One groove to rule them all
One of my favourite drum grooves of all time is Rosanna by Toto. It's a staple; a stock-standard for many people (especially drummers).
Anything Jeff Porcaro played on could be considered a favourite drum groove for many - especially his work on this album. But as the drummer for Toto he recorded one of the great drum grooves in pop music.
Listening to it recently on YouTube (the link is above) I started to hear how obviously Bernard Purdie was being referenced. Purdie is one of my favourite drummers - and his "Purdie Shuffle" is a template of sorts for funk and pop drummers. Purdie was also one of the great drummers for Steely Dan - so it's a given that he would be an influence on Porcaro's playing, being that Jeff worked with The Dan.
Rosanna comes from Porcaro combining the "Purdie Shuffle" with John Bonham's own approximation of the "Purdie Shuffle". Bonzo used it for the Led Zeppelin track, Fool In The Rain.
Take a pinch of Purdie and a scoop of Bonham and that's how Porcaro invented the groove for Rosanna.
So, that took me back to Fool In The Rain. I'd always liked the song - and Bonham's playing. But now, having made the connection for myself (as obvious as it is) between Rosanna, Fool In The Rain and so many of the classic songs Purdie did his half-time shuffle across I sat and listened to Fool In The Rain a half-dozen times.
And then I found this - Bonham's drum outtakes.
Make sure you click on that link. It's superb.
Right now Bonham playing Fool In The Rain is my favourite drum groove. In the past my favourite drum grooves have included Paul Simon's 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover and Sting's Seven Days.
I love those songs because of what is happening drum-wise; the playing and the player involved (for 50 Ways it's the always-great Steve Gadd; for the Sting song it's one of Gadd's many disciples Vinnie Colaiuta).
I know I have bored you with my love of Vinnie before - but he also turned up on the first Frank Zappa record I ever heard. And that had a huge impact. Check out this mad groove!
But it doesn't have to be all hi-hat trickery and shuffle feels to impress. Often the grooves that captivate me are basic, solid rock grooves. There's nothing wrong with Aerosmith's Walk This Way; same with any number of AC/DC songs but Back In Black is certainly one good example.
Mick Fleetwood knows how to place a nice groove down for a pop song. And outside of so many of his Fleetwood Mac tracks my favourite Mick groove is Warren Zevon's Werewolves Of London.
You'd have to consider Michael Jackson's Billie Jean to be a great drum groove, right? Seminal.
And you could name Beat It too, right? Which takes us back to Jeff Porcaro...so sad that he died in a "bizarre gardening accident" a full ten years after the film This Is Spinal Tap lampooned that very idea. Stranger still to think that cocaine can apparently be used as a pesticide?
A great drum groove in a pop song - or rock song - or funk song - or jazz song - or country song will make you listen; it will help to hook you in.
Again, when it comes to Levon Helm and The Band (because Levon wasn't the only great drummer in that band) there is an embarrassment of riches. Up On Cripple Creek is an oft-cited one. And for good reason. But I really dig Richard Manuel doing his thing on The Band's song, Rag Mama Rag.
But I'm not asking you to pick your favourite groove player - or your favourite drummer. I'm not asking you to name a bunch of songs with great grooves (even though I've just done that).
No, today I want you to pick your ONE favourite drum-groove. Not a solo - not a fill, not a showcase for a show-off - just a pop song with a groove that you dig.
Me? I'm sticking with Fool In The Rain. But not the album version. I like the drum-only version; the outtakes - here it is again.
So, what is your one favourite drum groove? And why do you like it? What do you like about it? Do you like the song for reasons above and beyond the drum groove? Or is there a song that you actually don't really care for at all - but you just can't resist the groove?
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I would have to go for "Fool In The Rain" too.....as cliched as that sounds. I know Bonham did bigger and louder, and others have done crazier (keith Moon?), but "Fool In The Rain" always amazes me, although "Nobody's Fault But Mine" is a close second. As for straight forward rock drumming, i love Chad Smith on "Suck My Kiss". And another cliche, but Ringo on "Rain" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" still sounds incedible to this day! I love Porcaro too.....and to my ears the Stones would be nothing without Charlie Watts.
Hilarious. As soon as I saw the link to this blog I immediately thought Rosanna or anything by Vinny. I've got a great Bernard Purdie video at home which is entertaining even if you're not a drummer if only for Purdie's attittude.
As for one groove. Really struggling, Always been a fan of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up". Everytime anyone hears that song they can't help moving to the groove even just a wee bit!
Probably not the greatest groove of all time but I enjoy it.
So, basically your top drum grooves are played by a bunch of soft rocking white guys. I don't why people don't take you seriously.
Kenny Jones with the Faces;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcm53fb4qFE
Simply brilliant!
Rosanna by Toto?? I'm losing all respect for you!!
Although you redeemed yourself with the cool John Bonham video.
I have to say I was always a big fan of the Adam and the Ants drumming. At the time, I boldly predicted that would be the new trend in music. And when Bow Wow Wow came along, I thought for sure I was right. Obviously I wasn't!
So many great tracks, most of Bonzo/Moony/T-Bone rule but still love Peter Criss on Rock N Roll All Nite. Simple but classic.
The Theme from Shaft springs to mind, mostly for the hi-hat riding, which gives it a nice, nagging groove, but I suppose I'll have to go back to Bonzo and say When The Levee Breaks. With pretty much everything else on the track processed to bits, the drums are suitably apocalyptic, like tombstones falling off a truck. It was played on a brand new drum kit, I understand. I'd love to have seen the state of it afterwards.
@ Dan - you must be a guitarist!!
Simon I know you're not a fan of the Chillis but Chad Smith has tremendous groove! Specially on songs like Give it Away and Apache Rose Peacock! This may attract a few negative comments but I liken Chad Smith to a modern day Bonzo! A hard hitting, groove maestro!
Also Carter Beauford's work with the Dave Matthews Band is sensational; Ants Marching and Say Goodbye are superb and kind of stray away from the basic 4/4 type grooves.
A lot of the clinicians have great groove like Benny Greb, Johnny Rabb, Thomas Lang and the legendary Steve Smith although I do like Liberty DeVitto's grooves on some of the early Billy Joel classics. Jojo Mayer is slightly different in that he grooves to drum n bass beats and is a freak! An absolute freak!
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Dave Abbruzzese's drum line for WMA of VS's. I love a drummer who can rock out a great tom line.