John Bonham

That would be a cool trio. They'd probably be playing jazz today...Many of the old time rock drummers slide on into jazz. I think they always liked it, but were making more money in the rock arena. Bruford, Charlie Watts, Steve Smith, Simon Phillips, Bonzo? Well Stanton Moore is sort of a Bonzoish jazz dude 'eh?

Well Bonzo has a special place in my heart. I was a big fan ever since I was a kid. Used to have all my walls covered in zeppelin posters. I had a lifesize one of Robert Plant! Used to be in the Led Zeppelin fan club. This is before the Internet & computers. I used to have Zeppelin pen pals that I would write letters to (imagine that) in Australia and England. All girls of course.
 
I got a ching-ring about a year ago when buying a bunch of add-ons for my kit. It's not a genuine ching-ring but it's the same instrument, essentially. The thing about it is, I really have to STOMP on the hi-hat to get a good jingle sound out of it, and I always keep my hi-hats open by at least 1 1/2 inches. To get the sound and volume Bonham gets on any live 'Moby Dick' solo gets tiring in about 2 minutes. Maybe his had more jingles on it or was manufactured a lot better, but regardless, it's not nearly as easy as I thought to get that consistent jingle sound for an extended period of time.
 
Goody602 said:
I got a ching-ring about a year ago when buying a bunch of add-ons for my kit. It's not a genuine ching-ring but it's the same instrument, essentially. The thing about it is, I really have to STOMP on the hi-hat to get a good jingle sound out of it, and I always keep my hi-hats open by at least 1 1/2 inches. To get the sound and volume Bonham gets on any live 'Moby Dick' solo gets tiring in about 2 minutes. Maybe his had more jingles on it or was manufactured a lot better, but regardless, it's not nearly as easy as I thought to get that consistent jingle sound for an extended period of time.

That was my original question on this ching-a-ling-a-ding. Just by looking at it (the pictures that Nutha posted)...The authentic hi-hat tamborine design looks like it will "ching" freely...whereas the ching-ding-thing looks like the poor mans version of the same...By the way it is designed to sit on the hit hat, it is stifled. And you've confirmed it for me...Thanks for the info.
 
murphinelli said:
Jaco Pastorius. Bass player for Weather Report that died way too early. One of the most influential Bass players ever. If there is a Bass player forum there is a Jaco page that has fans as strong as Bonzo fans here.

'Continuum' and 'Portrait of Tracy' still send shivers down my spine literally every time I hear them. One day I will take up the bass.
 
That was my original question on this ching-a-ling-a-ding. Just by looking at it (the pictures that Nutha posted)...The authentic hi-hat tamborine design looks like it will "ching" freely...whereas the ching-ding-thing looks like the poor mans version of the same...By the way it is designed to sit on the hit hat, it is stifled. And you've confirmed it for me...Thanks for the info.


Mine looks almost exactly like the first, smaller picture that Nutha put up that says "Bonzo's version." I'ts definitely not designed to sit right on the hi-hat. What I meant is that if you look at pictures of Bonham's it looks like it has more jingles than the modern version. Still though, it's not as easy to get a great sound out of it as I originally thought, you really have to stomp on it to hear it.
 
Goody602 said:
Mine looks almost exactly like the first, smaller picture that Nutha put up that says "Bonzo's version." I'ts definitely not designed to sit right on the hi-hat. What I meant is that if you look at pictures of Bonham's it looks like it has more jingles than the modern version. Still though, it's not as easy to get a great sound out of it as I originally thought, you really have to stomp on it to hear it.


Ahh. Misunderstood your first post. Well in the end, Bonham had a mic on his, correct? So, foot stomping was not necessary. Anyways, I'm gonna get one of the Bonham looking original ones myself at some point soon.

Rock on bro!
 
Goody602 said:
Mine looks almost exactly like the first, smaller picture that Nutha put up that says "Bonzo's version." I'ts definitely not designed to sit right on the hi-hat. What I meant is that if you look at pictures of Bonham's it looks like it has more jingles than the modern version. Still though, it's not as easy to get a great sound out of it as I originally thought, you really have to stomp on it to hear it.

