What's the worst drumming mistake you've heard on a professional recording?

PorkPieGuy

PorkPieGuy

Platinum Member
I have a 1990's rock station on my Pandora, and a song I've heard a million times, "Allison Road" by the Gin Blossoms came on. Out of all of the times I've listened to this song, I can't believe I've never really listened to the opening drum fill. While I think this is a great and fun song, the opening fill is really off beat, and to me it really bugs me.

See if you think the same thing at about :14 into the song. That kick is really late to my ears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-UBnjzJMQ0


How about you? What's the worst drumming mistake you've heard from a professional recording?
 
Did you ever think that maybe it's not a mistake?

Hmmmm?
 
Steve Miller Band's "Living In The USA"

Very noticeable speed up near the beginning. It's really noticeable.
 
I don't think Alison Road intro is off at all. Pretty darned certain it is as intended.
 
There are lots of little mistakes apparent only to the most persnickety musicians, but there's a classic drumming mistake that can't be denied by any listener.

Near the end of "Wild Weekend" - a hit for the Rockin Rebels, and very recognizable instrumental - the drums turn around by a 1/4 note, so the surf snare is on 1& and 3. Clearly a mistake, and the songs fades immediately after that. I guess it was easier/cheaper to just fade-out and hope nobody caught it, than to do another take!

https://youtu.be/z49t7c5cRmk?t=1m50s

Bermuda

PS - this was a top-10 single!
 
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bermuda said:
There are lots of little mistakes apparent only to the most persnickety musicians, but there's a classic drumming mistake that can't be denied by any listener.

Near the end of "Wild Weekend" - a hit for the Rockin Rebels, and very recognizable instrumental - the drums turn around by a 1/4 note, so the surf snare is on 1& and 3. Clearly a mistake, and the songs fades immediately after that. I guess it was easier/cheaper to just fade-out and hope nobody caught it, than to do another take!

https://youtu.be/z49t7c5cRmk?t=1m50s

Bermuda
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Wow, I've never heard this before. Thanks for sharing it!
 
I remember two live performances. One with Jimi Hendrix at Winterland, where they play "Like a Rollin Stone" and pretty much mess up the timing at the beginning. No oneseems to know/keep the tempo for quite some time.
https://youtu.be/ktjpxrIFOx8?t=17
The other one is Keith Moon messing it up at a live gig of "Baba O'Riley". Everyone stops, he doesn't. Ooops.
 
Intros are tricky to tell if it's a mistake or not- could be a less-than-full-measure pickup at the beginning, making the next section sound like it's not on the 1 - Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll", for instance. First note of the drum intro is on the & of 3, not 1, so the next section actually starts on the 1.
 
Ghostnote said:
Pretty much every White Stripes song ever recorded...
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Uncomplicated and amateurish doesn't equate to mistake. In fact, since that's specifically the sound they were going for, it can be argued that they are the opposite of a mistake and exactly as intended.
 
timmdrum said:
Intros are tricky to tell if it's a mistake or not- could be a less-than-full-measure pickup at the beginning, making the next section sound like it's not on the 1 - Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll", for instance. First note of the drum intro is on the & of 3, not 1, so the next section actually starts on the 1.
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I'm pretty sure there's tons of unplanned stuff in the zepp recordings. Mistake or happy accident is probably a matter of opinion.
 
Blues Brothers - Sweet Home, Chicago

At the very end the drummer plays three more toms after everyone else stops



The tempo of Chameleon by Herbie Hancock speeds up so much in the first two minutes.
 
Dr_Watso said:
I'm pretty sure there's tons of unplanned stuff in the zepp recordings. Mistake or happy accident is probably a matter of opinion.
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Oh, I'm sure of that. However, this example is one where a lot of people think it's a mistake when it's not. :)
 
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