Featured drummers = unknown 1969=The Coasters / Clarence Carter / Joe Simon / Soul City / Vic Waters / Don Gregory
Number 10 = Notes from an Old Drummer (11-24-22)
November of 1969, I joined a new band of musicians with a great plan to form a new group and take over the world. It was one of the worst financial decisions I ever made.
I’d been in West Palm since May of that year, 1969. I came there for a gig with Tommy Cashwell. It was fun and experience while it lasted. I was also married with a child on the way. Hence, my 60s hippy attitude, gypsy lifestyle needed adjustment and fine-tuning. I got a haircut and enrolled in adult education classes to find my way.
After Tommy Cashwell, I immediately joined a great organ, guitar and drums group. The club was called The Red Door. It had a red door. The club owner had two successful clubs. He was also a jazz drummer in the past. He liked the way I played.
The owner took the call at the club. A band member tracked me down for this new offer. I was excited about the potential of the group. I’d heard about Vic Waters and several other players in this new horn group.
The trio I was in at this club sounded great in the room. It was a classic 60s red shag carpet, dark corners in the room, it had that special smell of smoke and alcohol. I loved the warm sound of Hammond, guitar and my drums in that room. This group had already had this gig for years. They were dug in. I could have had that gig forever. Made my weekly paycheck and had some domestic peace of mind. But no, I was looking for the big payout with a star band.
The drummer/club owner told me it would be a bad decision. I could have that gig as long as it was happening. I decided to head for the unknown.
I write about these details in my book. Notes of a Young Drummer 1966-1969.
Vic Waters and Don Gregory were two fantastic front men, singers and entertainers.
The Vic and Donnie group started with a cool 3-week gig at a club in Fort Lauderdale called Soul City. We would rehearse at the club, get paid each week and then go to another gig in St. Pete. The club was called The Blue Room.
Soul City was a very large music show room club venue. They featured name entertainment weekly. The Vic and Donnie group played alternating sets with the star acts.
The drummers I’m featuring, I have zero idea what their names were. I should have been more social. Each of those 3 weeks was a different headline act. They were all great. As a 20 year- old drummer, this was my first time to work in a large 5-piece horn and 4-piece rhythm section. Plus 2 front singers.
Even though this group in 1969 didn’t work out, it was a great musical experience. I would play with Donny and Vic in the early 70s with more success.
Our first week at Soul City the featured act was The Coasters. The group I heard at soul city included Cornell Gunter. I don’t think it was King Curtis on tenor saxophone. I don’t know the drummers name, hence-unknown.
I remember how polished and professional they were. They sounded like their records.
All of the parts were there including my favorite, the bass parts. I remember hearing their tunes on the radio in the 50s. Searchin-Young Blood-Yakety Yak-Charlie Brown-Along Came Jones-Poison Ivey-Little Egypt.
They were fantastic. That was week one.
Week two was Clarence Carter. The star acts had access to the back stage dressing room. I stuck went there for a couple minutes and caught Clarence playing braille poker. He was enjoying himself.
Our period of the year was pre Christmas and Clarence had a run with Backdoor Santa Claus. His feel was very good.
Those records sound great. He played Slippin Away and a new tune called Patches. His tunes were million sellers. Patches won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues song. Clarence Carter recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Rick Hall produced. There’s a great documentary about Muscle Shoals.
Week 3 at Soul City featured Joe Simon. Joe was born in Louisiana and started singing in California. Simon recorded early on the Vee-Jay label in 1964. Simon had a string of hits including is Grammy winning tune, The Chockin Kind.
Joe Simon won the 1970 award for Best Male RnB Vocal Performance. He was performing this tune at the gig. He was a class entertainer. Joe Simon left the secular music world for gospel evangelism.
Joe Simon’s music director and guitarist was George Wood’s from Biloxi. I heard George with Jabo Starks and Lamar Williams.
Those 3-weeks at Soul City, was a great experience. Every band, musician and drummer was high quality.