The Fourth Peddler (updated 21 May 2006)
Although the debate over who should be called "Fifth Beatle" goes on the only slightly less prestigious title of "Fourth Peddler" belongs only to one man. So stand up Paul Johnston a drummer spotted by Roy and Tab in a support band at a Rolling Stones concert.
New Zealander Paul slipped almost unnoticed onto the still warm drumstool of the recently downed sticks of Trevor Morais in 1973 and can be heard on the last Peddlers album "Live in London" and a handful of singles.
Preserved here for posterity is a Perth newspaper interview with Paul Johnston discussing the break-up of The Peddlers.
Paul Johnston kindly provided details of his career since his Peddlers days, as follows.
"On leaving 'The Pedds' I returned to Australia where I continued to play Jazz with the cream of the 'aussy' crop in a lot of different settings. Also with that territory was a lot of gigs and touring with visiting jazz, latin and r&b artists. Although this time in my life was all going along 'swimmingly', I was aware that life musically had never ever really been challenged since those years spent with Roy Phillips and Tab and I never ever found that brand of SLICK or anything that really got close to it in the five or six years that ensued.
I soon found myself gravitating towards my other great passion in life, medicine. By the end of the 80's I was a practising Osteopath and Acupuncturist in Australia and still playing some 'gigs'. The music got left totally behind somewhere in the 90's and I have been living back in New Zealand as the good Dr Johnston for the last ten years. I presently own a drum kit and it would seem that I haven't forgotten how to play them....I am so looking forward to playing again. I had forgotten just how much fun 'The Force' is, and at 54 years 'young' there's still time to scare a few of the new guys I'm sure.!"
Very Best Regards
Paul.