Latest about Carl Palmer
Discover his thoughts on three-fingered guitar playing, a rock icon asking for his autograph, hot chillis, abandoned rabbit suits, never learning to drive, retirement, the 70s codpiece – and why he took up flute in the first place
BBC's 2026 Proms season's Prog Rock: A Fanfare for the Common Man takes place at the Royal Albert Hall on July 18
Carl Palmer will perform live with late band members Keith Emerson and Greg Lake appearing in sync on screens on either side of the stage
They met when Palmer stood in with Fleetwood Mac for a show with The Nice. Half a century of amazing music and friendship followed. The drummer reveals what they’d be doing today if Emerson was still alive
Yes guitarist looks back on starting to play without learning to read music, the wide range of career options he had, and names the album he regards as his greatest achievement
He explains his lifelong passion for innovator’s style and attitude – while a member of Steven Wilson’s band offers another perspective of the man at work
With a background in three of the genre’s biggest bands, the quartet got tired of creating epics and decided to go pop. But they know their debut album would have only achieved a thousandth of its sales without the last track to be added
Comparing his band to Yes and Pink Floyd, the sole surviving member looks back on OTT productions, getting carried away with overdubs and constant criticism – but insists: “We were setting a standard”
Carl Palmer recalls a crisis meeting, arguments over time signatures, and playing the whole album top to bottom in the studio – only to discover their engineer had taken a break
