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| Premier Percussion | |
|---|---|
| Name | Premier Percussion |
| Caption | Premier drum kit (historic) |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Founder | Albert Della Porta, George Smith |
| Headquarters | Hinckley, Leicestershire |
| Products | Drum kits, snare drums, marching percussion, hardware, sticks |
Premier Percussion is a British manufacturer of drums and percussion instruments founded in 1922 in the United Kingdom. The company has supplied instruments to orchestras, military bands, rock groups, jazz ensembles, and marching units, contributing to developments adopted by BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Marine Band Service, and contemporary artists. Over its history Premier has interacted with manufacturers, retailers, and designers across United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and Japan.
Premier was established in the interwar period alongside makers such as Vistalite-era innovators and contemporaries like Gretsch, Ludwig Drums, Slingerland, Mapex, and Pearl Corporation. Early commercial ties connected Premier to instrument retailers in Covent Garden, Birmingham, and Manchester, and to orchestral suppliers working with Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena. During World War II Premier adapted production similar to suppliers such as Britten-Norman and De Havilland, supplying military and civil needs while postwar demand paralleled the rise of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Cream, whose drummers influenced kit evolution. In the 1960s and 1970s Premier expanded export relationships with distributors in New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Frankfurt am Main, collaborating with designers influenced by innovators like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Ringo Starr, John Bonham, and Keith Moon. Corporate changes over decades involved investor groups similar to those behind Yamaha Corporation, Roland Corporation, and Kawai Musical Instruments, and the company navigated competition from Zildjian, Sabian, Evans Drumheads, and Remo. Premier’s timeline intersects events such as the rise of Beatlesmania, the British Invasion (music), and the growth of festival circuits including Isle of Wight Festival, Glastonbury Festival, and Reading Festival.
Premier produced snare drums, shell packs, marching drums, hardware, and sticks. Models and lines have been used by artists tied to labels and venues including Decca Records, EMI Records, Island Records, Virgin Records, and Columbia Records. Innovations reflected developments in shell construction comparable to methods used by Ludwig Drums and Slingerland Drums, and drumhead compatibility resembling standards by Remo and Evans Drumheads. Premier’s marching percussion featured in corps competing at Drum Corps International events and military tattoos such as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. Hardware and mounting systems paralleled engineering from Pearl Corporation and DW Drums, while accessory lines intersected markets served by Vic Firth, Pro-Mark, Ahead Products, and Zildjian. Premier’s product evolution responded to amplified rock contexts shared with manufacturers of Marshall Amplification, Vox (company), Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and Gibson.
Premier’s factories have been located in Leicestershire and the English Midlands, regions historically connected to makers and industries including Aston Martin, Jaguar Cars, Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, and regional engineering firms. The company’s supply chain has involved suppliers of metals and woods from areas linked to Scotland Yard suppliers and timber merchants serving luthiers working with Steinway & Sons and Bechstein. Production practices adapted alongside industrial trends influenced by Ford Motor Company assembly methods and precision toolmakers similar to Bosch. Export logistics connected Premier to ports serving Port of Liverpool, Port of Southampton, Port of Felixstowe, and distribution hubs in Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport.
Premier instruments have been endorsed and played by drummers and percussionists associated with acts and institutions including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Queen (band), Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Oasis (band), Blur (band), Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker, Phil Collins, Stuart Copeland, Travis Barker, and orchestral timpanists from BBC Philharmonic. Endorsement arrangements mirrored industry practices used by Yamaha, Pearl, Zildjian, Vic Firth, and artist-affiliated signature lines like those with Ludwig and DW Drums. Premier has supplied instruments to session musicians in studios managed by producers linked to George Martin, Brian Eno, Rick Rubin, and Phil Spector.
Ownership and corporate governance evolved with private investors, management buyouts, and strategic partnerships similar to transactions involving Hohner, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and Korg. The company engaged with distributors and retailers such as Guitar Center, Thomann, Andertons Music Co., and wholesale networks across Europe, North America, and Asia. Financial interactions involved banks and advisors comparable to Barclays, HSBC, and corporate law practices used in mergers like those of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Licensing and trademark management followed precedents like disputes seen in the histories of Fender and Gibson Brands.
Premier’s instruments have been part of performances at venues and events including Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, Royal Opera House, The O2 Arena, and festivals like Glastonbury Festival and Isle of Wight Festival. The company’s drums appear in museum collections and archival displays alongside artifacts from Victoria and Albert Museum, British Museum, and private collections charting the history of popular music related to movements such as the British Invasion (music), Punk rock, Progressive rock, Britpop, and Indie rock. Premier’s legacy is reflected in scholarship and biographies about figures including Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Charlie Watts, and in documentaries by broadcasters such as BBC Television and Channel 4.
Category:Percussion instrument makers Category:British musical instrument manufacturers