Here lately, I've been paying very close attention to the drummers in various bands I love, and I'm realizing how under-appreciated these guys often are. Many times, a good song can be spoiled by bad drumming.

So I'd like to give a nod to all those amazing folks that beat the skins. This one's for you:

Sheila E (Prince, E-Train, Lionel Ritchie)


Jimmy Chamberlin (The Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan, The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex)


Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age)


John Bonham (Led Zepplin)


John Blackwell (Prince, Earth Wind & Fire)


Chris Eddins (The Velcro Pygmies)


Roger Taylor (Queen)


Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)


Michael Bland (Dr Mambo's Combo, Prince and the NPG, The Dixie Chicks, Soul Asylum)


Chad Smith (The Red Hot Chili Peppers)


Tony Thompson (Chic, The Power Station, David Bowie)

paligap should repost his extensive post on this subject.





...Earl Palmer

Though you might not recognize the name Earl Palmer, he has rocked, swung and thrilled American music for over 50 years. The New Orleans­born, Los Angeles­based drummer is an essential force in our musical culture, having defined the rock & roll idiom with the likes of "Tutti Frutti," "Lucille," "Summertime Blues," "Red Hot," "La Bamba," "Hippy Hippy Shake," "Dead Man's Curve" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," and having graced innumerable pop staples by Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Herb Alpert and Andy Williams, and scads of jazz classics by Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan. That's Earl driving the Batman and Mission: Impossible themes and dozens of motion-picture and Looney Tunes scores; he's recorded with Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, James Brown, Buck Owens, the Byrds, Sonny & Cher, Phil Ochs, the Monkees, Neil Young, Ike & Tina, the Beach Boys, Speedy West, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Willie Nelson, Vic Damone, Tom Waits, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Elvis Costello, even modern rock generics Cracker (they asked, "Do you need to rehearse?" "Nah," Palmer replied, "I invented this shit").

Give the Drummer Some
Earl Palmer, rock & roll's heavy hitter
by Jonny Whiteside
http://www.laweekly.com/i...teside.php

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Roger Hawkins (Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin)

Roger Hawkins worked as a drummer at dances and clubs throughout North Alabama and Southern Tennessee before securing a position with the rhythm section at FAME studio. He was soon pounding out the rhythm for acts such as Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett.


In 1969, he and Jimmy Johnson formed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and invited fellow studio musicians, David Hood and Barry Beckett to join them. This associaion of musicians became known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.


As a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Hawkins has played with such artists as, Paul Simon, the Staple Singers, Leon Russell, Sam and Dave, Cher, Bob Seger, Eddie Rabbitt, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, Percy Sledge, and many others.


During the early 70s his solid backbeat brought him to the attention of Steve Winwood, who asked that he join the group "Traffic" for tours of the U.S. and Europe. Eric Clapton recruited his talents for a tour in the early 80s and he has appeared live and on television with Glenn Frey, Peter Yarrow, Ronee Blakely and others.


Along with partner Barry Beckett he co-produced the classic Mel and Tim hit "Starting All Over Again". Other production credits include Canned Heat, Bob Seger, Paul Simon and others.
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And it would be terribly unfair to list Clyde Stubblefield and John "Jabo" Starks without including the 3rd side of the mighty James Brown funky drumming triangle and the one who preceeded Clyde and Jabo...



...Maceo's brother, Melvin Parker (Out of Sight, I Got You)

Now these 3 weren't the only ones, but according to the Funky Drummers (written by Harry Weinger and Adam Budofsky) article in ModernDrummer...
But three drummers in particular - Clyde Stubblefield, John "Jabo" Starks, and Melvin Parker - made an indelible mark on JB's most creative period. These are the drummers who are sampled the most. These are the drummers who were part of the classic JB bands that could burn up halls like the Apollo Theater hotter than any band before or after.

According to Melvin, "Our differences were what attracted James to all of us. Clyde Stubblefield was funky. Jabo had the jazz feeling and flavor. I was different. Prior to me, Nat Kendrick and Clayton Fillyua were all fatback. I added a little taste of New Orleans funk. I played hi-hat more than anyone at the time. Everyone used the ride cymbal and accented on the backbeat."


For more reason, other than i've told you so on numerous occasions , to get...



...this particular record, Sex Machine

This record also spotlights the creation of the original JBs (featuring Bootsy & Catfish Collins) after the famous mutiny of Brown's prior band.

