Jul 292009
Name a band with two drummers. It’s okay if they just have the second drummer for their live set up, a’ la Genesis, but bands with a drummer and a percussionist do not count. Eligible bands must have two full contraption kits.
I’ll start with the aforementioned Genesis.
The Grateful Dead.
The Butthole Surfers (at least for most of the 80s)
The Dirtbombs.
They’re the best band with two drummers, too!
This is going to go on for a while, so pace yourself……
38 Special
Allman Brothers
Damn it! I could have sworn that the Feelies had two full kits but I just searched for some pictures and could not find any. So I’ll go with…
Allman Brothers
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
So that’s how it’s going to be, eh Mockcarr? Guard your brisket, buddy.
The Doobie Brothers
During the Lick My Decals Off Baby era The Magic Band had both Drumbo and Art Tripp III.
boredoms
Clear Light
I don’t have an entry for this LMS but with a title like “Give The Drummer Some” this item that I just came across seems entirely too appropriate in an inappropriate way:
“A KIDNEY WOULD HELP
July 27: A legendary drummer who helped fuel James Brown’s band during its heyday, Clyde Stubblefield faces a daunting illness with failing kidneys. Since mid-June, after a five-day stay at UW Hospital, he has had four-hour dialysis treatments three times per week.
All this leads to a kidney transplant, which can happen no sooner than early 2010 after extensive tests to determine his readiness because Stubblefield, 66, is a bladder cancer survivor.
“I don’t ask, ‘Why me?’ Something bad happened, and I have to contend with it,” said Stubblefield, sitting in his East Side home. “I go along with the doctors and see what we can do. I don’t want to spoil my happiness. I want to be happy.” So he keeps playing drums.
Anyone seeing him, for instance, lead the eight-piece Clyde Stubblefield Band during one of its weekly 9:30 p.m. Monday gigs at The Frequency (121 W. Main St.) or a recent show for the Concerts on the Rooftop series at Monona Terrace would be surprised to learn about Stubblefield’s health.
In concert, Stubblefield plays with fire. He was dubbed the Funky Drummer decades ago as a measure of respect from his peers. Though best known for his soulful beats, Stubblefield also performs with Madison-area jazz, country and pop bands – “everything except opera,” he said with a laugh.
Stubblefield has lived with his girlfriend, Jody Hannon, since 1994. She said that Stubblefield’s diabetes made doctors keep watch the past two years on his increasing kidney trouble. “We were hoping against hope,” she said. “It’s pretty devastating.”
Although Stubblefield is proud of his work with James Brown from 1965 to 1971, he never spoke to Brown after leaving the band. (Brown died in 2006.) “He was a disrespectful person to his band members,” Stubblefield said. “When I left, I was through.”
Still, Stubblefield’s signature beats for Brown were used by many pop, rock and soul acts. Stubblefield’s drumsticks are part of an exhibit at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame exhibit in Cleveland. They’re placed, alphabetically, next to Ringo Starr’s sticks. But his life-threatening illness now looms alongside the music.
“I’m scared. It’s all new and strange,” he said. “I have to accept this, and I have.”
Stubblefield has received countless calls and e-mails – he can be contacted at clydestubblefield@mac.com – from family, friends and fans. Some have offered to be tested to see if their kidney matches what Stubblefield needs.
It’s a humbling response for Stubblefield. People care about him. He looked up when told that and smiled. “I care a lot about the people, too.” – By Tom Alesia via http://www.rockrap.com“
Pavement. Watch out for the rabbit clout, cdm! That’s all I’ve got though, unless Ringo’s band counts.
hockey night
Both Levon Helm and Richard Manuel played drums in The Band. I’m not sure if they ever played simultaneously. I thought Mystery Train from Moondog Matinee was an example, but album credits here — http://theband.hiof.no/albums/moondog_matinee.html — say the second drummer was Billy Mundi. Interesting. It looks like Manuel played drums on half of that album’s tracks, more than I realized. I’m Ready has both he and Helm listed, but that may be with overdubs.
ROCKESTRA!
How about five drummers?
http://www.myspace.com/drummertheband
This is Patrick Carney’s new project. They’ll only have one drummer drumming, though. I haven’t had time to listen yet, but I will. I’ll probably end up buying the album sooner or later, too.
Best of the Beatles!
Pete Best is really two guys?
do one-timers like rockestra count? if so, I call bogus.
Does it count when Thom Yorke plays drums alongside Radiohead’s full-time drummer for a song or two? I’ve seen him do this. If so, I am LAST MAN STANDING!
Killing Joke
Caribou tours with two drumkits. He periodically joins the fulltime drummer on the second kit, and they make a glorious racket.
I am at best the Penultimate Man Standing.
Pere Ubu toured and recorded for a year upon their 1987 or so comeback with both Scott Kraus and Chris Cutler on drums. It was excellent, as is my most recent stand atop the heap of RTH!
the james brown band featured two drummers for much of the 60s.
Bob Dylan and His Band. His Band featured two drummers during the spring 2004 tour when Little Feat’s Richard Hayward played alongside Dylan regular George Receli. Lord knows why this happened other than perhaps Bob just wanted to hang out with Hayward. I’ve given up trying to figure out Bob and his motives. Hayward didn’t even play the entire set. He usually just played along during a couple of tunes. But, there were two kits set up.
TB
Pince nez: It’s pronounced as if it’s spelled Receli, but it’s actually Recile.
THRAK era King Crimson not only had two drummers (Mastellato and Bruford) they also had two stick/bass players (Gunn/Levin) and two guitarists (Belew/Fripp).
x.
Del Ray.
http://www.myspace.com/delrey
They put on an amazing live show.
Adam and the Ants.
the flaming lips have steve drozd and kliph scurlock
Bow Wow Wow
I saw Bow Wow Wow back in the day, and they certainly didn’t have two drummers then. Googling doesn’t turn up any two-drummer line-up, so I’m calling shenanigans.
In any case I have become the Last Man Standing by remembering that The Fall has occasionally deployed a two drummers.
I’m now distracted trying to prepare for the forthcoming Last Man Standing on bands featuring two stick players!
tortoise
Ornette Coleman has been know to employ the double trio format also used by King Crimson, with both Denardo Coleman and Calvin Weston on drums.
[Speaking of which, my LP of the early Ornette/Prime Time album Body Meta is long gone, and it’s been out of print for years, but I just found a downloadable version here — http://theheatwarps.blogspot.com/2007/09/ornette-coleman.html.%5D
Mothers of Invention!
I am the last man standing.
Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys. Lame, yeah, but an answer nonetheless. I thought I saw them on some TV show with a leftie and rightie drummer sharing a hi-hat, but maybe I imagined that.
The Outlaws!
The Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band
James Brown, ca. 1969.
I AM THE LAST MAN STANDING!
No you’re not, Hrrundi, my close personal friend Saturnismine gave that answer a while back. Oats is standing tall.
Gary Glitter
Geez, I leave for a few days and I come back to find that someone has snatched the belt away from me?
Hawkwind.
Now, give it back.
Welcome back, cdm – that is you down there, underneath me and my copy of Joe Cocker, the Mad Dogs & the Englishman live album, a tour for which Joe employed two drummers.
LAST MAN STANDING!
Son of a bitch! How could I have missed that? Those two guys are probably my favorite drummers.