I’ve decided to put together a list of what I believe to be essential track for any drummer to own or at least have heard, the kind of stuff that makes to gasp and then maybe work a little harder on those rudiments. The list I’ve created is from across the decades and covers many styles.
Ginger Baker – Cream: White Room – Clever and creative playing, rock meets jazz.
Dave Grohl – Nirvana: Come As You Are – The powerhouse player at his best.
Ringo Starr – The Beatles: Rain – Ringo’s favourite Beatle track and it was ONLY a ‘B’ side.
John Bonham – Led Zepplin – Black Dog – The very definition of what is rock drumming.
Stewart Copeland – Police: No Time This Time – Pushing at the limits of what is humanly possible.
Dave Ruffy – The Ruts: Staring At The Rude Boys – Punk/New Wave pioneer.
Tom Glendining – Headswim: Tourniquet – Clever tight playing as part of a great rhythm section.
Buddy Rich (Big Band): West Side Story (Medley) – Simply astonishing.
I teach all these styles in Leicester if you fancy a go.
Cheers for Now
Mark ‘Flash’ Haynes
‘Drum Lessons In Leicester For All’
On duty in Beatle mode at the Donkey in Leicester
My love of all things Ludwig goes back to The Beatles and much of my playing career seems to. I remember seeing them on the television in the early 1970′s (yes I’m that old) and loving the look and sound of Ringo’s BOP (Black Oyster Pearl) kit. My dad at the time was playing a German made Trixon kit but would have traded it in a heartbeat for an American kit, the sound of those old kits like Rogers, Slingerland, Gretsch and of course Ludwig are the thing of dreams. But like all musical dreams they only come true if you pursue them relentlessly. And so after many years of searching and saving I finally have that near perfect old Luddy.
My kit is a 1966 WMP (White Marine Pearl) Ludwig Super Classic, same sizes and model Ringo used at their world beating Shea Stadium gig in 1965 and at their final live appearance at Candlestick Park in 1966, making this just a little bit special. The of colour of mine is the one favoured by many of the jazz greats like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.
Why not learn with me how to play drums like Ringo Starr in Leicester.
Over the last 30 years as a professional drummer and percussionist I’ve been involved in numerous recording projects featuring a huge array of artists. Some of my recorded output is available on itunes, this includes albums and singles by Leicester band ist and Factory Records solo artist Kevin Hewick. A full biography showing my recording and performance career can be found at flashdrummer.co.uk and pinkboxrecords.co.uk.
The biggest success I ever had was with ist in 2005 when the album King Martha went to number one in the two official Russian download charts for eight weeks. We were the first non Russian artist to do so and it was all thanks to our then American record label, the New York based Orchard Records.
Premier drum kit for sale
From time to time I find and restore kits. This kit is a lovely find, it’s a Premier Olympic kit dating I suspect from around 1978-79, sizes are 22×14″, 16×15″, 13×9″ and 12×8″ with a chrome 14×5″ snare drum. The gloss black wrap is good with no nasty marks, no tom rash or splits etc. The kit is completely original as far as I can tell with the exception of the bottom hoop on the 13″ tom which was missing when I found the kit. The bass drum has new (lightly used) heads saving a big expense for the buyer, the toms have a mix of coated heads but all are still very playable, the resonant heads are all clear. The kit includes the original type, flush based, snare stand but no other hardware other than what you see. There are no extra holes and all the badges are present. The chrome is generally good with the exception of the floor tom hoops and snare shell which have varying degrees of pitting. This a great sounding kit with no issues, it is however 35 odd years old and unrestored and other than a general clean it’s pretty much untouched. A bargain.
In their day, Premier Drums were equal to anything made in the world. Handmade drums, stunning kits that had a warmth in their sound that was a direct result of the way they were constructed. Many of my students I teach use Premier kits. I’ve recorded using them, played live and have always enjoyed playing them, and in fact, I continue to use them for all manner of jobs.
Any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me on 07849 430122 anytime.
