RIC (Rest In Chaos) Mr. Baker

[PianoMan51]

Beware Mr. Baker no more. He has passed to a world that has no puny competition for him to set right.

 

'John Bonham once made a statement that there were only two drummers in British rock 'n' roll; himself and Ginger Baker," Baker wrote in his book. "My reaction to this was, 'You cheeky little bastard!'

 

I think of him as the last of the drummers before 'fat back' became king. No one trick pony like the 'Purdue Shuffle ' for him!

 

The world is a more peaceful place, but less interesting today.

[ElmerJFudd]

[video:youtube]

 

Happy as a pig in shit here. No doubt he was a fan of music, and had plenty of raw talent. But do we really buy his claim that he could just play magically and didn"t spend a lot of time working out his style behind the kit?

[Bill H.]

Can't say he was my favorite drummer (the guy who practically invented the extended drum solo pretty much sums it up) but I completely understand his contribution to music as one of the most influential drummers of all time. RIC is appropriate - don't know if he will ever be at peace, but he's bound to be shaking it up in the great beyond

[LX88]

i also heard Blind Faith on the 1969 tour in Portland.

 

I have to say, Ginger ROCKED the whole Memortial Coliseum during his solo. This was in the days before huge PA systems.

 

 

I did get to meet him when he did a clinic in L.A. at the musicians institute, circa 1989/ 1990 ( memory fails me on exact date). My take on him at this time was that he was behaving like a normal person. From what I have heard, he needed work badly at was trying to cut it in L.A., but that didn't work out.

 

Ginger is very much a huge part of the music revolution that happened during the 60's. In fact he was a very central part of it.

 

Kudos to the guy ( Jay Bulger) who did the documentary " Beware of Mr. Baker". The movie does demonstrate that he could be a huge PIA, not unlike some other notorious rockers or even some present figures currently in the news ( hint).

 

That type of behavior actually does keep you in public awareness and to some degree may be done intentionally in order to gain and maintain that.

 

Anyway last night I did do a drum gig and I asked the audience which Cream tune they would like to hear.. It came down to ( of course) " Crossroads" and although I would have sort of preferred " Sunshine of your Love " ( which is so obviously Ginger) I heard his drumming style ringing it my head as I played it.

 

What is unique about that track is how he made rock music swing. I bet if you asked Eric Clapton he would agree that Ginger's drumming on that track helped him create that classic solo.

 

I rest my case.