was born on 3rd November 1945 in Norwood Green, Southall, Great Britain. He played in various bands before joining early Deep Purple.
0001
1960 to 196?
The Renegades
People involved Nick Simper (gtr); with some others.
0002
196? to November 1964
The Delta Five
People involved Nick Simper (gtr); with others.
0003
November 1964 to September 1965
Buddy Britten & the Regents
People involved Buddy Britten (gtr/vcl); Tony Lost (pno); Roger Pinner (drm); Nick Simper (bss).
Released two singles.
Albums & singles She's About A Mover/Since You've Gone : UK 1965 Piccadilly 7N 35241 Right Now/Jailer Bring Me Water : UK 1965 Piccadilly 7N 35257
0004
September 1965 to April 1966
Simon Raven Cult
People involved Kid Freedom [= Nick Simper] (bss); Richard Honour (kbr); Simon Raven [= Buddy Britten] (gtr/vcl); Roger Truth [= Roger Pinner] (drm).
Buddy Britten & the Regents transformed itself into Simon Raven Cult and released one single.
Albums & singles I Wonder If She Remembers Me/Sea Of Love : UK 1966 Piccadilly 7N 35301
0005
May 1966 to October 1966
Johnny Kidd & the New Pirates
People involved Johnny Kidd (vcl); Roger Pinner (drm); Nick Simper (bss); Ray Soaper (kbr); Mick Stewart (gtr).
Johnny Kidd & the New Pirates toured the UK until October 1966, when Kidd was killed in a car accident. Before that they had recorded and released a single. The Pirates tried to live on without Kidd.
Albums & singles Send For That Girl/The Fool : UK Nov 1966 HMV POP 1559
Material from above appears on... The Best Of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates [lp] : UK Apr 1978 EMI NUTM 12 Rarities [lp] : US 1983 See For Miles Records CM120
0006
December 1966 to May 1967
Pirates
People involved Johnny Carroll (vcl/kbr); Roger Pinner (drm); Nick Simper (bss); Mick Stewart (gtr); and later John Kerrison (drm).
Tried to survive on their own after Kidd had died. Kerrison replaced Pinner on drums sometime during 1967. Most probably they didn't release any recordings. Anyone to confirm?
0007
May to October 1967
Simper did various session work during 1967. He also toured together with Screaming Lord Sutch, Billie Davis, and others. Simper was also in a group called Cyrano & the Bergeracs either during this period or perhaps earlier.
0008
October 1967 to February 1968
The Flowerpot Men
People involved Tony Burrows (vcl); Neil Landon (vcl); Jon Lord (kbr); Carlo Little (drm); Pete Nelson (vcl); Ged Peck (gtr); Robin Shaw (vcl); Nick Simper (bss).
The Flowerpot Men was a studio concept created by the duo Carter/Lewis, who recorded and released "Let's Go To San Francisco" during 1967. It became a huge hit. Thus a touring band was quickly assembled. Simper joined on bass. While on tour, the original keyboard player caught the flue (or something), and thus Simper's old mate Jon Lord was brought in for the remainder of the tour. Neither Simper nor Lord took part of any recordings though.
0009
February/March 1968
Roundabout
People involved Ritchie Blackmore (gtr); Chris Curtis (vcl); Dave Curtis (vcl); Jon Lord (kbr); Nick Simper (bss); Bobby Woodman (drm).
The embryonic Deep Purple. Chris Curtis soon disappeared, as did Dave Curtis and Bobby Woodman. In came Rod Evans and Ian Paice.
0010
March/April 1968
Roundabout
People involved Ritchie Blackmore (gtr); Rod Evans (vcl); Jon Lord (kbr); Nick Simper (bss); Ian Paice (drm).
Following a Scandinavian tour in April 1968, Roundabout decided to transform itself into Deep Purple.
0011
April 1968 to July 1969
Deep Purple Mk I
People involved Ritchie Blackmore (gtr); Rod Evans (vcl); Jon Lord (kbr); Ian Paice (drm); Nick Simper (bss).
