Curious About ‘White Album’ Demos, Outtakes, Photos, Video

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Remixes of great Sixties popular music I’ve heard are hit or miss. Having grown up listening to the original mixes, the clarity (sterility?) of some Sixties remixes kills the music’s charm. The Motown remixes are the most infamous I can name.

But from the music I’ve heard, and the back stories I’ve read, of The Beatles’ “White Album,” this looks like a winner. I still have fond memories of sitting with “that old gang of mine” in front of record players, listening many times to the original vinyl stereo albums.

Mostly I’m curious about all the music on this “White Album” Anniversary Edition never before released to the public; the Esher demo tapes, the outtakes, and the studio banter. Also, the photos and videos.

The remix engineers do a good job here explaining their work. It’s fun seeing clips of Ringo in the studio with white hand towels draped over his drumheads. They definitely added to Ringo’s sound.

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Unreleased Frankie Dunlop with Monk Quartet 1963

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Wow! Unreleased Monk with Frankie Dunlop on drums. Live! Thank you, Gearbox Records. I bought an MP3 copy of this last night.

Frankie, as always, plays great. His drum sound is deep, wide open. Don’t miss it.

Here’s some background on the recording. I’m assuming “saved from a skip” means a garbage can or a trash bin. Thank you in advance to anyone who can confirm or correct me.

With the original tapes recently saved from a skip, some 55 years later the recordings have now been faithfully restored, mastered and cut using Gearbox’s legendary all-analogue process (even using the exact same lathe as Blue Note did back in the day). The result reveals a window into a performance that shows Monk in his prime, just one year before he would go on to become one of only 4 jazz artists to ever appear on the front cover of TIME magazine.

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The Beatles: Just an Excuse for the World to Go Crazy

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Andy is on three George Harrison albums: Dark Horse (1974), Extra Texture (Read All About It (1975), and George Harrison (1979). Andy Newmark, Max Weinberg, and I were present at this interview in Manhattan — I think it was Andy Newmark’s apartment. Listeners will hear traffic noises sometimes.

This interview was meant for inclusion in a book Max and I were co-writing at the time. Our original book concept changed to a format I felt was too close to my work at the time as Modern Drummer’s managing editor. Max and I parted amicably. I retained our Andy Newmark interview and others (Paul T. Riddle, Jaimoe), and Max went on to write his book, “The Big Beat.”

I’m just revisiting Andy Newmark’s interview. The first time I saw Andy playing was at Westbury Music Fair (1971) with Carly Simon who had just released her first album, “Anticipation.” Andy’s drum fills on the album title track are classic.

Andy was the only drummer on John Lennon’s last album, “Double Fantasy,” and on Sly Stone’s “Fresh” album.

Max opens this excerpt asking Andy about his first meeting with George Harrison. Andy talks about that, about recording with George in Harrison’s home studio, and about George Harrison as “a regular guy.”

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The King of Pandeiro: Yikes!

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Robert Leebrick, after my “Hidden Drummers of Iran” post, wrote asking me if I had ever heard of Wellington Moreira the King of Pandeiro. Mr. Leebrick included a Facebook video which, unfortunately, I am unable to embed here. The good news? The King of Pandeiro has a few excellent YouTube videos, so I will share one here.

According to Wikipedia, “The pandeiro is a type of hand frame drum popular in Brazil, and which has been described as an unofficial instrument of that nation.”

Watching the Iranian tonbak drummers and Wellington Moreira always brings to mind drumset players who swear they could be great drummers if they only had more drums and cymbals.

Thank you, Robert Leebrick

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‘Hidden Drummers of Iran’ Documentary

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: I came across this amazing drummer in an online news story about a Kickstarter campaign to fund a “Hidden Drummers of Iran” documentary. Ruairi Glasheen, the author of the news story, is also the “Hidden Drummers” documentarian. This one-minute Instagram video leaves me wanting to hear more from this drummer and her colleagues.

As of this writing, Mr. Glasheen has raised $2,325 toward his Kickstarter goal of $5,916.

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Rhythm revolution: Young Iranians revive ancient drumming traditions
By Ruairi Glasheen, for CNN Updated 8:18 AM ET, Tue September 18, 2018

CNN)I first encountered the tonbak — Iran’s indigenous drum — as a student, when I heard it on an old LP I found in a dusty corner of the library at London’s Royal College of Music. Instantly, I was hooked.

A small, goblet-shaped drum, the tonbak…drives the fast and frenetic rhythmic intensity of Persian classical music.

The tonbak is usually made of walnut, ash or pear wood…with a thin piece of camel or goat skin.

Beyond formal drumming techniques, tonbak players have — over the instrument’s long history — devised a seemingly limitless range of deviations using different parts of the hands, fingers and nails to create entrancing solos and accompaniments. The modern generation’s top players have taken innovation a step further, incorporating elements of melody….

Today, Iran’s tonbak drumming scene is thriving.

[M]astering the tonbak is a long process that requires finding a teacher willing to take you under their wing, prayer and a lot of practice.

Full Story

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