This is an obscure one, no doubt, but it's on the same album as Robert Plant's well-known song "Little By Little", which we've all probably heard. This particular tune, "Trouble Your Money", however... well, you might have to go to amazon to even hear a sample, but trust me, it's got such a cool drum part to it. So cool that it's been in the back of my mind for ages. The groove is pretty close to what I've posted here. (I've taken some liberties with the second fill, yes.) No, it's not a difficult groove, but it is unique, and the drum part is a great fit for the song. In a word, musical.
Many people think it was Phil Collins who played drums on this album, Plant's "Shaken 'n' Stirred." Well, nope... though Collins *is* on another of Plant's solo efforts. Instead, here, it is the late, great Richie Hayward behind the kit. Sadly, he passed away just last year. He will always be one of my drumming heroes, and simply *must* be somewhere on my list.
(Actually, there may be more of Hayward coming up, if I can get permission. I did a private video on "Little By Little," and would love to post it. Slick song! Great groove, with some very cool fills. Hopefully I'll work that out. Or, I guess I could change or redo it. Hmmmm....)
Anyway, what a talent this guy is! Check out Hayward's discography. He was so much more than 'just' the drummer for Little Feat. I didn't even discover him that way. (I hadn't really been exposed to much Little Feat.) Instead, as I'm sure others would relate, here's how Hayward became an influence on me:
Not all *that* long ago (but before Google, let's say?), seemingly countless times I'd hear some new song on the radio, something with great drumming -- you know, one of those 'simple' drum parts, but where you just somehow sense that it's still a real heavy-weight at the kit. And so I'd make a note of the song, then research who the drummer was, only to figure out "wow, it's that Hayward guy again." This happened many times. Funnily enough, it happened only as recently as last Christmas. Whitney Houston's "Do You Hear What I Hear", from years ago, was playing... and it's easy to miss or ignore the drum part in a song like that, right? (Usually you're hearing it on crappy department store speakers or something.) But I really listened to it, and I guess the sound quality was good enough to really *hear* it. And what I heard was surprising subtlety in the drums, tasteful use of empty space with the hi-hat, and *great* execution. (Listen to those crisp and consistent 13-stroke rolls.) And all in a song I'd heard many times before, but had never really listened to.
Essay over!
(Sorry, but to drummers, Richie Hayward deserves this many words, and more.)
