The Drummers
Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
https://youtu.be/XjiOtouyBOg0
Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
Ginger Baker
Michigan drum line
Having played the drums, i also enjoy percussion in a rock song.
Most probably view percussion in a rock song as just an "add-on" of sorts to the guitarists, singers, etc. And that point of view is understandable. I wouldn't disagree with that on most rock songs.
However a great drummer can take just playing the drums and keeping a beat for the others in the group, to a music form in itself, adding fabulous substance to a song.
All that being said, in my opinion, John Bonham was the greatest rock drummer I ever heard.
In virtually all rock songs, i can sometimes if not often hear flaws in the way the drugs are being played, with missed opportunities, overdoing it, etc. Not with Bonham. His music with the drums was innovative and flawless. I can't think of a single song of his whereby in my view, something different could have done with the drums to make the song better. Sheer genius at work.
Bonham was superb.
I took some lessons, but am not a drummer by any stretch of the imagination.
Bonzo was certainly one of the best! I'll never forget the first time hearing the opening of "When the Levee Breaks" (recorded in a "stairway"?) The beat enters my very soul.
Keith Moon was right up there too! I saw an interview with Pete Townsend where he said that he could play what he wanted and Entwistle could play what he wanted and "Moonie" could meld the two's music with his drumming.
Sooooo, what do you think of Richard Starkey's drumming style?
Starkey was complementary. That is what the Beatles wanted and needed.
You mentioned one of favorite rock songs of all time.
Keith Moon was great. No question about it. However he was one i had in mind about "overdoing it." In some of his songs, i think he could have backed off and toned it down a bit, and it would have made the song better.
It's interesting that in the 80's and 90's i used to see Ringo's name up there with the top drummers of all time, and i used to ask "Why"? LOL
That being said, Ringo could keep a sustained beat throughout a song, and he stayed out of the way of the other three. Often, that can be a good enough compliment for a drummer.
I read this once. Recollecting it as best I can. With all the Beatles in the room, an interviewer asked the group what they thought about some other group's drum solo in a song. Might have been about Keith Moon, I'm not sure. But this I do recall accurately. Lennon being the little pr*ck that he could be at times, says (paraphrase) "I wish we had a drummer who could do that." Of course Ringo was mortified at the comment but he didn't say anything. The story went on to say that Lennon never again made a snippy remark about Ringo's drumming.
Very funny:
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/cold-opening---ringo-starr/n9295
best female percussionist of all time. and she could sing. and she was easy on the eyes.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Keith Moon of the Who was one the greatest drummers of all time.
With Terry Kath, Chicago was never more than two bars away from chaos. Danny Seraphine held them together but exquisitely near the edge.
My favorite rock group and my choice for drummer.
Ginger Baker for me,
and Billy Cobham ain't bad on The Pleasant Pheasant.
GREAT harp part too!
I really like(d) Starr's drumming. Thought he was quite inventive and certainly wasn't featured, but there were no long screaming guitar solos on Beatles records either. His one and only (short) solo is a classic though!
Moon was well known for his speed, but the comment made by Townsend impressed me.
Ginger Baker was awesome. Bit of a nut job though.
Buddy Rich is pretty legendary.
Off topic, but Ed Schaunessy, drummer for the Tonight Show band, said that Johnny Carson was a very good drummer and could have made a living playing professionally. Went on to say Carson could do a couple of things better than he could (left hand stuff?).
Kenny Aronoff is another very good drummer!
Drifting away from rock, Max Roach was the king. Rich was phenomenal as a big band type player, but could not compete with Max in jazz.
Lenny White?
I had this album at one time.
Rick Allen, the drummer for Def Leppard, only has one arm. I also like Lars Ulrich from Metallica. Tommy Lee from Motley Crue could put on quite a show as well.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/12R4FzIhdoQ?list=PLycVTiaj8OI-kwvNjgvvopMJt__x-y5mD
Is this the one you're referring to with Ringo.
I sure hope that wasn't a "studio drummer" who did that drum solo? I'm not saying at all that Ringo wasn't capable of doing it, but it doesn't sound to me like his drumming style. I could be completely wrong.
Also, i think, not sure, that Clapton played on this song, uncredited, but I may be mistaken. Some of that Jam sure sounds like him.
Todd of course!
or Garth!
https://youtu.be/7WEKnGF2VAY
At 20 seconds it sounds like the drums were influenced by Ron Bushy of Iron Butterfly. Their landmark album was issued a year before Abbey Road.
I didn't know the time frame, but the drumming from In A Gadda Da Vida, you are absolutely right.
I have read a lot about the Beatles. By the time they pulled it back together for one last album, I would think that it was certainly Ringo on drums. He played a LOT of different styles, or at least was able to play with guys that played a lot of different styles. I simply can't imagine that another drummer would have played here, but I guess anything is possible.
Ringo has been quoted as admitting he copied the style from Inagoda. I think any professional musician can copy another's quite easily.
Clapton of course played with the Beatles on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. John was once quoted as making the comment regarding some problem with George; "Fine we'll just get Clapton to replace him".
I have read that the guitar "jam" was two bars each from McCartney, Harrison then Lennon and then again in the same order. I have never heard of Clapton being there, but again it's certainly possible.
The Beatles of course were superb innovators with a little help from their friend George Martin, the so-called fifth Beatle and I think Martin deserves that title.
