I remember waiting for at least a week for this “event” on the Carson Show.
They announced that the Tonight Show Band’s Ed Shaughnessy was going to have a battle of the drummers against the great Buddy Rich.
This was something at the time, and I’m not sure they have stuff like this anymore. Too many channels, too much to talk about.
I remember thinking Rich bettered Shaughnessy, but Ed showed the country just how great he was.
I remember that. Speaking of drummers, back when I was young and frequently intoxicated one of the guys in our circle of friends (Marty) considered himself a bit of a drummer. And back in the late 70’s security for bands was not needed. Anyway, a few times bands would ask if anyone in the crowd felt like they could come up and play with the band. Marty couldn’t wait, he would be up on stage playing along with the the band, everything going OK, then Marty would gradually drift off into some drum solo that couldn’t be stopped. We would be laughing like hell, and someone would literally have to wrestle Marty from the stage. You had to be there to appreciate it. Those were the days.
That was awesome – good clean fun and a joy to watch.
Nice find. I miss that type of entertainment.
When ‘entertainment’ was entertaining.
Buddy high as a kite, probably.
I was a fan of Ginger Baker and saw him perform on a couple of occasions. There have been a few exceptional drummers come along and different styles appeal to different people but Buddy Rich was legendary.
That was when a celebrity was a performer with an exceptional talent that entertained people.
Who are our celebrities today? Sex tape. Wealthy because they sold their soul to the devil shilling for a network. Protected criminal….
The last couple music posts(Aaron Copeland,Benny Goodman) led me down the same road to the past. I was reminded of the times Doc would get to play on air…once he did theme for the common man(ELP style) while they ran clips of over the top football hits/plays. It was brilliant.
I watched the night the above video took place, too.
Always watched when Buddy was on.
Fusion of the 70s helped showcase some great drummers, too. Ginger Baker, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Terry Bozio, Ainsley Dunbar…the list is long. Somebody said; music is the best.
Buddy Rich, the best of the best.
About a year before Buddy died, I was in NYC with a friend, whose friend played horn in Buddy’s band. So we went to a club where they were playing one night. Since my friend knew the band, we got to sit in some special seating about three feet behind Buddy. It was the most amazing think I’d ever seen, or possibly, ever will see. The man was amazing.
Odd to see this post this morning after happening to watch a few drum battles on YouTube last night. Not my usual fare, but once in awhile I get on a “roll”. Starting with Gene Krupa vs Buddy Rich, Animal (The Muppets) vs Rich, etc.
Ended the evening with Peggy Lee singing “Fever” with the simple trio of Max Bennett on string base and Jack Sperling on Drums. Please take a moment to enjoy Sperling’s sublime hand drumming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYxoAJ3Boyc
“Who are our celebrities today?”
Whores, pimps, thugs, illiterates, sodomites, frauds, lunatics…all with talents minimal to nil compared against the past. To a degree it was always that way, but today most celebs are devoid of talent (they’re all image) and the media complex is getting less interested concealing it. Or less able to.
Very interesting times lie ahead as the trend continues.
Thanks for that; I missed it its first time around…
I Highly recommend BEWARE OF MR. BAKER on Netflix, Rotten Tomatoes score 98%!
Shows Ginger at his most skilled, and also most irascible. Great documentary
I got to see the Buddy Rich band in person twice in the 1970s. Awesome.
Organgrinder, have you seen Beware Mr. Baker? Fantastic drummer. He lives in South Africa now.
I remember watching that. Very enjoyable.
It’s hard to imagine now what a rare event it was to see any kind of music thing like this on TV. In 1977 I remember hearing that David Bowie was going to be playing with Iggy Pop’s band on – of all places – The Dinah Shore Show. I cut out of school early to come home and watch it on a little black and white portable TV.
Of course, now I can just go to YouTube and see them performing FunTime over and over again. But, at the time, you thought you only had one chance in a lifetime to catch it and you’d never see it again, ever.
You know what they call someone who hangs around with musicians?
Drummer
Don’t hate on me, it’s a joke all musicians know.
By the way, I don’t really look at that Carson clip as a “battle”. It was two great drummers playing off each other.
What do you throw to a drowning bass player?
His amp!
At the time Buddy was 61 years old. Schaunessy was 49.
What was the last thing the drummer said before he was kicked out of the band?
“I’ve brought in some of my own songs I’d like the group to do.”
More cowbell!
Buddy Rich berating his band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omID1prJHFo
Great stuff – thank GOD old Carson episodes are on about 6 DIFFERENT “classic” TV channels each night, between 8pm & midnite. The current crop of late night hacks couldn’t carry either one their STICKS, much less, Johnny’s coffee cup.
If only we’d known then – “it doesn’t get any BETTER than THIS.” đŸ˜³
Love it.
I was into Latin and bongos at one time. I know, different animal. Got to sit at a table for 3 sets, butted right up to stage while Mongo Santa Maria performed the final act for the week the London House in Chicago closed. We talked back and forth with him and his band. His fingers were nearly stubs from all the years of beating the bongos.
He was non too happy with Santana over some supposedly lifted music.
At one point his female singer “fell out” of her one shouldered dress. It was accidental, but the look on the faces of the guys was hysterical.
I was inspired by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. I played for 22 years but hurt my hand in a motorcycle accident and had to stop.
Buddy Rich was definitely faster. NONE of the “Late night shows” are worth a shit compared to Johnny. #I miss Johnny!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3yDealMJt4
Here’s Buddy Rich disparaging match gripped drummers, like Ginger Baker.
Rich was never one to have much restraint of opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0V4Aqs2D48
One wonders when Rich switched, because in his big band era he was a match grip player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpbK-Ofkzw
Bill and Mickey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJhu8LC_k-s
Windy and cold and thanks to this post, I’ve been on a percussion fetish all day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1rX9E8NuRw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdFV3umJJJw