I was about 15 when I first saw the Rogers logo on a bass drum. I couldn't read the little letters, but I saw the big black R. My drum teacher told me it was Rogers. I still love them. The second round of invaders from England that brought the great rock music to the US in the mid 60s starred a fabulous group known for the "Tottenham Sound."
The Dave Clark 5.
Dave, Mike, Lenny, Dennis and Rick (I can still remember!).
Dave Clark sat high behind a red glitter Holiday 20/13/12/16 with a matching Powertone snare drum. No Dyna-Sonic. The top setup was backwards. The 13 was to Dave's left with the 12 on the right.
The real difference was the double tom mounting system. Rogers first used a sample straight hex rod with two arms mounted off a variation of side-by-side Knobby units. This version was displayed in the 1964 catalog and was featured in the Top Hat set. The drums really bounced on that design. Then, the sturdier and recognizable Swiv-o-Matic double tom holder came out and was featured in the Londoner set in the next and subsequent catalogs.
That set was dedicated to big time endorser Dave Clark. But Dave's set used a special mounting system. There were two single Swiv-o-Matic brackets mounted behind the mounted toms so that the audience could not see the arms.
Neat setup and quite unique.
Dave Clark, king of triplets, pushed a great group and encouraged lots of us to learn his hits and appreciate Rogers drums.
If you'd like to learn more about Rogers, then I encourage you to order a copy of my book, The Great American Drums.
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