Drummers on records

[Ahchv]

I was looking at Aaron Sterling’s website

he lists himself as the drummer for RED (Taylor Swift)

On Wikipedia there are like 10 drummers listed

why so many drummers and what gives any one individual the right to list the artist as a reference? Just curious

 

[bermuda]

Having used multiple drummers applies to several artists, notably Zappa, McCartney, Steely Dan (I know I'm missing some...) and there are various reasons for it. Sometimes the drummer has other commitments and another needs to be brought in. Sometimes the drummer gets uppity and demands more money/treatment than was agreed-to. Sometimes drummers have or develop problems that weren't evident when they were hired, and they are cut loose. Sometimes 'management' wants to save money and is always on the lookout for players who'll work for less (and there are plenty of those!) Some simply become hard to get along with and last only one tour. In Zappa's case, he was just constantly looking for better players and held auditions on a regular basis.

And sometimes a drummer leaves on their own because there are more important things than playing, such as their children.

Using the artist's name on a resume/credits is completely legit, if the drummer actually worked for that artist. I don't know Aaron, but if he recorded with Swift, even just one track, he's welcome to list her. What's uncool is someone listing an artist who they might have opened for, even though they didn't actually work for that artist. They expect the reader to infer that they were hired by the artist, and that's a feather in their cap, bogus as it is.

Bermuda

 

[Bo Eder]

If you watch the Steely Dan DVD on the making of the album Aja, Becker and Fagen were discussing how cool it would be if they could get certain players. So for them it was finding the right band for a song - how cool is that? Imagine having written a song and you wonder what it would sound like to have Wayne Shorter play sax on it, and then actually getting him to do it? As Rick Marotta said about them, they were playing musical bands. One incredible band would play one day, and the next day a whole 'other incredible band would come in.
This is probably not the case with Taylor Swift since most of her songs are kinda' homogenized, but hey, if they want ten different drummers, she's welcome to do it. Some artists I wonder if it would actually make a difference, though.

 

[No Way Jose]

I was watching a band play and the singer introduced the band. He says the drummer used to play with so-and-so. I went home and looked it up. No mention of the drummer. Either the story was phony or he was one of the gazillion drummers that auditioned, jammed with or caught a glimpse of so-and-so.

 

[toddbishop]

Say, Bermuda, are you aware of it still being a thing to have different people overdubbing toms, hihats, whatever, over somebody else's basic track? Or a programmed track? So you'd have four guys playing on the same Peter Gabriel tune or whatever.

What's uncool is someone listing an artist who they might have opened for, even though they didn't actually work for that artist. They expect the reader to infer that they were hired by the artist, and that's a feather in their cap, bogus as it is.

Young jazz drummers like listing people they played with in a school master class once.

 

[Juniper]

I was looking at Aaron Sterling’s website

he lists himself as the drummer for RED (Taylor Swift)

On Wikipedia there are like 10 drummers listed

why so many drummers and what gives any one individual the right to list the artist as a reference? Just curious

He lists it in his discography, it's not worded that he's the only drummer on that record so he's not saying anything wrong.

Also, with Taylor Swift I'm sure he's got the ok to list her in his credits, she/her management are known for being very in control about what her musicians can and can't do with her name.

 

[danondrums]

Technically the 1st amendment gives everyone the right to say whatever they want.
And then Taylor Swift also has the right to sue if the person is lying.

As mentioned earlier, Aaron Sterling is/was "A" drummer for Taylor Swift. Not "THE" drummer.

 

[oldskoolsoul]

..and what gives any one individual the right to list the artist as a reference?..

If you would have a own website and you would have played on a 12 million copies selling album..

Regarding telling something about your drumming career, would that be information you would skip..?

 

[bermuda]

Say, Bermuda, are you aware of it still being a thing to have different people overdubbing toms, hihats, whatever, over somebody else's basic track? Or a programmed track? So you'd have four guys playing on the same Peter Gabriel tune or whatever.

Live drums over a track, or mixing live drum parts with other parts from a track, yes.

But how overly-indulgent, expensive, and needless to have multiple drummers playing separate parts.

Bermuda

 

[Vandalay]

This goes on a lot with studio players,..I recall Larry London claiming Motown tracks, (don't know exactly what he played on), since most of the late 60's stuff was Uriel Jones & Pistol Allen. The most famous case is Carol Kaye claiming she played bass on a multitude of Motown hits, when in reality she played "re-records" for Supremes & Temptations TV specials.

 

[Ahchv]

Good discussion thanks all! Just wondering how this stuff works. In my job we sometimes get invited to “pitch” our clients... so if I have seen companies put logos of companies they have pitched (eg in this case auditioned or jammed or the like)

i just thought it was weird I couldn’t find any info on Aaron on 21 Album from Tay Swift (imma closet fan of her music)