Jeremy Stacey

When Simon decided to get serious about Unidentified Flying Project, after the arrival of Dominic Miller, he sat down and started to draw up a wish list of musicians that he wanted to get to come and play with UPF. The list of drummers was bonkers - an orgy of relentless talent and originality.

We had been hugely fortunate to secure the services of Dave Weckl on ‘Dance The Rain’ and just after that, we were working on ‘Lilies Song’ and the very early signs of ‘There is a Dream’ were starting to show through the cracks. One name that kept on coming up and up again on the lists and from all sorts of people, was Jeremy Stacey. Like so many of the artists in UFP, Jeremy has undoubtedly featured on a whole bunch of your favourite albums and is unwittingly engrained in & the psyche (& directly responsible) for your favourite riffs - Sheryl Crow, The Finn Brothers, Joe Cocker, Ryan Adams, Noel Gallagher, Nerina Pallot, The Waterboys, Steve Hackett, Zero 7, Sia Furler, Rudder, Neil Diamond, Wayne Krantz, Eric Clapton, Tom Baxter, Echo & The Bunnymen, Robbie Williams, King Crimson - told you so.

Simon remembers reading an article in some old muso magazine in which Jeremy states “I’m never happy with anything I’ve done”. ‘I kept that in my head for years as it completely reflected my attitude to my writing and now with the recording process’ says Simon. ‘My approach to writing and recording is to dig into the depths and bring out soundscapes, shapes and riffs that all those involved were not aware were in their armoury’. Most attitudes in music can fall into the very safe area of ‘THAT WILL DO’. After take number 8 or 15 or 23 - that’ll do. Or take a particular drum bar and move it to replace the one that is slightly mistimed. FUCK THAT! ‘Give me something with human frailty, cracks in the surface and real time in-the-moment sensation. Is it weird to say that I never want to be completely happy with UFP?’

We went to meet Jeremy at his studio in Chelsea - Snake Ranch - just to hang and talk music. Jeremy completely understood all of Simon’s frustrations and it was very reassuring to hear that these frustrations were not unfounded. This conversation was yet another real turning point for UPF. All of Simon’s fears and frustrations, hopes and dreams were consolidated in those precious couple of hours we spent with Jeremy.

Jeremy has to be one of the most versatile drummers ever. We are not even sure Jeremy knows how many albums he has played on, but when the collaborations have been as diversified as Robbie Williams, Clapton, Joe Cocker, Neil Diamond, Wayne Krantz, Tal Wilkenfeld, Noel Gallagher, Eurythmics, Sia, Steve Hackett, Ryan Adams, Echo & the Bunnymen, Sheryl Crow, Steve Wilson, The Staves, Paloma Faith, Tom Baxter, Aztec Camera, Malcolm McLaren and more recently as a fully fledged member of King Crimson, Jeremy has the innate ability to turn up and entirely immerse into whatever the genre might happen to be, as if he completely owns it.

Jeremy plays on ‘There Is A Dream’ & ‘The Reason’

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