Sep 302012
 

I thought there had been a thread about this subject awhile ago, but I guess not. If not, then the time has come to honor the iconic drum intro to The Ronette‘s “Be My Baby.” You know the one: Bum-ba-bum-BOOM!

Phil Spector added echo to drummer Hal Blaine‘s bass drum, and everyone’s tried to imitate it and capture its Wall of Sound grandiosity ever since. How many imitations, renditions, samples and variations are there?

Share

  29 Responses to “Last Man Standing: The Big Beat”

  1. bostonhistorian

    One of my current favorites, Jagwar Ma’s “Come Save Me,” starts with a variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyFHZaqyZ

  2. bostonhistorian

    Oops, that would be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyFHZaqyZgU Give it a listen!

  3. Slim Jade

    Wow, great tune. Reminds me of Spirea X

  4. The intro to “Jail Guitar Doors,” by the Clash,

  5. That’s pretty cool, historian.

  6. schneids

    be my baby – beach boys

  7. schneids

    i meant to type don’t worry baby by the beach boys!

  8. mockcarr

    What You’re Doing by the Beatles.

  9. Springsteen’s “Someday (We’ll Be Together)” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9odOFvuUc4

  10. One of the only Billy Joel songs I can tolerate, “An Innocent Man,” works off this beat.

    Last Man Standing – and not an innocent one.

  11. I’m profoundly disappointed in myself that I can’t come up with an entry for this because I feel like I should know a dozen or so songs like this.

  12. I remember seeing a show where Roger McGuinn talked about basing the rhythm of an early Byrds hit, maybe “Mr. Tambourine Man,” around “Don’t Worry Baby.” I don’t know if it’s obvious to qualify, but I remember it being a good story/demonstration.

  13. Another Boss use of this beat that Jersey Boy cdm is going to regret not thinking of: “Sandy” or “4th of July” or whatever that song is called.

  14. hrrundivbakshi

    Just before the solo on “Flower People” by Spinal Tap. LMS.

  15. This one kinda has it: http://youtu.be/qnhysizEgoc

  16. “Now they’ll sleep” by belly. Whew…

  17. Slim Jade

    Hal Blaine drummed on Mr.Tambourine Man! (also, Good Vibrations & Help Me Rhonda).

  18. ladymisskirroyale

    Thanks, cdm, for making me think of the little spoken word/drum interlude in Throwing Muses’ “Not Too Soon.”

    Slim, will you take it?

  19. Slim Jade

    That works.

  20. Another tune by Mr. Joel cops the beat religiously: Say Goodbye To Hollywood (which Ronnie Spector would later cover).

  21. trigmogigmo

    “92 Degrees” by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

    Was curious about the source of the voiceover at the top of the song. The internet says:
    “Did you know, Putnam, more people are murdered at ninety two degrees Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once – lower temperatures people are easy-going, over ninety two it’s too hot to move, but just ninety two, people get irritable!
    Source: Actor Charles Drake (as Sheriff Matt Warren) in the film “It Came from Outer Space,” 1953.

  22. Suburban kid

    Different beat IMO.

  23. I just heard this on the radio and would have never ever come up with this one: “All Mixed Up” by the Cars, at about 1:40 going back into the verse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9d-1d0ltCM

  24. The Barracudas – 1965 Again
    http://youtu.be/REmw9F3HHO4

  25. “Ever Thought Of Coming Back” by S.F. popster Kelley Stoltz. Can’t find a sound file of it, but he’s got a bitchin’ version of Bowie’s “Bombers” up on SoundCloud: http://www.kelleystoltz.com/#!soundcloud/cvh9

  26. Slim Jade

    Lots more to go! I’m surprised no one’s come up with Elvis C.’s “Hand In Hand”.

  27. trigmogigmo

    Good catch. Great album, great song.

Lost Password?

 
twitter facebook youtube