There’s never been a more unlikely group of drummers corralled to record an album than the curious trio of Charlie Watts, Simon Phillips, and Thomas Lang. In 2009, Austrian producer Peter Viehweger assembled some of LA’s finest players to record an album for a South African singer known as “Mimi.” The recordings took place at Simon Phillips’ Phantom Recordings studio in Los Angeles. The group also included bassist Lee Sklar and percussionist Luis Conte. Simon Phillips engineered, and Thomas Lang helped with the editing and post-production. Drumming duties for the 12-song album were shared by Thomas Lang, Simon Phillips, and none other than Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones. Executive producer, Ferdinand Huemer thought his pal Charlie Watts would be perfect for several of the songs on the album. Watts and Huemer were cohorts from the world of Arabian horses, so he didn’t mind extending the invitation. Watts was reluctant. […]

February 2024 Issue