This pioneering line-up recorded three albums: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), Book of Taliesyn (1968) and Deep Purple (1969). In mid-1967, Simper was kicked out of Deep Purple.
People involved Marsha Hunt (vcl?); Jed Peck (gtr); Mac Poole (drm); Nick Simper (bss); and possibly others as well.
Eventually, Marsha Hunt got pregnant and decided to quit touring (or perhaps even music biz altogether). The rest of the guys went on to form Warhorse.
0013
June 1970 to July 1974
Warhorse
People involved Ashley Holt (vcl); Jed Peck (gtr); Mac Poole (drm); Nick Simper (bss); Frank Wilson (kbr).
Warhorse recorded and released two albums, while a third came to the demo stage. The demo tracks are included as bonus tracks on the 1997 reissue of Red Sea.
Albums & singles St Louis/... : UK 1970 Vertigo Warhorse [lp] : UK Nov 1970 Vertigo 6360 015 Dynamite (= St Louis)/... : UK 1975 Vertigo [unsure about this one] Vulture Blood (= Warhorse) [lp] : UK 1983 Thunderbolt THBL-004 Warhorse [lp/cd] : Germany 199- Repertoire LP-REP-2055-TT/CD-REP-4055-WP Warhorse [cd; extra material] : UK 1997 RPM Records RPM-174 Red Sea [lp] : UK Vertigo 1972 Red Sea [lp] : UK 1984 Thunderbolt THBL-010 Red Sea [lp/cd] : Germany 199- Repertoire LP-REP-2056-TT/CD-REP-4056-WP Red Sea [cd; extra material] : UK 1997 RPM Records RPM-175
Material from above appears on... The Warhorse Story - Vols I & II [2cd] : UK? 1997 ?
0014
June 1971
Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends
People involved Ritchie Blackmore (gtr); Anette Brox (vcl); Victor Brox (vcl); Matthew Fisher (kbr); Brian Keith (vcl/trm); Carlo Little (drm); Keith Moon (drm); Sid Phillips (sxp); Noel Redding (bss); Nick Simper (bss); David Sutch (vcl).
Screaming Lord Sutch assembled some rock celebrities for a one night gig in a London pub. The whole thing was recorded, though apparently nodoby besides Sutch himself knew that. The recordings were later released as the Hands Of Jack the Ripper album in 1971.
Albums & singles Hands Of Jack The Ripper [lp] : UK 1971 Atlantic Hands Of Jack The Ripper [lp] : US 1971 Cotillion SD 9049 Hands Of Jack The Ripper [cd] : Germany 1991 Line Records LECD 9.01010-O
Material from above appears on... Ritchie Blackmore Vol. 2 [lp/cd/mc] : UK Connoisseur RP VSOP LP/MC/CD 157
0015
Mid 1974 to mid 1978
Simper came to work as a writer and house musician for some management company together with Pete Parks. This lasted till he formed Fandango sometime during 1978.
0016
During 1978
Rosco Gordon
People involved Rosco Gordon (pno/vcl); Carlo Little (drm); Sid Phillips (sxp); Nick Simper (bss); and Wayne Bennett (gtr).
Recorded at 100 Oxford Street in London.
Material appears on... Roscoe Rocks Again [lp] : UK 1983 JSP Records 1052
0017
April 1978 till 1980
Nick Simper's Fandango
People involved Neil McArthur (kbr); Peter Parks (gtr/vcl); Ron Penney (drm); Jim Proops (vcl); Nick Simper (bss/vcl).
Simultaneously with Fandango, both Simper and Parks was also in a touring band called Flying Fox (see further below for details).
Albums & singles Slipstreaming [lp] : Germany Apr 1979 Shark Records INT 148.503 Slipstreaming [lp] : UK June 1979 Gull Records GULL-1033 Slipstreaming - Future Times [cd] : UK 1994 RPM Records RPM-125 Slipstreaming - Future Times [2cd; bonus tracks] : EEC? 2000 Angel Air
Material from above appears on... The Deep Purple Family Album [cd] : UK 1993 Connoisseur RP VSOP CD 187
0018
From 1978/79 to 1980
Flying Fox
People involved Carlo Little (drm); Pete Parks (gtr); Frankie Reed (vcl); Nick Simper (bss).
