Early years
Carlo was brought up and lived in
Wembley, Middlesex most of his life - his fellow townsmen included peers Keith Moon,
Ginger Baker and
Charlie Watts, all of whom would find fame with the same instrument. He was included in the
evacuation of civilians during World War II as a child and sent to relatives in Wales during
The Blitz in London.
As a teenager he discovered
Ted Heath and then
skiffle music, especially
Chris Barber and
Lonnie Donegan, the likes of which had not been ever seen before. The skiffle music inspired Carlo to join a band, Derek Addison's Rhythm Katz. By the late
1950s rock and roll had arrived in the United Kingdom, and Carlo became a huge fan of
Chuck Berry and
Little Richard, whose drummer
Earl Palmer he was influenced by.
Carlo found himself called up in 1958 to join the British
National service, where he served in Kenya and Malta. It was during his time in National service that Carlo learned how to play his drums louder than the rest, making himself heard during parades. He was
demobbed in 1960 and couldn't wait to return to the UK rock and roll scene.