If yesterday's news was of Mick or Keith's passing, I know I'd have felt a number of things, including shock, sadness and loss.
Shock. That is a good one. I have experienced shock every year since 1977 that Keith Richards woke up, picked up a guitar and toured the world.
But hearing the news of Charlie Watts passing, I felt something else.
Heartbreak.
As a drummer, I learned restraint from Charlie Watts. You can be everything to a band just by letting the band work around your work.
I wanted to be Ringo because he was a Beatle. The older I got, the more I appreciated Ringo's ability to service a song.
I wanted to be John Bonham because I also wanted to sound like I had three arms and three feet.
I wanted to be Buddy Rich because he played the impossible all while wearing a three piece suit.
I wanted to be Bill Bruford because I wanted to be as creative, filling up space with drumming so unique, each roll and paradiddle was its own song.
After 20 years and 100 trips to New Orleans, drummers like Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, John Vidacovich, Stanton Moore, Herlin Riley and Shannon Powell made me want to toss my sticks in the trash and take kazoo lessons.
I wanted to be Keith Moon but knew I'd probably die trying.
I never wanted to be Charlie Watts until I was much older, when I finally realized I didn't need to be Ringo, Bonzo or Bruford. I just wanted the music to work, to play what I could and be of service to the band members around me.
No one knows just how important Charlie Watts was to the Rolling Stones more than Mick Jagger & Keith Richards.
We will miss Charlie Watts.
Mick and Keith will miss him more.
13 comments:
Well said, Sal.
Randy
Interestingly, Watts was trying to get an album recorded by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band of Rolling Stones covers. They wanted to release it while the TV series Treme was still originally airing. Due to a lot of then issues with the DD, only one song ever got recorded. It made it onto the band's last release, 20 Dozen, as an extra song, exclusively on the Amazon sale of the record - Paint It Black.
A well written tribute to a great drummer. Thanks!
As Warren Haynes said "Bonham didn't need it neither did Charlie Watts I'm tired of click track rock"
Charlie was the first drummer to directly leave an imprint on my learning to play. My older brother brought home Hot Rocks in '73 or '74, when I was about 8, around the same time he got his first kit. "Brown Sugar" was the first song I learned to really play. Floor tom instead of hi-hat on the verses, transitioning in the chorus, not many cymbal crashes (very sparse, to greater effect), and probably zero ride in that song.
Your tribute is perfect! Thanks for succinctly saying what I've tried to explain to others many times over the years.
Beautifully stated, Sal. Thank you.
Hello all…no, please remain seated,
Thank you, Sal, for writing such a heartfelt tribute to one of our musical heroes. Well said about him “wanting the music to work”. If I remeber my Stones triva correctly, Charlie willingly gave up the drum stool to Jimmy Miller on a couple of songs where he just wasn’t hearing what Jimmy suggested: You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Loving Cup. Charlie also didn’t try to overdub Kenny Jones’s drumming on Its Only Rock ‘n Roll. Apparently Charlie was all about what served the song best.
So, now that I’ve listed what Charlie didn’t play, let me list a few personal favorite Charlie moments:
The repeating drum rolls in Get Off My Cloud
The little fill in Rocks Off in the final verse.
The shuffle he plays near the end of Beast of Burden
The wallops in the turnaround of Gimme Shelter
The mini drum break in Satisfaction after the “no, no, no’s”
What are some if yours?
Best…RichD
@Rich D
"The little fill in Rocks Off in the final verse."
YES! It extends just a bit longer than it should and of coursem it should.
The first few hits on the intro of "Monkey Man."
The impossible to count opening to "Down the Road Apiece."
All of "Hot Stuff!"
Every fill in "Mother's Little Helper."
Burning Wood was my first stop when I heard the news, because I knew I would read something heartfelt and wise. Not disappointed. (Jack Hamilton has a pretty great piece in Slate today, also too.)
He was an odd cat to watch because of his approach; not hitting the hi-hat on the backbeat. I don't know of any other drummer who adopted that; does anyone?
Back when I was a musician, I occasionally worked with drummers who put their egos aside and simply supported the songs. I mean, maybe 3 or 4 drummers out of 50 or so, over the course of 35 years. It takes smarts and restraint, and that's Charlie Watts.
I'm fine with the boys going out with Jordan, he gets it. I'm sure it's what Charlie wanted.
Thanks Sal.
@Noam
Thanks for the kind words.
Addressing your comment-
"He was an odd cat to watch because of his approach; not hitting the hi-hat on the backbeat. I don't know of any other drummer who adopted that; does anyone?"
I wrote about this in 2019.
https://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/search?q=charlie+watts
Had I been Charlie, Sal, I would have wanted this elegant, yet restrained obit for my own. I feel to a great extent that which you feel. And yes, heartbreak. I started playing in 1966 and still play. I can see what you say.
Thank you from me, for everyone here, and for you.
lovely comment fella - and great pic too... a sad day indeed
Amen, brother.
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