Unusual 4/4 Beats and/or Fills - The Cure's Just Like Heaven

DrummerCA35

Senior Member
So, working out "Just Like Heaven" for our band. While the beat is nothing unusual, the fills certainly are to me, for several reasons:

1. The two sets of double hits on the china over a bar,and the fact that china hit carries over to beat 2 of the next bar

2. The fact that he USES the china so much throughout the song

3. The other fill that actually starts (I think) on the toms BEFORE the one leading to the china hit on beat two of the next measure

I NEVER would have thought of doing any of this...using china, or starting the fills where he does that carry over into the "2" of the next bar. And yet the china cymbal and the fills seem like like a trademark of the song and it wouldn't be right without playing them. I wonder how the guy even got the IDEA to do that in the first place. I'm having fun playing it on my own on my V Drums and am looking forward to playing it at rehearsal with the band in a few weeks.

I know there are countless examples of doing odd things in 4/4 across tons of bands, such as Ringo on "Ticket to Ride" and so forth...playing something other than than what might be expected within a pop song. Ie, I've heard Mick Fleetwood do fills that don't end where you'd expect them to that carry over to the next bar.

Do you guys have any of your favorites to share? Apologies if this kind of thread has already been posted.
 
I don't know if this qualifies, but I've always enjoyed the studio recording 4/4 beat variations of Bryan Devendorf of The National, but also, in a large part, because he drums for the great songs and arrangements of the band in-total.
 
I've played that song recently, as well as Modern English's "I Melt With You" which I think influenced the drum parts on "Just Like Heaven" - very similar song structures, chords, etc. I think the former was an homage to the latter. "I Melt With You" has similar syncopated cymbal hits (not china, though) on the "and"s of 3 and 4, where "Just Like Heaven" has the china hits on the "and 4".
 
I've played that song recently, as well as Modern English's "I Melt With You" which I think influenced the drum parts on "Just Like Heaven" - very similar song structures, chords, etc. I think the former was an homage to the latter. "I Melt With You" has similar syncopated cymbal hits (not china, though) on the "and"s of 3 and 4, where "Just Like Heaven" has the china hits on the "and 4".

I totally agree. "I melt with you" has the classic 80's cymbal crash pattern, on the 3& and 4&. The Cure drummer (Tol Tolhurst?) took it a step further -- no ride, just the china for a crash (check out this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dhn_iIQXDE). Also, his hihat is right of his snare, which is kinda cool.
 
... I wonder how the guy even got the IDEA to do that in the first place...

It could be because he "hears" the music like that, or just listened to Jazz drummers who have done it since DECADES before him, hahah

I will not post unusual fills, there are many millions (Jack De Johnette, Tony Williams, Jeff Watts, Gospel Drummers, Vinnie, etc,), but would like to include a rhythm that revolutionized drumming in the 70´s, is the main one starting at 0:07 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4EG3ZuUamA

Best regards!
 
I wonder how the guy even got the IDEA to do that in the first place.

It's really not that crazy. The problem is that you're thinking ONLY about the drum part. The drummer on the recording was likely thinking about the rhythm of the bass and guitar parts, which both strum on beat 1, and also strum a bit more loudly on beat 2. That's why a crash (or china) sounds good in that spot: it reinforces what the other musicians are playing.

As for why a china, rather than a crash, the answer is typically "they liked the sound". Who would want to make a record that sounded exactly like everyone else?
 
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