Derek Smalls

Derek Albion Smalls (born 1941, Nilford-On-Null) joined heavy metal supergroup Spinal Tap in 1967 after the departure of Ronnie Pudding, who had left the group for a solo career. A former member of the all-white Jamaican band Skaface, Smalls found himself trapped in Japan for eight months when even hypnosis could not help him find the hotel where he had left his passport. During his stay, Derek says he spent "nights in many hotels with women of many nations. I took to playing bass in the subway stations, but they don't like the bass in Japan. It's too low for them." Smalls also dabbled writing jingles in Flemish for the Belgian milk board ("If it was any richer-it would be cream!"). In the rockumentary 'This is Spinal Tap', he was portrayed by director Marty DiBergi as the 'lukewarm water' of the band, in between the 'fire and ice' of guitarists Nigel Tufnell and David St Hubbins.

He's holding down the big bottom end.