Your favourite drum breaks. . . .

[chris_b]

The guys in the band I love playing with most are drummers. I'm lucky, I haven't played with a bad drummer in the last 25 years and many of them have been excellent players.

I've been thinking about my favourite drum breaks. I always love to hear this from Ritchie Hayward. A perfect drum break to bring the song in. . . from 20 secs in.

 

What's your favourite drum break?

 

 

[Lozz196]

There’s a fantastic drum roll in Smash it Up by The Damned that takes the song from to the middle passage, at 1:14

 

[mikel]

No contest. The Keith Moon, man falling down a lift shaft with a drum kit,  break in "Substitute" by the Who. Priceless.

[Fishfacefour]

Got to be the amen break (amen brother - the Winstons) 

 

[Hellzero]

 

[Crawford13]

Not a break, but I love the drum only intro on this track. 

[Waddo Soqable]

I've always liked that bit that kicks off the beginning of "Love like Blood" by Killing Joke..

[seashell]

Bonzo on Misty Mountain Hop. 

[paul_5]

Herb's fluid running round the kit on the intro to Primus' "Southbound Pachyderm", also the whole of the track 'Eleven", also by the above trio.

45" in on this one:

 

And this whole track:

 

[Fishfacefour]

Also, the start to this is another favourite:

 

[Dad3353]

This, from the very first 'chip' of the hi-hat, is right on the money for setting the pace. Play it through a couple of times, and admire how Casady comes in with his thundering riff and it all takes off...

 

[Crawford13]

Another Primus one, this time from Brain. Drum break is around the 2 min mark. Outstanding. 

 

[Doctor J]

No competition

 

[SumOne]

2 hours ago, Fishfacefour said:

Got to be the amen break (amen brother - the Winstons) 

 

I've definitely spent 100s of hours listening to that break and this one sped up/cut up:

 

[AndyTravis]

Not so much a break.

There’s a section in Sultan’s of Swing and Knopfler says “and then the time bell rings” or something and the drummer taps out the “time bell” on the ride - really sweet.

[Geek99]

50 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Not so much a break.

There’s a section in Sultan’s of Swing and Knopfler says “and then the time bell rings” or something and the drummer taps out the “time bell” on the ride - really sweet.

He does say exactly that 

[meterman]

Couple of favourite vintage Bernard Purdie breaks come to mind. He played on some Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers tunes in the 60s and when he lets loose here at 1:16 it’s wild. The congas on the intro are great as well.

He recorded with Mongo Santamaria a few times, and his playing on the cover of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” is brutal. The intro is standard funky Latin and everyone is holding back slightly but the solo drums at 4:36 are hard as nails. Miles away from all the slick, polished stuff he did in the 70s with Steely Dan and Aretha Franklin etc. 

Wild snare and tom tom accents, plus some brilliant ‘across the bar’ fills that were rare at the time but later you’d hear them on Zeppelin tunes, or Sly & The Family Stone or whoever. Love it.

I could post favourite breaks all day long (my main instrument is percussion) but I’ll save them for when BreaksChat is up and running

[meterman]

Actually, no, two more. “Cold, Cold, Cold” by Little Feat. When Richie Hayward comes in off the chugging drum machine intro, his fill that kicks off the track is ace. His playing throughout the whole song is pretty special tbh, and his drum sound is one of my all time favourites:

And Paul Humphrey playing with Thijs Van Leer on “Street Rondo” is a great example of a rock solid break, but at a slower tempo that is hard to maintain unless you’re a real pro. The subtle hi-hat lifts and bass drum upbeats are class. (Warning: funk, prog and flute are involved 😂 )

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by meterman

[SumOne]

Excellent selection @meterman keep them coming. I'd sign up for breakschat (I'm on a Facebook group called 'jungle beardstroke massive'!) 

[Crawford13]

9 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Not so much a break.

There’s a section in Sultan’s of Swing and Knopfler says “and then the time bell rings” or something and the drummer taps out the “time bell” on the ride - really sweet.

Good shout! There is also an incredibly cool snare fill in that song. 

[Paul S]

One of my favourites, I always look forward to it   2:50 or so towards the end.  Great, underplayed song IMO.

 

This, too - Carmine Appice.  Pretty much all the way through the fills are superb.  We play this in my blues/rock trio, great song.

 

 

[paul_5]

I love Manu Katché’s playing on Sting’s Seven Days - peppered throughout with tasty little ad libs. 

[lowdown]

 

[casapete]

I always like the drum break on this classic - just as it fades around 4m16s the drums bring it back in with a vengeance!

 

[meterman]

Bobby Byrd and the J.B’s - “Hot Pants” is an old school funk classic. Drums by Jabo Starks, I think? The original is classic 1970s JB’s funk, but the 80s remix that just featured the drums, tambourine and vocal became the backbone of tons of other records. Hello Stone Roses, Madonna, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Gang Starr, A Guy Called Gerald, etc. Even Spice Girls and Erasure nicked it.

The original:

And the remix for “Fools Gold” fans: