Recreating James Brown's Famous "Funky Drummer" Drum Break | What's That Sound? EP 35 

That fluffy bass drum beater was probably worth mentioning too.

If you're getting into breaks, you gotta do another legend: Amen Brother!! 🙏🙏🙏

I think this is a really good reproduction. I've been fascinated by this beat and playing it for 20 yrs+. I find it quite memorising if not hypnotic to play if I'm honest. There are a few comments on here to say it's not 100% etc, but nothing ever is. Go through RU-vid and try to find a better reproduction then. I think you'll struggle. Clyde Stubblefield played this at breakneck speed with perfect note alignment whilst maintaining a deft touch. Even he couldnt reproduce it later in life. Then there's the purpose of this video, the recording. The original captured a moment in time, in a specific room, with specific equipment. It's simply not possible to get it 100% over 50 years later with different variables. To me, this is a really good version and i thank you for your time.

i believe clyde stubblefield to be probably the most uncopiable drummer ever. no one can come close to his nuance shuffle feel and dynamics. Cold Sweat is also one crazy drum beat.

The ONLY thing you guys missed on this session was not using an 18” bass drum, instead of the 22” on here. Clyde used an 18” Ludwig and 5”x14” Supraphonic on the original, which was 3 microphones, all bused to one track, and going thru the EMT plate. This lick is INCREDIBLY difficult to nail, especially the hi-hat ghost notes, which Clyde played emphasizing the 8th note. Plus, he laid WAY back on the beat…remember, he was a Southerner, we always delay the two and four. ;) Great job, Jess!!

Ain't it funky, a 1, 2, 3, 4 !!!!😃

Would love to see/hear your take on the drums from Bloc Party's "Silent Alarm" album. "Like Eating Glass" and "Helicopter" would be my preference. So fast, so propulsive. Matt Tong's drumming is incredible on that album.

This is turning out to be a really educational series. Always great results and clearly explained. Thanks for doing these :)

I think the trick to all those drums was the chamber they had in the King studios in the Cincinati. they also rocked a plate.. and I know the engineers were told to use a lot of it.

Thanks for showcasing the importance of mic'ing. As a mostly "in the box" producer I wasn't aware of the huge impact!

As always - thank you for the killer samples!

Todd Trainer’s drum sound in SHELLAC please!!

Call me crazy, but it sounds like you guys nailed it with just the overhead. Plus, having the kick drum tuned like that totally makes this sound like Clyde. Would love to know more about your snare technique on this. It definitely has that funky tone nailed.

Really good breakdown, you guys did such a fantastic job! As you always do 🤙🏼

That’s fantastic!

love it. totally amazing video!

Props to you guys at Reverb all around for taking on the ultimate challenge when it comes to recorded drum sounds (and drum PLAYING). Respect. Esp for the S/O to Stubblefield.

Great job on playing it, as much as capturing it.

Awesome job love it❤

Well done!

Nailed that groove. 👌

Damn. Out of the park

Wow you sounded great. This beat is easy to play but not easy get just right. One of the best versions I have heard

Liked how you tuned the snare

Do the drums for “the revolution will not be televised” by Bernard “Pretty” Purdie

"Let There Be Drums" by Sandy Nelson is one I'd really like to see in this series. I'm not studio, micing, mixing savvy so I don't know if it's easy to figure out for others, but I sure can't and I just know it sounds really cool.

awesome video, what are the odds we can get a video on eddie hazels tone on the cover of I Want You (She's So Heavy)?

If you want to hear the original solo studio isolated track, I have it on my channel. It's absolutely glorious; the song was probably recorded on a Scully 8-track. One day I'll upload the radio PSA's they recorded on the same tape reel, it's like being in the room with the band November 1969

Don’t listen to the previous comments. Your groove is great! Thanks for the demonstration.

Sweet, what preamps did you use for this? Guess they used tube back in the days!

How about the drums in Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend"? There's a cool break in the song that highlights the really great lo-fi drums.

If you release a sample pack to accompany this video prepare for DnB, jungle and breakcore artists to make up most of the traffic

pleaaaaaseeee do ty segall's manipulator drum sound! would be cool!

That Acrolite is SPOT ON!

So what mics were feeding to the reverb?

What pres were used on this and what pres were used on the original? Thanks!

I’d love to hear a breakdown of 1612 by Vulfpeck

nailed it! great drumming. well done.

Hear The Drummer (Get Wicked). James Brown: Most Sampled Man in the Biz - a Rolling Stone article

I’d love for them to give Curtis Mayfield’s “Now You’re Gone” a try

It'd be great to see a vid covering the drum sound on Neil Young's Harvest record. The merest hint of the snare on "Out on the Weekend" is known to cure all ailments.

Please do a video deconstructing Ray LaMontenga’s God Willing and the Creek don’t rise.

What about the plate reverb? So key to the sound.

Do Impeach the President next !

Check out drum beat of Joe Simons' Moon Walk pt 1 & 2 the drummer is equally groovin on this plane throughout the entire cut..its powerful

How about sing U2? Larry has a very martial style, “Where the Streets Have No Name” has such a big venue sound in the other instruments, be cool to see how to mix the drums to keep up.

Jack White and Dead Weather pleaaaase

I wonder if Clide had a wee toke beforehand....!! Maybe not, James Brown was a hard taskmaster!!

DO "METERMAN" BY THE METERS!! PLEASE!!!!

do green days longview

Amen Break next?

Tomorrow never knows

Has anyone heard/seen a legit playing of FD on an electronic kit??

how about Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll (Pt 1&2) or any Tony Allen

Hmmm, a good start. Not quite there. I studied with Clyde as a punk kid and he would say “keep after it kid, come back when it grooves.”

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

Poor Jessica.

I have an issue with the snare tone - too much ring and tuned a hair higher than the original. Needs a smidgen more dampening

Slightly incorrect, but def cool.

‘Creating the sound’ did a much closer recreation which gets it near spot on. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jZoi12UpNEM.htmlsi=3QbW3TMwqPiUoj03

the open hat is too loud

I think that amen break copied clydes groove

I don't trust this guy

Doesn't sound right at all

You need to spend some more time with this groove. It feels robotic and you play it way behind the beat. Also, the open hats are on E`s and A`s. It`s not considered one of the hardest grooves to master for nothing.

Clyde played traditional grip..... Get it right.

How many mics do you think were used on the original recordings ? VERY FEW. ....and that's what this 'new breed' doesn't understand. Bill P.

The last price of the puzzle is getting a drummer that can actually play the groove correctly without sounding like a robot.

Ok how many turned are we gonna see this breakdown it’s getting old and everyone knows it’s a easy simple groove

I'm no drummer, but I've listened to this drum break for almost 35 years now. You needed to make ot funkier. That third kick should be more off beat.