Another one of Jabo and Clyde's original and innovative nightly double-drumming performances is recorded on "Sex Machine." The live portion of this album, from Augusta, Georgia, also features Melvin Parker, the only recorded glimpse of these three great drummers working together. The energy and power they created, reinforcing and complimenting each other with accents and cymbal crashes, is truly incredible.

From Give The Drummers Some! by Jim Payne
http://www.funkydrummer.com/

Other JB drummers include Clayton Fillyau, Tiger Martin, Jimmy Madison & Allan Schwartzberg
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George "Funky" Brown...



...drummer for Kool & the Gang (couldn't locate an individual photo)

The band that made James Brown say, "They're the second-baddest out there...They make such bad records that you got to be careful when you play a new tape on the way home from the record store. Their groove is so strong you could wreck."


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Random hitters...



...Yvette Preyer



...Ndugu



...Alphonse Mouzon



...Danny Seraphine



...Michael Shrieve



...Dino Danelli



...Ricky Lawson



From James Brown's Drummer Discography by Alan Leeds

Clayton Fillyau
("I Got You [I Feel Good]" and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag)

Melvin Parker
("Out of Sight", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Get Up Offa That Thing ".)


Clyde Stubblefield
("Mother Popcorn," "Cold Sweat," "Funky Drummer," "Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)," "I Got The Feelin' , " and "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose.")

John "Jabo" Starks
("Sex Machine," "Papa Don't Take No Mess," "Make It Funky," "Super Bad," "The Payback," "Doin' It To Death," and "Licking Stick.")
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Idris Muhammad! Definitly funky... Check out "Power Of Soul" from 1974. Grover Washington Jr. appears on that record.

Vinnie Colaiuta is somewhat insane, too. He played with Zappa in the late 70s (as I think, not sure now), and the things they did together, especially when FZ was soloing, are incredible.

Edward Vesala

theAudience said:

Great posts, you guys!
This was my original post, back in'05... I think all these guys are literally slammin...:

In this day of programmed drums, loops and samples, I think it's nice to come back every now and then to "Give The Drummer Some!"...a handful that I've enjoyed over the years:


Uriel Jones (Motown)


Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown)


John "Jabo" Starks (James Brown)


John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)


Mitch Mitchell (Hendrix)


Jozeph "Ziggy" Modeliste (Meters)


Tony Williams


Buddy Miles (Hendrix, Solo)


Elvin Jones


Bernard "Pretty" Purdie


Ginger Baker (Cream)


Billy Cobham


Steve Gadd


Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey (P-Funk, Mutiny, Zillatron, etc.)


Neil Peart


Dave Garibaldi (Tower of Power)


Narada Michael Walden


Stewart Copeland (the Police)


Peter Erskine(Weather Report, Steps Ahead)


Lenny White (Return To Forever, Twennynine)


Andy Newmark (Sly Stone, Roxy Music, etc.)


Jack Dejohnette


Al Foster


Rick Marotta


Gerry Brown (Stanley Clarke, etc.)


Jeff Porcaro


Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Zappa, Jing Chi, etc.)


Dennis Chambers


Tony Thompson (Chic, Power Station)


Tris Imboden


Steve Jordan


Bill Bruford (King Crimson, Earthworks, etc.)


Omar Hakim (Sting, Weather Report, Madonna, etc.)


Dave Weckl


Bill Berg (Wayne Johnson Trio, Flim and the BBs)


Chester Thompson ( Genesis, Phil Collins, Brand X, etc.)


Phil Collins (Genesis, Solo)


Marcus Baylor (Yellowjackets)


Rodney Holmes (Santana, Steve Kimmock, Wayne Shorter, Jean Paul Bourelly, etc.)


Gene Lake (Meshell Ndegeocello, D'Angelo, Screaming Headless Torsos, Dave Sanborn, Maxwell, etc.)


Gary Husband (Allan Holdsworth, Level 42, Force Majuere)


Steve Smith


Simon Phillips


Manu Katche (Sting, Peter Gabriel, Joni Mitchell, etc.)


Terry Bozzio


Steve Ferrone (AWB, Chaka Khan, etc.)


Sly Dunbar


Rayford Griffin (Jean Luc Ponty)


Antonio Sanchez (Pat Metheny)


William Kennedy (Yellowjackets)


Billy Hart


Chad Wackerman (Allan Holdsworth, Frank Zappa, etc.)


John Blackwell (Prince)


Phil Gould (Level 42)


Al Jackson


Michael Bland (Prince)


Paul Wertico (Pat Metheny Group)





...
[Edited 1/25/06 11:12am]

Meg White!

Good choices, one and all! Some incredible players on here!

this thread is nothing without abe laboriel jr.

Great thread! Kudos to the cat that included Tony Williams, my personal fave. Also must include Jeff "Tain" Watts.

benny "papa zita" benjamin-(motown's funk brothers)
james "diamond" williams-(ohio players)
maurice & fred white-(earth wind & fire)
jaimoe/butch trucks/marc quinones-(allman brothers band)
harvey mason (fourplay,bob james)
tito puente
otis stokes (lakeside)
matt sorum (guns n roses)
george moreland (isley brothers)
larry troutman (zapp)
larry blackmon (cameo)
teddy pendergrass (harold melvin & the blue notes)
jeffery osbourne (l.t.d.)
roger parker/steve arrington/tim "tiny" dozier-(slave)
[Edited 1/25/06 12:21pm]
[Edited 1/25/06 12:30pm]
[Edited 1/25/06 12:35pm]
[Edited 1/25/06 12:44pm]

Okay-No love for the ladies? Maybe Sheila E. can be included in this thread? Just maybe? Nevermind. I just saw her pic. So, you guys are good afterall.
[Edited 1/25/06 12:36pm]

nurse said:

guess there's a shortage of female drummers or somethin so how bout'...

cindy blackman (lenny kravitz)
bernadette cooper (klymaxx)
teena marie

diamondpearl1 said:

Yeah Man I can dig it.

Buddy Rich

For Me as a Teenager it was

Matt Cameron



Sean Kinney



nuff respect to



Dave Lombardo

nurse said:

Outside of the obvious names, I already listed Yvette "Baby" Preyer above

A few more...



...Terri Lynn Carrington




...Sylvia Cuenca




...Hilary Jones




...Susie Ibarra



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

a few I might add

Jerome "bigfoot" brailey-probably P-funk's best drummer



Can't forget sly's original drummer Greg Errico



Duke Ellington's Orchestra Drummer Sam Woodyard, sure knew how to pound



And probably my only pick from the world of punk: topper headon

:d'oh: I'm so ashamed no one's mentioned this guy

Great or "Popular" drummers ?
cause, I saw more than few that shouldn't be in this thread.

jacktheimprovident said:

I kept scrolling though, and then finally, Kieth.

ok you can't have a great drummer thread without long time Mellencamp drummer

Kenny Aronoff


[Edited 1/26/06 7:22am]

In addition to the excellent list of drummers listed above, a few contemporary rock drummers that deserve mention:

Steve Hewitt - Placebo




Steven Perkins - Janes Addiction

ringo garza-los lonley boys
stokley/chris dave-mint condition
marcus randolph-robert randolph & the family band
will calhoun-living colour
chet mccraken-doobie brothers
wolfredo wilson-mandrill

paligap said:

That`s a very very cool list - for mainly 1 reason : all of them had an influence on my playing(i hate to say it nowadays, but even Phil Collins did ARGH!), even if a lot are missing. But that`s totally cool.
I bet you are a drummer as well, if not - you are one educated musiciandude.
Peace, and thanks for the nice photo tour!

Great extensive posts...all of my favorites have been posted except....

Art Blakey

[Edited 1/26/06 13:09pm]

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

You beat me to it. I was just thinking of him. Great pick.

The man who created a Musical University on the road.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

For me the true 'Boss Drummers' are -

Elvin Jones - The King
Tony Williams - The Prince
John Bonham - The Power
Jabo Starks/ Clyde Stubblefield together with James Brown - The Funk.

Also much respect for Jack Dejohnette, Buddy Miles (gotta love his lazy funkiness), also later JB drummer John Morgan and Terry Bozzio with Zappa.

And let us not forget Kenny Clarke and Max Roach without whom Charlie Parker would not have flown half as far ...

Awww Man! I can't believe a drum thread got started and there's no mention of Carter Beauford from the Dave Matthews Band. He is awsome! So is Zorro. He's toured with Lenny Kravitz and others

I knew Pali or tA would mention my boy Dennis Chambers.

Carter Beauford remains a beast, no doubt. I'd forgotten all about him.

I'd throw in Prince (back in the day, when he was playin the mess outta dem drums).

And,



?uestlove continues to put it down.