It's not just speed... it's not just technique... Brian Bennett plays melodies and tells stories with his drums. As a musician, I feel so blessed and lucky to have admired and enjoyed him and The Shadows right from my schooldays in the 1960s until now, 2021. Thank you, guys, and bless you!
5:00 Like so many kids in the early 60s, I was a drummer in a band which played everything by The Shadows. I thought Tony Mehan was the best ever until I heard Brian Bennett. As another person said, he can tell stories with his drumming, and the technique is jaw dropping.
Brian Bennett.is without a doubt the most underrated drummers in Britian today.always melodic with a flawless technique. His beautiful patterns and dynamic skill never fail to impress. Like Hank he is a master musician. 🙌 alwsyda fan.
@@johnenglish929 Granted, but he's hardly ever mentioned when you watch a programme talking about great British drummers or read an article of the same ilk.
@@nicholaswiltshire6356 Yes, that’s very true. I suppose having grown up listening to and seeing him several times with The Shadows I can’t understand why anyone would under rate him ! One exception was the Face to Face he did with Rick Wakeman. It’s on You Tube - highly recommended if you haven’t seen it.
@@johnenglish929 I'm pleased you understood what I was trying to say. Sometimes these things get lost in translation. And no, I haven't. But it's now on my "to do" list.
The greatest drum solo for 20 years, from 1960. Some parts of Little B are genius !! People tend to forget that the Sadows were the best band in the world before the Beatles came along !~!
I first heard Little "B" on a cassette tape when I was 15. From that moment on, Brian inspired me with his technique, enthusiasm and beautiful open drum sound 👌 A great, fantastic, timeless drummer 👍
Merci Mr Benett pour ce morceau de batterie exceptionnel the Shadows je vous est vu en 1963 j'avais 15ans mais en 2014 vous etes toujours le meilleur groupe de ces années 60 ........................M E R C I
If someone dropped a pin during this masterclass I didn't hear it ... you are witnessing a real drummer at work here folks and not some contemporary player who shoves every rudiment in the book at you in the first 30 seconds to try to impress .... this is the boss at work!
When I started to play the drums over 40 years ago I was self taught, I had a book and a cassette of 'how to play' and all that stuff and it was very much in the traditional way of playing and didn't really appeal or apply to me as I was into rock music and wanted to a 'rock' drummer. Over the years I have come to appreciate many styles of playing though I never got into swing or jazz, what we have here with Mr Bennet is a very 60s traditional way of playing and presenting a solo. Traditional grip, coated heads, small toms, a loose sounding snare drum and lots of 'set' patterns and chops. The thing is there are many young drummers out there now who are technically frightening and blind us all with their accuracy, timing and speed (Thomas Lang anyone?) but for me they lack the passion that this guy has in spades. Here we have an iconic player who I remember listening too when I was young. It was a shadows LP cover with a picture of a kit on it that made me want to play and thanks to the likes of Brian Bennet I'm still playing. This is an incredible solo from a legend and I watch this video now and then just to remind me how bloody good this guy is and how much I've still got to learn ...Brian ... love ya!
Me too Phil--it was Meehan and Bennett that also inspired me as a young boy and then later I discovered the drummers of the 30's and 40's. During the 60's there were also many of my generation who impressed and inspired me like Moon, Bobby Elliot of the Hollies and then, later, Mitch Mitchell with Hendrix, then John Hiseman and, of course John Bonham. I too have had a highly rewarding musical journey over 40 years, playing a whole spectrum of music with many musicians who became and still are firm friends to this day. Thats what music can do. It brings pleasure and enrichment to those who have and can develop a talent, as well as acting as a great vehicle to meet hundreds of people and, in particular some very attractive members of the opposite sex !! Thank you for the music Brian .....:)
I guess every prof. musician will testify that Bennett is a real good drummer. I studied classical music at a state conservatory but besides began to play in rock bands at the age of 17. What Bennett shows here is just very solid musicianship. He knows how to begin and build up tension. He knows how to hold that tension, how to change the character of the solo and to surprise the audience. In the end it doesn´t matter if you are a rock or pop or jazz drummer, it´s those fundamental things that makes you an interesting drummer and that´s what Bennett is. On the contrary many contemporary rock drummers may be technically advanced but don´t know how to design a solo or rhythm. Mostly they play way too much what soon becomes boring. In former times I disliked the Shadows - boring, old fashioned music. But today I have to admit that they are a very good band - despite their boring music ....
my favourite player and inspiration is carl palmer who is still playing today ive carl a few times and he is a wonderful guy and a gentleman .. im more inspired by drummers from the past than the present … and mr bennet is definitely one of those .. I would dearly to see and meet him, shake his hand and thank him for all the wonderful music he has given us and still does.
Brian Bennett is the greatest English drummer ever!!!! ofcorse there are other greats like Ronnie Verrell, Kenny Clare, but Brian had more class in taste technique and in what he did. He made for me, Big Big Inspiration. Thank you for all Brian, without you I wasn´t playing as a professional drummer today. Long Live !!!!