Do you put yours on just like the picture? I put mine on upside down in comparison to the pic, and it works great. Also, do you have the brass or nickel version, I read somewhere that the nickel version is more subdued than the brass. If you install it like I do and you have the brass, I don't know what to say, maybe it sounds better down range than it does sitting next to it....
 
Do you put yours on just like the picture? I put mine on upside down in comparison to the pic, and it works great. Also, do you have the brass or nickel version, I read somewhere that the nickel version is more subdued than the brass. If you install it like I do and you have the brass, I don't know what to say, maybe it sounds better down range than it does sitting next to it....

Yeah, I think I have the nickel one, and I think I tried it upside down too and didn't notice too much of a difference. But now that you mention it I'm gonna try it again. Thanks for the tip.
 
zep's biggest hits in their earliest years were rips/re-workings of old songs. whole lotta love..... willie dixon. dazed and confused was also a re-worked song from page's yardbird days, i think the song was originally titled i'm confused" or something like that. he also had his whole violin bow routine in those days as well. as for bonzo's drug use..... according to richard cole's biography (zeppelin tour manager) EVERYONE in the band at least dabbled in cocaine..... but page was the only one who used heroin. bonzo's use was erratic, but steady, but as we all know alcohol was his main problem.
 
spoonracings2k said:
zep's biggest hits in their earliest years were rips/re-workings of old songs. whole lotta love..... willie dixon. dazed and confused was also a re-worked song from page's yardbird days, i think the song was originally titled i'm confused" or something like that. he also had his whole violin bow routine in those days as well. as for bonzo's drug use..... according to richard cole's biography (zeppelin tour manager) EVERYONE in the band at least dabbled in cocaine..... but page was the only one who used heroin. bonzo's use was erratic, but steady, but as we all know alcohol was his main problem.

Hello spoon. Hey, wouldn't it be better to add facts about the "musical" influence of Bonzo, rather than what "substances" were influencing him? His "body of work" is what's important. Not what was working on his body. Thanks....Play On!
 
NUTHA JASON said:
i own two bonham biographys and have read several zep ones plus numerous articles and interviews and there is no mention of heroine.

j


i read Stairway to Heaven (which was an awesome zep bio by the way) and richard cole - zeppelin tour manager and author of the book- never said bonzo was into herion. The herion was mostly himself (cole), page and plant. as a matter of fact they never even injected it....they snorted it. Bonzo was the big drinker. I mean come on. 40 somethin shots of vodka within a matter of hours. Hes not invincible. its sad that he passed away so early. U could only imagine ''what if"
 
John Bonham is definitely one of the greatest there ever was and he should be recognized for his songs pretty much like the ones that previous replies have listed: Moby Dick, When the Levee Breaks...and so on. Absolutely untouchable when it comes to speed and style.
 
There are a number of educational DVD's out there that have drummers explaining other pro-drummers licks.

I'd like to see one made for Bonzo's playing.
 
BTW about Bonzo's playing on Bad times good times, do you know if :

_when he played the triplets on bass drum, did he keep eights notes steady on his hit-hat ? stead
_a live version exists ?
 
Yeah he's pedaling 8ths on his hi-hat and also playing 8ths on a cowbell as the first note of the triplet with the stuttering bass drum notes in between.

There is no official live release of 'Good Times Bad Times.' From the bootleg sites that I've looked at, it does appear that they played if a very few times live in early '69 before they had any Zep II material to play, but those boots are extremely rare and probably not very good sound quality.

I know...I'd kill to hear a live version of Good Times from a young Zeppelin too. Bonzo would be out of his mind in that performance.
 
Yeah he's pedaling 8ths on his hi-hat and also playing 8ths on a cowbell as the first note of the triplet with the stuttering bass drum notes in between.

There is no official live release of 'Good Times Bad Times.' From the bootleg sites that I've looked at, it does appear that they played if a very few times live in early '69 before they had any Zep II material to play, but those boots are extremely rare and probably not very good sound quality.

Many thanks for your answer.

about Hi-hat, that's well what I hear !

I am very curious how Bonzo used to play it live in the specific circumstances you mentionned.
 
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