Funky Drummers, Cheap Guitars & Sting
Strong Songs
Clyde's Double Fields Groove on James Brown's Funky Drummer
George Michael's freedom samples Clyde's stubble feel of legendary drum part on James Brown's funky drummer. The song was sampled on everything from classic hip hop like fight the power by public enemy to more recent stuff like Ed Sheeran's 2014 song shirt sleeves. Nicki Minaj used it on her song Save Me, she double timed it and put it through a filter, but it's the same drum part if you listen.
What do George Michael, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran, and the Powerpuff Girls have in common?
The answer, as you'll learn on this episode, is a funk drumming legend named Clyde Stubblefield. We'll also talk about flipped drum beats, Sting's taste for syncopation, the differences between cheap and expensive musical instruments, how to tell a bridge from a prechorus, the power of a four-note motif, the unexpected places you can find songwriting inspiration, and Muse's subtle hat-tip to a George Michael classic.
FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE:
- “Darling” by Real Estate from In Mind, 2017
- "Ghost Story" by Sting from Brand New Day, 1999
- “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks, 1964
- “Walking on Broken Glass” and "Little Bird" by Annie Lennox from Diva, 1992
- Skins theme by Segal, 2007
- “Kiss” by Prince from Parade, 1986
- "Beneath the Snow" by Kirk Hamilton from... well, it's never been published
- "Dig Down" by Muse from Simulation Theory, 2017
- “Freedom ’90” by George Michael, 1990
- “Royals” by Lorde from Pure Heroine, 2013
- “Funky Drummer” by James Brown feat. Clyde Stubblefield, 1970
- “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy, 1989
- “Save Me” by Nicki Minaj, 2010
- “Shirtsleeves” by Ed Sheeran, 2014
- The Powerpuff Girls theme, by James L. Venable, 1998
- A complete list of songs that sample Clyde Stubblefield’s drum break on “Funky Drummer”
- Ben Sisario’s 2011 NYT feature on Stubblefield
OUTRO SOLOIST: Mel Carroll
Mel Carroll is a saxophonist and music teacher based in Portland, OR, where she plays with bands like like Special Purpose and the all-women 90s cover band Sideboob. Her main music project is The Flat Nines, a chill jazz funk group with a new EP, "No Hate," coming in spring of 2022. You can find more at theflatnines.com.
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