Hot on the heels of our popular mix of songs featuring Steve Gadd, we solo this group that features great drums tracks by other skin bangers. Some are immediately recognizable classics; others are personal favorites; all feature drum work that’s the backbone for a great song.

There’s a little trivia included, too. Post your answers in the comment section.

Aerosmith – Walk This Way (Toys In The Attic, Columbia, 1975) – One of the most famous rock and roll drum beats of the last 25 years (later jazzed up by Run-DMC), it’s actually a variation on another Joey Kramer rhythm from a previous album. Any guesses?

Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy (I Want Candy, RCA, 1982) – The intrigue of then 17-year old Annabella Lwin notwithstanding, this is a great pop song. No doubt benefitting from multiple overdubs, drummer David Barbarossa improves on the original considerably. Trivia buffs unite: who did the original and who produced this version?

The Clash – Train in Vain (Stand By Me) (London Calling, Epic, 1979) – I think it was Quincy Jones who said “a great song is a great song is a great song” so the suggestion that this is Clash music for non-Clash fans bothers me not. It didn’t bother one of my favorite cowboy singers, either, whose mandolin and fiddle version appears on his “Under the Covers” disc. He was?

Dire Straits – Skateaway (Making Movies, Warner Brothers, 1980) – I recall seeing the video for this song and being completely captivated by the sexiness of it all: Knopfler’s voice couldn’t be more seductive, a girl on roller skates is always elusive and Pick Wither’s reverb laden drum kit gives us the feel of music bouncing around the city streets. The question is: was he Dire Straits’ original drummer?

Doobie Brothers – Rio (Takin’ It To The Streets, Warner Brothers, 1976 ) – I still have the original copy I bought at “Danny Discount” the week it came out; I can still smell the combination of cheap vinyl shoes and stale popcorn. This is track starts out with John Hartman’s drum track in the right channel until Keith Knudsen shows up on in the left channel. They play so seamlessly together, you barely notice there are two of them. (Hartman is arguably the most underrated drummer in rock and roll). Trivia: who is the woman who makes the cameo appearance on this tune?

Grand Funk – We’re An American Band (We’re An American Band, Capital, 1973) – As a ten-year old I thought that a band named “Grand Funk,” singing about “sweet, sweet Connie doing her act,” was simply the coolest thing ever. The fact that I could “almost” play this drum track on my Ringo replica Ludwig kit was a pure bonus. There was something unique about the first 100,000 copies they printed; anyone know what it was?

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Thriller, Epic, 1983) – Yeah, I know it’s “boom-chick, boom-chick” but, as most itinerant drummers know, the simple ones are the hard ones. It’s everything else that Quincy did that made it funky, but great architecture always needs a strong foundation. Say what you will: Michael was brilliant in his day. Who was the drummer (and what band did he play for when he wasn’t working as a studio cat?)

Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin IV, Swan Song, 1971) – Another one of those beats so simple anyone can play it, but few can play it well. And no one played it this way. This was done in one take, according to legend. Who designed the symbols on this album and what do they stand for?

Sting – Shadows In The Rain (Dream of The Blue Turtles, A and M, 1985) – “Wait, wait…what’s key is this in..?” Bassist Daryl Jones’ anxious invocation at the beginning of this revisionist Police tune only hints at the urgency; Omar Hakim’s drum track, the subject of countless magazine transcriptions, drives the point home. Listen for the crescendo after Branford’s sax solo to Omar’s breakdown…one of the most amazing two notes in rock drumming (and something he duplicated live). So, Omar played his first recording session in1975 with what sax player?

Sweet – Ballroom Blitz (Desolation Boulevard, Capital, 1976) – All Music Guide says “Ballroom Blitz” appears on over 100 different CD’s, a testament to a band that critics unfairly trashed as too pop to be glam. But if glam wasn’t pop, what was it? What was the other Top 40 song that appeared on this record?

To purchase, click on the album title.

ZIP: 10 Great Pop Drum Tracks (available only 7 days)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 5:18 pm and is filed under Radio Mixes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.