A record shop buddy of mine and I were discussing the unparalleled excellence of Ian Paice the other day. The Deep Purple drummer is perhaps my favourite in rock. I can’t imagine having the ability to do what he does on the title track of their 1971 album Fireball. Or on Speed King, the opening track on 1970’s In Rock.
Paice wasn’t as thunderous as Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, and didn’t play with wild abandon like The Who’s Keith Moon — but he could manage to be both those things at once, and arguably much more technical. Dynamic, loud, musical and incredibly skilled. One thing which also set him apart is he was reliable and sober. And that’s also the reason why, at 76, he’s still an amazing drummer. (Not to mention the only one of those three who are still alive).
Like most people, Paicey would have a few drinks, but he was drug-free and always performed sober. So, I thought I go through some other notable teetotalling rock ’n’ rollers — or, at least, non-drug users who didn’t drink to get loaded. I’m not talking reformed druggies, either, like Elton John. No sir. I’m looking for those who never partook in anything stronger than cigarettes and Tylenol.
I’ve read that AC/DC co-founder and lead guitarist Angus Young’s poison of choice is chocolate milk. He has been a very heavy smoker for years, but doesn’t drink or do drugs. There’s a fantastic bit in the 1980 concert film Let There Be Rock when Angus takes a break from his extended guitar solo in Rocker to take some deep hauls from an oxygen mask. I found one forum commentator who joked it wasn’t oxygen, but Australian air.
Angus obviously didn’t protest much if other members of his band wanted to get off their heads — and that’s where he and Frank Zappa differ. Well, they differ in significant other ways as well, but they both could make a Gibson SG sing, smoked like chimneys and steered clear of drugs. Zappa would threaten to toss substance abusers from The Mothers of Invention or other backing bands he commanded. His music was complicated much of the time, and even when it wasn’t there were usually musical or physical cues to follow.
For a time, Prince was also this way. But sadly, his death in 2016 showed he was hiding an addiction to pain pills. King Crimson founder, guitarist and only constant member Robert Fripp will occasionally have a pint, but he hasn’t ever been a drug user and hasn’t tolerated it in his bands since the very early years. Gene Simmons has long been one of the most vocal about not using drugs. Simmons has never been a smoker. In fact, fans report that even though The Demon will happily autograph your clothing and bare breasts, he will steadfastly refuse to sign a pack of cigarettes or a beer can.
Here’s one I forgot about: Ted Nugent. I find it hard to believe he was drug-free during his time in the psychedelic Amboy Dukes, but certainly since the ’70s he’s been promoting a drug-free, alcohol-free and smoke-free lifestyle. His most popular era was 1975-’78, and, and his teetotalling ways actually influenced a number of those who would go on to be marquee members of the punk/hardcore “straight-edge” scene. Namely, Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins and Minor Threat / Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye. Rollins experimented with booze, weed and LSD when he was a teen, but swore off the stuff as an adult. MacKaye, who has been Rollins’ bestie since they were teens (and he was still Henry Garfield), has been drug and alcohol-free even longer. MacKaye swore off the stuff after seeing the negative effects on family members.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin tried most mind-benders, and in the end decided none of them enhanced the music — so he stays clean. Jethro Tull founder and frontman Ian Anderson isn’t quite a teetotaller, but he’s close, only occasionally enjoying the odd drink. None of that for Randy Bachman, who now doesn’t even drink coffee. The Canadian legend of Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive fame is a Mormon who hasn’t had a drink since 1965 and has avoided drugs and cigarettes his entire career. While AC/DC’s Young would opt for milkshakes, Beach Boys vocalist Al Jardine used to opt for museums, which he would visit while the band was on tour, rather than sitting around with the others getting high.
We’ll wrap up with a rather interesting one — Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone. While his bandmates were either alcoholics, druggies or both, Johnny never did anything stronger than pot, and didn’t drink or smoke. He also was an unrepentant Republican. What? Yep. I guess that proves he could control his fingers and his toes — just maybe not his brain.
Bam bam ba-bam.
Here’s your straight-edge playlist:
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Area Resident is an Ottawa-based journalist, recording artist, music collector and re-seller. Hear (and buy) his music on Bandcamp, email him HERE, follow him on Instagram and check him out on Discogs.
