Talk:Brian Keenan (musician, born 1943)

I knew him

Brian Keenan Musician came to live in Braithwell St. Denaby Main Doncaster South Yorkshire, with his mother and two brothers in the early 1950s

He attended St.Alban's Catholic Primary School Denaby Main Doncaster South Yorkshire, and later St. Alban's Secondary School. He purchased a Drum Pad and drumsticks as a teenager and spent hours practicing.

He had a powerful singing voice, emulating the style of the famous Platters.

We became friends through our mothers who were life-long friends. I remember attending the film "Rock around the Clock" at The Empire Cinema Denaby Main. He was fascinated by 'The Drummer' and aspired to become a famous drummer. Little did I realise that he would one day achieve this ambition. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.67.164.36 (talk • contribs) 13:34, 30 October 2005

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I knew Brian Keenan too,

years before as the original drummer of The Losers, the house band at Ondine, the founder of discotheques catering to the "Jet Set" scene in NYC, in 1963. He was an extremely dedicated, powerful drummer. He used the traditional drumstick technique, where the stick in the left hand goes between the two middle fingers and pivoted by the thumb. I remember he played so hard his fingers would bleed on his left hand from the drumstick rubbing between them while he pounded away. I was hired to design and build the sound system at Ondine by the owners of The Barge, a L.I. Discotheque as well as a private speakeasy type disc in Manhattan. And then to DJ their music and sound and to make mix tapes for their dinner hour. I worked mostly the weekends because I was in the recording studio during the week. It was awesome, with limo's and bikers loitering outside and The Loser's, an awesome band, pumping out their music while Jackie Gleason and Jackie Kennedy and Faye Dunnaway were dancing on the dance floor. The "Jet Set" in-crowd! Regularly, after closing, we'd head out, Brian and the band an a few fans, over the Queensborogh Bridge (the "59th street bridge") to the band's digs in Astoria Queens and party on listening to Jimmy Smith LP's and the sounds of the times till the sun came up. Then start all over again.

Later when I became a staff engineer at Columbia Record in Manhattan in ‘69. Brian, now the drummer for The Chambers Brothers, told the band about me and they called me to audition as engineer for The Chambers Brothers first independently produced album, "New Generation". We went into CBS Studio A and recorded a single called "Love, Peace and Happiness", and their challenge to me was to make it over the top loud. I passed their audition and went on to do the album. Brian always insisted on me mic-ing every drum, cymbal, especially his gong cymbal, which was his favorite, along with all his percussion toys. So I typically used 13 mics on him alone. Their recording style included sending scouts (roadies) out into the street and pulling passers-by into the studio to participate as an audience in the sessions to turn them into an event. A totally unique experience for me, as it was more party than a session, and often got a little overboard.

Brian was a really such a sweet person and I am sorry to discover here that he left us so early on. Those early Ondine days of parties and ambience can never be equaled. Sorry to have lost touch with you Brian. You are missed and remembered. Also, since this publication, I heard from his lovely daughter which was quite touching. She is lovely!

Jim Reeves

www.reevesaudio.com — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.213.218.205 (talk) 16:21, 15 January 2013 (UTC)