Good day to you! Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to write up a sketch for today’s Request Line. That’s all right, that’s okay, I’ll write about the madcap adventures of the PRODUCER, CONNOR THE INTERN, DJ 3000, and WHATEVER CRAZY NUTBALL SHOWS UP AS A GUEST HOST some other day. In the meantime, today’s topic is one that’s been on the burner for a long time: Percussion. Load up the comments with songs that feature examples of your favorite drumming and other types of percussion. Songs about percussion are welcome too. I’ll get us started with an example of the work of one of the finest – and maddest – drummers the music world has ever seen: Keith Moon. Here here is showing off his signature rolls and fills (that’s a drumming thing, right?) on Tommy.
Reminder: In order to post videos so they will show up in comments, you don’t have to mess around with embed codes or anything, just post plain links as such: “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkkVrlvgkc”. When you hit refresh it should show up as embedded and you can rock out at your leisure.
How “Straight To Hell” got past you, I’ll never know…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdUtborIaiU
You want some drums? I’ll give you some drums…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImJpqutxOmg
Two hands, congas: Giovanni Hidalgo. It’s two minutes. Play it. PLAY IT.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=-pmIRITTz8s
Ha! A GIOVANNI HIDALGO DOUBLE SHOT: with Tito Puente. Bonus: featuring the Stacey Lopez Dancers, or as we say in Spanish, “di Es Teisi López Danser S”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zoaJbRhyaxo
“Tito Puente’s gonna be dead, and you’re gonna say, “Oh, I’ve been listening to him for years, and I think he’s fabulous.”
My computer is loading this page very slowly. I’m going to assume that no one has posted Art Blakey yet, but given this crew, that may be a bad assumption, as I see someone already posted Buddy Rich.
Art Blakey forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccj6O2UeNfQ
I went with Tony Williams instead of Art Blakey, but I fucking love Art Blakey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IQNPlnc9c0
I have loved Art Blakey’s stuff ever since I heard it used in an anime which is set in the 60’s and has jazz as a major theme running through it. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_on_the_Slope
The anime is on Hulu and Crunchyroll I think.
From this year: Residente – Dagombas en tamale
Recorded with Dagomba musicians in Ghana
https://youtube.com/watch?v=y7HWRnSrNfE
This fucking guy… Franz Ferdinand
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y6BkfYjNEqY
/Hits shuffle on way to lunch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS6-vI70oc0
Merengue, Dominicans’ gift to the world. That boo boo boobooboom shht shkt shkt boobooboom is par TAY.
Wilfrido Vargas – “Soy un hombre divertido” (I’m a fun man) second line: “I don’t know what sadness is”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=f4JXFTpU0Nw
And then there’s Tego Calderón, who can take a similar arrangement to couple it with the BOMM sh kt kt BOOM of reggaetón: “Tradicional a lo bravo”
If I were refined / I’d offer you wine. / Since I’m a farmer I drink the clandestine. ?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fthVTUIXihg
I can’t fookin’ believe this ain’t taken yet… (updated as finally found a good live version to illustrate how muy dificil this is)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3px85ixf6lE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBA4vWQRBA0
Re-Post but: A) DON’T CARE; B) this one is LIVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOsmG-sufNc
Tito Puente – Timbalero (which is like saying “Babe Ruth – ballplayer”)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=F4rz10uCQfA
That’s fine, but this is Tito Puente’s greatest work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92hMAfwcTxA
Also acceptable: Sheila E
You’re right, she is quite acceptable.
