Most influential Drummers

The topic on Influential Guitarisits by Glenn Spinner gave me this idea. Drunners most often dont get the recognition they deserve I would like to hear opinions on who people think were influential drummers those who got recognition for how good they play or influential in their styles and changing things. Heres my picks

John Bonham

Neil Peart

Carl Palmer

Buddy Rich

Ian Paice

Ginger Baker

Mitch Mitchell

Carmine Appice

Ringo Starr

Alan White

Promote

0 members promoted this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Lemonds on December 4, 2010 at 10:36am

I have to throw in Chester Thompson on the list........fantastic player

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ben Harris on December 5, 2010 at 1:44am

Larri London!!!!!!

There area lot of guys who I think play great, there is only one Larri London. He was the best. I loved him like a brother and miss him still to this day. When he died I really wondered if I could make records again. He was that good.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tim Hedge on December 7, 2010 at 7:39pm

Just some of my favorites...

Jeff Porcaro
Steve Gadd
Billy Cobham
Steve Jordan
Larrie London
John Bonham
Gene Krupa
Carl Palmer
Buddy Rich
Neil Peart

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Judy Rodman on December 8, 2010 at 6:33pm

I would add Larry Londin. In my opinion he literally invented the grooves that launched careers like Vince Gill's.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Radcliffe on December 9, 2010 at 12:00pm

Judy Rodman said:

I would add Larry Londin. In my opinion he literally invented the grooves that launched careers like Vince Gill's.

Judy, can you elaborate on that some? All I really know of Larry's playing is what he did on one Journey album and Steve Perry's solo stuff. I wouldn't know a Vince Gill song if *I* played on it. :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Carroll on December 11, 2010 at 10:58am

Anyone ever heard of Smoky Dacus? When it comes to influence, he's kind of a big deal! Read and learn....

http://www.leonrausch.net/SmokyDacus.html

Just sayin'... ;-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ben Harris on December 11, 2010 at 11:35am

Mike, I'm certainly not Judy, but I do understand exactly what she means. Larri had a way of laying a groove unlike any drummer I have ever heard, let alone had the honor of working with. He worked on projects I engineered for Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Randy Travis and others I cannot recall due to excessive old age. Larri would make you wait for the "2" and "4" just enough to make you go "yeah. thats it". His uncanny use of the hi hat to establish unique sub-beats has never been duplicated by any drummer. I have a copy of a project I did in the mid '80's where he played a 128th count on the hat, while still maintaining full snare and dotted kick drum. Everyone I have ever played that for swears he had to have overdubbed the hat. But not true, I was there and I can testify, he played it all live. A funny story about Larri working on a Reba album, when she first got started, goes like this......Reba walks into the Control room for a listen back, just after she had sung a guide vocal totally out of the pocket, and tells producer Jimmy Bowen, while Larri stands nearby and within easy ear shot, "Tell the drummer to play the beat with me". Larri responded in typically Larri fashion, "Lady I am the beat." He wasn't being mean or short with her, he was just stating a fact that everyone in the room knew but Reba. Then once, maybe out of boredom (who knows) I attempted to "play" his kick drum. I stood on the darn pedal, and it was strong to say the least. Backing off to hit the thing as hard as I could, the wooden beater came back and slammed into my shin. I had a bruise there for days! The first session I ever engineered in Nashville was on a Saturday cutting a demo of "Put On Your High Heal Sneakers" for Ronnie Milsap. At that time I had been hired only as a tech for the studio, not a first engineer. I told Larri when he arrived early that morning that I was nervous about the date, even though it was supposed to only be a demo. I was really not sure my work would "hold up" with other Nashville engineers of the day. Larri said, "Ah you'll be fine". We began to get drum sounds and it did not take me long to realize that the engineers in Nashville didn't have secrets or special golden ears better than me....they had great players that made them look good. Eventually that cut was turned into a master, and it was included on the first album of many I recorded for Milsap. Larri's drums and his talent were always a cut above everyone else. He was my friend, and in some respects my hero. God I do miss him so!

Mike Radcliffe said:

Judy Rodman said:
I would add Larry Londin. In my opinion he literally invented the grooves that launched careers like Vince Gill's.

Judy, can you elaborate on that some? All I really know of Larry's playing is what he did on one Journey album and Steve Perry's solo stuff. I wouldn't know a Vince Gill song if *I* played on it. :-)

I

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Carroll on December 11, 2010 at 1:47pm

Larri was the absolute King of the modern 4/4 shuffle. Nobody has since played it the way he did. The summer he and Jeff P died, the world lost a whole lotta groove! Larri, although I never knew him personally, was certainly one-of-a-kind!

Ben Harris said:

Mike, I'm certainly not Judy, but I do understand exactly what she means. Larri had a way of laying a groove unlike any drummer I have ever heard, let alone had the honor of working with. He worked on projects I engineered for Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Randy Travis and others I cannot recall due to excessive old age. Larri would make you wait for the "2" and "4" just enough to make you go "yeah. thats it". His uncanny use of the hi hat to establish unique sub-beats has never been duplicated by any drummer. I have a copy of a project I did in the mid '80's where he played a 128th count on the hat, while still maintaining full snare and dotted kick drum. Everyone I have ever played that for swears he had to have overdubbed the hat. But not true, I was there and I can testify, he played it all live. A funny story about Larri working on a Reba album, when she first got started, goes like this......Reba walks into the Control room for a listen back, just after she had sung a guide vocal totally out of the pocket, and tells producer Jimmy Bowen, while Larri stands nearby and within easy ear shot, "Tell the drummer to play the beat with me". Larri responded in typically Larri fashion, "Lady I am the beat." He wasn't being mean or short with her, he was just stating a fact that everyone in the room knew but Reba. Then once, maybe out of boredom (who knows) I attempted to "play" his kick drum. I stood on the darn pedal, and it was strong to say the least. Backing off to hit the thing as hard as I could, the wooden beater came back and slammed into my shin. I had a bruise there for days! The first session I ever engineered in Nashville was on a Saturday cutting a demo of "Put On Your High Heal Sneakers" for Ronnie Milsap. At that time I had been hired only as a tech for the studio, not a first engineer. I told Larri when he arrived early that morning that I was nervous about the date, even though it was supposed to only be a demo. I was really not sure my work would "hold up" with other Nashville engineers of the day. Larri said, "Ah you'll be fine". We began to get drum sounds and it did not take me long to realize that the engineers in Nashville didn't have secrets or special golden ears better than me....they had great players that made them look good. Eventually that cut was turned into a master, and it was included on the first album of many I recorded for Milsap. Larri's drums and his talent were always a cut above everyone else. He was my friend, and in some respects my hero. God I do miss him so!

Mike Radcliffe said:

Judy Rodman said:
I would add Larry Londin. In my opinion he literally invented the grooves that launched careers like Vince Gill's.

Judy, can you elaborate on that some? All I really know of Larry's playing is what he did on one Journey album and Steve Perry's solo stuff. I wouldn't know a Vince Gill song if *I* played on it. :-)

I