aynsley dunbar

Aynsley Dunbar first met Frank Zappa as a member of The Jeff Beck Group, but solidified that meeting by jamming with him at Belgium's Amougies Festival in the fall of 1969, where Dunbar's band "Retaliation" was performing, Alex Dmochowski was playing bass with them. Zappa was there as Master of Ceremony for the event.

Late 1969 / early 1970, Aynsley Dunbar joined Frank Zappa's band. He recorded and toured with Zappa from 1970 until the end of 1971.

March / April 1970, Aynsley Dunbar recorded Zappa's 'Willie The Pimp'. The track got released on the album "Blue Whale" later that year.

Early 2006, an audience recording of the Amougies Retaliation / Zappa jam-performance turned up.

	herbie mann: evolution of mann (1960, lp, ??, ??)
	champion jack dupree: from new orleans to chicago (1966, lp, ??, ??)
	eddie boyd: eddie boyd & his blues band (1967, lp, ??, ??)
	john mayall: hard road (1967, lp, ??, ??)
	michael chapman: rainmaker (1968, lp, ??, ??)
	jeff beck: truth (1968, lp, ??, ??)
	the aynsley dunbar retaliation: the aynsley dunbar retaliation (1) (1968, lp, ??, byg records 529001) - feat.alex dmchowski
	the aynsley dunbar retaliation: doctor dunbar's prescription (2) (1969, lp, ??, blue thumb records bts 6 ) - feat.alex dmchowski
	the aynsley dunbar retaliation: to mum from aynsley & the boys (3) (1969, lp, ??, arcade records lp 141) - feat.alex dmchowski
	john mayall: so many roads (1969, lp, ??, ??)
	donovan: barabajagal (1969, lp, ??, ??)
	john mayall: looking back (1969, lp, ??, ??)
	frank zappa: chunga's revenge (11) (1970, lp, usa, bizarre)
	aynsley dunbar retaliation: remains to be heard (4) (1970, lp, ??, liberty records lbs 83316) - feat.alex dmchowski
	aynsley dunbar: blue whale (5) (1970, lp, usa, reprise/warner bros) - incl. 'willie the pimp' (frank zappa)
	shuggie otis: freedom flight (1971, lp, ??, ??)
	1971 mayall, john- thru the years
	the mothers: fillmore east, june 1971 (12) (1971, lp, usa, bizarre)
	frank zappa: 200 motels (13) (1971, 2lp, usa, united artists)
	1972 flo & eddie- phlorescent leech and eddie
	john & yoko / plastic ono band: sometime in new york city (1972, 2lp, uk, apple) - feat. zappa & mothers
	the mothers: just another band from l.a. (14) (1972, lp, usa, bizarre)
	frank zappa: waka/jawaka (15) (1972, lp, usa, bizarre)
	the mothers: the grand wazoo (16) (1972, lp, usa, bizarre)
	1973 reed, lou- berlin
	1973 flo & eddie- flo & eddie
	1973 harvey, alexander- souvenirs
	1973 mann, herbie- london underground
	1973 bowie, david- pin-ups
	1974 mcdonald, kathi- insane asylum
	frank zappa: apostrophe (') (18) (1974, lp, usa, discreet)
	1974 ronson, mick- slaughter on tenth avenue (percussion, drums)
	1974 bowie, david- diamond dogs
	flo & eddie: illigal, immoral and fattening (3) (1975, lp, usa, cbs) - feat.ian underwood, aynsley dunbar, incl.'eddie are you kiddin' (frank zappa)
	1975 journey- journey
	1975 ronson, mick- play don't worry
	1975 lofgren, nils- nils lofgren
	1976 hunter, ian- all american alien boy
	1976 lofgren, nils- cry tough
	1976 hagar, sammy- nine on a ten scale
	1976 journey- look into the future
	1977 chapman, michael- lived here
	1977 journey- next (percussion, drums)
	1978 journey- infinity (percussion, drums)
	1979 jefferson starship- freedom at point zero
	1979 journey- in the beginning
	1981 jefferson starship- modern times
	1981 whitesnake- best of whitesnake
	1982 jefferson starship- winds of change (percussion, drums)
	1983 kantner, paul- planet earth r'n'r orchestra
	1986 emerson, keith- best revenge (percussion, drums)
	1987 whitesnake- whitesnake 1987
	1987 flo & eddie- best of flo & eddie
	the mothers of invention: uncle meat (7) (-) - the 1987 reissue includes film excerpts
	1987 whitesnake- whitesnake
	1988 raw blues- raw blues
	1988 journey- greatest hits
	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.1 (51) (1988, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	1989 bowie, david- sound + vision
	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.3 (54) (1989, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	1990 bowie, david- growin' up
	1990 bowie, david- changesbowie
	1991 beck, jeff- beckology
	frank zappa: freaks & motherfu**** (1991, cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 70539)
	zappa / mothers: disconnected synapses (1991, cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 71017)
	zappa / mothers: tengo la minchia tanta (1991, cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 71018)
	frank zappa: at the circus (1991, cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 71020)
	zappa / mothers: swiss cheese / fire ! (1991, 2cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 71021)
	1991 starship- starship's greatest hits: ten years
	1992 reed, lou- between thought and expression
	1992 journey- time 3
	1992 ono, yoko- ono box
	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.6 (59) (1992, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	frank zappa: playground psychotics (60) (1992, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	1992 mayall, john- london blues (1964-1969) (percussion, drums)
	1993 hats off to stevie ray
	1993 spinner, tony- saturn blues
	1993 travers, pat- just a touch
	1994 whitesnake- whitesnake's greatest hits
	1994 travers, pat- blues magnet
	1994 music from the better blues bureau
	1995 chrisley, little john- little john chrisley
	1995 all day thumbsucker revisited
	frank zappa: the lost episodes (64) (1996, cd, usa, ryko)
	1997 mogg, phil- edge of the world
	2000 ufo- covenant
	all day thumb sucker- all day thumb sucker
	aynsley dunbar- joy to the world
	eric i burdon band- official live bootleg, vol. 1
	eric i burdon band- official live bootleg, vol. 2
	various artists: an all star line-up performing the songs of pink floyd (2002, cd, usa, purple piramid records) - feat.dweezil zappa, vinnie colaiuta, aynsley dunbar
	leslie west: blues to die for (2003, cd, ??, blues bureau bb 2047) - feat.aynsley dunbar
	frank zappa: joe's domage (73) (2004, cd, usa, vaultarnative records)
	frank zappa: quaudiophiliac (74) (2004, dvda, usa, dts entertainment 69286-01125-9-9)
	various artists: pink floyd (2005, cd, nl, uax 96172) - feat.dweezil zappa, aynsley dunbar, vinnie colaiuta
	various artists: re-building the wall - a tribute to pink floyd (200?, 2cd, ??, ??) - feat.dweezil zappa, aynsley dunbar, vinnie colaiuta