From 1978-ish onwards, Simper was in a UK-based touring band called the Flying Fox. He was simultaneously in Fandango with whom he recorded two albums. With Flying Fox, however, he toured the London area. Their live gigs were apparently very popular. The singer eventually emigrated to Australia in 1980, after which various vocal replacements entered at different periods.
0019
August 1980
Nick Simper's Fandango
People involved Peter Parks (gtr/vcl); Mac Poole (drm); Jim Proops (vcl); Nick Simper (bss/vcl); plus possibly others as well.
While off touring with Flying Fox, Simper and Parks recorded another album with Fandango. There might have been some additional sessioners involved in this.
Albums & singles Future Times [lp] : Germany 1980 Shark Records INT-148.506 Just Another Day/Wish I'd Never Woke Up : UK 1982 Paro Records Paro-S4 Slipstreaming - Future Times [cd] : UK 1994 RPM Records RPM-125 Slipstreaming - Future Times [2cd; bonus tracks] : EEC? 2000 Angel Air
0020
From 1980 to 1984/1985
Flying Fox
People involved Alan Barrett (vcl); Marie Dunn (vcl); Ron Harwood (vcl); Carlo Little (drm); Pete Parks (gtr); Nick Simper (bss); and various other people on vocals.
After the original singer, Reed, had emigrated to Australia in 1980, various vocalists jumped in from time to time. Flying Fox (as the Nicolodeon) recorded a single in 1982 together with some Mari Dunn on vocals. The single was credited to Nicolodeon.
Albums & singles Music Music Music [single; Nicolodeon] : UK 1982
0021
During 1982/1983
Roscoe Gordon
People involved Roscoe Gordon (pno/vcl/gtr); Wayne Bennett (gtr); Ray Ellison (vcl); Carlo Little (drm); Sid Phillips (...); Nick Simper (bss/vcl).
Another session with Roscoe.
Material appears on... Roscoe Rocks Again [lp] : UK 1983 JSP Records 1052
0022
From 1985-ish to the mid-1990s
The Good Ole Boys
People involved Peter Parks (gtr/vcl); Alan Barrett (?); Simon Bishop (?); Nick Simper (bss); Richard Underwood (?); plus occasional in-siters.
When Flying Fox eventually collapsed, Simper and Parks quickly formed a new band. They toured regularly 'round the London area until the mid-1990s. Did they record anything? Good question.
0023
December 1994 onwards
Quatermass II
People involved Nick Simper (bss); Peter Taylor (vcl); Bernie Tormй (gtr); Mick Underwood (drm).
Reformation of a band known to most lovers of British rock. They met, jammed and recorded some demos. Unfortunately though, before closing a record deal, Tormй and Taylor left. Hm, wonder what happened to those demos?
0024
Sometime during 1994/1995
Flying Fox
People involved Carlo Little (drm); Pete Parks (gtr); Frankie Reed (vcl); Nick Simper (bss); and guests.
Reed returned briefly from Australia and the original line-up of Flying Fox made a one-time reunion gig (together with invited friends) at a pub in Greenford called The Rising Sun, which was also video-taped. No official release though.
0025
August 1996 to June 1997
Quatermass II
People involved Gary Davis (gtr); Bert Foley (vcl/gtr); Nick Simper (bss); Mick Underwood (drm/prc); plus Don Airey (kbr).
New members were quickly assembled, and a new record was soon recorded.
Long Road [cd] : UK 1997 Thunderbird CSA 108 Long Road [cd] : Japan 1997
0026
October 2000
Wee Willie Harris & the Alabama Slammers
People involved Wee Willie Harris & the Alabama Slammers, with sessioners, eg. Nick Simper (bss), Pete Newman (sxp), Johnny Casanova (pno).
The Alabama Slammers, a UK-based rock band playing rock'n'roll а la 50s, backed up Wee Willie Harris on one album. Nick Simper, though not a regular member, apparently plays bass on some tracks.
Rag Moppin' [cd] : UK June 2003 Pollytone Records PEPCD137