Since their formation in 1970, Ambrosia has garnered five Grammy nominations and five hit singles. A band with a progressive edge and a pop sensibility, Ambrosia (bassist and singer Joseph Puerta, keyboardist Christopher North, guitarist and singer David Pack, and drummer Burleigh Drummond) became both an FM and an AM staple, rocking stadiums and arenas in the mid 70s alongside bands like Foghat, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, and other big headliners of the day.
With Top 20 hits like “Holdin’ On To Yesterday,” “How Much I Feel,” and “Biggest Part Of Me,” the band has enjoyed modest success and huge respect from their peers. These days, North, Puerta, and Drummond keep Ambrosia chugging along with a lineup that includes Ken Stacey on acoustic guitar, Mary Harris on keyboards and vocals, and Doug Jackson on electric guitar and vocals.
I was lucky enough to speak to Drummond, in the midst of a Southern California run with shows in Temecula, Montclair and San Juan Capistrano, about the iconic American band’s activities, which includes a steady stream of live appearances, as well as new music. In fact, the drummer was nice enough to slip me a new, unreleased Ambrosia song, and as one would expect from a group known for strong melodies, the song sustains a catchy chorus, soaring harmonies, and an uplifting lyric — all the makings of a classic Ambrosia tune.
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Presently Ambrosia is out on the road touring, right?
Well, we average about 60 dates a year, it’s not a tour per se. I wouldn’t mind ramping it up, the hardest thing about playing is the travel through. Sitting on an airplane for hours to play one show, isolated, one-off dates are hard. We’d rather do a three-day run, to build up steam, play multiple nighters in one place, but that’s not always easy to schedule.
Then there are the places we have played where they won’t have us back for a couple of years, so as to bring in some variety, which of course I completely understand. With the more local gigs, we get to sometimes do more than one show over the course of a few nights. Then again we are happy to have the gigs and get to play our music.
Have you yet been offered what seems to be the ubiquitous Vegas residency?
No, we haven’t signed our life away to a Vegas…maybe next week (laughs).
Beyond the U.S., how is business for Ambrosia around the world?
We recently went to Ecuador to play, and it was amazing. Japan always seems to be looming for us too, but I’d want to have new product out before venturing over there.
Speaking of which — when might we hear some new Ambrosia?
With the band out playing dates, we have been remiss to get new music out. I’d like to focus on this happening more. But at this age, it’s a little hard. You go out to play a weekend, three or four days even, then come home to family commitments, other projects. So it’s hard to get in and record. But presently we have about an album’s worth of material written, and lots of stuff recorded, so I think we’ll have the incentive to start recording in earnest, get the songs complete, by the end of this year. I’d hate to eat my words though.
And will you put the record out yourselves, or look for a label?
That’s a good one. We’ve been approached by a few companies, but lots of them want to modify the deal where they will sign us if we get guests on the album, people in to sing some of the songs. I mean one or two might be ok, but…
What we might do is release some singles independently, that seems the newer way of going to finish a song and an attractive way of getting it out; why wait? Really people today are buying their music as singles anyway. That might be the way to go, then when we get a group of songs that fit together, maybe then we will get together a package and release it.
Ambrosia these days is built around the nucleus of three original members playing together, you, Joe and Chris, that does make you rather unique.
Yes, Joe, Chris and I set a definite harmonic movement. And then the other players, my wife Mary Harris playing keys and singing, Ken Stacy singing and Doug Jackson playing electric guitar and singing backing vocals really make the band kick you-know-what. We are playing very strong these days.
You and Mary are also involved in the Tin Drum project. You put out music under that name as well as produce other artists. Where are you at with all the other non-Ambrosia things you are into?
It’s funny — I’m starting a session in 15 minutes or so for a Christian Gospel record I’m producing. Mary is my orchestra mainly on my projects; she even plays guitar on keyboards. As far as Tim Drum, we kind of let that lay dormant for a few years but just recently we played a few shows, they went down great, and we said, well, we should be getting this going again as well…and we will be.
It really comes down to us getting the heart back on something that thrills us so much. But I have to tell you, another big thrill for us all has been in backing other artists. Ambrosia has backed people like Robbie Dupree, Michael McDonald, with him especially, there’s nobody’s work I admire more. And playing with Bill Champlin, he’s another particular favorite. Playing with Billy really ups our game, that’s for sure.
Because of the monumental success of such commercial hits that you had, songs like “How Much I Feel” and “You’re the Only Woman.” I don’t think the general public is aware of how influenced by and how lots of the band’s catalog includes quite a lot of prog. There is the famous story of the band seeing King Crimson at the Whisky a Go Go in 1969 and being so influenced by them, and you also played on the Alan Parsons Project’s Tales of Mystery And Imagination. And then there’s all the R&B influences you have. How did you come to reconcile all these influences into the Ambrosia sound?
In the 70s, you had FM and AM, and the twain was supposed never to meet. Ambrosia got a lot of FM play, we were FM babies, and lots of people who saw us early on said we were the American King Crimson, talking about King Crimson. But early on, one of our steady gigs was playing locally at a female, gay bar to make a living, and they wanted us to play rhythm and blues. We’d perform four sets of heavy R&B, a night. Whatever you play creeps into your psyche, so we had that influence coming into it, plus the prog stuff we were doing. We were just a band following all of those influences…and still are following them.
How has your playing changed, if it has at all?
Well, it’s certainly something I work at. When I practice now and listen back to things I did in the 70s I realize my hands are not that way anymore. Sure, I have more taste now, which is a good thing, but back then I had speed I do not have now so I have to find ways of playing smarter. But singing and playing the drums is something I love to do.
And how has your actual set configuration changed over the years?
Well, I don’t take the gongs out on the road, I usually reserve them for the local gigs, the timpani too. I think the timpani might make a return now for the more local shows. Speaking of the kit though, back in the seventies we were warming up for Rush, and I remember Neil Peart walking me over to his set and saying, “See all that stuff?” and I said, “Yes,” looking around at his massive drum set. “I stole that from you,” he told me. Which is kind of a nice compliment and illustrates probably how big my setup was at one time.
Lastly, I’d like to ask you about Ambrosia’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon in 2015? You sounded great!
Thank you very much. Jimmy Fallon is a great guy. That appearance was extraordinary. What was especially amazing at that show was that as we were walking down hall on our way to sound check, all the Roots came met us in the hallway, and all bowed down to us. It was very touching actually to know we had influenced them so much.