filmography

1971 Frank Zappa's 200 Motels- Member of Mothers of Invention
1975 Dirty Duck- soundtrack musician
1987 Uncle Meat- Himself / Biff Junior
1989 The True Story of 200 Motels

From: unknown
Played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers prior to joining the Mothers. Released "Blue Whale" in 1970 which included a sixteen minute "Willie the Pimp". He was with Jefferson Starship. I think Aynsley Dunbar was in the original Journey for a time. Poor lad. Yes, but that was pre-schlock (read: pre-Perry) Journey. Their first album was actually pretty good -- sort of heavy fusion-influenced rock.

From: Michael Bruno
You are correct. He was Journeys original drummer. I believe he was on the first album with Steve Perry - The title escapes me at the moment (had 'Wheel In The Sky', 'Winds of March'), but it was their best album WITH Perry (IMHO) probably due in no small part, to Ansleys drumming. The drumming on the albums after that was pretty abismal (Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin - Wretching! Feh!).
There is a band called Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation with a three albums (according to holonet). I'm not sure from what era they are.

From: unknown
Aynsley Dunbar RETALIATION. From the late 60's/early 70's. I have no idea what the music was like, or who he was retaliating against. The ads for his albums (remember vinyl?) used to appear on a lot of record sleeves in the early 70's. As said before he played with Mayall in the 60's. I think from '66 to '67. Last week I got my hands on their first LP in a second hand shop. It is produced by John Mayall. No release year on the cover, but my guess is '68. The music is basically blues or R&B oriented, including an organ. The bass player is Alex Dmchowski, alias Erroneous.

From: unknown
About Ansley Dunbar's Retaliation: he was picked to be Cream's drummer, but Jack Bruce upstaged him somehow. Clapton pissed him off, so he "retaliated" with his band. They are circa 1967-1969. One of the albums is live, one rehashes older material (believe it or not).
They are worth owning...

