A CirdecSongs Chat with SIMON PHILLIPS

When I mentioned to a friend that I would be interviewing drummer SIMON PHILLIPS, the two of us starting mentally going through his resume, throwing out artist and band names as we thought of them. Eventually my friend said, “It would be easier to list bands the man HASN’T played with!”

This far from hyperbole. Simon has been playing professionally since his teens. That list of artists is nothing short of STUNNING. A quick listing includes The Who, Toto, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Michael Oldfield, 10cc, Tears for Fears, Hiromi Uehara, Joe Satriani, and Alan Parsons. To say nothing of his own projects, like his Protocol album series. And that barely scratches the surface!

Simon is also a top-flight producer and recording engineer. The man is always busy in one form or another. Simon has teamed up with keyboardist Derek Sherinian for a new in concert release called Sherinian/Phillips Live. We talk about that project, Simon’s remarkable past, his production preferences, and so much more. This is some of the most fun I’ve had conducting these chats. I’d like to thank Simon for taking the time to talk with CirdecSongs.