel and Rod Stewart. And together with Dee Murray he got to be a very acknowledged rhythm section. In 1980 he was brought back in the studio with Elton by the producer at that time, Clive Franks. Clive Franks couldn't work out the number " Little Jeannie " with any of the session drummers. He therefore took the liberty to ask Nigel ( there at that time was in France where the recordings took place ) to do the drums part. And again you can hear the " right" feeling on this particular number. But there was still a couple of records to be released before Nigel was back in his seat with Elton.
Though it was just to be " Too Low For Zero " and " Breaking Hearts " he should play on before he was again fired. Except from a few spots as a backing vocalist for EJ he first returned in 2001 for the Madison Square Garden. He got invited along by EJ's band director, Davey Johnstone to create the same " old " spirit, the result surprised everybody happily.
On Elton's latest album " Songs From The West Coast " Nigel is playing about half the tracks which suits the record very well. He's now the first drummer in the band again, and hopefully will be for many years to come.
To capture Nigel's influence in Elton's music you should listen to these items : 11- 17- 70, " Can I Put You On " from the album " Friends, " Don't let the sun go down on me " from Caribou and " Curtains " & " Someone saved my life tonight " from Captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy.