Posts Tagged Drummers
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January 19, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Five Songs For Friday: 22 – Giving The Drummer Some…
Drum Solos! – wait, come back! You don’t often hear people crying out for more drum solos, or any drum solos. Even a lot of drummers hate drum solos. But sometimes you see and hear something special. And sometimes the drum solo – or an extended break – is, I dunno, “musical”, and exciting. Well, […]Archive
November 5, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 186 Bloodmonster
We’ve been thinking about finally releasing the Bloodmonster album on CD. We recorded it about ten years ago when the band was a very different animal. For the previous few years Les and I had played with a spate of different drummers who all brought their own touch to the band. The latest was Jorden […]Archive
September 14, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 18 – Mike D (Michael Diamond)
I realised, just recently, that I needed to include Mike D (or Michael Diamond) of the Beastie Boys in these files. There might not be many people out there that think of him as one of the world’s greatest drummers – but for me he was formative, crucial; super important. It comes from being the […]Archive
December 14, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 16 – John Bonham
Bonham – or “Bonzo” as he was known – is one of my favourite drummers. And, in a band of virtuoso players, I feel that he was often the difference for Led Zeppelin, the component that made them stand out. Listening to any of the band’s albums is the instant proof of his magic behind […]Archive
October 26, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 13 – Charlie Watts
There’s Mick Jagger and he’s incredible really. At sixty-odd. He’s the Monkey when they perform Monkey Man; he ducks and dives across the stage as the band tears another hole in the tune that was Street Fighting Man and of course we all know which side he takes when they offer Sympathy For The Devil. […]Archive
December 23, 2014 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 12 – Mick Fleetwood
I’ll never understand why someone could tell you they don’t like Fleetwood Mac – and, anyway, which Fleetwood Mac are they talking about? The kick-ass blues band? The AOR supergroup? Those interesting years in the middle – the lesser-known, under-explored moments across the early 1970s where English R’n’B and American soft-rock was being combined to […]Archive
December 23, 2014 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 11 – Stewart Copeland
A guy once told me he’d met Stewart Copeland – The Police were touring or whatever. And he spent some time with him, drove him around. He said “that guy was able to think about music in a way I’ve not seen with anyone else. He could juggle so many rhythms in his head and […]Archive
December 18, 2014 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 9 – Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd. If you haven’t heard of him then you have at least heard him. Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Rickie Lee Jones, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan and Chick Corea have all used him. But beyond that (and in fact Gadd is surely one of the most recorded players ever) the tunes that Steve […]Archive
December 11, 2014 by Simon Sweetman
Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 4 – Ian Paice
Of course I knew Smoke On The Water growing up, from possibly the very youngest age even – but it was a revelation to me when I heard a compilation called The Deep Purple Singles. It stopped before Smoke. (Although you can get an updated version with that track). One of my mum’s all-time favourite […]Archive
September 21, 2014 by Simon Sweetman