September 3, 2010 Playlist

 
GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME!
The monthly special featuring drums
"Star Time" by James Brown (rec. 1956-1984)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
James Brown  "Star Time"  rec. 1956-1984, rel. 1991 (USA)
We're featuring drums and drummers on the show this week, and even though he was not known as a drummer, there is no figure more significant in the development of "rhythmic music" than James Brown.  So we're stretching the rules a bit this week and inducting a 4 CD box set compilation instead of a proper "album" of the week.  But Star Time is not simply a greatest hits collection, it's an indispensible compendium of the development of funk which includes many previously unavailable unedited performances (classics like "Cold Sweat" and "Funky Drummer" were originally split in half as the A and B sides of 7" singles.)  Although Brown had a number of great drummers in his bands over the years, perhaps the greatest of all was Clyde Stubblefield, whose drum breaks in the aforementioned tracks have formed the basis of countless hip-hop songs over the last three decades.  These days Clyde lives right here in Madison, Wisconsin, where he can be found hosting a funk jam at The Frequency every Monday night, as well as performing at street fairs and special events.
The most famous video clip of Brown's career comes from a 1966 Ed Sullivan appearance where he showed off some fancy footwork for his big hit "I Feel Good".  And he wasn't just the artist who charted more singles than any other in American pop history, he was a cultural force to be reckoned with and was truly one of the great civil rights leaders of the 1960's -- here's a relatively sedate James making the "political"  statement "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I'll Get It Myself)".  And what a band he had!  Check out the way they change it up on a dime in this medley of hits from 1969.  And still more outtasite dance moves from later in the 1970's:  "Get On The Good Foot".  
There are other drummers on the show this week as well -- such as the technically overproficient Carl Palmer.
 
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener Request

   
Artist (drummer) Song Album Year (label) Country
The Who
(Keith Moon)
Dogs Part 2 B-side 7" single 1969 UK
Cream
(Ginger Baker)
Toad Fresh Cream 1966 UK
Led Zeppelin
(John Bonham)
Moby Dick Led Zeppelin II 1969 UK
Black Sabbath
(Bill Ward)
Rat Salad Paranoid 1970 UK
Emerson Lake & Palmer
(Carl Palmer)
Tank Emerson Lake & Palmer 1970 UK
The Who
(Keith Moon)
Overture Tommy 1969 UK
 
 
James Brown
(Clyde Stubblefield)
Cold Sweat Star Time
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
rec. 1967 USA
James Brown
(Clyde Stubblefield)
Mother Popcorn Star Time
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
rec. 1969 USA
James Brown
(Clyde Stubblefield)
Funky Drummer Star Time
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
rec. 1970 USA
James Brown
(Clyde Stubblefield)
Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud) Star Time
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
rec. 1968 USA
 
 
Curtis Mayfield
(Tyrone McCullen & Master Henry Gibson)
Superfly Superfly (OST) 1972 USA
Osibisa
(Sol Amarfio & Loughty Lasisi Amao)
Ye Tie Wo Heads 1972 Nigeria
/Caribbean
/UK
Tony Allen (R) Alutere Secret Agent (N) 2009 (Nonesuch) Nigeria
Santana
(Mike Shrieve, Jose Areas & Mike Carabello)
Se A Cabo Abraxas 1970 Mexico/USA
Magma (as "The Unnamables")
(Christian Vander)
Ourania Univeria Zekt 1971 France
 
 
NEU!
(Klaus Dinger)
Für Immer NEU! 2 1973 Germany
Guru Guru
(Mani Neumeier)
Electric Junk Hinten 1972 Germany
   
 
The Soft Machine
(Robert Wyatt)
Hope For Happiness The Soft Machine 1968 UK
Twink Mexican Grass War Think Pink 1969 UK
The Monkees
(Mickey Dolenz)
Randy Scouse Git Headquarters 1967 USA/UK
Slapp Happy (with Faust)
(Zappi Diermaier)
The Drum Acnalbasac Noom rec. 1973 UK (Germany)
   
 
Iron Butterfly
(Ron Bushy)
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (live) Iron Butterfly Live 1970 USA
The Guess Who
(Garry Peterson)
Jam / Truckin' Off Across The Sky (live) Live At The Paramount 1972 Canada
   
 
Boredoms
(Yoshimi P-We, Kazuya Nishimura & EDA)
Seadrum Seadrum/House Of Sun 2004 Japan
             
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