Dino Danelli - featured drummer/ The Rascals / with Plant Life , Wilson Pickett, Beau Brummell (part two) of 3
Part two with featured drummer Dino Danelli. (11-16-22)
There are several tunes on this record I heard teenage bands play in the 60s... “Just A Little’ was covered by The Beau Brummel’s.
.. “Slow Down” by The Beatles.
Dino Danelli gets some solo time spaced around the record. “Do You Feel It” ___has some nice breaks. The studio drum sound on this record is similar to what you see and hear from their live television shows. The drum sound is open without dampening.
“Mustang Sally”...what can I say about this tune...I’ve played it 100s of times. It’s been a lounge lizard favorite for decades.
Here’s Wilson Pickett
The Rascals event was my only visit to the Kemps Coliseum.
I was excited to hear a live band in a concert situation like this. The inside was big with a high...large bandstand...the width of the room. It was all wood. Hence...it burned down in 1972.
There was an opening band called Plant Life. They had a record called Flower Girl. You can hear it on Youtube. It’s a good record. Typical...but well produced. Bobby Caldwell had been the drummer in the early version of Plant Life for a while. My friend Louie Simmons and myself noticed Bobby at this show...listening and hanging out like us.
The Rascals came on stage and played most of their tunes from the first album. They had abandoned their schoolboy attire... matching shirts and mini tie.
They played “Groovin” as part of their show. Dino played standing up front on the stage...playing a conga drum while Gene Cornish played harmonica. It was sort of ‘The Rascals” {unplugged}
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For the studio recording...Chuck Rainey plays electric bass. The great Tom Dowd was staff engineer for most of the Atlantic Record Label acts. Groovin was also covered by Aretha Franklin and Booker T. and the M.G.’s as an instrumental.
Hearing a famous recording band in a non teen-club like this was new for me. This type of event would transition to become the norm. Teenage “dances” at teen-clubs would disappear in exchange for name act concerts like this. [In my opinion]
Hearing Dino Danelli...play the tunes I was familiar with from their first LP was great. As a recording group...they were just getting started. Groovin would become another number one hit.
The Rascals 1967 record “Collections” is worth hearing. It’s certified Gold (500,000 sold) Being on The Atlantic label with Tom Dowd / engineer and Jerry Wexler / Atlantic’s head decision maker. They still cover a few RnB tunes...Mickey’s Monkey...where Dino sounds like Al Jackson Jr. and the great Motown drummers. [IMO] “Blue Eyed Soul”
Tom Dowd knows how to get a great drum sound. Dino’s sound reminds me a little of Ginger Baker, which Tom captured on (Disraeli Gears) especially the open “bass drum” resonance.
Up through this record (1966) Dino’s signature groove is the straight eighth note backbeat. He drives the band through each tune. Land of 1000 Dances demonstrates his maturity as a musician/drummer. His sound and playing is in the same league as the great 60s studio drummers. Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Gary Chester, Panama Francis, Bobby Elliot, Bobby Graham, Clem Cattini, Al Jackson Jr. and Roger Hawkins to name a few.
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The Rascals third record “Groovin” (1967) produces a couple shuffles and a Waltz. “A Girl Like You” The production is more arranged, horns, background vocals. Dino playing all of the kicks like a big band drummer. “How Can I Be Sure” a 3⁄4 side stick Waltz. [A beautiful tune and large ensemble production]
___60s bands with this much success–––This much production, “required” a drummer that could...cut the gig. Hence...enter Hal Blaine or the above mentioned studio drummers when the band drummer wasn’t capable or versatile–––to play the session___
“You Better Run” is another dynamic driving shuffle.
“It’s Love” is a hipster Jazz Rock groove with Hubert Laws, flute. Chuck Rainey – bass guitar. Dino augments his sound with mallets on the toms like Joe Morello or Vernel Fournier on Poinciana.
The tune is a prelude into the psychedelic 1967 “The Summer Of Love”
I’m glad I had the experience to see and hear Dino Danelli. It was a memorable hang and event. It was much different than any “school dance” or “teenage record party” I’d attended.
___I think? Louie’s mom picked us up after the concert!___
There are many famous drummers that publically mention the influence Dino Danelli had on their playing. The way he sat...the position of his cymbals...sizes of his drums...tuning...stick twirling and showmanship. The grooves...fills and beats he played...all a signature of his unique musicianship