The Bernard Purdie Collection Vol. 1
Few of us who are not drummers are likely to have a favourite drummer, and if we do they are probably a member of a band, say Keith Moon or John Bonham. My favourite drummer is Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, whose contribution to music has been mostly as a session musician. I have no competence to declare Purdie the “best” drummer ever, though he has been massively influential on others in his craft (inluding Bonham).
Purdie plays on two songs on which I have always loved the drumming in particular: The Five Stairsteps’ “O-o-h Child” and Tim Rose’s version of “Hey Joe”, the one that inspired Jimi Hendrix. And from there it’s a short leap to two mixes… Yes, two mixes, since he is the world’s most recorded drummer.
The native of Elkton, Maryland, did overdubs for the album Tony Sheridan recorded with The Beatles (looks like Pete Best didn’t quite cut it), played with James Brown, served as Aretha Franklin’s musical director, backed Gil Scott-Heron and played on a succession of Steely Dan albums. You hear his drumming on James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”, Hall & Oates’ “She’s Gone”, BB King’s “The Thrill Is Gone”, and on Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway’s “Where Is The Love”.
He is credited with inventing the “Purdie Shuffle” (see him demonstrate it in these two videos: Part 1 and Part 2). At 72 he is still performing. See his website.
Over the two mixes I’ve kept things down to one song per artist, with one exceptions: King Curtis appears in successive songs: on his own version of “Whole Lotta Love” from the Fillmore West live album and on the track by Shirley Scott.
As always, the mix is timed to fit on a standard CD-R. The mix includes home-skinned covers. PW in comments.
1. Bernard Purdie – Soul Drums (1968)
2. The Five Stairsteps – O-o-h Child (1970)
3. Tim Rose – Hey Joe (1967)
4. King Curtis – Whole Lotta Love (1971)
5. Shirley Scott & The Soul Saxes – You (1968)
6. Aretha Franklin – Rock Steady (1972)
7. Nina Simone – Real Real (1967)
8. John Lee Hooker – I Don’t Wanna Go To Vietnam (1968)
9. Bama The Village Poet – I Got Soul (1972)
10. Gil Scott-Heron – The Needle’s Eye (1971)
11. Esther Phillips – Sweet Touch Of Love (1972)
12. David Newman – Captain Buckles (1971)
13. Margie Joseph – Touch Your Woman (1973)
14. Roberta Flack – Sunday And Sister Jones (1971)
15. Wayne Davis – I Like The Things About Me That I Once Despised (1973)
16. Donal Leace – Country Road (1972)
17. Gabor Szabo – Paint It Black (1966)
18. Leon Thomas – Let’s Go Down To Lucy (1972)
19. Ralfi Pagan – La Vida (1975)
20. Brother Jack McDuff – A Change Is Gonna Come (1966)
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PW = amdwhah
What? No Beatles? ;-)
Another great collection, Dude. Thank you VERY much.
Surprised it does not have “Any Major” in the title, though. Don’t lose your brand!
Ha, we’ll stick to orthodoxy on that one for now, Patrick.
Good point about the branding, sonic. Sometimes I just need to shine the spotlight on the subject of a mix.
I would like to add “Black Purd’s Theme”. It looks if you hear a band playing: bass, guitar, all kinds of instruments, but in fact it’s just Bernard Purdie playing the drums.
http://soulmusicsongs.tumblr.com/post/55619849816/black-purd-s-theme
Thanks
This is great. I was late in getting into Purdie. This oughta be an education! Don’t forget his record with Albert Ayler, New Grass.–Bill
Another fine collection/selection, for which many thanks!
What, no Steely Dan?
Steely Dan will come on Volume 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svztw0okXKY
BP here too, ruling the sound!
I came here looking for the drummer of Ooh-child and left with a song list of music to listen to. I have always loved this guys percussion but never knew who he was. Thanks!
I hope you checked out both volumes of Bernard Purdie’s music, edwin, and at you took a look around to find some more good stuff.
Nice to see that Bernard Purdie is your favorite drummer. You obviously have great taste in drummers. However, Purdie wasn’t the drummer on “O-o-h Child” by The Five Stairsteps. The drummer on that song is Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey who became the drummer with P-Funk later in the 70’s. Since Purdie is your favorite drummer I thought you’d like to know that.
Opinion is very divided on that.
Purdie has claimed to have played on the song (though Purdie’s memory is said to be imperfect on some claims): see http://funklet.com/ooh-child/ or listen to him talk abiut the session, in some detail, in this interview: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/34475
The great drummer Wally Gator Watson said the drummer was Purdie:
http://www.answers.com/Q/Who_played_drums_on_O-o-h_Child_by_the_Five_Stairsteps
For Brailey’s involvement we have his own claim and the fact of his links with the Five Stairsteps, an unreferenced wikipedia reference that is repeated verbatim on several websites, and a likewise unsupported reference on the Soul Patrol newsletter: http://soul-patrol.com/newsletter/in/view1.php?id=1041
There is no clear proof either way that I know of. But the evidence seems to weigh stronger in favour of Purdie, especially since he backs up his claim with some detail about the session which, to my knowledge, has not been refuted by anyone involved, as one might expect if he was lying.
Thanks for this and Volume 2. Bernard Purdie is one of the greatest drummers of all time and a fun personality to boot.
There is only one song that I’m surprised didn’t make Volume 1 or 2, and that is the Melvin Bliss song “Synthetic Substitution” which is one of the most sampled break beats in hip-hop and even pop.
Something for Volume 3 I hope!