Aynsley Dunbar

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The self titled Whitesnake record from the late 80s is some of the best most solid playing by Aynsley. It's just rock solid and fills up just the right amount of space. And for some serious fills and chops, the intro track "Cryin In the Rain" is excellent. There are a bunch of drum breaks after the exteded guitar solo (which is also amazing). The fills are played with such conviction. I've tried to emulate this vibe. And he can swing real good to. Great shuffle feel on "Give Me All Your Love".
 
I met him last month when I was in Vegas. The WCR played a gig at the convention I was attending. During their last song I jumped up on stage & sat next to his drum tech & watched him from literally 2 feet away. When he finished he handed me his sticks & showed me over his DW kit, we had a great chat for well over 5 minutes. A mate took a heap of photos of me with him, he's the nicest, friendliest person you could hope to meet in that situation. It was a great show too.
 
Those are Haymans he's playing in those videos.

I stumbled upon some footage from 1974 when Aynsley first joined Journey in their fusion days.

Kohoutek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwRSjLXIIYc&feature=related


To Play Some Music" Which features an Aynsley Dunbar drum solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz1HioljzLI&feature=related

It's also interesting to see that he used a one up two down single bass kit at the time, given he would go on to use a much bigger kit with Journey and later, Jefferson Starship.
 
Ansley Dunsbar is a BEAST!!!

One of my favorite cuts from the Grand Wazoo, 'Eat That Question':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymHINLcjlw

Also,

This is worth re-re-posting:

I stumbled upon some footage from 1974 when Aynsley first joined Journey in their fusion days.

Kohoutek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwRSjLXIIYc&feature=related


To Play Some Music" Which features an Aynsley Dunbar drum solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz1HioljzLI&feature=related

It's also interesting to see that he used a one up two down single bass kit at the time, given he would go on to use a much bigger kit with Journey and later, Jefferson Starship.

Just superb.

-John
 
What do you think happened during the recording of "Still of the Night" by Whitesnake? The first eight bars has a hihat that is dragging awfully out of time. Must have been some recording issue. I'm surprised that they let this pass. Otherwise an amazing drum part by Aynsley.

Here is a multitrack of the drums:

 
What do you think happened during the recording of "Still of the Night" by Whitesnake? The first eight bars has a hihat that is dragging awfully out of time. Must have been some recording issue. I'm surprised that they let this pass. Otherwise an amazing drum part by Aynsley.

Here is a multitrack of the drums:

The song was recorded in 87, well before Protools. It would have been laid directly to 2" tape.

If you listen to the original track with all the instruments, it doesn't sound dragging. It could be tape stretched over time or it got out of sync when the analog tape was converted to digital.
 
on 2 & 4 I followed it
 
The song was recorded in 87, well before Protools. It would have been laid directly to 2" tape.

If you listen to the original track with all the instruments, it doesn't sound dragging. It could be tape stretched over time or it got out of sync when the analog tape was converted to digital.
No, it turns out that I'm the problem here. I took the drum track into Reaper and tempo mapped it, and listened with a metronome, and there is nothing wrong at all. Nothing lagging, Aynsley played it beautifully.

When I hear the full song with the other instruments, my brain thinks the hihat lags behind, I can't help feeling it that way. Something with how the hihat sound mixes in with the rest, and that the vocals push ahead.
 

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One of my all-time favorite Zappa drummers!
I love all those recordings.
Wazoo, Chunga, Band From LA, 200 Motels, to name a few.
 
"Jane".......Starship.....the most organized, powerful playing. DUNBAR.....yes.
 
Didn't find a thread devoted to him. One of the most overlooked rock drummers ever IMO. He was ridiculously good on those early Journey albums, with Zappa, and with his own band, the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, among many other great musical works that he's been a part of. He auditioned for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and it came down to him and Mitch Mitchell, but Hendrix couldn't decide who to pick, so he flipped a coin: needless to say, we all know who got that gig!

Any other Aynsley fans here?
Those early Journey albums were huge for me. Monster player. He's also on the Apostrophe album, but I don't know what tracks he played on.
 
First time I heard him, I think it was in the film of the Amougies festival where Frank Zappa met him.

Then he joined FZ and played in Chunga's Revenge, then Filmore 71, and then I saw him live at Montreux during the concert that ended in a fire. Then 200 Motels, Just Another Band from LA, Waka Jawaka, Grand Wazoo (and the Waka Wazzo recent release).

He also played on the first two Flo & Eddie records, that I like.

The most recent Frank Zappa release (June 2023), Funky Nothingness, also features his great drumming (I just listened to his nice solo in Chunga's Revenge - take 5).
 
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