Robin Lumley
© 1979, photo by Stephen Heliczer
Robin Lumley
Original and founding member of Brand X: supremely fluid and melodic keyboard player and composer of some the band’s finest pieces
In 1974, Robin St. John Lumley, a former David Bowie keyboard man in the latter incarnation of “The Spiders From Mars“, invited bass player Percy Jones to jam with Jack Lancaster and joined up with guitarist John Goodsall. Lumley, Jones and Goodsall would in time become the three components that make up Brand X. Together, they would create the trademark Brand X sound as well as their most well-known compositions. These compositions would make-up the backbone of the band’s live performances until the very end of their run, in 2019.
Robin St. John Lumley was born in Plymouth, Devon, on January 17th, 1948.
After a rather uneventful, yet happy childhood, Robin (a notorious model railway enthusiast) joined the Royal Navy where he became a reservist and served on two separate submarines. Unbeknownst to many, Lumley remained a reservist, frequently called back on active duty, from 1970 until 1992. (Indeed, all the while writing, producing, and recording in Brand X!)
Robin began his musical life as a drummer, and oddly enough, did not really learn to play the piano until 1970 at the age of 22.
One odd factoid about Lumley is his distant affiliation with Dame Joanna Lumley, DBE. They are second cousins but only met once.
Robin often worked as a music producer in London, and not only helped produce in the studio with Brand X mates during the year when keyboardist Peter Robinson took the lead (it’s worth noting that in Brand X, every band member worked the faders!) but also produced albums for many British rockers of his day like Rod Argent, Bill Bruford, and Orleans. Lumley also performed as a side man for Gary Boyle, Curved Air, Ellen Shipley, and did frequent sessions in London, including with Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, among many others.
After Brand X reached its first impasse and disbanded in 1980, he remained in London, and worked extensively as a music producer, via manager Tony Smith of Hit & Run, and in the middle 1980s, played in a jam band that included Rod Argent, The Moody Blues‘ Graeme Edge, Morris Pert, and Procol Harum‘s Gary Brooker.
Robin finally moved to Perth, Australia. In 1991, he had married Debra Allanson, a media executive and television presenter from Perth, and worked himself as a producer, largely involved in fictional television programs. In 1992, he gave former Brand X mates Percy Jones and John Goodsall his nod of approval, as they set out to reform Brand X for two albums and numerous, albeit small tours. In 2000 he produced a set of instruction videos with Roland Corporation on keyboard technique.
In 2001 he formed the band SETI with Graeme Edge, bassist Rob Burns, and Rod McGrath (cellist for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra). He last performed live during a series of shows on Australia’s Mary G show.
Robin Lumley returned to live in the UK in 2014, and began to compose symphonic music. He has written a book on the December 9th 1879 railway catastrophe “Tay Bridge Disaster” in Dundee, Scottland.
He again gave his blessing to the 2016 reunion of the band and had, by then, retired from the exhausting demands of live performance. Alarmed by Percy Jones and John Goodsall’s reports, and in light of Goodsall’s untimely demise, he called, along with Percy Jones, for Brand X to be retired.
Robin Lumley, who had suffering from a long illness, lived in peaceful Dartmoor, UK, until his untimely death on March 9th 2023, following a sudden heart attack.
Robin Lumley:
Co-founding member of Brand X, composer, writer, TV producer.
Robin Lumley moved to Perth, Australia, in the 1980s and became involved in television production for several years.
He has recently returned to Dartmour, UK, after retiring from performing live music, but continues to score symphonic music. He has written and published a historical account of the Tay Bridge Disaster.
He always maintained ties with his former band mates, principally Percy Jones, and Jack Lancaster, but also Danny Wilding, and Tony Smith of Hit & Run music who has recently reached out to Brand X with some exciting news.
Robin Lumley lived in Tavistock, UK and contributes to this website.