SKF NOTE: The full story includes an interesting account of how Kiss and recording engineers, using, in part, an elevator shaft, produced Eric Carr‘s “massive drum sound” on Kiss’s [1982] Creatures of the Night album.

I almost included the essence of the “massive drum sound” story here. Instead, I opted to include music producer Michael James Jackson‘s response to founding Kiss member Gene Simmons’s eagerness “to try and find a drum sound that was as close to Zeppelin [as possible.]”

Mr. Jackson’s response is in no way meant to put down Eric Carr’s drumming. To the contrary, Mr. Jackson gives Mr. Carr high praise. I post Jackson’s remarks because they are in sync with how I have always felt about drummers trying to copy another drummer’s sound. Of course, digital sound sampling has made copying much easier. But why not strive to have an identifiable sound of your own?

Here’s what Jackson had to say:

I’m a record producer, so I know if you want to have the drums sounds like John Bonham, then you have to give me John Bonham, you have to give me John Bonham’s drum kit and you have to put me in the same room where John Bonham plays that the drums sounds like that. Nobody can turn something into something it is not….

Full story