Keith Moon’s Drumkits: 1975–1976 – Premier cream/white kit

1975–1976 – Premier cream/white kit details

Premier kit made of cream/white with “gold” (actually copper) fittings and reinforcing plates. Keith had requested gold-plated fittings, but Premier advised against this because of rapid wear.

Apparently Premier had a retail version of this kit called the “Baron.”

Gifted to Ringo Starr, who gave it to his son Zak Starkey. Sold through Sotheby’s London on 27 Aug., 1992, for approximately $12,000 all-inclusive, reportedly to the Hard Rock Café.

Timeline

Confirmed first date used:

3 Oct. 1975 – New Bingley Hall, Stafford, UK.

Confirmed last date used:

21 Oct. 1976 – Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada.

Specification

Note: Diagram is missing second timpani (used for holding setlist); and includes incorrect crash above high toms (B).

Drums:

Premier Custom Built (mahogany)

1. Two 22″ bass drums
2. Two timbales
3. 16″ × 16 ″ single-headed (concert) tom
4. 15″ × 12 ″ single-headed (concert) tom
5. 18″ floor tom
6. 16″ × 18″ floor tom
7. 14″ × 10″ single-headed (concert) tom
8. 13″ × 9″ single-headed (concert) tom
9. 12″ × 8″ single-headed (concert) tom
10. 10″ × 6½″ single-headed (concert) tom
11. 14″ × 10″ mounted tom
12. 14″ × 10″ mounted tom
13. 14″ × 10″ mounted tom
14. 14″ × 6½″ or 5½″ Gretsch snare
15. One or two Premier 22½ timpani

Cymbals:

Likely Paiste 2002 series

1. 22″ ride
2. 20″ crash
3. 14″ splash
4. 18″ crash
5. 14″ hi-hat
6. One or two Paiste gongs (1×30″, 1×36″)

Stands:

Premier Lock Fast

Bass Pedals:

Premier 250 pedal

Drumskins

Remo black dot drumheads on toms

Whereabouts

• Keith gives the kit to Ringo Starr. Ringo then gives it to his son Zak Starkey as a birthday present.
• Zak uses this kit live in the early ’80s with his bands The Next, Dead Meat, and Monopacific. See Kathy’s Zak Starkey site for more.
  • Also, a portion of this kit appears to have been used on Top of the Pops in 1979 by Suzi Quatro. See Suzi Quatro – She’s In Love With You (Top of the Pops, 1979) on YouTube.
• Zak gives it to the Astoria in London in March 1988.
• Next mention of the drum kit is in Geoff Nichols “Drum book,” with a picture credited to Sotheby’s.
• Sold through Sotheby’s London on 27 Aug., 1992, for approximately $12,000 all-inclusive, reportedly to the Hard Rock Café.

Selected quotes

All quotes and references are copyright their original owners and are included for reference only.

Excerpt from International Musician, April 1976

What does your kit consist of?

KM: Well, it’s a Premier kit for a start. The snare is a Gretsch, but the rest is entirely Premier. There are four double-headed tom-toms — 12″, 13″, 14″ and 16″. Then in front of them are five single-headed tom-toms which are 12″, 13″, 14″, 15″ and 16″. A lot of people might write in and say they don’t make a 15″, and the fact is they don’t. But they did for me. That’s the top line. On the right, there are two double-headed tom-toms which I think are 18″ by 18″, and two 16″. Then, mounted on stands, there are two 14″open-ended drums and two timbales. On the left, there are two tympani and behind, a Paiste 30″ Chinese gong. Two bass drums and that’s about it. Cymbals ranging from left to right are 22″ ride, 20″ crash ride, 14″ splash in the centre and then a line of three — 18″, 20″ and 22″. At the back, at an angle above the timbales, I’ve got a Chinese cymbal. The high-hat has two 15″ cymbals. I keep that permanently closed.

Excerpt from January 1977 issue of Circus: Keith Moon’s Versatile Set-up:

His reputation as “The Wild Man Of Rock” seems anything but a misnomer yet behind it all lies a superior drummer. One can get a feel of just how superior by examining the complexity of his drum set-up. Each piece has a purpose and is there to produce the necessary colors needed during a Who performance. Keith plays a Premier kit with two bass drums and a Gretsch snare. Up front he uses five single-headed tom-toms—12″, 13″, 14″, 15″ (custom made) and 16″. Behind those are four double-headed tom-toms—12″, 13″, 14″ and 16″. On the right are two more double-headed toms. Mounted on stands are two 14″ open-ended drums and timbales. On the left are two tympani, and behind, a Paiste 30″ gong. Cymbals from left to right are a 22″ ride, 20″ crash, 14″ splash and three others—18″ 20″ and 22″. Keith keeps the high-hat permanently closed with a ¼″ gap to get that “sshooshh” sound.

Says Keith of his performance, “I try to involve myself entirely with the music, then the drums become part of the music. I have the ability to function physically while my consciousness is elsewhere, I’m listening to what Pete’s doing, I’m listening to what John’s doing. I don’t have time to think about what I’m doing. A drummer doesn’t need to think about what he’s doing. He just does it.”

Sotheby’s London auction catalogue description:

Keith Moon’s Premier Drum Kit, Circa 1975, white finish with copper-coloured fittings and stands, comprising: two 56cm.(22in.) bass drums; three 36cm.(14in.) tom toms (one damaged); six concert tom toms ranging in size from 25cm.(10in.) to 41cm.(16in.); two 41cm.(16in.) floor tom toms and fourteen stands and tom tom posts, stands with much wear and tear.

Keith Moon originally wanted a drum kit with gold-plated fittings, but Premier persuaded him that such a soft finish would have an extremely short lifespan, in view of his style of playing! The copper colour is therefore a compromise solution. The damage to the 14in. tom tom is likely to have occurred due to Keith’s habit of standing on the three placed immediately in front of the snare: reinforcing plates and stands were employed to this end.

The current owner has used parts of the kit over several years and, consequently, most of the skins are new. Two chromed Rogers’ posts were used for the purposes of photographing the kit and are not included in the lot.

£7,000–9,000