Phil Jones (musician)

Jones was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He received no formal drum lessons but showed a keen interest in music during school, citing Al Jackson Jr. and Keith Moon as his favourite drummers. The first song he learned to play was Walk, Don't Run, which was written by Johnny Smith and later made famous by The Ventures. Later, he eventually moved to L.A and joined a blues style band with the harmonica player Lee Oskar.[1] In 1969, Jones went on to jamming with some members of the rock band 'Stonehenge' which included John Weider of The Animals on guitar.[2] Weider left Stonehenge and joined the English Rock group Family, leaving Jones and the remaining members to morph into Crabby Appleton with Guitarist and lead vocalist Michael Fennelly. They went on to gain a Top 40 single entitled: 'Go Back' in 1970.[3]

The band went on to open for other well established acts including ABBA, The Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, The Guess Who and Jethro Tull, but the second album in 1971 failed to achieve commercial success and they disbanded. Fennelly then moved to England to start a solo career, with Jones staying in L.A.[4]

From 1980 until 1984, Jones provided percussion for the band, both during tours and recording in the studio on the albums Hard Promises and Long After Dark. He was introduced to the band by the tour manager Richard Fernandez, who also happened to be Jones' drum tech in Crabby Appleton during the early years. Jones stated in the Drumhead interview that he believed he was hired due to a 'conflict with the band - a groove controversy' and that his role was to help 'smooth things out between different people.'. Later in 1988, while Jones was visiting Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell at his home studio for jamming sessions, Tom Petty called Campbell and asked if he could come over to record a song that he and Jeff Lynne had written called Free Fallin'. It was the first track recorded for the album, which also included George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Del Shannon among others providing contributions. Jones went on to play drums and percussion throughout the album which eventually became Full Moon Fever. Later in 1992, Jones again played on Petty's next album Wildflowers.[5]

Jones at Farm Aid, USA; performing with Pegi and Neil Young

Jones went on to play with various others, including the rock band Cracker who had a #1 in the U.S. Modern Rock chart with Teen Angst. He has also performed with many other notable musicians on live tours, including Joe Walsh, as well as The Black Crowes' former lead guitarist Marc Ford in The Neptune Blues Club.[6] Jones played on Roy Orbison's 1988 album Mystery Girl on the single You Got It which was also recorded in Mike Campbell's garage studio in L.A.[7] His percussion also features on the theme tune from Friends entitled I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts. Later, Jones also toured extensively with Neil Young's former wife; Pegi Young, under the band name "The Survivors", along with fellow bandmates Spooner Oldham, Kelvin Holly and Shonna Tucker.[8]

With Crabby Appleton

• Played drums on Crabby Appleton (Elektra Records, 1970)
• Played drums on Rotten to the Core! (Elektra Records, 1971)

With Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

• Played Percussion on Hard Promises (Backstreet, 1980)
• Played Percussion on Long After Dark (Backstreet, 1982)
• Played Percussion on Pack Up the Plantation: Live! (MCA, 1985)
• Played Percussion on The Live Anthology (Reprise, 2009)

With Tom Petty

• Played Drums & Percussion on Full Moon Fever (MCA, 1989)
• Played Percussion on Wildflowers (MCA, 1994)

With Del Shannon

• Played Percussion on Drop Down and Get Me (Elektra, 1981)
• Played Drums, Percussion and Backing Vocals on Rock On! (MCA, 1991)

With Bob Dylan

• Played Congas on Knocked Out Loaded (Columbia Records, 1986)

With Randy Newman

• Played Drums and Percussion on Land of Dreams (Reprise Records, 1988) for the track "Falling In Love"

With Roy Orbison

• Played Drums and Percussion on Mystery Girl (Virgin Records, 1989) for the track "You Got It"

With The Sidewinders (Later the Sand Rubies)

• Played Percussion on Sand Rubies (album) (Polydor Records/Atlas Records, 1991)

With Cracker (band)

• Played Drums and Percussion on Cracker (album) (Virgin Records, 1992)
• Played Percussion on Kerosene Hat (Virgin Records, 1998)

With 54-40

• Played Percussion on Dear Dear (Columbia, 1992)

With Julianna Raye

• Played Drums and Percussion on Something Peculiar (Reprise, 1992)

With Peter Himmelman

• Played Percussion on Flown This Acid World (Epic Records, 1992)

With Christine Lakeland

• Played Drums on Reckoning (Lady Finger Records, 1993)

With Stuttering John

• Played Drums and Percussion on Stuttering John (album) (One Way Records, 1994)

With The Rembrandts

• Played Percussion on L.P (One Way Records, 1995)

With The Rolling Stones

• Played Percussion on Voodoo Lounge (Virgin, 1994)

With Jackopierce

• Played Percussion on Finest Hour (A&M Records, 1995)

With Cravin' Melon

• Played Percussion on Cravin' Melon (EP) (Seedless Records, 1995)

With Michael Angeloff

• Played Drums, Bass and Percussion on Here And Now.... Is Forever (Park Hill Music Company, 2000)

With Terry Reid

• Played Drums on Alive (Castle Music, 2004)

With Johnny Rivers

• Played Drums on Reinvention Highway (Shout! Factory, 2004)

With Bernard Fowler

• Played Drums on Friends With Privileges (Sony, 2006)

With Jack Tempchin

• Played Drums and Percussion on Songs (Night River Records, 2007)

With Jason Sinay and APE

• Played Drums and Percussion on E.P (Apus Maximus Ltd, 2009)[9]
• Played Drums and Percussion on Ape and the Wall of Questions (Apus Maximus Ltd, 2010)

With Pegi Young

• Played Drums and Percussion on Foul Deeds (Vapour Records, 2010)
• (With The Survivors) Played Drums and Percussion on Bracing for Impact (Vapour Records, 2011)
• (With The Survivors) Played Drums and Percussion on Lonely In A Crowded Room (Vapour Records, 2014)
• (With The Survivors) Played Drums and Percussion on RAW (Vapour Records, 2016)

With Jim Wilson with Phil Jones

• Played Drums and Percussion on Now Playing (The Swinging Pipe Records, 2018)[10]