In 2013, our (Dutch) most well known drummer, Cesar Zuiderwijk, was given a surprise party for his 65th birthday. The biggest surprise was to play a "Little B" drum solo with no other than Brian Bennet! Now I must admit that Cesar Zuiderwijk is also a world famous drummer. Since 1970 he has been the drummer of Golden Earring which is the most famous rock band from The Netherlands. I too have fond memories of Brian as well as of The Shadows. I had been to a show in 1980. The audience wanted very much to hear Brian's awesome drum solos on "Little B". Unfortunately he was unable to play an extensive solo at that time. I don't really remember why. But The Shadows promised us that next time there would be big drum solo. Well, that "next time" happened to be in 1982, and again I was there. During the break I decided to remind them of the promised drum solo. While I was sitting there with a large piece of paper, writing down my request (Little B) and letting them know that "next time" would mean "right here, right now", a man asked me what I was doing. So I explained, and he said there would be little chance because the show would stop at 11.00 PM (him working for a newspaper, he had the play list schedule). When the break was over and the band was on stage again, I summoned up all my strength and went to the stage with my letter. The security people let me through because they knew me, my mom worked at the wardrobe. I gave my letter to Hank Marvin, who read it, and then said "Oh, it's for Brian! Sorry, he's already married" while winking at me. He showed the letter to Brian, and I noticed a small nod from Brian to Hank. 11.00 PM, right? Hah! More like 11.30! Not "Little B" but a GREAT solo on "Arty's Party". And the newspaper guy was flabbergasted! Good for him 😆 After the show my mother took ne up to the dressing rooms, and I could meet them. Brian asked me why I asked for Little B, as it had been quite a while since he played it, and they hadn't included it in this show. He asked me hpw old I was when The Shadows played it. I told him I might have still been in another life because I was born in 1963. Very nice people! Got their autographs but unfortunately lost them due to many times moving house... But the BEST solo I ever heard (for me) is still Honorable Puff Puff from the Paris Olympia album from 1975. I have a RU-vid link here, I do not own this clip! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-odeY7sufl_g.html
My dad taught me the guitar from the Shadows records that he owned. I remember him saying that Brian Bennett was the best drummer ever. This performance shows how much he was right. Almost 50 years after I took my first guitar lesson from my dad it still sounds like in my memory. Thank you The Shadows for all those great songs that I still enjoy playing once in a while.
Un sólo de batería estupendo, sobrio y tecnicamente bien ejecutado, sin los aspavientos de muchos bateristas de hoy que pretenden impresionar por su rapidez o el uso excesivo del pedal en el Tom de piso. Aquellos que se dicen los mejores bateristas del mundo deberían ver a éste sobrio músico tocando y transmitiendo un absoluto control sobre la batería, depurada técnica y velocidad necesaria para presentar un excelente solo de batería. Y nunca le oímos decir que era el mejor del mundo. Ojalá Ringo Starr le hubiera escuchado con más frecuencia, quizás también hubiera aprendido a tocar mejor su instrumento ... y mira que fueron contemporáneos.
Je suis accro aux " Shadows " depuis 1962 " Apache " et j'ai 71 ans . D'autres groupes français , britanniques ou américains me font vibrer mais eux sont ma raison d'être bien . Hank Bruce et Brian John. ... le must !!! Merci à eux
I JUST HAPPENED ON HERE FROM SEEING BRIAN AS A GUEST ON SOME TALK SHOW THEN SAW HIM HERE IN CONCERT SO DECIDED TO CHECK HIM OUT ON DRUMS SINCE BEING A DRUMMER MYSELF SINCE 12 , NOW 74 AND < WOW > !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRIAN YOU ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian Benett is a drummer par excellence. He is the master in double stroke rolling. It is rare to see him using double stick stroke. I am his fervent follower.
When he played Little B in Paris the crowd did not stop to applaud. And it was perhaps better (if possible) that original version. A genial improvisation of Brian for French date. He knowed well that he was a heroe for this number in our country. So, He gave us the top of his art.
Had no idea he was such a technical and swingy drummer. This is really good stuff. I think the shadows are underrated overall for how tight and professional they were.
Brian wanted to be a big band drummer and I believe did play in them on occasion. An outstanding musician and composer. He has composed so many pieces of music, from Summer Holiday (yep he wrote it) to ‘Chase Side Shoot Up’ which has been the theme of BBC Golf coverage for over 30 years, to the theme of the Ruth Rendell Mysteries, and to Image ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VB4zG-of4co.html
I remember seeing Brian play this on a tour in the late 90's or early in the new millenium. A wonderful preformance. In fact he played the audience as well as the drums. He "trained" sections of the audience to clap when he pointed a drum stick at them (left, right and centre, etc), it was an added bonus on an enjoyable evening.
He goes so silent and quiet you get scared he's stopping, but doesn't; creates a gigantic long attention span that way; you are NOT getting bored. That's a skill that makes him legendary... But he would have never done this without former Shadows drummer Tony Meehan who had a drum solo hit (possibly he was the first to that in the world) named; "See you in my drums". Thanks and respect sir Brian Bennett , but in memory of Tony Meehan (rest in peace). This is probably a tribute to him "See you in my drums"; Tony Meehan's dream got an answer.
mesmerising! Blows me away watching this. I got to see him perform this live in 2020 on tour with Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows and you could have heard a pin drop while he played, then at the end he got a huge standing ovation ..... goosebumps!
Un très grand Bravo à Brian Bennett, ce très grand batteur des Shadows, mon groupe fétiche et adoré, ce solo de batterie est un modèle du genre, comparable à nul autre, un chef d'oeuvre rythmique!...
@matainsanos - Very high professional level! I had always thought if 'the Beatles'' would be such a great music professionals - what kind of music they would create!
Hats off to you, Sir. You have provided us with brilliant numbers and performances ever since you appeared with the Shads... and meeting you by chance in Surrey was one of the things I'm not likely to forget! Great man, so friendly, and great drummer. Thank you so much! All the best Joel
