When i was 13, i was losing interest fast in the kind of bands that were ‘cool’ to like. At that age, it was all Van Halen, Motley Crue & The Scorpions. I liked those guys, but really i was a closeted Duran Duran fan! I wasn’t the only one either. One friend and i would discuss their music conspiratorially when the macho metal heads weren’t listening. Anyway, when i finally scored my first drumset i never thought, ‘oh i wanna be like Tommy Lee or Alex Van Halen‘. I thought it would be far better to be Roger Taylor! Never really having a proper instructor, I used to just put on the headphones and play along. My ‘teachers’ were Duran Duran, Agent Orange & U2, but especially Roger Taylor of DD. For some reason, those rhythms really spoke to me. It’s hard to believe now, but that music was really quite strange for the times. Rhythmically it was a blend of Punk & Disco! It had the energy of punk mixed with the dance friendly beats of disco. That my friends is the real reason they were so popular, not because they were pretty 🙂 Anyway, here’s Duran Duran with ‘Careless Memories’
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5uGkAlQrJ8&feature=related]
Those beats were perfect for any young drummer. Sadly, Roger Taylor quit Duran Duran right as i was getting the hang of things. However, the band quickly employed one of the best drummers around in Steve Ferrone. It was a revelation to me as he brought a R&B vibe to the band. Here’s a clip from a recent clinic he gave and he actually jams a little bit of the Duran Duran song ‘So Misled’ during his solo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSaL_a6BdFk]
Steve & Roger are still at the top for me! Roger’s finally back in DD and Steve’s a Heartbreaker…
Check out these albums if you don’t believe me!
Rio
So Red The Rose
Notorious
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
