 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Robbie France" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Robbie France | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1959-12-05)5 December 1959 Sheffield, England |
| Died | 14 January 2012(2012-01-14) (aged 52) Mazarrón, Spain |
| Occupations |
|
| Formerly of | |
Robert France (5 December 1959 – 14 January 2012) was an English drummer, record producer, arranger, journalist, music educator, and broadcaster.
France was born inSheffield, and emigrated to Australia in March 1972. He studied at the National Academy of Rudimentary Drummers of Australia until 1974, under tutor Harry Lebler. At the age of fifteen, he began to teach at the Australian Academy of Music (1974–1975).[citation needed]
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(June 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
While living and travelling in Australia,France formed thejazz-fusion group, Carnival, performed at the Oz Jazz Festival, and supportedJohn McLaughlin. He worked withStevie Wright of theEasybeats,Marty Rhone andTim Gaze.[citation needed] He has over 1,000 television, radio, and advertising credits, including eight documentaries and four film scores, includingBand on the Run[citation needed].
France left Australia in 1982 to return to England, where he joinedDiamond Head the following year. Part of theNWOBHM movement, they performed at Castle DoningtonMonsters of Rock, then went on to record their third album,Canterbury.[citation needed] He played on the hit single "Making Music".
France performed at the first triple headliner drum clinic withSimon Phillips &Steve White, worked withMotown UK's C.E.O., 'Ivan Chandler's All Star Quintet' alongsideAndy Hamilton.[citation needed] Also in the quintet wereSpike Edney, and Mike Ashley. Playing at various venues around London, includingNick Rhodes' wedding party. In 1984 France toured withUFO, replacingAndy Parker.[citation needed]
Leaving UFO in 1985, he formedOne Nation with Kipper (nowSting's producer). They worked together atTony Visconti's studio inSoho, London on an array of recordings.[citation needed] When France's wife, Annette, was asked to leave One Nation he felt compelled to leave with her.[citation needed] By now France was also teaching in drum clinics, usually on behalf of theAvedis Zildjiancymbal company.[citation needed]
He set up a teaching studio inKingston upon Thames, where he worked withGary O'Toole,Hugo Degenhardt,Gary Wallis,Mike + The Mechanics,Power Station,10cc,Jean Michel Jarre,[citation needed]The Style Council,Gary Ferguson,Mark Price,Tim Burgess, touring through Europe & the UK as support act withEllis, Beggs & Howard.[citation needed] France had started writing for magazines in Australia, at the age of fifteen. During 1987, he began a monthly column for the British drummer's magazineRhythm. In 1987, France joinedEllis, Beggs, & Howard (E.B.H.), whose first single, "Big Bubbles No Troubles", won the Diamond Award for best new group.[citation needed]
It was around this time that France was asked to fill in for drummer Frank Tontoh with jazz saxophonistJean Toussaint. Meeting up to open a venue called TheSoho Jazz Shack, Jean asked France to play with him on a more permanent basis, as he (Toussaint) had a regular slot at theDingwalls club inCamden Town on Sunday afternoons.[citation needed]
After E.B.H., in 1990 France joinedWishbone Ash, with whom he toured and commenced the recording of the albumStrange Affair.[citation needed] He then joinedAnxious Records' band, Pleasure, touring as support act to theEurythmics.[citation needed]
In 1991, after working withSimon Ellis (East 17,D:Ream,S Club 7) and others, on the set pieces for his drum clinics, France returned to Australia to form a solojazz project, The Gab. Based loosely as a tribute to the jazz greatsElvin Jones andJohn Coltrane, their first album was recorded atEMI Studios 301 in July 1993.[citation needed]
In 1994, he returned to London, ostensibly to promote the solo project where he became a founder member ofSkunk Anansie and recorded and co-produced their debut albumParanoid & Sunburnt. He co-wrote the hit track "Weak", which has since been covered byRod Stewart.[1] He also recorded theB-side, "Army of Me", withBjörk.[citation needed]
France left Skunk Anansie in 1995, joining the German groupAlphaville the next day. He toured and recorded with Alphaville until an accident in which he severed hisAchilles tendon.[citation needed] He lived inPoland for over two years, hosting his own radio programme, and appearing on various television shows.[citation needed] In 1998, he moved toMazarrón, Spain, to concentrate on writing his first novel. He was running Pulpo Negro Records, Pulpo Negro Publishing, Pulpo Negro Studios, GCBC Productions, with his partner, Tim Oldfield up until 2004.[citation needed] He produced the Spanish bands Second, Renochild, and Blue Aliens Temple, as well as Screw Coco.[citation needed] He also produced, wrote, and arranged for London-based artistKeke.[citation needed]
France broadcast for a number of different radio stations in Spain over the last decade including Costa Calida International and TKO Gold. His most recent preoccupation was a return to radio broadcasting for both Real Radio 95.6 FM in Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca and One Radio Spain on the Costa Calida, providing simulcasts between the two Costas. France's first novel,Six Degrees South was published on 7 December 2011.[citation needed]
France died on 14 January 2012 in Spain after reportedly suffering aruptured aorta. He was 52.[2]
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
