Louis Bellson Endorses Remo PTS Drums

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Scott K Fish

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SKF NOTE: Remo Belli was a unique inventor of products meant to improve drummers’ lives. If is inventing was limited to the plastic drumhead — he would still be remembered as one of the music world’s greats.

Along with successes, inventors sometimes come up with ideas that don’t catch on with the public. Pre-Tuned drumheads on PTS drumsets is a case in point. Louis Bellson‘s endorsement notwithstanding, this 1984 idea didn’t catch on. Perhaps it let to the creation of other more successful Remo products.

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Jerry Allison: Simplicity Was Part of the Plan

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Jerry Allison’s description of his “keeping everything relatively simple” approach to playing drums with Buddy Holly & the Crickets is from a longer interview with Mr. Allison in 1982. It’s still good advice.

Jerry Allison: We always tried to keep everything relatively simple. That was part of the plan. I have run across a lot of drummers in the 25 or 30 — however-the-hell long it’s been — and they play every lick they know. And a lot of them, they play so much you can’t even pick it up on a recorder. It’s all blurred.

I always liked to kind of keep it pretty simple.

Besides that, you don’t have to practice as much.

Scott K Fish: You didn’t practice a whole lot after [learning] the rudimental stuff?

JA: No. After that I figured, “Well, this is working. I’ll sort of stick with this.”

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Max Weinberg: How He Tunes His Snare

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: This is another conversation from one back-up cassette I sometimes used at Modern Drummer for short phone interviews, such as getting answers to reader questions from drummers.

I had interviewed Max Weinberg for his April 1982 cover story. On this later tape, Max is clearly answering a MD reader question on how Max tunes his snare, or how he gets his snare sound. There’s probably an edited version of Max’s answer in an MD “Ask a Pro” column, but I’ve forgotten the specific question.

You’ll hear passing reference to a “Russ” using Ambassador drum heads, who is Russ Kunkel. Max and I had interviewed Russ for Max’s book, The Big Beat.

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Vibra-Fibing Neil Peart’s Drums: The Process (1982)

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: I think this is Neil Graham of Percussion Center, Wayne, IN speaking with me about the Percussion Center’s process of Vibra-Fibing Neil Peart‘s drumset, probably in response to a question from a Modern Drummer reader. If this is not Neil Graham, I would really appreciate any knowing source who will write and help me correct the record.

As I’m listening back to these old tapes I wish I had thought to record the interviewee’s name and the date of the recording. Lesson learned.

This conversation was probably in 1982 after Neil Peart launched a contest through MD to give away the Tama drumset pictured here. Vibra-Fibe was a unique process at this time. Especially since Neil Peart had his drumset Vibra-Fibe treated, lots of drummers wanted to know what the process was all about.

SKF NOTE: After this post I heard from a couple of people who knew Neil Graham. They confirmed that the person I’m speaking with in this audio excerpt is Neil Graham. (9/15/19)

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Morello – The “Take Five” Cymbal Documentary

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Wow! Thinking I had a better than average knowledge of Joe Morello’s career I almost skipped this video. I’m glad I didn’t. What a wonderful, warm vignette, full of Morello facts brand new to me. Thank you!

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