For Don Powell it’s all about the drums

10 March 2026

LET THERE BE DRUMS – the all-star drum circle

Don Powell, the legendary founding drummer of the glam rock powerhouse Slade, launched the Let There Be Drums project in 2021 as a charitable response to the Covid pandemic. This “all-star drum circle” featured Powell alongside 19 prominent drummers, including Bev Bevan (ELO & Black Sabbath) and Brian Bennett (The Shadows), to support out-of-work road crews.

The project pays homage to the 1961 instrumental classic by Sandy Nelson, a foundational drum anthem that inspired a generation of players with its primal tom-tom solos.

The guest drummers were industry veterans and notable session musicians. Along with Don Powell himself were…
Brian Bennett: The Shadows
Bev Bevan: Quill, ex Move, ex ELO, ex Black Sabbath
Andy Edwards: Robert Plant, IQ, Frost,
Rob Brian: Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, Siouxsie Sioux
Jamie Little: Jason Donovan, Beverley Knight, Steve Vai
Karl Brazil: Robbie Williams, James Blunt
Tom Meadows: Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud,
Jamie Morrison: The Stereophonics
Craig Bacon: Gloria Gaynor, Nimmo Brothers
Mick Barker: Magnum, and KoM
Derrick McKenzie: Jamiroquai
Matt Cowley: Emily Capell, Bernie Marsden
Lee Agnew: Nazareth
Craig Blundell: Steve Wilson, Steve Hackett
’Sticky’ Wicket: Chris Barber, Jools Holland
Richard Rayner: Multiple award winning percussion and drum performer
Rebekah Rayner: Session drummer
Toby Wilson: Session drummer
Mark DeCloedt: EMF

From the YouTube channel: ‘The Don Powell Band’. BaG is not responsible for the upload of this audio/video to YouTube or its content.

LET THERE BE DRUMS – the one with more Don

In December 2025, The Don Powell Band released a new version of the track. Dubbed “The One With More Don,” this 2025 remake was a response to fan requests for Powell to play all the drum solos himself, rather than sharing them with guests.

Originally scheduled for October 2025, the release was delayed following the death of the Don Powell Band’s vocalist, Steve Whalley, in September. The project served as a tribute to him, with a percentage of sales donated to the Musicians Benevolent Fund.

From the YouTube channel: ‘The Don Powell Band’. BaG is not responsible for the upload of this audio/video to YouTube or its content.

BONUS TRACK BELOW – Sandy Nelson’s original version of Let There Be Drums from 1961

DON POWELL

Don Powell’s resilience – from a near-fatal 1973 car crash to his 2020 “fresh start” – is truly one of the most remarkable stories in rock history.

Don was a founding member of Slade, joining in 1966 when the group was known as The ‘N Betweens. He remained the band’s rhythmic backbone for more than 50 years, playing on all their major hits, including Cum On Feel the Noize and Merry Xmas Everybody.

Despite the car crash that left him with permanent short-term memory loss, Powell returned to the kit just ten weeks later to record Merry Xmas Everybody. His dedication saw him through the band’s 1970s peak, their 1980s heavy metal-influenced comeback, and the 1992 departure of lead singer Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea. Following that split, Powell and guitarist Dave Hill continued as Slade II (later reverting to Slade) for nearly three more decades. Don was controversially fired from Slade by Hill in February 2020.

To form The Don Powell Band, he re-united musicians from Slade 2: vocalist/guitarist Steve Whalley and bassist/guitarist Craig Fenney, who worked alongside keyboard player Jon Bates.

NA NA NA! – Don Powell’s tribute to drummer Cozy Powell

The Don Powell Band released their tribute to the legendary drummer Cozy Powell (no relation) in early 2025 with a high-energy cover of his 1974 solo hit, Na Na Na!. To make the tribute authentic, Don performed using Cozy’s original iconic Yamaha Chrome drum kit, which was loaned to him by its current custodian, Bob Richards. The single was well-received by fans, eventually reaching number one on the Heritage Chart.

From the YouTube channel: ‘The Don Powell Band’. BaG is not responsible for the upload of this audio/video to YouTube or its content.

The music video features Don playing Cozy’s historic kit was filmed at the 45Live venue in Kidderminster in late 2024, where fans were invited to participate as part of the video audience.

Although they were not related, the two drummers were often mistaken for one another during their careers – a confusion they frequently joked about when they met. Don chose Na Na Na! because its “foot-stomping” glam-rock feel strongly resonated with his own musical heritage from his years in Slade.

Cozy Powell was one of the industry’s most sought-after drummers, performing on at least 66 albums. His resume includes stints with some of the most prominent rock bands in history, including Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath and The Jeff Beck Group. He also collaborated with icons such as Robert Plant, Brian May, Gary Moore and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Powell had several solo hits, most notably the 1973 instrumental Dance with the Devil, which reached #22 on the Australian charts, and #3 in the UK. He died tragically at the age of 50 in 1998, in a car accident near Bristol, England.

Also on Bang a Gong:
Dance With the Devil by Cozy Powell
Nostalgia by Jim Lea

The Don Powell Band website: DPBand

BONUS

Sandy Nelson‘s original version of Let There Be Drums entered the Australian singles chart* on 9 December 1961 and peaked at #1. The song was #19 on the Top 100 of 1962.

*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.