Up jumped the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie: great rhythm sections

[reebty]

If you ask me, which you didn't, the non vagina-having half let down that section.

[davy]

No doubt. Frantz is one of the most disappointing drummers in history.

When I think about the band The Talking Heads could've been, had they found themselves an interesting drummer--I mean, the mind boggles.

[Babar]

this thread needs more groove.

James Jamerson/Benny Benjamin (The Funk Brothers) (any rhythm section of the FB's is solid)
Chris White/Hugh Grundy (The Zombies)

and the best in my opinion is Holger Czukay/Jaki Liebezeit of Can

[davy]

this thread needs more groove.

Chris White/Hugh Grundy (The Zombies)

[Babar]

they got the groove, "Time of the Season" especially.

[davy]

I don't know man. "Time of the Season" has a groove, sure, but when I'm thinking of the world's foremost groove practitioners, I'm not thinking of The Zombies.

[sashwap]

one of my favorites: mike mills & bill berry (r.e.m.)

[Antero]

I don't know man. "Time of the Season" has a groove, sure, but when I'm thinking of the world's foremost groove practitioners, I'm not thinking of The Zombies.

[Babar]

well, i was just saying this thread needs more groove, the rhythm sections i mentioned weren't necessarily meant to remedy that problem. although i stand by my statement that the zombies got the groove.

when I'm thinking of the world's foremost groove practitioners

do tell.

[Antero]

I mean, the Funk Brothers groove for certain and nigh unto definitionally, I am less sure about the Zombies.

[davy]

I think The Meters probably had more natural groove than any other band on the planet--not just on their own records, but the records they made with other artists, like Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Bill Withers, and Lee Dorsey.

A close second would be Fela Kuti & Tony Allen. I haven't the faintest idea who played bass for the Nigeria 70, but the groove is undeniable. Tony Allen can't help but find the groove. That The Good, The Bad, & The Queen record from a couple years ago--which paired Tony Allen with The Clash's Paul Simonon--had some really deep pockets.

Lots of people like to name The Funk Brothers, but they always struck me as pretty stiff. Their groove is nothing compared to Booker T. & The MGs. Hell, I'll take the Stax house band over James Brown's gang most days of the week, though they were certainly no slouches themselves. Wilson Pickett knew what it was about, too.

On the rock side, Steely Dan had a special knack for doling out the groove. Didn't seem to matter all that much who was playing what, but of course you've got to respect Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd for their exceptional contributions. Steve Gadd is another name to mention here, since he was never in a rhythm section stable enough to warrant mention on the first page of this thread. His work for the Dan, Stuff, Paul Simon, Dr. John, and Peter Gabriel, among others, is always hell of groovy.

And there's always Can.

Certainly Bonham & Co. had their moments--"The Crunge" is a great example, but of course "When the Levee Breaks" is a groove deeper than hell. The Band had tons of groove, but it's mainly the product of Levon Helm's drumming. Take a listen to "Up On Cripple Creek" right quick. It doesn't get any fucking groovier than that. And while we're on the folky tip, let's throw Fairport Convention into the discussion--plenty of groove on Liege & Lief and Full House.

Kyle took a dig at indie bands, but a number of them have plenty of groove to spare. Spoon, Royal Trux (the later records), Five Style, The Walkmen, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion ("Greyhound," "Very Rare," holy shit), and the underrated Karate come immediately to mind.

Honestly, though, some of the grooviest shit I've ever heard was put out on independent funk singles in the late-60s, many of which are compiled on the What It Is! box set Rhino put out a few years ago. Played by musicians whose names are lost to history.

[davy]

I mean, that's not a definitive list by any means--just some of the names that jumped out at me when I scrolled through my iTunes library just now.

[Babar]

Good call on the Meters! They have a tighter than a nun's cunt rhythm section.

[narlus]

Good call on the Meters! They have a tighter than a nun's cunt rhythm section.

i may have been pilloried by my Talking Heads choice, but I did mention the Meters in post #4

[davy]

Yeah, I was disappointed someone had beat me to them 

The Meters are special because they were equally good at doing tight and loose. The stuff they did with Dr. John is amazingly tight, but they loosened up a lot for other records like Dorsey's Yes We Can and Toussaint's Life, Love & Faith

[jm]

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion ("Greyhound")

Damn hell ass yes.

[davy]

That drumbreak followed by that theremin solo, daaaaang.

[kyle]

Not meaning to say that indie rock bands don't groove in their own right, just that when I think of a "Rhythm Section" My mind immediately jumps to The Meters, or James Brown, or something of that ilk.

edited to delete a double negative

[diesel_powered]

So let's throw in some James Brown in the form of Clyde Stubblefield and Charles Sherrell who brought us the original Funky Drummer, probably the most sampled record in history. For as loose as I may feel about copyright, it's a real shame that neither ever saw a penny from the tons of records that sampled that song. I guess Stubblefield still has a weekly gig in Madison these days.

We could probably cover Parliament-Funkadelic as well, but once you get past Bootsy Collins, things get a bit more complicated since the lineup changed multiple times throughout the years and included multiple drummers and bass players. Overall, funk rhythm sections are kind of hard to nail down in that way, particularly with more obscure groups, because there were so many session players floating around and so many lineup changes that it's hard to tie people to groups for long periods of time.

[reebty]

Yeah, that's why I haven't done my homework on those people. So many of them and none of them had the common decency to suck moose phallus.   

[lucky strike]

haruomi hosono/yukihiro takahashi


also bootsy collins is the best rhythm section in the world all by himself

[reebty]

Gordon & Sammy Butcher (The Warumpi Band). Score 2 for Australian rhythm sections, and they were as black as any Motown or Stax rhythm section.

[alistarr*]

who were the dudes on percussion and bass for frank zappa's hot rats? i think they class as having the groove, and as being a "proper" "rhythm section". the gumbo variations, for example, just goes and goes and goes. sometimes you get sidetracked by one of the best rock solos you've ever heard (on one of three instruments, no less) but, when you come back to earth several minutes later, that rhythm is still going and still going good and strong.

[davy]

I was going to say Terry Bozzio was probably the drummer but it looks like Hot Rats was recorded without the Mothers. Allmusic lists 3 different drummers: Paul Humphrey (Charles Mingus, Dusty Springfield, Marvin Gaye), John Guerin (Thelonious Monk, Joni Mitchell, more Zappa), and Ron Selico (John Mayall, a little James Brown).

[alistarr*]

the power of wikipedia informs me that paul humphrey was responsible for the gumbo variations, and max bennett played bass on all  but one track. full list in case you're interested:

Frank Zappa – electric guitar, percussion, octave bass
Ian Underwood – organ, clarinet, flute, piano, saxophone
Max Bennett – bass on all tracks except "Peaches en Regalia"
Captain Beefheart – vocals on "Willie the Pimp"
John Guerin – drums on "Willie the Pimp", "Little Umbrellas" and "It Must Be a Camel"
Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin on "Willie the Pimp" and "The Gumbo Variations"
Paul Humphrey – drums on "Son of Mr. Green Genes" and "The Gumbo Variations"
Shuggie Otis – bass on "Peaches en Regalia"
Jean-Luc Ponty – violin on "It Must Be a Camel"
Ron Selico – drums on "Peaches en Regalia"
Lowell George - guitar (uncredited)
Harvey Shantz – Snorks

i wouldn't have guessed there were so many different drummers on that album, but then i'm not an expert. i'll have to go listen again (such a chore).