”Jabo Starks ”…. featured drummer 1968-James Brown / Biloxi / Gus Stevens / The Fiesta / Jimmy Head The HeadLyters / Little Rickey / Mickey Mouse Club / I Love Lucy
Michael Welch 11-21-22
Notes From An Old Drummer
(Featured Drummer-Jabo Starks / James Brown)
(The HeadLyters-Sons Of Tyme-Wayne Sharp-Don Garrett-John Rakestraw-The Chocolate Papers-David and The Giants-The Fiesta-Little Ricky-Desi Arnez-Ken Harder-Lamar Williams-Gus Stevens-James Brown-George Woods-Clyde Subblefield- The Beach House-The Vapors-BJ Thomas-Johnny Rivers-Zildjian-Ludwig-ZimGar- Cubby O’Brian- Jaimoe/Jai Johanny Johnson-The Sandpiper-The Chez Joey-Dave Dudley-I Love Lucy-Dinah Shore-Dino Desi Billy-Slingerland-Mickey Mouse Club- Bootsy Collins-Youtube-Buddy Rich-Gene Krupa-Ginger Baker-Keith Moon-Frank Schenk-Quarterback Club-Chitlin Circuit-Berry Oakley-The Allman Brothers- Sly and The Family Stone-Traffic-Deep Purple-Steppenwolf-Jimi Hendrix-Van Morrison-Procol Harum-The Beatles-The Stones-The Bee Gees-Bobby Byrd-Bobby Dominquez-Keith Thibodeaux-Count Basie-Cab Calloway-Ray Charles-Louie Jordan- Fats Domino-Redd Foxx-John Lee Hooker-Etta James-B.B.King-Flip Wilson-1968-Sitting In
(Notes # 8)
My fantastic... Jimmy Head and the HeadLyters---at The Fiesta- gig came to an end. I made $200 a week...that summer of 1968. I saved some money and bought a [$600] 1959 VW Van...I recovered from my bout of mononucleosis. Rented my first apartment.
“Life Was Good”
I would transfer into another local group without a break. The Sons of Tyme had a house gig at The Beach House---300 yards from The Fiesta. It was brand new-a great gig. It wasn’t $200 a week-but it was a gig. Wayne Sharp-played Hammond B3, Don Garrett-played electric bass. John Rakestraw moved with me... from The HeadLyters.
I write in more detail about this band...our friendship and some interesting events in my book.
“Notes of a Young Drummer 1966-1969”
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Fall of 1968...playing at The Beach House was different than summer. College students were wired to enjoy their weekend. The Beach House was a magnet for them. It was located on the gulf-beach side of US90-also known as Beach Boulevard.
I loved everything about playing at The Beach House. It was basically, a wooden box with windows that could be opened. The stage was in the front corner...elevated a few feet off the floor. The acoustics were fantastic. I loved the sound of my drums when we played. It was dry-without any glass windows.
Before joining The HeadLyters...I purchased a new set of Ludwig. A black diamond pearl Hollywood...five - piece kit with matching wood snare drum. I also had real...Zildjian cymbals.
I loved that Japanese set of ZimGar. Unfortunately---they were stolen because of my casual stupidity. I had them in my Mom’s 65 Ford---convertible while [club hopping]...searching for a gig. Someone sliced the top and stole everything.
While playing The Beach House gig...I added another floor tom and bass drum. It was a good idea at the time---imagining I was Ginger Baker or Keith Moon.
The Sons of Tyme was a good group. We learned a lot of new tunes by different artist. Unlike all of my previous bands...we were the same age. John Rakestraw...our guitarist was several years older. Our group’s song list included material from Sly and The Family Stone, Traffic, Deep Purple, Steppenwolf, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, Procol Harum, The Beatles, The Stones, The Bee Gees and classic RnB repertoire. I wish I had photos and audio.
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The group was popular and had a working relationship with the club owner, Frank Schenk. Everything was happening without any hitches. Playing at The Beach House with The Sons of Tyme was fun. I was allowed to really play hard and experiment in a creative way.
The band members were all good friends. It was more than a business relationship like The HeadLyters. The money wasn’t as good...but the pay cut had its own special benefits.
We were all happy playing music-learning our instruments and paying our bills. I procured my first apartment and had a vehicle. That fall...1968 was great.
The scene in Biloxi was a slow change when it came to new bands or entertainment. Jimmy Head and The HeadLyters left The Fiesta and moved to a club [up the Biloxi strip] called The Vapors.
The Chocolate Papers and Chez Joey had disappeared.
Gus Stevens was [always open] with rotating entertainers. When I was in Biloxi...Gus Stevens was more of a show club. They brought in special music acts. I remember they had Johnny Rivers.
Playing at The Fiesta...there was a new band featuring a vocalist...Dave Dudley. They had a good local following. Bobby Dominquez played drums in the band. The Ken Harder Group was always in The Fiesta front lounge.
[Nothing ever changed there]
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The Vapors would book road groups. (Usually one nighters or featured vocalist to sing with the house band) BJ Thomas was a regular at The Vapors. David and The Giants also played at The Vapors. I never heard the band...but the drummer was Keith Thibodeaux. He played Little Ricky on the television show, I Love Lucy. As a kid...I was very familiar with him from [50s TV]
Keith and Cubby O’Brian from The Mickey Mouse Club were on my-drumming radar-at a young age.
There’s a great...I Love Lucy...video clip with Little Ricky getting his first snare drum. It’s typical of drummer’s families dealing with the sound of drums---day after day. I had the sheriff called on me [many times as a teenager] for “Beating Those Skins” like Gene Krupa.
