Under Rated or Fairly Unknown Drummers

opentune said:
Pentti (Whitey) Glan - who played with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper mid 70's, and other session work. Also the drummer on The Rose film. Buddy Rich on the Tonight Show once mentioned him as this 'great new kid from Canada'.
Its actually the 1st anniversary of his death today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwuCtOgwsmM&feature=related
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Yes, he was a fantastic drummer, I love his drumming on Reed's "Sally can't dance". I thought he was from Finland but I may be wrong, don't want to argue with Buddy, do I?
 
opentune said:
Pentti (Whitey) Glan - who played with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper mid 70's, and other session work. Also the drummer on The Rose film. Buddy Rich on the Tonight Show once mentioned him as this 'great new kid from Canada'.
Its actually the 1st anniversary of his death today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwuCtOgwsmM&feature=related
Click to expand...

I met Whitey several times when he played for Danny B and the Sons of B's in Toronto. Bought him a beer each time and he was more than happy to sit and chat. A very kind fellow.

Last time I saw him was about 4 years ago. He was, as each time I met him, in good spirits, and seemed to be in good health.

Always considered him to be one of the few drummer's drummer that I know.

I didn't know that he passed on. Sad news, indeed.

RIP Whitey.
 
Ransan said:
I think Danny Seraphine is highly underrated and not well known.
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Danny at one time was the schitz among drummers drummers.
Another in the same ilk was Bobby Colomby.

Vince Colaiuta pretty worshiped at their drum stools back in the day.
 
Drummerrobin said:
Ralph Salmins. Amazing drummer in both the worlds of jazz and pop. A lot of emotion in his playing and a groove to die for.
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Indeed, he, Neal Wilkinson and Ash Soan, first call drummers in the UK. All have amazing time.

I'll mention Clem Cattini, one of the earlier UK session legends. Played on 44+ number 1 singles. Kinks, Tom Jones, Gene Pitney, Donovan, Jeff Beck, Georgie Fame, Lulu, Bee Gees, Marc Bolan, Joe Cocker, McCartney, his list is endless.
 
I think the two drummers below might be known by name to other drummmers, but definitely lost on the public.

But I find these guys extremely unique in their style and how they compliment the songs

Gerry Conway - Cat Stevens. Good lord, Cat Steven songs have some amazing time signatures

Bob Siebenberg - Supertramp. Again, a drummer who so musically compliments rather unique structured songs.
 
James Gadson. Love his work with Bill Withers, Herbie Hancock, etc.
Stan Lynch of the Heartbreakers. He gave them a unique feel.
 
I'm sure most of you from "local" or "regional" areas will probably have your own list of "unknown" musicians, who never had major recordings or concert tours emanating from or sponsored by the hegemonic centers of popular music like NY, LA, Nashville, London, etc.

For example, in my country there are revered drummers like Tony Velarde who was a major figure in the Philippine jazz scene from the 50s onward and gained quite a reputation in and around the Asia/Pacific region. There is also sessionist Jun Regalado who played on practically all the pop hits of the 70s and 80s as part of a local "Wrecking Crew" we called the "Sindikato" (colloquialism for syndicate).
 
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plus 1 on Roger Hawkins

One of the guys I was into as a teenager (aside from Bonham) was Don Brewer, I still throw in a couple of his "American band" fills from time to time

While Benny Benjamin is certainly revered, how about the other 2 main drummers for Motown, Uriel Jones, and "Pistol" Allen?
 
Vandalay said:
While Benny Benjamin is certainly revered, how about the other 2 main drummers for Motown, Uriel Jones, and "Pistol" Allen?
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VERY much revered, and they remain just as known as Benny. Most of Motown post - 1969 was all Uriel and Pistol. Marvin Gaye's 'What Going On', some of the heavier early 70's Temptations stuff for example.
 
Stevie Wonder. I saw him live twice and he is an absolutely fabulous drummer. If you listen carefully to his recordings where he plays drums he has a very unique and distinctive style that is hard to mimic.
 
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