Mick Rosen was born in St. Louis, MO, but whisked away at an early age to the sun and promise of a new life in Southern CA. Mick landed in West LA, more specifically Culver City, home of MGM Studios and Hughes Aircraft. At 12 years old, with help from his accommodating Mom and Dad, a first drum set was purchased. Mick rounded up some friends who were also starting their musical journeys and a band was formed. Mick was already heavily influenced by Cream and Ginger Baker. The band’s name was Amplified Heat, showing the impact Cream had on Mick and his band mates (the name comes from the lyric of a Cream song written by Baker). In the process of learning their material, Mick was asked if he could do the vocals on a cover of Iron Butterfly’s “In-a-Gada-Da-Vida”. Mick was confident he could handle the task. After three minutes of incomprehensible verbal abuse, the band mates forcibly grabbed the mike from Mick and placed a ban on ever allowing him within 5 feet of a vocal mike. This first band played one local party before going their separate ways. That gig, however, was enough to plant the musical hook for life.

In addition to Ginger Baker, Mick’s influences were the classic hitters of that era. Well known players like Mitch Mitchell and John Bonham, Deep Purple’s Ian Paice and Procol Harum’s BJ Wilson had a major impact on Mick’s drumming perspective. Mick also became aware of and interested in a different style of music and drumming. Called progressive rock by some, sometimes called fusion or jazz/rock, this style embraced a more complex technical nature to the material and the drumming skills required to make it work. Early prog-rock drummers such as Michael Gilles of King Crimson; Ian Wallace and Bill Bruford, later members holding the seat behind Robert Fripp and company. An early version of Genesis when Phil Collins was the drummer and Peter Gabriel was the singer. All of these great musicians and others influenced Mick’s approach to drumming.

One of the key bands Mick was involved with was a group called The Weasels. They were in the vanguard of a musical style soon to be called Punk rock. They were getting local attention and starting to get serious airplay on local FM stations, notably KROQ. The Ramones were often seen in the audience, closely observing the energy being generated and the crowds this West Coast band was drawing. Mick manned the kit for over two years with the band. He did leave the group just as they started a long series of engagements at the Whisky in Hollywood. On several occasions, they opened for up and comers, Van Halen. After leaving the Weasels, Mick worked with various other bands and projects. Mick did some session and recording work, including laying down drum tracks for Harold Bronson for his solo effort called the Low Numbers. Harold was the music journalist-turned entrepreneur who would go on to form Rhino Records. During this same period of time, Mick was playing mostly in the clubs and bars of Hollywood with gigs at the Troubadour and Gazarri’s. Mick’s brother Steven, while continuing to play music, became a professional music writer publishing books on Jeff Beck, Black Sabbath, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, and Free/Bad Company. Steven, always generous with his access to musical greats, would invite Mick to interviews and concerts where back stage passes were the norm. Over the years, Mick had the opportunity to teach Cozy Powell (may he rest in peace) how to twirl drumsticks. He was able to discuss the finer points of applying drumming techniques to music with Billy Cobbham (actually getting into an argument with the drumming great over the discussion), spend time in the studio and play the kit of fusion monster Simon Phillips, discussing the fine art of shuffle playing with all time shuffle king Bernard “Purty” Purdie, and spend a day with rock drumming pioneer, Carmine Appice.

Even with a day-gig career working as an executive in the computer industry, Mick has never strayed far from the rock music path. Mick currently prefers playing DW drums, which produces a great sound for both live and recording work. Mick Rosen is excited to be in English Motorbike as they all travel down that strange Lonely Road of rock and roll.