It was with great sadness that I heard the news of the passing of Mick Underwood.

I had first witnessed his great style of drumming at the Park Hotel in Hanwell in 1963 where Jim Marshall would host gigs for his pupils and customers. Mick was playing for the Outlaws, a top outfit at that time and he certainly gave an impressive performance. During the following years I bumped in to him several times and when I formed my band Warhorse in late 69 he was the obvious choice, but he was already forming his own outfit, the great Quatermass. Several years later Mick telephoned to offer me the bass job with his new band called Sammy, but by then Warhorse we’re enjoying their best period of touring and recording. As luck would have it Sammy and Warhorse toured together on the same bill for several months which provided an opportunity for me to get to know Mick very well. After the break up of Sammy, Mick continued to work with various outfits including Episode Six, Strapps, and Gillan, always in demand and by now well established as one of the greatest drummers in the business.

It was 1994 when I found myself having a beer with Mick at a record company Christmas party to which we were both invited. As we reminisced we were joined by record producer Derek Lawrence who later suggested that we should form a band together, and to call it Quatermass II. We both thought it a good idea, and, after several false starts we had the right line up which resulted in our album Long Road being completed in 1996. Mick and I were both extremely proud of the album, and I consider it a great privilege to have spent several years working alongside a man who I always considered to be one of the very best. Mick spent the rest of the time working with his own group Raw Glory, but sadly never achieved the level of success that he should have done. I will remember him as a lovely friend and colleague, always fun to be with, the loudest drummer that I ever worked with, and definitely one of the very best!!!! Rest in peace.