Earl Palmer, for those of you who might now know, was one of the most prolific "hit makers" in the recording business for decades. Earl's fabulous drumming graced the recordings of so many people that the list is insanely long, but we will include most of it here for you below. Earl was one of the innovators responsible for the beat that became rock n roll as demonstrated by his playing on "The Fat Man" by Fats Domino way back in 1949. And, as a member of the famed "Wrecking Crew" recording team of LA session greats he was a mainstay for incredible number of recordings attributed to this team from 1962 through 1968. Earl played on over 450 recording dates in 1967 alone.

I am very pleased to be assisting his widow Jeline by offering some instruments Earl owned and used. Many of these instruments are from the period during which Earl was most prolific, which is the 60s through the 70s. That 20 year span produced incredible amounts of his work. We also have some instruments from his later days as well. Earl continued to be a vibrant force in the industry well beyond that era and was performing actively up until his passing in 2008. 

When you purchase these instruments you become the caretaker of them for years to come. Use them and care for them and preserve them for the future since they are part of the drumming legacy we all love. And, find out more of what Earl was all about: Check out the recordings below and also check out Earl's biography titled: Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story which was written by Tony Scherman and published in 1999.  

You can find the items we're listing by scrolling all the way down past the discography and past the list that shows songs he played on and how they charted.

Steve Maxwell

630-865-6849 feel free to call.

DISCOGRAPHY

As leader

• Drumsville (Liberty Records, 1961)
• Percolator Twist (Liberty Records, 1962)

As sideman

Albums

• Here's Little Richard - Little Richard (1957)
• Swinging Flute in Hi-Fi - The Strollers (1958)
• The Fabulous Little Richard - Little Richard (1959)
• Julie...At Home - Julie London (1960)
• Sinatra and Swingin' Brass - Frank Sinatra (1962)
• Twistin' And Twangin' - Duane Eddy (1962)^[8]
• Color Him Funky - Howard Roberts (1963)^[9]
• H.R. is a Dirty Guitar Player - Howard Roberts (1963)^[9]
• The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell - Glen Campbell (1964)
• Mr. Eliminator - Dick Dale (1964)
• Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie - Gil Fuller (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
• Latin In The Horn - Al Hirt & Lalo Schifrin (1966)^[10]
• Music from Mission: Impossible - Lalo Schifrin (Dot, 1967)
• There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On - Lalo Schifrin (Dot, 1968)^[10]
• Accent on Africa - Cannonball Adderley (1968)
• The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees - The Monkees (1968)
• Head - The Monkees (1968)
• The Natch'l Blues - Taj Mahal (1969)
• U.F.O. - Jim Sullivan (1969)
• Memphis Jackson - Milt Jackson (Impulse!, 1969)
• People Like Us - The Mamas & the Papas (1971)
• David Clayton-Thomas - David Clayton-Thomas (1972)^[11]
• Look at the Fool - Tim Buckley (1974)
• Sweet Harmony - Maria Muldaur (1976) ^[12]
• Ins and Outs - Lalo Schifrin (Palo Alto, 1982)^[13]
• King of America - Elvis Costello (1986)
• The Ultimate School of Rock & Roll - Gene Summers (1997)
• In 3-Dimensions - Deke Dickerson (2003)
• Seasons in the Sun (Unreleased) - The Beach Boys

Singles

• The Fat Man - Fats Domino (1949)
• Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price (1952)
• Doin' The Hambone b/w Thinkin' 'Bout My Baby - James Booker (1954)^[14]
• "I Hear You Knockin'" - Smiley Lewis (1955)
• Blue Monday - I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino
• The Girl Can't Help It - Little Richard (1956)
• Greyhound b/w Dear Angel - Amos Milburn (1957)^[14]
• "Busy, Busy", "My Heaven" - Dan Bowden (1958)
• Donna - Ritchie Valens (1958)
• Summertime Blues- Eddie Cochran (1958)
• "Slow Down", "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", "Bony Moronie" - Larry Williams (1958)
• "Polly Molly", "Forever And A Day" - 5 Masks (1958)
• "Patricia Darling", "Whatta You Do" - Ray Willis (1958)
• Rockin' Robin - Bobby Day (1958)
• Nervous, Gene Summers (1958)
• Gotta Lotta That, Gene Summers (1958)
• Twixteen, Gene Summers (1958)
• "Crazy Cat Corner" - Gene Summers (1958)
• La Bamba - Ritchie Valens (1959)
• Walking to New Orleans - Fats Domino (1960)
• The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert (1962)
• "High Flyin' Bird" - Judy Henske (1963)
• "Please Let Me Love You" - The Beefeaters (who later became the Byrds) (1964)
• The Little Old Lady from Pasadena - Jan and Dean (1964)
• Dead Man's Curve - Jan and Dean (1964)
• You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers (1964)
• Please Let Me Wonder - The Beach Boys (1965)
• Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - Mel Carter (1965)
• River Deep - Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner - (1966)
• "We Were Made for Each Other" - The Monkees (1968)
• I'll Be Back Up On My Feet - The Monkees (1968)
• "Magnolia Simms" - The Monkees (1968)
• "The Old Laughing Lady" - Neil Young (1968)
• "I've Loved Her So Long" - Neil Young (1968)
• "She Gets Me Where I Live" - Al Kooper (1970)
• "God Sheds His Grace on Thee" - Al Kooper (1970)
• "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" - Tom Waits - (1978)
• "Sweet Little Bullet From a Pretty Blue Gun" - Tom Waits - (1978)

Film scores

Palmer was the session drummer for a number of film scores, including:^[5]

1961

Judgement at Nuremberg, score by Ernest Gold

1963

Hud, score by Elmer Bernstein

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, score by Ernest Gold

1964

Baby the Rain Must Fall, score by Elmer Bernstein

Ride the Wild Surf score by Stu Phillips

Robin and the Seven Hoods, score by Nelson Riddle

1965

Boeing Boeing, score by Neal Hefti

Harlow, score by Neal Hefti

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, score by Les Baxter

A Patch of Blue, score by Jerry Goldsmith

1967

Pretty Polly, score by Michel Legrand

Cool Hand Luke, score by Lalo Schifrin

In the Heat of the Night, score by Quincy Jones

1968

A Dandy in Aspic, score by Quincy Jones

Television scores

Palmer was also the session drummer for a number of television show themes and soundtracks, including:^[5]

• Flintstones Theme Song
• M Squad
• 77 Sunset Strip
• Bourbon Street Beat
• Hawaiian Eye
• Peyton Place
• I Dream of Jeannie
• Green Acres
• Ironside
• The Outsider
• It Takes a Thief
• The Leslie Uggams Show
• The Brady Bunch
• Delta
• The Partridge Family
• The Odd Couple
• The Pearl Bailey Show
• M*A*S*H
• The Midnight Special
• Mannix
• Mission: Impossible

Charting and significant songs