AHEM
This is how it all began: bomba y plena, the rythms slaves brought to the Caribbean before Plymouth Rock became a thing. Bomba is associated with barrel drums, and the lead drummer tries to emulate the dancer’s steps. The dancer is Manuel, a college buddy:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=HZzLHdB71WE
Plena is associated with the tambourines without the little metal cymbals (called “pleneras”), which annoyed plenty in the World Baseball Classic. Here’s a U.S. Army troop, made up of boricuas, playing “Puerto Rico patria mía” (PR my motherland)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vMAAWiCvz9w
We just call the rythm “bomba y plena”. Here’s Buya lighting up a ride in Chicago’s blueline in 2014:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nkK68RxqKAE
And conguero Ray Barreto, the hardest hands in salsa: “Indestructible”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=BIRUUZO3zmc
Another oddity, just because:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE-NLS47YMU
Ok, here’s a song with no drums but it’s about a drum. Oh, and instead of the original Stone Poneys version, it’s Susanna Hoffs and a guy who ate Matthew Sweet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRO5ZZuJGYI
I dig some 80’s tribal rhythm shit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hEn_rEDzp0
Also, same rhythm section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tnYZ4xivTk
Nothing at all creepy about Malcolm McLaren “discovering” 13 year old Annabelle in Burma.
Tribe Called Quest: Can I Kick It?
What? There’s a drum in the video …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3pyCGnZzYA
a drum machine is percussive!
And now for something a little different:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8t0KTOeMPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=068AFYvd58E&index=8&list=RDEMW9sXxsic8a3-Iqc5YDWY2Q
I didn’t mean to post the whole playlist. I just meant this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=068AFYvd58E
Also to go off of last night’s open thread, how about Mikkey Dee? On sheer power, little else compares.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=qLtmeOdG2xc
Seriously? I applaud all who’ve posted so far. But I give you JP Gaster, Dave Lombardo, and…this. Do this, then we can talk. Tomas Haake.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bAJ1WTGNISk
Last weird one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q
Missing Persons deep cut (teenage me wanted something something deep Dale Bozzio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAhNkEy22U
Hmmm, he did say percussion, not just drums…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYtrnr4chfU
Don’t drummers fucking love Neil Peart?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWRMOJQDiLU
He’s great, but loses points for usually having a double bass drum.
Tito Puente, mis amigos?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm2C5hx4sI0
E MAMA
E PAPA
How have we gone this far without even mentioning Travis Barker?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYH8qUbhkZo
Quite easily as it turns out. The infatuation with him is something I will never understand.
Seconded
How about some Sheila E?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viHdtY7GDLs
The drum that kicks in during this song is simple, but it’ll do the trick:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li30NxCsJ7w
“I’ll fuck any drummer.” — Pamela Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Eo6htO4t8
I apologize if Four Sticks by Zeppelin is already up here. So named because Bonham played so loud his bandmates said it sounded like he used four sticks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJp27QMR2KU
FTFY. You need a return between text and link, apparently
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_GT0uZ4QDA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naIzxqgVC5w
All yall playing Grohl… his drumming sounds awfully like the Devils.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLr8gnYpVsg
Ok, I should probably back away and let others have at it for a while.
/also said at the Houston 500
A double in one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqvjgFmSvho
Jerome Brown’s theme song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p13yZAjhU0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUXTG6ShYKk
Levon Helm-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rpRDIKAUnY
Anyone that can sing and drum at the same time impresses the hell out of me.
Except maybe Phil Collins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDnlU6rPfwY
I use to cover Cripple Creek as an acoustic, but I dropped it because it doesn’t sound right without the percussion.
I think this is Pual McCartney playing the drums
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5NQF_QWvJo
Danny Carey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8aT9oRp95A
I f’ing love this song
DOUBLE SHOT!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGdoqsuiN8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5c_qpBmOLU
I feel guilty not having included Steve Gadd yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZcGQX71w68
And for the non-drummers, after you listen this, if you’re curious how he does it, this is his breakdown. Mind blown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7W33sLJi78
Damn, that’s a good one.
Danny Carey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8aT9oRp95A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClQcUyhoxTg
Ron Welty is the KING of the back beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZmVE6NaWVo
DOUBLE SHOT!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRJ1CG-uKIs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tdu4uKSZ3M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2JtsVumFA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikMiQZF-mAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZkTh_T75QY