Richard English was on the the first drummers in The Flaming Lips and the very first who stayed for a longer period... With English on the drum throne the band recorded the debut album "Hear It Is", released on the small label Reckless Records in 1986. This line-up recorded two more albums for Reckless 1987’ "Oh, my Gawd!!!...The Flaming Lips" and 1988’s "Telepathic Surgery". After the release of this last album Nathan Roberts replaced English as drummer.