Les Binks

Binks left the band just prior to the start of the North American leg of the "Killing Machine" tour. Binks said in 2017 that he left because he felt he was essentially hired as a "freelance session drummer" by the band and was never made an official member. He felt insulted when the band's then-manager Mike Dolan suggested that he "waive his fees" (i.e. not get paid for his performance) on the live Unleashed in the East album, a RIAA-certified platinum seller.

During 2017 and 2018, he performed classic Judas Priest songs live with a new band called Les Binks' Priesthood.

In 2015, Binks played live around London in Broken Bones with ex-Bad II The Bone members Ed Hudson and Paul Smith, and in original prog-folk-rock band Kindred Spirit with whom he recorded the album Phoenix Rising .

In 2013, he joined the band Raw Glory, which also featured singer Paul Manzi (of Arena).

Binks toured with Lionheart (1981) and Tytan (1982–1983) soon after their first single release.

In 1979, Binks joined Charlie Whitney and Axis Point and remained active in the British hard rock/heavy metal underground. In 1981, he was a member of Lionheart which featured Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden) on guitar and Jess Cox (ex-Tygers Of Pan Tang) on vocals, though this was only a brief stint. Also in 1981, Binks played on the album Finardi by Italian rock singer Eugenio Finardi.

Through his connection to Roger Glover who had just wrapped up production of their Sin After Sin album, Binks joined the up-and-coming heavy metal act Judas Priest in March 1977 for their world tour — their first on American soil. Binks remained with the band for two and a half years, until July 1979, recording the studio albums Stained Class and Killing Machine and the live album Unleashed in the East. While with Judas Priest, he received a writing credit for the song "Beyond the Realms of Death" from the Stained Class album. Binks made a home demo of the track with friend Steve Mann of the Michael Schenker Group helping on guitar, and at a band rehearsal he picked up a guitar to show them the song. The band loved the song and vocalist Rob Halford then crafted the song's lyrics and title.

Previously working for Eric Burdon, Binks was a drummer on the 1974 Roger Glover album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. The album project began as a soundtrack for an animated film based on a well-known English children's book, but a promo for the film never gained any interest, so the project was scrapped. Glover went on to release the soundtrack as a "Roger Glover and Friends" title. One of the featured vocalists, Eddie Hardin, later released his own albums, the first of which was 1976's Eddie Hardin's Wizard's Convention, which again included Binks on drums.

Binks played for the band Fancy who had two U.S. hits in 1974 with a cover of "Wild Thing", and "Touch Me".

James Leslie Binks (born April 5, 1951 in Portadown, Northern Ireland), is an Irish heavy metal drummer, who is most notable for having been the drummer for Judas Priest from 1977 to 1979.