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You will doubtless have seen in the credits on the back of many, many albums but who never settled anywhere for long. That man is Aynsley Dunbar who is still with us aged 78.
I first started with him in Retaliation with whom he made four albums on Liberty in the UK and Blue Thumb in USA from 1968 to 1970. I recommend their self-titled debut. It’s part of the British blues boom and will cost you £100-£130 depending on condition. They didn’t make the charts. From 1967 to 1971 he was in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and made the brilliant A Hard Road.
He was also on Michael Chapman’s Rainmaker record in 1969.
From there he made one album with Blue Whale, which is rare, maybe about £70-£150. The keyboards are played by Tommy Ayre who played the keyboards on With A Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker. In 1971 he played on a Shuggie Otis record and two Bowie albums Pin Ups and Diamond Dogs.
From there somehow he went stellar joining Frank Zappa and the Mothers, I don’t know how that happened. He plays on Apostrophe (') and Waka/Jawaka, and the Mothers' albums The Grand Wazoo, Fillmore East – June 1971, and Just Another Band from L.A., as well as the film 200 Motels.
He also played on two Flo and Eddie albums, Berlin by Lou Reed and a Herbie Mann record he also played on a blues rock album Insane Asylum by Kathi McDonald which is the sort of rare record you might be able to pick up for a tenner. Oh yeah he’s on the two Mick Ronson records too.
To be hired for six albums for Zappa, you’d have to be a precise and reliable drummer. He left that to join Nils Lofgren for his wonderful debut and great Cry Tough before playing on the first four Journey records and three by Jefferson Starship and somehow fitted in Nine on A Ten Scale by Sammy Hagar and All American Alien Boy by Ian Hunter.
He was on Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra by Paul Kantner and Whitesnake's 1987 album. There were albums with Pat Travers, Michael Schenker, Ronnie Montrose, UFO, Jake E. Lee, Leslie West and Keith Emerson. Incredible.
Drummerworld recognized Dunbar as the only drummer to have played with such a wide range of successful bands and musicians. In 2017 Aynsley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey.
After a final solo album, Mutiny in 2008 that seemed to be it. He deserves a long and relaxing retirement, he’s contributed to so many incredible albums. What a man.
