Poli Palmer
Born John Michael Palmer, May 25, 1943 in Evesham, Worcestershire. Played vibes, flute, piano, synths and drums; with Family from late-1969 to late-1972.
Palmer replaced Jim King in Family and immediately went to work on the group’s third album, A Song For Me. Many of that album’s songs had to be re-arranged, as they were written with King’s saxophone and harmonica in mind. Palmer rose to the challenge, transforming songs with his different instruments. “Drowned In Wine” became a full-blown rocker with his overamplified flute, and his vibraphones added a jazz touch to the blues number “Love Is a Sleeper.” A Song For Me was released in January 1970 to rave reviews, and Family seemed re-invigorated by Palmer’s arrival.
Palmer would contribute on the next two Family albums, Anyway and Fearless. On the latter album, released in 1971, Palmer contributed the jazz instrumental “Crinkly Grin” and the song “Larf and Sing,” which he sang lead on himself. After 1972′s Bandstand and a U.S. tour as the warmup act for Elton John, Palmer left Family to form a group with fellow Family alumnus Ric Grech, but that effort never got anywhere.
The Hellions (1964-1965) with Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason
Deep Feeling (1966) with Capaldi, Mason, Luther Grosvenor (later of Spooky Tooth), Gordon Jackson.
Blossom Toes (1968) – Poli played drums/vibes between the first and second album, singing lead on a 1968 b-side. See Jim Cregan
Iain Matthews’ Southern Comfort (1969) – a Fairport Convention spin-off
Gordon Jackson’s Thinking Back (1969) – with Capaldi, Mason, Steve Winwood, Julie Driscoll, Ric Grech, Grosvenor, Jim King, Chris Wood
Eclection (Oct. 1969) – a “cosmopolitan folk-rock group”; Poli joined for one month, then left for Family.
Linda Lewis: Lark (1972) and Fathoms Deep (1973)
Chapman/Whitney’s Streetwalkers (1974)
Streetwalkers’ Downtown Flyers (1975)
Produced Isotope’s Illusion (1975)
Peter Frampton’s Frampton (1975) – on The Crying Clown
Wrote rock opera “Hero” in 1974-1975 with Australian folk-poet Don Henderson and Craig McGregor (of Foghat???)
Streetwalkers’ Vicious But Fair (1977)
Brian Eno/Pete Sinfield’s From Ibiza (1979) – narration engineered and final mixdown by Poli Palmer
Roger Chapman’s Chappo (1979)
Roger Chapman’s Mail Order Magic (1980)
Pete Townshend’s All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982) – tuned percussion
Roger Chapman’s ManGo Crazy (1985)
Human Error (1988) solo album
Poli Palmer had always been a fan of processed sounds; he was running his vibraphone through a synthesizer back in 1971. Here we catch him surrounded by mid-’80s technology. Using a Fairlight CMI sampling synth, electronic vibes, and a bevy of hot players, Palmer creates a crisp, tight contemporary fusion in the vein of the Yellowjackets. But his crazy sampling and computer-generated music, mixed with occasional African tribal singing, delivers a fresh spin on the jazz fusion of the time. Roger Chapman guitarists Steve Simpson and Geoff Whitehorn appear here, with the latter contributing excessive shredding. ~ Patrick Little, All Music Guide
