I’ve been sitting in with a local classic rock band while their drummer is out, and one of the songs they are working on is Vanilla Fudge‘s “Keep Me Hangin’ On.” At first I thought this is a fairly straight-forward song. It was always one of my favorites as I was growing up.
Straight-forward, except that a few of the transitions seemed a bit off-time, and the bridge section was played extremely odd with quarter-notes on the snare. I struggled a bit, but I figured it out…no big deal. Till I got to rehearsal. The band had learned the full length version of the song (five plus minutes). I apparently learned the radio edit (three minutes tops). So after muddling through it a time or two, and trashing all the changes, we decided to table until I’d had a opportunity to learn the other arrangement.
So when I got ready to learn the other version, I thought, “Lets see if I can find a version of this on YouTube.”
Well I found it. It’s a version of the band on the “Ed Sullivan” show (the same show where I first heard The Beatles). And low and behold the drummer was Carmine Appice. Huh. No wonder I struggled with the timing and bridge. Carmine is nothing short of amazing. Here’s the video, and even though I feel it’s a bit “over-acted,” his performance is nothing short of amazing.
FYI – you can catch the bands live performance on Jimmy Fallon here.
I saw Steve Ferrone a few years ago at Columbus Percussion’s Drum Daze (a quick side note here – it is well worth the drive to Columbus Percussion for your drum gear, they are quite knowledgeable, and Jim Rupp is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet). I thought he had a solid groove, but when you mix him in with an abundance of highly technical drummers with amazing chops, he doesn’t really stand out.
Well, add him to a mix of incredible musicians and a very prolific songwriter, and he stands out in a big way! I’m talking about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers latest work…Mojo. Every track moves with a feel that only Ferrone can provide. He’s a Gretsch Artist too (I’m beginning to understand why people talk about “That great Gretsch sound”. More on that in a future post) and he’s played with Duran Duran, Average White Band, and Eric Clapton (just to name a few). One of my favorite tracks is “I Should Have Known It“. Take a listen to Mojo, and experience that impeccable Ferrone groove.
Have you heard The Dead Weather? If not, you need to. I was impressed by Jack White in It Might Get Loud, but as a drummer in this band, I am blown away. His playing is rockin’… the setup is truly inventive with all the drums positioned flat and low, and the use of a second snare as a ride tom. Here are some great shots of the setup:
I know, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. I’ve had my head down, buried in work for a while now. But I’m still playing drums, and I’m still listening to music, which brings me to the topic of today’s post – creativity.
On the way to rehearsal last week, I grabbed the first Led Zepplin CD to listen to. It’s a good 30 minute drive down the highway, which is the perfect time for digging into some great music for inspiration
Zep’s first album, whether you like the band or not, was jam packed with great creative thinking and expert playing – especially from drummer John Bonham. On the first cut, “Good Times, Bad Times”, Bohnam displays amazing thinking and chops with an intermittent hi-hat driving quarter notes against his cowbell pattern, and very tasteful doubles on the kick drum. This tune alone shows that he is equally at home playing clean and heavy within the same context.
But (as much as I hate to admit this), it’s not just the creative drumming that makes this album amazing. These four young naive individuals just cut loose from a creative standpoint. There is certainly something to be said for young and totally uninhibited creativity. There’s a freedom at that point in your life that you really have to fight for when you are older. You don’t have that voice inside of you that says “that’s been done before,” or ” that’s just plain stupid.”
Take a half an hour and go back and listen to this timeless Led Zepplin classic. It might inspire you to try and recover some lost creativity.
So, the band has decided to do the classic Deep Purple hit Highway Star. Now I will admit that when this was agreed on, I was a bit nervous to say the least. You don’t just blow your way through any Ian Paice parts, especially one at 175bpm! So I did what any self respecting drummer would do… go to YouTube and see if I could find a video that would shed some light on how to Ian played it. I found a ton of videos, but here’s my favorite (it’s Ian Paice playing with some tribute band):
To say the least, this song is daunting from a drummers perspective. But I admit, watching Ian play it so effortlessly, made me realize that I just needed to relax and enjoy the ride.
After a little work, I’m happy to say I’m quite comfortable playing it!
I've been playing the drums since I was 8 years old...that's more years than I like to think about. Through my work with several local ad agencies, I enjoyed producing music for Doc Severson and even B.B. King, a personal hero. I've recorded in studios in the all over the tri-state area, but enjoy the comfort of my own studio, best. READ MORE
Zep’s first album, whether you like the band or not, was jam packed with great creative thinking and expert playing – especially from drummer 
