Martin H. Samuel

Martin Howard Samuel, born 13th July 1949 on the island of Mombasa, Kenya is an English drummer, lyricist, game designer, international surfer and blue-water sailor.

Biography

A survivor of the British boarding school system in Kenya who then attended Bournemouth Grammar School, UK, Samuel was finally expelled from Hottentots Holland High School, Somerset West, South Africa.
Despite all, he "blames" his parents, Margaret Vera (mother) and Arthur Hentshel (father) for a wonderful childhood.

Drummer

Born with perfect meter, the ability to play more than one tempo at the same time and already playing drums at the age of five in Nairobi, Samuel became a recording studio session drummer in London, Cologne, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu.
His drums of preference are Ludwig.

He was the drummer in the London, UK pop group Heatwave who released the single 'Sister Simon b/w Rastus Ravel' on Penny Farthing Records in 1970. Heatwave was a regular on BBC Radio in the early 70’s and, in addition to touring the UK (including playing at the original Cavern Club in Liverpool), opened for Ben E. King and The Drifters, Love Sculpture with Dave Edmunds, Spooky Tooth, Love Affair, Consortium and many more.
Samuel was later in the rock group Bright Eye Band who opened for Journey, Elvin Bishop, Styx, Detective, Flash Cadillac and Mackie Feary at the most memorable Sunshine Festival, on 3rd and 4th July 1977, in Diamond Head Crater, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Lyricist

A prolific, published and recorded lyricist, Samuel wrote the lyrics on the CD 'Eclipse' featuring vocalist Rick Livingstone [cite web |url=www.ricklivingstone.com/index.htm ] of The Best... possibly the ultimate supergroup, which included Joe Walsh ~ guitar, Keith Emerson ~ keyboards, Simon Phillips ~ drums, John Entwistle ~ bass and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter ~ guitar.
Samuel collaborated with Lisa Nemzo [cite web |url=http://www.lisanemzo.com] on the Metronome album 'Angel', co-wrote 'Every Teardrop' on the LCM album 'Restless Soul' and 'Turn To Me' recorded by Audrey Landers on the Polydor album 'Rendez-Vous'.
He co-wrote 'Soul’d Out' with Robert Allen on the Sha-La Records album 'Rock 'n' Roll 4 The Soul' [cite web |url=http://www.shala.com/rock'n'roll_4_the_soul.htm] by DownTown Mystic.

Game Designer

As a 1994 New Year's Day resolution, Samuel designed the board game Eclipse and created Games Above Board [cite web |url=http://gamesaboveboard.googlepages.com] as the home and shop window of his contemporary classic, award-winning, simple but twisted, abstract strategy board games, dice games and competitive solitaire card games.
Games designed:
Dead Man's Dice, Eclipse, Flippit [cite web |url=http://www.toysgamespuzzles.com/ca/tgpshop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Flippit&osCsid=aa926845988405bfcfd8a791eedec1ed&x=0&y=0 ] , Hijara, Lucky Seven, Malaika, Mojo, Mov'n'Pick, Mozaic, Quirky, Rhumb Line, Serpentine (w/Fred Horn), StarSlide (w/Kate Jones), Triplexity (w/Kate Jones), Zambezy.
Games published by:
Games Above Board, Channel Craft (USA), Family Games (Canada), Giseh Verlag (Germany) Great American Puzzle Factory (USA), Great American Trading Co. (USA), Kadon Enterprises, Inc. (USA), Nova Carta (The Netherlands).

Game Awards:
Hijara ~ Games Magazine 100 (1996)
Spiel Gut Recommendation (2006)

Flippit ~ Creative Child Magazine Game Of The Year (2007)
The National Parenting Center's Seal Of Approval (2008)

urfer

Samuel learned to surf as a lifeguard at the Strand, South Africa in 1964 and surfed in Australia, California, Dubai, U.A.E., France, Hawaii, Mexico, Peru and St. Ouen, Jersey where he was a surfing instructor and also delivered boards to Europe for Freedom Surfboards.

ailor

A blue-water sailor, with over 40 years' day-sailing and coastal cruising experience, Samuel skippered private charters from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI and made the following deliveries:

* Lahaina, Hawaii > Kaneohe, Hawaii (Molokai Channel)
* Kaneohe, Hawaii > Newport Beach, California
* Honolulu, Hawaii > Seattle, Washington
* Miami, Florida > Sag Harbor, New York
* Fort Lauderdale, Florida > Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI
* Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI > Fajardo, Puerto Rico (solo)
* Norfolk, Virginia > Baltimore, Maryland (solo)
* Annapolis, Maryland > Fort Lauderdale, Florida (solo)
* Falmouth Harbour, Antigua > Fort Lauderdale, Florida
* Fort Lauderdale, Florida > Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Samuel received Sabre Yachts 1987 Outstanding Performance Award for sailing their smallest vessel (28') the greatest distance (1,300 miles) in the least amount of time (11 days) with the shortest crew (2).
Captain's License: USCG 50 tons.
Current vessel owned: 1978 DownEaster 38' cutter.

External links

* Martin H. Samuel My Space [http://www.myspace.com/martinhsamuel]
* Games Above Board [http://gamesaboveboard.googlepages.com]
* Games Above Board My Space [http://www.myspace.com/gamesaboveboard]
* Lisa Nemzo [http://www.lisanemzo.com]
* Audrey Landers [http://www.landersproductionz.com/audrey_landers.html]
* Rick Livingstone [http://www.ricklivingstone.com/index.htm]
* DownTown Mystic [http://www.shala.com/rock'n'roll_4_the_soul.htm]