Keith Moon’s Drumkits: 1973–1974 – Premier double tom row kits
3 Oct. 1973, on “Top of the Pops” broadcast.
Premier/Selmer ad, ca. 1973.
Black-coloured kit used beginning October 1973, to December 1973. Gold-coloured kit used beginning late December 1973 through 1974, including Charlton, 18 May 1974, and New York dates, June 1974. These kits featured an outer row of single-headed (concert) tom-toms.
Note: Gold-coloured kit used with single-row of toms (without concert toms) for 1974 filming of the Tommy motion picture and Stardust, the second of two films starring David Essex and featured Keith in his role as J.D. Clover.
Timeline
Black kit
- First use:
- May/June 1973 – Ramport Studios, Battersea, London, UK (recording of Quadrophenia).
- Confirmed first stage date used:
- 28 Oct. 1973 – Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK (first Quadrophenia tour date).
- Last (likely) stage date used:
- 6 Dec. 1973 – Capital Center, Landover, Maryland, USA.
Gold kit
- First (likely) stage date used:
- 18 Dec. 1973 – Sundown Theatre, Edmonton, London.
- Confirmed last stage date used:
- 14 June 1974 – Madison Square Garden, New York.
Specification
Estimate:
Likely with Gretsch fittings, Rogers Swiv-O-Matics tom holders.
Included metal plates inside and custom “iron cross” metal plates on the exteriors of the bass drums for added strength.
Drums:
Premier Custom Built (mahogany)
- Two 22″ × 14″ bass drums
- 18″ × 16″ floor tom
- 16″ × 16″ floor tom
- 16″ × 16″ single-headed (concert) tom-tom
- 15″ × 12″ single-headed (concert) tom-tom
- 14″ × 10″ single-headed (concert) tom-tom
- 13″ × 9″ single-headed (concert) tom-tom
- 14″ × 8 ″ mounted tom
- 14″ × 8 ″ mounted tom
- 14″ × 8 ″ mounted tom
- 14″ × 6½″ or 5½″ snare
- timpani
Finish
- Black, same as previous kit.
- Gold: A standard Premier finish called “Polychromatic Gold.”
Hardware:
- Premier LokFast, including Premier LokFast 318 twin tom-tom stands for concert toms
- Rogers Swiv-O-Matic 48-2600 dual tom-holders
Cymbals:
Likely Paiste 2002 series
- 20″ rides
- 18″ crash
- 20″ crash
- 14″ hi-hats
- two symphonic gongs (1×30″, 1×36″)
Stands:
Premier LokFast 314 stands with boom fitments.
Whereabouts
- Black kit:
- Unknown
- Gold kit:
- The “main” setup (two bass drums, three mounted toms, two floor toms and a snare drum) is on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. It was previously on display at the Guitar Center at the Rock Walk Museum, in Hollywood, California.
Photo Gallery
Black kit
Ca. May/June 1973, Ramport Studios, Battersea, London, recording Quadrophenia on black-coloured Premier kit featuring outer row of single-headed (concert) toms.
Ca. 1973, black-coloured kit featuring outer row of single-headed (concert) toms.
Ca. 1973, rehearsals.
Ca. 1973, rehearsals.
Ca. 1973, black-colored kit featuring outer row of single-headed (concert) toms. Note headphones for click-track foldback.
3 Oct. 1973, on “Top of the Pops” broadcast.
3 Oct. 1973, on “Top of the Pops” broadcast.
October/November 1973.
Ca. 1973, view of rear of kit.
Ca. 1973
Ca. 1973
Click to view larger version. 6 Dec., 1973, Capital Center in Largo, Maryland, view of kit being “disassembled.” From the Odds & Sods LP poster.
Ca. 1973
The Kids Are Alright poster (courtesy thewho.org): “This guitar has seconds to live.” Taken at the Newcastle Odeon show on 7 November 1973, with Keith on the black kit.
Gold kit
December 1973, Edmonton Sundown, possible first use of the gold kit.
Ca. 1974, showing dual gongs.
24 Feb., 1974, Lyon, with gold kit.
Ca. 1974, gold-coloured kit featuring outer row of single-headed (concert) toms.
Ca. 1974, gold-coloured kit featuring outer row of single-headed (concert) toms.
Click to view larger version. 10 Feb., 1974, Paris, stage-right view view of gold kit. Photo courtesy “A French Fan”
Ca. 1974
Ca. 1974, Charlton, with gold-coloured kit featuring outer row of single-headed (concert) toms.
Ca. 1974, Charlton, with roadie hammering down bass drum.
Ca. 1974, filming the Tommy movie, the gold-coloured Premier kit, with no rack toms.
Museum displays
The portion of the gold-coloured Premier kit used for the filming of the Tommy movie has been displayed first at the Guitar Center at the Rock Walk Museum, in Hollywood, California, and currently at the Grammy Museum, in Los Angeles.
The “main” setup (2 bass drums, 3 mounted toms, 2 floor toms and a snare drum) is on display at the Guitar Center at the Rock Walk Museum, in Hollywood, California. Courtesy Martin Forsbom.
Click to view larger version. The “main” setup (2 bass drums, 3 mounted toms, 2 floor toms and a snare drum), as well as a floor tom from the Pictures of Lily kit, is on display at the Guitar Center at the Rock Walk Museum, in Hollywood, California. Courtesy whocollection.com.
Photo gallery of the gold Premier kit, on display at Grammy Museum, Los Angeles
This kit was relocated from the Rock Walk Museum to the Grammy Museum, in Los Angeles, in 2010 or 2011. Click to view larger versions. Tremendous thanks to Lee Harrington.
New: See detailed analysis of the Grammy Museum display of the Gold kit, by Stuart Ritchie.
New: See detailed analysis of the Grammy Museum display of the Gold kit, by Stuart Ritchie.
Resources and Information
Contributors:
Many thanks to the following, who have made this page possible:
- Martin Forsbom (forsbom@gmail.com)
- Brad Rodgers at whocollection.com.
- Huw Owens (huw.owens@ntlworld.com)
- Andy Valentine
Additional information:
- Brad Rodgers at whocollection.com.
- David Brewis at Rock Stars Guitars, for pictures of Moon’s drumsticks, timbales, claves and drumheads.
- Tam Rankin at vintprem.moonfruit.com for information on vintage Premier drums.
Bibliography:
- Drums & Drumming magazine, October/November 1989.
- Modern Drummer, September 2003.
- Moon, the Life and Death of a Rock Legend, by Tony Fletcher. 1999.
Manufacturers’ sites
- Premier Drums: premier-percussion.com
- Ludwig Drums: ludwig-drums.com
- Paiste Cymbals: paiste.com
- Zildjian Cymbals: zildjian.com
- Slingerland Drums: slingerland.com (now owned by Gibson)
- Vistalites Drums: vistalites.com
- Zickos Drums: zickosdrums.com