"That's gotta be one of the best drum performances of Pete Thomas' career. The tone of the drums fits the song. I cannot imagine it sounding any other way."
There are different drummers on different versions.
The single version which is also the version included on "Girls, Girls, Girls" and other compilations is actually, my friend, Steve Goulding who, at the time, was in Graham Parker & The Rumour.
I've probably recorded Steve more than any other drummer when we both lived and worked in Chicago. Rarely did a session go by without someone asking him to play that opening fill!
What surprises me most about this thread is that someone would have good enough taste to listen to "Watching the Detectives", and at the same time not recoginize what a cool groove is on that track.
That track, in particular, is a great example of how informed british musicians were (and still are) of dub/reggae rhythm and arrangement.
Now, back to work for me (or whatever it is that I do)
