Bernard Purdie Poll: His Six Career-Defining Records

dunno, rock steady is pretty rad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kg2i_Rb6Ts

Rock Steady is all about the bass.

b-b-b-but what about the break right around 2:30!

my favorite purdie record is king curtis, "live at fillmore west".

I voted Dan reflexively but instantly regretted it - "Man's World" is kind of hard to hear as a song instead of an iconic sort of thing but the drumming on it is fucking psycho great.

yeahhh, like Purdie says about Man's World - "Even though it's a ballad, it had to pump."

"She's Gone" should not be overlooked, that is an incredible studioscape right there.

I think maybe Purdie has Ringo confused with Pete Best?

Rock Steady

he plays some nice stuff on one of those Don Cooper records... i forget which one. the track i love most is 'fat love birds' i think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vo0HSNsnIw

voting Rock Steady, let's call this poll exactly what it is (what it is)

not EXplain; 'splain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8DsNo4KB6Y

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Shiiit, I never knew he drummed on "Rock Steady". I'd vote for "Rock Steady" over aaaanything. "Rock Steady" vs my mom's apple pie? Fuck you, I'm voting for "Rock Steady".

I watch that Purdie clip for hours. He should have a TV show.

"Rock Steady" is such a jam.

yeah i didn't think i'd be voting for it when i started this poll, but after jamming it about 30 times in the past week, i sure as hell voted for it.

tbh, my longtime obsession with Aretha's "Rock Steady" was supplanted by this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is5qD06DZps

I love everything Purdie does. Would rep for other Steely Dan tracks over "Home at Last" even if it is the protypical Purdie shuffle. "Babylon Sisters" never quits, and "Kid Charlemagne" is the balls. Also check out the cymbals on "Deacon Blues." Beyond Aretha and James Brown I'm still getting acquainted with his other stuff. Dude is so funky it hurts. Went with "Rock Steady".

I watch that Purdie clip for hours. He should have a TV show.

I was thinking the same thing. He did a clinic at my high school in the 80s, and was similarly entertaining/educational. He also talked about how drummers (himself included) always quit Ray Charles' band because of the absurd slowness of Ray's "death tempo."

rock steady

My theory on the Beatles stuff..

I reckon he dubbed drums onto some live recordings where Ringo hadn't come over on the tape enough.

I know there was some discussion about issuing a live album back in 1965 or so, maybe the tapes that eventually got issued, maybe not.

i thought this poll would be about roxy's cat in diff outfits

purdie apparently dubbed new drumming over the tony sheridan stuff ('my bonnie,' etc.) when it got an american release -- but he was dubbing over pete best, not ringo.

my fave purdie shuffle is on 'think i'll call it morning' by gil scott-heron (w/ ron carter on bass!)

also love his drumming on 'morning dew' by tim rose - not so much pumpin' as crackin'

yeah that whole G S-H album - pieces of a man - is ace

oh wow didn't even know he was on that gil scot album! man, purdie was a busy dude in the 70s.
everyone on this thread should read the 33 1/3 aretha amazing grace book -- a whole lot of bernard in it.

OK, will do

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Damn, might have to go make a pilgrimage in April:
https://greenmilljazz.com/calendar/?ajaxCalendar=1&mo=4&yr=2024&full=1