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Thread started 10/03/21 10:51am

thebanishedone

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Did we underrate Prince the drummer?

Some people like to say that Prince was not that good on drums and thats why he used Linn drum machine but is that true? On first 4 albums all drums were acoustic and Prince displayed a really tight in the pocket style od drumming.He sdid have tendency to speed up live but thats cause he didn't use click track.on the other hand he displayed a variety of different drum styles like funk disco rock and jazz.he had a distinctive kick drum sound.And yes he used drum machines latter but it was to add another texture to his sound like Phill Colins and Don Henley and amarvin Gaye did as well.But can anybody dispute that the guy who plays drums on Glasscutter and Musicology the song is not a very good drummer?
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Reply #1 posted 10/03/21 1:13pm

rockford

thebanishedone said:

Some people like to say that Prince was not that good on drums and thats why he used Linn drum machine but is that true? On first 4 albums all drums were acoustic and Prince displayed a really tight in the pocket style od drumming.He sdid have tendency to speed up live but thats cause he didn't use click track.on the other hand he displayed a variety of different drum styles like funk disco rock and jazz.he had a distinctive kick drum sound.And yes he used drum machines latter but it was to add another texture to his sound like Phill Colins and Don Henley and amarvin Gaye did as well.But can anybody dispute that the guy who plays drums on Glasscutter and Musicology the song is not a very good drummer?

Prince was a great drummer. The LM-1 certainly didn’t help him stay sharp on the drums, but I know he was good at least through Parade. The drum stuff I know was Prince later on was okay, but nothing outstanding. The clip of him during the 3rd Eye Girl days playing drums was borderline embarrassing, but maybe he was just high. He even accidentally whacks a microphone as he’s moving around the kit. He was AMAZING on his second album. Stone cold pocket. Tambourine was amazing, creative, and energetic. Stevie Wonder was pleased with Prince on drums when they played together in later days, but it’s hard to know for sure as he didn’t seem to do a lot of drumming publicly later on. His ideas were always good, though.
[Edited 10/3/21 13:14pm]
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Reply #2 posted 10/03/21 1:40pm

LoveGalore

My favorite examples of Prince's drumming are We Can Fuck, Tamborine, Lady Cab Driver, Crystal Ball, and Sexual Suicide.
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Reply #3 posted 10/03/21 3:58pm

jazzz

.
Check the Madhouse 8 album if you haven't yet. Nuff said...
.
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Reply #4 posted 10/04/21 3:00am

fishwillbite

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You're so right, that was hard to watch, in hindsight you can see that all was probably not well. He was a wonderful drummer when he had the energy. Always enjoyed Glasscutter as a later-period drumming performance.

rockford said:

The clip of him during the 3rd Eye Girl days playing drums was borderline embarrassing, but maybe he was just high. He even accidentally whacks a microphone as he’s moving around the kit.

[Edited 10/4/21 3:04am]

PIPS! Eurgh...
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Reply #5 posted 10/04/21 6:01am

lurker316

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thebanishedone said:

Some people like to say that Prince was not that good on drums and thats why he used Linn drum machine but is that true? On first 4 albums all drums were acoustic and Prince displayed a really tight in the pocket style od drumming.He sdid have tendency to speed up live but thats cause he didn't use click track.on the other hand he displayed a variety of different drum styles like funk disco rock and jazz.he had a distinctive kick drum sound.And yes he used drum machines latter but it was to add another texture to his sound like Phill Colins and Don Henley and amarvin Gaye did as well.But can anybody dispute that the guy who plays drums on Glasscutter and Musicology the song is not a very good drummer?


Really? I didn't think all the drums on Controvery were accoustic. Private Joy?


[Edited 10/4/21 8:35am]

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Reply #6 posted 10/04/21 6:19am

ufoclub

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thebanishedone said:

Some people like to say that Prince was not that good on drums and thats why he used Linn drum machine but is that true? On first 4 albums all drums were acoustic and Prince displayed a really tight in the pocket style od drumming.He sdid have tendency to speed up live but thats cause he didn't use click track.on the other hand he displayed a variety of different drum styles like funk disco rock and jazz.he had a distinctive kick drum sound.And yes he used drum machines latter but it was to add another texture to his sound like Phill Colins and Don Henley and amarvin Gaye did as well.But can anybody dispute that the guy who plays drums on Glasscutter and Musicology the song is not a very good drummer?

I thought Musicology (the song) was drum recordings cut up and rearranged in Pro Tools. Remember reading that.

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Reply #7 posted 10/04/21 10:59am

mediumdry

Madhouse 8 (the album) is probably the best showcase of his drumming. As good as he was on drums, I do think it was on of the few instruments where he had better drummers around him than he was himself (Morris Day, Michael Bland).

.

Also, live, he used to speed up a bit, in the excitement of the moment.

.

So, he was a cool drummer, but it wasn't his best instrument.

Paisley Park is in your heart - Love Is Here!
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Reply #8 posted 10/04/21 9:34pm

thebanishedone

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ufoclub said:



thebanishedone said:


Some people like to say that Prince was not that good on drums and thats why he used Linn drum machine but is that true? On first 4 albums all drums were acoustic and Prince displayed a really tight in the pocket style od drumming.He sdid have tendency to speed up live but thats cause he didn't use click track.on the other hand he displayed a variety of different drum styles like funk disco rock and jazz.he had a distinctive kick drum sound.And yes he used drum machines latter but it was to add another texture to his sound like Phill Colins and Don Henley and amarvin Gaye did as well.But can anybody dispute that the guy who plays drums on Glasscutter and Musicology the song is not a very good drummer?


I thought Musicology (the song) was drum recordings cut up and rearranged in Pro Tools. Remember reading that.


He didnt use pro tools until Lotus Flower
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Reply #9 posted 10/04/21 10:29pm

woogiebear

Tamborine!!!

That is ALL!!!!!

cool

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Reply #10 posted 10/05/21 5:49am

lurker316

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I've always liked the drums in Life Can Be So Nice. They're kind of all over the place and don't make sense, which I find interesting.


[Edited 10/5/21 5:51am]

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Reply #11 posted 10/05/21 5:50am

lurker316

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DELETE


[Edited 10/5/21 5:51am]

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Reply #12 posted 10/05/21 7:41am

jdcxc

jazzz said:

. Check the Madhouse 8 album if you haven't yet. Nuff said... .

Yesssss. Madhouse 7!

Prince is a very cool and unique drummer and his use of Drum Machines is not cheating...just another instrument for his genius rhythmic musical brain.

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Reply #13 posted 10/05/21 8:20am

Cinny

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I think the technology side of Linn Drum combined with live drumming would be his main contribution to sound.

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Reply #14 posted 10/05/21 4:09pm

Dandroppedadim
e

Did Prince play drums on Another Lonely Christmas? I always like the extended part the end.
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Reply #15 posted 10/05/21 5:56pm

Farfunknugin

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mediumdry said:[quote]

Madhouse 8 (the album) is probably the best showcase of his drumming. As good as he was on drums, I do think it was on of the few instruments where he had better drummers around him than he was himself (Morris Day, Michael Bland).


.


Also, live, he used to speed up a bit, in the excitement of the moment.


.


So, he was a cool drummer, but it wasn't his best instrument.

[
[Edited 10/5/21 17:58pm]
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Forums > Prince: Music and More > Did we underrate Prince the drummer?