D_dup3 Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 Anyone here know much about John French (aka Drumbo from Capt. Beefheart's bands) ? Anyone ever met him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted September 14, 2003 Author Share Posted September 14, 2003 Come on, guys, somebody's got to have some ideas/comments---aren't you a bunch of drummers (some with good professional connections) ? See here for some idea of what this is about: musicplayer.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 I have never heard of him. I have searched old articles in Modern Drummer and online and cannot find out much on him at all. Does that make me "un-connected"? DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted September 16, 2003 Author Share Posted September 16, 2003 Hardly, DJ---I was just trying to light a fire under someone. I figured that there must be someone who's had some encounters with him, especially as a re-united Magic Band is occassionally performing. For you or others who don't know, French was a mainstay in Don van Vliet/Capt. Beefheart's bands. He plays, sometimes credited, sometimes not, on many of CB's recordings & some by Zappa, too. His ability to construct & perform polyrythmically rivals (sometimes surpasses) that of many jazz greats. If you're interested, his work can most distinctively be heard on Trout Mask Replica & Lick My Decals. It's not surprising that you couldn't find info about him---not only is his work obscure but he seems to have a penchant for self-effacement. For further comments (by others) see this thread on SSS forum: musicplayer.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummist Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 I met John French sometime around '96,'97. I'll start by saying that I'd never heard of him as I was not into Beefheart (although I later got turned onto him by a bass player friend.) I was managing a percussion hire shop in London and John French was doing a couple of performances at Conway Hall in London as part of a contemporary music festival. The promoters needed to hire a set for him for the weekend and we were their regular supplier. They sent me the kit spec and we prepped it but when he got into London he wanted to come check it out so he turned up at the shop on the Friday afternoon. Now bear in mind that we were a VERY busy hire dept who did all the perc hire for most of the major London orchestras amongst others and we worked in very, very (read nightmarish) cramped conditions and we certainly didn't have facilities for anyone to sit around playing drumset. We had truckloads of timpani, xylophones, marimbas - you name it - being prepped for the weekend and nearly every day we had to literally climb around the warehouse because every inch of floorspace was occupied by something you hit, crash or shake. (Do you know how much space 35 copper timpani, 6 marimbas, 5 xylos, 5 vibes and 4 sets of chimes takes up? Now imagine half that space and that was our working area for those instruments and that was only the big equipment.) But being ever the Mr Nice "look after the customer" type of guy I was, we set his rig up but tried to politely explain our situation...TWO HOURS LATER...he's still there, seemingly oblivious to the fact that carnage is going on all around him. To his credit though, he came across as a nice guy and was really grateful. He seemed a very quiet, private man although he could have been jetlagged. We talked a little about California as I'd lived there for a while and I seem to remember he lived out near or in the desert. (I could be mistaken but that rings a bell in my mind.) In case you're interested, we gave him a Yamaha 9000 kit (cherry laquer) all smallish sizes and loads of boom stands. That's my John French story. Not exactly rock n roll but that afternoon is printed in my mind when I hear him mentioned. drummist ( no similarity intended !!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted September 19, 2003 Author Share Posted September 19, 2003 Thanks much for your comments! I notice that was your initial posting to the forums here; I hope you have time to continue visiting & sharing your thoughts/experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedly Nightshade Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Wow, what a cool percussion store/service- all that great stuff- I wish I could be around half of those instruments. A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM! "There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummist Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Thanks for the welcome d. I hope to be here from time to time. ...and Ted... I wish I could be around half of those instruments. be careful for what you wish for...lol !! all the best drummist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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