It's interesting on Youtube seeing the process on some of their songs, whereby the initial drafts start out as somewhat unlistenable noise, then finally become musical masterpieces once refined and polished in the studio under the guidance of Martin.
So whatever really happened in their recording studio, who knows for sure? Because the Beatles, especially Lennon, enjoyed being playfully mischievous, and would sometimes put innuendos or hidden meanings in their songs. I think that adds to their overall charm.
For example, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by John Lennon. McCartney to this day still sticks with the notion that the song wasn't about the drug LSD. You likely know the "story" with supposedly Lennon's kid drawing a picture. I've seen the so-called picture. Well, i don't believe that BS story for a second. I mean the song is obviously about LSD, period. Perhaps McCartney now that he's a Sir, wishes to whitewash some of the group's past history of heavy drug use.
But whatever it all is or was, the bottom line is the music, and nobody can argue the creative genius of the Beatles.
YES! ABSOLUTELY! Martin was as talented as they come, perfect fit for the lads.
The Beatles were talented AND lucky in many ways. Finding Brian Epstein was a big factor in their success as well.
Gene Krupa was the original madman.
Art Blakey.
Billy Cobham.
I always thought Billy Preston was the 5th Beatle.
I thought Yoko was the fifth Beatle.
I figured few would know who Krupa was.
Look up Candido Camero. He has to be close to 100.
Let's not forget about good ol' drummer Pete Best.
Perhaps the most unluckiest musician to ever walk this planet. LOL
How about Jimmy Nicol?
I don't care fi you think he's great or not, this is FUN!
I agree. It is FUN!!!
I am a fan of many styles of music, genres, specific musicians,etc and they cannot all be masters of their specific instrument (including vocals) but when things happen they happen for a reason. And Ringo's particular beats and fills became parts of classic songs. They were how they were meant to be. End of story.
Until this thread, I had never read much about either of these two gentlemen. Very interesting stuff.
I did a bit of a deep dive into Best. I knew some about him before. I never realized he had attempted suicide. His story is fascinating. Nicol's is as well.
Yes, he admits the suicide attempt. Has to be depressing what happened to him, but I don't at all blame the Beatles. Ringo was not only a better drummer but a more reliable drummer.
I'm not sure of the exact figure but it was in the low millions, Best received for his drumming featured on old recordings from the Beatles Anthology series.
So in the end, Best still did pretty good. Not spectacular, but pretty good.
He seems like a nice guy and I'm happy for him, and he still actively plays the drums.
Any discussion of drummers needs to start within Jazz and swing. And even with that it needs to be separated based on the progression of style within jazz. So let's start with the early greats... Chick Webb, Sonny Greer, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich among others.
Basically Chick Webb remains underappreciated due to his untimely early death in 1938 and the challenges that he had that were unfortunate. He pioneered the transition into swing and set the standard for others to follow. Sonny Greer was with Ellington Band for years and was a cornerstone. Krupa had an incredible career that extends back to the pre -swing era and was able to record with Fats Waller in some historic integrated sessions recorded at Victor in 1929 that featured Waller, Krupa, Jack Teagarden, Henry Allen and others. Buddy Rich needs to be mention in part because of his longevity.
Max Roach and Art Blakey were a big part of the progression of jazz as it moved away from the traditional sound into something different. And both of them among others kept the pace and pushed jazz into different sounds. Max Roach teamed up with Clifford Brown to record some of the most impressive modern sessions of the 1950s.
My apologies for those who were left out... Cozy Cole, Loniel Hampton (even though I see him more of a Vipes guy, he was a drummer first), just to name a few...
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Good write up, Coinkat. I was expecting Joe Morello to make your list.
I'm not a huge fan of drummers - which is to say, whether I like a song or not is rarely related to the drummer - but I'll go back to the OP and give a second shout out to Max Weinberg, for his work with Springsteen and also on Bat Out of Hell.
Fun fact, off topic, from Bat Out of Hell. There are two guitar solos by Todd Rundgren in the song (it's a long one). The second one is preceded by what sounds like a recording of a motorcycle, but that motorcycle sound was Rundgren on the guitar and he segued into the more traditional solo on the same guitar in a single take. Meat Loaf's operatic/bombastic vocals are clearly a matter of taste (I think he's great), but musically - Weinberg on drums, Rundgren on guitar and Roy Bittan, also from the E Street band, on piano - Bat Out of Hell is a force to behold.
"Motorcycle" solo starts at 6:09
P.S. I wrote this mostly so the It's a Wonderful Life fans could rip on one of my favorite songs since I just ripped on their movie.
And he should have been mentioned ... Thanks
Louie Bellson too.
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The most talented drummer I have watched from a rock band I would have to say is Neil Peart from RUSH.
If you want to see just an amazing exhibition of drumming as a solo artist, go check out Dylan Elise on YouTube. His ability to do a strike, flip, roll, continuously with the drumsticks with power is impressive.
It kind of reminded me of that minor league baseball player that can swing a bat, let go of the bat, it does a 360 degree flat spin and he catches the handle and finishes the swing in one smooth continuous motion. When you first see it, you almost have to watch it a few more times so you can see just how he pull its off.
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Hal Blaine. Not even a mention.
You guys have each heard him a thousand times. Maybe 10,000.
Good call!!! Tommy Tedesco never gets mentioned in the great guitar players lists either.
No argument here. Great talent and his drumming is featured in their music.