Peter Van Hooke

Peter Van Hooke (born 6 April 1950) is a British rock drummer who was the drummer for the English band Mike + The Mechanics (from 1985 to 1995) and also drummed for Van Morrison's band, Headstone, and Ezio. During the 1980s he co-produced (along with Rod Argent) many of Tanita Tikaram's hits.

Van Hooke grew up in Stanmore, Middlesex and attended Mill Hill school. His schoolmate Chaz Jankel (later of the Blockheads) lived close by, and the two formed The Call of The Wild. This band became the Rik Parnell Independence, featuring the son of bandleader Jack Parnell as vocalist (later to join Atomic Rooster as drummer, and take the part of the drummer in the movie Spinal Tap).

Van Hooke played drums on Van Morrison's albums from 1978's Wavelength, Into the Music (1979), Common One (1980), Beautiful Vision (1982), Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (1983), the live album, Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast recorded in 1983 and released in 1984, and The Philosopher's Stone (1998). For some years he also was the drummer in Morrison's touring band which sometimes included two simultaneous drummers. He can also be heard on Louis Clark's album (per-spek-tiv) n. (1979) and Chris de Burgh's albums Into the Light (1986) and Flying Colours (1988).

He was also in demand as a session drummer in the 70s and 80s, and was one of the first UK drummers to own a set of Syndrums, initially coming to prominence on the Marshall Hain hit "Dancing in the City". He joined Stackridge in time to play on their 1976 album Mr. Mick, though the band broke up not long after.

Van Hooke created and co-produced the television series Live from Abbey Road which was aired on Channel 4 in between 2006 and 2009 in the United Kingdom.

He co-produced his former Mike + the Mechanics bandmate Paul Carrack's album A Different Hat (2010), on which Carrack performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

He also co-produced with Rod Argent Soraya's debut album On Nights Like This (Titled in Spanish: "En Esta Noche") in 1995 and her second album Wall Of Smiles (Titled in Spanish: "Torre De Marfil") in 1997.

Van Hooke is married and has three sons.