Gadd – ‘Luck and Strange’

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Steve Gadd’s uncomplicated drumming on Joe Cocker’s recording of the song, “Catfish,” has remained one of my favorite Gadd tracks for almost 50 years. Gadd’s accompaniment for “Catfish” is absolutely perfect. He plays exactly what needs to be played, in exactly the way it should be played, with no superfluous notes..

Now, Gadd delivers an album full of uncomplicated and perfect drumming on guitarist David Gilmour’s new album, “Luck and Strange.”

Gilmour advance released a video of “The Piper’s Call” from his album. During the first chorus the camera shows a white-haired drummer in a pullover sweatshirt playing a four-piece Ludwig drumset. He sounded great, but a few moments of video rolled by before I recognized the old drummer as Steve Gadd.

In a short documentary called “The Making of Luck and Strange,” Gilmour tells us how Gadd came to be the album drummer.

Calling Gadd “the greatest drummer in the world,” Gilmour said, “So I gave Steve Gadd a call. Nervously (I) said, Would he come spend a week with us in London recording? He said yes. Simple as that. He’s just a class act. Really, really good,” said Gilmour.

Album producer Charlie Andrew said of Gadd, “Honestly the sound of the drums is quite phenomenal actually. He plays them very gently. But they sound big.”

“He just nails it immediately. And it was such a joy to finally be able to get him in and record with him,” said Gilmour on “The Making of Luck and Strange” video.

To my ears, Gadd on “Luck and Strange” is the “Catfish” Gadd further refined by years of making music with the world’s best musicians.

I highly recommend “Luck and Strange” as a great listening experience.

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Matt Frenette Complete 1984 MD Interview Pt 4 of 4

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE – Here’s Part 4 of 4 interview segments. “The interview was therefore intended to be a portrait of an up-and-coming new artist. However, before we had the chance to publish that interview, ‘Loverboy’s’ success had spread across the country.

The actual interview took place September 1983 at the height of ‘Loverboy’s’ hit song, “Working for the Weekend.” It appeared as the cover story for the March 1984 Modern Drummer magazine.

In Part 4 of this interview, Frenette discusses the following topics:

  • Importance of learning how the music business works
  • Product endorsements
  • Matt’s drum tech
  • Paul Jamieson’s snare drums
  • Seeing the band name painted on water towers
  • Loverboy cardboard mascot named Bob
  • Are you a book reader?
  • Activities during off-hours
  • Staying healthy on the road
  • Watching Billy Cobham with Bobby and the Midnites
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Matt Frenette Complete 1984 MD Interview Pt 3 of 4

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Here’s Part 3 of 4 interview segments. The actual interview took place September 1983 at the height of ‘Loverboy’s’ hit song, “Working for the Weekend.” It appeared as the cover story for the March 1984 Modern Drummer magazine.

In Part 3 of this interview, Frenette discusses the following topics:

  • Role among drummer, producer, and engineer in making an album (continued)
  • Matt’s monitor system and miking his drums
  • Forgetting songs
  • The importance of playing with dynamics
  • Using noise gates on drums
  • Drum solos
  • Cymbal setup and miking cymbals
  • Promoting Loverboy as individual members and as the whole band
  • Pros and cons of corporate underwriting of band concert tours

Here is my 1984 MD introduction to Frenette’s interview.

“Things happen fast in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. The first time Matt Frenette was interviewed for MD, people were raving about ‘Loverboy’ on the West Coast, but the group’s popularity did not yet extend to the East Coast.

“The interview was therefore intended to be a portrait of an up-and-coming new artist.

“However, before we had the chance to publish that interview, ‘Loverboy’s’ success had spread across the country. Since Matt Frenette’s position in the drumming world had skyrocketed along the group’s popularity, we are now presenting an expanded feature interview with ‘Loverboy’s’ drummer.”

I will post Frenette Part 4 as soon as possible.