From: Stone, Mike
I don't know where you got this story but it can't be correct. Ginger Baker started Cream by asking Clapton to start a group with him. Clapton agreed on the condition that Jack Bruce be in the group. Baker reluctantly agreed and reconciled with Bruce.

From: unknown
Aynsley had played with Dweezil (playing drums on one of Dweezil's albums). He left Jefferson Starship quite a while ago, played one album with Whitesnake before Vai joined. Was interviewed by Guitar Player for their special ZAPPA! mag in 1992. (source: Zappa! mag & my record collection)

From: unknown
JS from '79 to '83 covering Freedom At Point Zero, Modern Times, and Winds Of Change. Unfortunately, the Mickey Thomas era. JS was resurrected by Paul Kantner a few years ago (thankfully they sounds more like the Blows/Dragonfly group than the MT era), no Dunbar.

From: unknown
My friend Mike recently saw AD on tour with The Pat Travers Band. Actually got to meet the man. Said he was *immensely* cool. Very nice, well mannered and personable. Another snippet for the archives on Zappa members.

From: unknown
If by "the drummer from Journey" you mean Aynsley Dunbar, I'd say yes, he's one of the very few real rock drummers who can also play real jazz. He did both with Zappa, who he played with for years. For rock, also check out his playing with Bowie ("Pin-Ups"--some of his best recorded performances), Nils Lofgren (first LP), Flo & Eddie, and Lou Reed ("Berlin" LP). For jazz playing, listen to Zappa's "Grand Wazoo" and "Waka/Jawaka"; on both of these, his drumming is magnificent, and is "real" jazz playing, not the fake stuff that rock drummers sometimes try to pull off.

From: unknown
Not only Aynsley Dunbar, but also Jack Bruce, is featured on the _Berlin_ album by Lou Reed. Which means that two musicians connected with FZ is on one of the true masterpieces in the history of rock'n'roll.

From: Bernd
here we go: The band was founded in 1967, with AD on drums, John Moorsehead - guitar, Alex(ander) Dmochowski - bass, Anette Brox - background vocals and Victor Brox, a comrade-in-arms of Alexis Korner, vocals, keyboards and percussion.
The first album was released in 1968, simply called 'Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation'. It's low-tone blues stuff, mostly witten by someone with the name of Hickley (don't know where to put him/her) and some standards, like 'Mean Old World'. Best known from it, is a song called 'The Fugitive'.
1969 the second album 'Dr. Dunbar's Presciption' came out, again full of down to earth blues. The same year Tomme Eyre joined the band as a second keyboard player. With this line up, the third LP 'To Mum, from Aynsley And The Boys' appeared. John Mayall, godfather from the 'Bluesbreaker' days, took over the production, and the result is a small masterpiece, as far as English blues is concerned. All tunes are originals, written by the members of the band, which disbanded in the same year. The history of their records wasn't quite finished, as in 1970 another disc was released, significantly titled 'Remains To Be Heard'.
Hope, that this is of some interest to you

From: My80Vette
To all you Zappa freaks....
Aynsley Dunbar is alive and well living near San Francisco, and is still playing the kit as well as ever. This guy was one of Zappa's best performers...........A true master.

From: Michel Polizzi
The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation played the Amougies (Belgium) Festival in the fall of 1969. The two MCs for the five-night festival were french radio/TV host (producer of the first Daevid Allen & Gong album) Pierre Lattes and ...Frank Zappa.
I don't remember Frank doing much MCeing but he sure jammed with a lot of people (I remember Pink Floyd and the Archie Shepp Band). He also jammed with Retaliation and this is where,I believe, Frank developed a taste for Aynsley Dunbar.

From: Mike Kolesar
Most recently saw Aynsley backing Eric Burdon in May of '96 when my band opened for them in Pittsburgh (didn't get to meet him, unfortunately). He played well, but it was all blues, nothing too challenging from a technical perspective. Didn't he also play briefly with Whitesnake?

From: reed julian
I got to meet ansley dunbar about 5 mo's ago (summer 96). He was touring with Alvin Lee and Eric burdon.

From: Chris Mercer
I was a member of The Bluesbreakers shortly after Aynsley,67 I think. If I remember rightly he was (like many others) pissed off with Mayall, and I think that was the root of thr retaliation. John had a very arrogant attitude to the players he no longer required, but I can't remember the circumstances of his leaving the Peter Green era outfit, only that Fleetwood took his place. He was probably the most American sounding drummer we had, lots of balls.

