Seeing as a majority of the tech talk has been about guitars, I thought to start up one on drums!

My personal choice for consumate XTC drummer has to be Terry Chambers. His input in all the first five albums, and the few tracks in Mummer is still something behold for me. The disjointed rhythms that he and AP created in Drums & Wires, the tribal themes in Black Sea & English Settlement, the use of drum synths to give either whistling bombs on "Cuba" or add extra bottom end to tracks like "Runaways"... his timing was impeccable. He had a groove to die for.

OK, he wasn't a technical drummer by any means, but what he DID do was prominent.

But then, you have the input of the other drummers...

Pete Phipps: rock solid and technical, and could really swing.

Prairie Prince: Tight as a gnat's chuff. A hard hitter but could play the jazz stuff as well - really well!

Pat Mastelotto: Another technical & groovy drummer. Precise - right "on the money" stuff!

Dave Mattacks: An organic drummer, allowing his drums to breathe and sing. Omnibus is still the best XTC drum pattern I've heard in a long while - TC aside.

Chuck Sabo: Another seasoned session drummer. His work on the last two albums were brilliant. Great all-rounder (as proved with many artists).

And, last but by no means least, Ian Gregory: For the Dukes, he gave the 60's feel that many of the drummers at that time were playing (Ringo/Mitchell/Watts/Moon/Baker). I think his playing is extremely underrated IMO. He pulled ideas from so many that he made it his own.

So - what do you think?

Over to you!

Gregory's work is fantastic, such a shame they couldn't see their way to just making him part of the band as a whole, though I do understand the rationale for any reticence.

Chambers - He was so perfect for them, I would love to have been in a band with that guy. As I said on the Idea forum it would have been interesting to see what he might have done with songs like "Chalkhills And Children" or "Human Alchemy."

His drumming just makes so many of the songs for me,
"Its Nearly Africa"
"Don't Lose Your Temper"
"Blame The Weather"

Those great rolls/fills (Senses, Science Friction), his fantastic snare/hi-hat combos, either alternating (Nigel, Generals And Majors) or in unison (Heaven Is Paved With Broken Glass), or just his plain tightness (Traffic Light Rock, Crosswires). I think his greatest strength was the combo of his speed and his ability to chop up rythyms, in those early albums there's such an urgency to his playing, buts its all so tight and immediate. He was the perfect compliment to Andy's nervous energy, I can't imagine anyone else cementing the structure of those songs the way he did. Tight, tight, tight.

I don't know anything about drumming except what I hear. Terry Chambers stood out a mile for me and made a massive difference. The others for me could have been anyone and left no impression on me. Maybe it was the style of the music in TC's day but for me he is the only XTC drummer. When Terry walked out of the door a big part of XTC went with him.

I have to agree Donavan... he was the powerhouse of the band IMO. Another drummer playing TC's parts (including me) just doesn't sound or feel the same.

Not that I don't love the drummers after him, because I do, but for different reasons, if you understand me?

T'is a shame is isn't part of it anymore, but his legacy will remain as permanent reminder of just how good he is.

So...'Making Plans For Nigel' - that drum track - any overdubs or edits on that?
It is astonishing!
Al.

Don't know about overdubs & edits for Nigel, but the pattern's a beaut! A bit like "It's Nearly Africa"... just listening to that... and "All Of A Sudden"... these two tracks OOZE groove, don't they? They sound like unedited tracks to me, don't know how many takes it took to get them, but hey, two great drum tracks!

Suitatablty solid answer, Del-boy!
It's the FX on certain cymbals in particular that make me think that they might have been overdubs.
Also, I'd bet that even the most proficent of drummers would struggle to maintain that beat at that tempo for the entire take, while adding the necessary cymbalic embelishments!
I bet you could do it, though, Sticksman 3!
Al.

Hmm... I don't "think" there are overdubs, but there is the reverbed Clap Trap used to accent beat 3 of every 4th bar in the verse. I've tried to emulate that, by (badly) using a china cymbal, probably best heard at the last two conventions, were the Fuzzies played Nigel. Personally, my best attempt of cloning TC on Nigel was at the 2007 one. I change my usual cymbal setup by having the china lower, so that I can crash it better (more often than most, I use the chinas as "dirty, trashy" rides, as well as accent cymbals).

But I have to say, TC's drum tracks are a bugger to properly master.

I mean, he had a pocket to die for, he was rock solid, and the WAY he did things... the syncopated 16th note hi-hat patterns on "Cuba" is a prime example.

Here's another one... the weird sticking he used in Sgt. Rock. Now if I had never seen him play it, I would have all the snare beats with the left hand, the hi-hats on the right, because it's a triplet feel (6/4 - "1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a" if the bar out aloud), snare (right) playing beat 2 and the "a" before beat 3, the bass drum firmly rooted on 1, 2, 3 & 4. But, TC plays it as a left, then a right. But, thing about it he keeps the hi-hat groove with the right hand, so the right hand ALWAYS on the "a" - which in its own way is logical!

Think about it!

I think Terry C played drums the way Andy P plays guitar:
unconventionally.

It all seems a very long time ago now. (X)TC live was really something very special indeed.

Goalflash from Swindon:

Unconventionality 2 Convention 0

(Scorers: Partridge, Chambers)

I dont think XTC would have been without terry

Chris Sharrock - the only non-Terry to play on Terry and the Lovemen's heartbreaking version of 'The Good Things', which appears on the 'Testimonial Dinner' album - has joined...

Oasis!

Ok, maybe not everyone's idea of a musical experience, but a great gig for the lad, and richly deserved.

I first heard him playing stunning Keith Moon style drums on The Icicle Works' track 'As the Dragonfly Flies' - he was SIXTEEN at the time!

Since then, he's worked with/for The Las, The Lightning Seeds, Robbie Williams, etc, - GREAT DRUMMER, and I think he'll have fun with Oasis!

Guid gig, man!

Al.x

Hey PA... I just love Chris as a drummer. I too saw him, nearer the end of his tenure with McNabb & co. Loved "Bird's Fly" - that tribal drumming that reminded me SO much of Terry C... Last saw him with The Lightning Seeds.

And, you know, his drumming style reminds me of Mooney as well. His drumming was superb live with R Williams (though Jeremy Stacey was the studio drummer for most of that).

But - he's given Oasis a raw edge, having heard the latest single - this ROCKS!

Good on 'im!!!!

TC