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Matt Frenette Complete 1984 MD Interview Pt 2 of 4

Posted on September 10, 2024 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: I’ve posted a couple of excerpts from my 1984 Modern Drummer feature interview with Matt Frenette. Recently I was asked by a visitor to my YouTube channel if the entire interview was available.

Well, as a matter of fact, it is. Or it soon will be. Here’s Part 1 of 4 interview segments. The actual interview took place September 1983 at the height of ‘Loverboy’s’ hit song, “Working for the Weekend.” It appeared as the cover story for the March 1984 Modern Drummer magazine.

In Part 2 of this interview, Frenette discusses the following topics:

  • Things Matt had to give up to be in the successful band, Loverboy.
  • Musical background of each Loverboy member
  • To become successful is to communicate
  • You have to play as a team
  • Playing heavy metal-style music and suffering physically.
  • Jeff Porcaro talking about physical impact of playing Simmons electronic drum pads.
  • Talks in detail about Ludwig drumsets played with Loverboy.
  • Bought a set of Sonor drums. Need more time to work with them. Had to stop using the * Sonor drums on tour.
  • Different sounds from un-mic’d and mic’d drums.
  • Stan Lynch’s drumset.
  • Role among drummer, producer, and engineer in making an album.
  • Working with a click track

Here is my 1984 MD introduction to Frenette’s interview.

“Things happen fast in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. The first time Matt Frenette was interviewed for MD, people were raving about ‘Loverboy’ on the West Coast, but the group’s popularity did not yet extend to the East Coast.

“The interview was therefore intended to be a portrait of an up-and-coming new artist.

“However, before we had the chance to publish that interview, ‘Loverboy’s’ success had spread across the country. Since Matt Frenette’s position in the drumming world had skyrocketed along the group’s popularity, we are now presenting an expanded feature interview with ‘Loverboy’s’ drummer.”

I will post Frenette Parts 3 and 4 as soon as possible.

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Matt Frenette Complete 1984 MD Interview Pt 1 of 4

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: I’ve posted a couple of excerpts from my 1984 Modern Drummer feature interview with Matt Frenette. Recently I was asked by a visitor to my YouTube channel if the entire interview was available.

Well, as a matter of fact, it is. Or it soon will be. Here’s Part 1 of 4 interview segments. The actual interview took place September 1983 at the height of ‘Loverboy’s’ hit song, “Working for the Weekend.” It appeared as the cover story for the March 1984 ‘Modern Drummer’ magazine.

Here is my 1984 MD introduction to Frenette’s interview.

“Things happen fast in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. The first time Matt Frenette was interviewed for ‘MD’, people were raving about ‘Loverboy’ on the West Coast, but the group’s popularity did not yet extend to the East Coast.

“The interview was therefore intended to be a portrait of an up-and-coming new artist.

“However, before we had the chance to publish that interview, ‘Loverboy’s’ success had spread across the country. Since Matt Frenette’s position in the drumming world had skyrocketed along the group’s popularity, we are now presenting an expanded feature interview with ‘Loverboy’s’ drummer.”

In Part 1 of this interview, Frenette discusses the following topics:

Talking with kids he meets on tour.
Influences: Latin American, country & western,
Meeting Buddy Rich as a kid
Hoping to do clinics after Loverboy tour
There’s a lot of girl drummers now
Kids ask a lot of good questions.
I started on a rented snare drum learning rudiments
Five years of school marching band.
Playing conventional grip & press rolls
Playing with dynamiccs.
Pinpointing key drummers history of rock and roll: Don Brewer, Stevie Wonder, Mike Shrieve, Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears. Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, Carmine Appice, Billy Cobham,
How original styles in drummers have decreased.
Conversation with Quiet Riot drummer.
Copy licks vs learning concepts
Motivation for starting Loverboy
Started out doing all original material in packed clubs.
Pay to record their first album
First big concert opening for Kiss. End of 1981 played to every demographic.
Worst gig ever played. Cape Cod. Opening for ZZ Top.

I will post Frenette’s full interview audio soon.

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