By Uncleben
I need a drummer ...
The first time I sat behind a drum kit, I could tell that something in my neurological make-up, also responsible for my inability to pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time, was preventing me from becoming the next John Bonham. Cindy Blackman was seven years old when she had a different experience. Seeing a drum set at a friend's house, she glanced around to check no one was looking and hopped on the stool. As soon as she took her first bash, she felt this was as natural as breathing. Over 50 years later, she's still relishing the exuberant feeling that comes from pounding out those rhythms.
… but one who can drum please
What's the difference between Lars Ulrich and a Radox bath? A Radox bath bucks up the feet... The BBC comedy show Radio Active (not John Lennon, you urban mythsters) joked that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles. One critic described Ginger Baker's playing as the sound of someone dropping a heavy cardboard box down a large flight of stairs. Pavement continue the drummer-baiting theme, toying affectionately with the idea that their stickman, Steve West, cannot actually drum.
I need a rhythm ...
The one-drop rhythm, popularised by drummer Carlton Barrett (and possibly even invented by him, but that's a murky area), misses out the expected bass drum hit on the first beat of the bar. Bob Marley & the Wailers describe it as a beating within, a filling of the gap and an essential aid to fighting against ism and schism.
… but not in the flat upstairs
Now I love the drums like the next person, but the last thing you want to discover when you move into your new basement flat is a drummer on the floor above. Unless you're Lazarus, in which case you might appreciate being summoned back to life. This sprightly Bill Nelson track comes from an album of demos that Virgin Records decided they'd like to release in its raw state - and I for one am very glad they did.
Tune the leather ...
Edgardo Morales, here playing as part of legendary salsa orchestra El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, was known as El Timbalero. I have it on uncertain authority that the lyrics of this song translate as "Timbalero, I invite you to play in the rumba that is about to begin. And follow the key and tune the leather. Ring loudly, you timbalero. More timbal for the rumberos". This live recording shows Morales using a combination of sticks, palm and at one point even chin - and somehow resisting the temptation to hit that cowbell.
… and keep in time with the drum
"Get in line, keep in time with the drum - don't forget we're nothing yet but water", sings Dagmar Kreuze. Mm, that's only 60% true. Fabulous track from Slapp Happy's early album with Faust.
Personified drum ...
A Visit from Drum is one of the opening tracks from a concept album by Liars, based on two yin and yang characters - Mt. Heart Attack (representing stress and self-doubt) and Drum (an antithetical embodiment of creative energy and confidence). Clattering drumsticks, pounding floor toms, ethereal vocals and dissonant guitar combine in eerie incantation.
.… and personified cuíca
The cuíca is a Brazilian friction drum that makes a high-pitched screeching noise, apparently not dissimilar to that of the grey four-eyed opossum after which it's named. João Bosco's cuíca roars in anger and roars from hunger. It's told to stop but, as you'll hear, is incapable of doing so and frantically takes over the second half of this infectious samba track.
I know you got sole ...
Ring the noise! It's nuthin' but a sea thang. The Fisherman's Friends are straight outta Port Isaac, a small fishing village in Cornwall. The crew in this song have to keep working until the Officer of the Watch rings the ship's bell - and they're getting impatient.
… these puns are getting dumb and drummer
Percussion-themed pun of the week and a blistering work-out by the phenomenal Fliss Kitson on drums, as the Nightingales channel-shift between visceral fuzz-fest, waltz-time cabaret and a new take on the Lord's Prayer.
Descend into the traps ...
For our penultimate number, we'll take a noirish journey with Rodd, Teri & the M.S.R. Singers deep into the writhing heart of the drums, as taut membranes coax strange, throbbing, pounding rhythms from the hands and wrist. My pick of the week.
… and beat out a rhythm of defiance
In 1992, Smithsonian Folkways released an album called Drums of Defiance, made up of field recordings from Maroon communities in Jamaica whose 17th and 18th ancestors were among the first black people to escape from slave plantations and establish themselves as free individuals. The complex drumming of the Maroon tradition was one of the antecedents of roots reggae. We finish with some latter-day drums of defiance from African Head Charge by way of Professor Stretch.
The 'Ammering A-List Playlist:
Cindy Blackman Santana - I Need a Drummer
Pavement - Westie Can Drum
Bob Marley & the Wailers - One Drop
Bill Nelson - The Dead We Wake with Upstairs Drums
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico - Timbalero
Slapp Happy - The Drum
Liars - A Visit from Drum
João Bosco - O Ronca da Cuíca
The Fisherman's Friends - Strike the Bell
The Nightingales - Dumb and Drummer
Rodd, Teri & the M.S.R. Singers - Beat of the Traps
African Head Charge vs. Professor Stretch - Drums of Defiance
The Banging B-List Playlist:
Young Fathers - Drum
Hear the beat of the drums and go numb.
The Ting Tings - Great DJ
The boys, the girls, the strings, and the drums, the drums, the drums...
Tonight - Drummer Man
He was in love with the majorette who used to lead the band.
Spirit - Mr. Skin
A song named after their head-shaved drummer, but (according to lyricist Jay Ferguson) all about sex in America.
The Mills Brothers - Coney Island Washboard
Thimbles on her fingers made a noise, she played Charleston on the laundry for the boys.
Devon Russell - Drum Song
Sung over a track of the same name by Jackie Mittoo & the Soul Vendors.
Ray Barretto - Soul Drummers
Long-time percussionist with the Fania All-Stars, known as Hard Hands for his conga-beating prowess.
The Breeders - Divine Hammer
If Kim Deal ever finds it, she's going to bang it all day, apparently.
T. Rex - Bang a Gong (Get It On)
Wot, no gong? Retitled to avoid confusion with another song called Get It On by jazz rock band Chase.
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Perhaps more notable for Roger McGuinn's pioneering jingle-jangle guitar.
The Stone Poneys - Different Drum
Written by Mike Nesmith and performed by 21-year-old Linda Ronstadt without her fellow Poneys.
Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey - Drummer's Song
Iyer on piano, Oh on double bass and Sorey on drums, performing a track originally recorded by Geri Allen, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.
Guru's Wildcard Picks:
Red Guitars - Marimba Jive
Richard Shindell - Arrowhead
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: A striking subject: songs about percussion and percussionists. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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