From: Sam Thomas
I saw Aynsley at a recording studio (Sound Logic I think) in Garland Texas in 1992 or 93. He was in an older mercedes (yellow). I think he was working with Andy Timmons-He looked great!

From: Jan
Aynsley is on Ian Hunter's All-American Alien Boy (Ian Hunter was in Mott the Hoople).

From: Thomas Karlsson
1997/10/02
Aynsley Dunbar is now playing,or at least he played with "Mogg/Way", I don't think he'll be in the live line up of this group. They have done a really good record called "Edge of the world", released in may 97.

From: laurent biehly
Aynsley plays on the second album of Michael Onesko's Blindside Blues Band released in 1996 and called "To The Station". He teamed up with former White Lion/Pride & Glory/Slash & The Snake Pit bass player James Lomenzo.
Aynsley also plays on two albums by the L.A. Blues Authority project (I think he is on volume III & IV ca 1993-1995). This project was put together by Mike Varney and consists of hard rock musicians covering some blues classics. Some of the guys featured in this project are Glenn Hughes, Pat Thrall, Neal Schon, Rick Medlocke, Zakk Wylde, Fred Coury, Joe Lynn Turner, Rick Derringer Stu Hamm, Jeff Watson, Gregg Bissonnette, Pat Travers and many more.

From: Michael Tolan
Dunbar has been with Eric Burdon for the past several years. First in "Eric Burdon's I-Band", and now with "Eric Burdon & The New Animals". He can be found on two I-Band CD's: "Official Bootleg #1" & "Official Bootleg #2", both on Flyin' Eye Records. The CDs are sold at concerts and on the WWW at CDNOW. Dunbar is also on the new Pioneer Home Video DVD called "Eric Burdon and the New Animals, Live at the Coach House". He will also be on the upcoming studio CD by Burdon.

From: laurent biehly
1998/02/16
Aynsley played on a (Michael Onesko's)Blindside Blues Band album called "To The Station" in 1996. The bass player was former White Lion's James Lomenzo.
He is now involved in Mother's Army a band put together by former Rainbow/Malmsteen frontman Joe Lynn Turner with Night Ranger's Jeff Watson and Rainbow/Malmsteen/Uriah Heep/Ozzy bass player Bob Daisley. Aynsley replaces Carmine Appice who is due to work with David Lee Roth.

From: "Paulding, David"
1998/07/22
I met AD about 18 months ago in San Francisco. He was playing drums with the Daniel Castro Band as a special guest. The gig was at the Lost and Found Saloon.
He is living North of SF and we talked about his time with Whitesnake and Journey.
He was also originally considered by Chas Chandler and Jimi Hendrix to play drums in the JH Experience. Chas and Jimi could'nt decide who to pick between Mitch Mitchell and AD. They tossed a coin and Mitch got the job.

From: Doug Robinson
Hey, Aynsley is a good friend of mine and currently he's with Eric Burdon.
Aynsley is living near L.A. and is still a phenomenal talent. His solo's are very creative and individualistic. His stamina paired with his wealth of technics ( very fast feet and quick precise stick movement) is unbelievable.
This guy should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aynsley set the standards for much of todays drumming.

From: Mike Keneally
When I was doing a little pubbing with Aynsley during the "Shampoohorn" sessions I complimented him on his phenomenal playing on the final composed section of "For Calvin" (from where the tempo picks up to the end of the song - check it out if you haven't heard it in a while, the drumming is spine-tingling), and he said he barely remembered having done it at all, and didn't have any recollections of the learning/rehearsal procedures - but maybe he'll remember "Big Swifty" better! Man, Aynsley is a total hero on all the Zappa albums he played on; he's just ridiculously good.

From: Steve Amor
The original Mojos were one of the less well-known "Merseybeat" bands and had a hit in the UK with "Everything's Alright" in about April 1964.
Subsequently they broke up and their lead singer, Stu James, kept the name and retitled the band "Stu James and the Mojos" (like Eric Burdon & the Animals). The drummer in that band was ... Aynsley Dunbar. No idea whether they recorded anything.

From: Otis Owens
Here's a correction to your Aynsley Dunbar page. AD was a founding member of Journey. Steve Perry (Cookie Cutter, Bulshit, Pop Vocal Stylings) was not. The first two Journey records were instrumentals and the band included Neal Schon & Greg Rollie. In fact, one of the main reasons Aynsley quit that band was Perry's Whimppy, Pop-Rock, Candy Ass.