Keith could really play at a young age. Those early I Love Lucy clips and him playing with the band are interesting. The audio may be the [off stage] show band...but you can see him really swinging. He plays unorthodox-but traditional grip. Sometimes he plays like a lefty...even with his feet. He even performs a duet with Desi Arnez...playing hand drum---dancing and singing the classic tune [Babalu]
Another clip has Keith singing and dancing with Rudee Vallee and Desi Arnez. I remember seeing these performances when they originally aired in the 50s. Watching Little Ricky playing drums on my [black and white TV] triggered my early interest in the drums. (If he could do it, why not me?)
There’s a Dinah Shore clip from 1960 called...Little Ricky’s Combo. [Just fantastic] It features the real son of Lucy and Desi...[Desi Arnez IV]
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It’s a drum duet feature--with the band. Desi Jr. had a 60s group called [Dino, Desi & Billy]..
.Desi gets another shot in a 1970 [“Here’s Lucy] [drum battle] with Buddy Rich...Of coarse---we all know who wins...[This is in color] with Buddy playing his Slingerland Marine Pearl kit.
I regret not hearing Keith Thibodeaux play with David and The Giants at The Vapors. I heard David / David Huff at the Biloxi, Mississippi [afterhours bottle club] called The Sandpiper.
The Sandpiper was within walking distance of The Vapors and The Fiesta. I happened to be there after my gig. David Huff was [sitting in] playing guitar with George Woods and the Sound of Soul. He was very good and the [audience enjoyed it]
Back in Orlando---there was a historic African American venue called The Quarterback Club. I went there a couple times...
I heard several great musicians. (1967)
[Musicians-comedians and entertainers] traveling...on what was called the Chitlin’ Circuit played at The Quarterback. [During the era of racial segregation in the United States---through the 1960s] Notable artist include Count Basie, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Louie Jordan, Fats Domino, Redd Foxx, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, B.B.King, Flip Wilson and more.
One night...Wayne Sharp invited me to ride with him to a local club George Woods and the Sound of Soul were playing. It wasn’t on the Biloxi Strip. It was on the [other side of the tracks] Wayne knew a couple of the musicians and assured me it would [“be cool”]
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Upon entering the Biloxi club...I could feel the atmosphere of the environment. [Yes---we were the only ‘Hippy Long-Hair Caucasians’ in the room]
I was immediately absorbed in what I was hearing from George Wood’s band. It was funk and soul... completely foreign to my 18-year-old ears. The [energy and groove] in the air was so dense you could almost see and feel it. Everyone in the room knew it was [musical genius] in progress. I wasn’t there very long. [Not a complete set] I didn’t have a conversation with the drummer or any of the musicians. Wayne Sharp had some business and [we split]
Playing that night in George Woods and the Sound of Soul was Lamar Williams on bass. Lamar was from the area where I had my apartment...in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Playing drums that night in George Woods and the Sound of Soul was------ John Henry “Jabo” Starks.
Jabo was evidently [on a break] from his legendary gig playing drums for James Brown. Jabo Starks is credited with being the drummer in James Brown’s band from [1965 to 1970] The band had two drummers during that period...the other being Clyde Stubblefield.
I have zero memory of any tunes---were there vocals---no vocals---I don’t remember any keyboards or horns. I went into [sound wave shock] when I heard them play.
I have a friend that heard Coltrane with his quartet in the early 60s. He speaks of it being a [sacred moment]
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My experience hearing... Jabo Starks and this group seems’ like that kind of [music awakening]
___Whatever [ego and pride of life] I had...or thought of myself...was erased in those minutes___
I watched Jabo play with complete abandonment on a [chicken wired]---duck taped---set of drums...probably borrowed for the gig. The humidity in the room...from the music they were creating on their instruments was...like a hurricane. It was everything---funky---soulful---intense----swampy. It was blues, jazz, fusion, sacred and secular. What a moment in time. ___Absolute genius___
I never heard James Brown...with Jabo Starks or any of the JB great bands. I’ve watched the Youtube videos and seen Jabo's (1999) Instructional video * Soul of the Funky Drummers.
There’s a great book written by Jim Payne, Give The Drummers Some. The book includes a chronological history of James Brown’s drummers with transcriptions of the drum parts for each track. [Really Great]
There’s a Youtube video...James Brown / 4-24-71 / Rome, Italy with Jabo. He plays [Sex Machine] it’s got all of those kicks and breaks. Jabo and William “Bootsy” Collins on bass [“Layin it Down’] while James (“Does His Thing”)
In “Soul Power”...Jabo drops those [downbeat bombs] articulated with a cymbal crash. There’s a vocal---drums only break I’ve never heard on any other performance or record. James and Bobby Byrd with [call and response] singing (Soul Power) ___Maybe its’ been sampled.
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When I saw Jabo Starks that night...the [Fall of 1968] Jabo’s playing was more physical and animated then the Youtube instructional---modern performance videos. Playing behind James Brown...his playing was locked in with the band.
When I heard Jabo Starks with George Woods---Jabo was playing more improvisational...[unrestricted interplay] with George Woods and Lamar Williams.
It was “mind blowing” to [see and hear] what I experienced in that Biloxi, Mississippi club. I had zero idea there was anything like that going on in Biloxi.
As I’ve mentioned before...I also heard George Woods and the Sound of Soul at The Sandpiper. I don’t know who George’s regular drummer was that night. [Probably 3am] There may not have been drums.
At one time...George Woods rhythm section included Lamar Williams on bass with Jaimoe, Jai Johanny Johnson on drums. I never heard of or knew Jaimoe during my period in Biloxi... 1968. Jaimoe was on the road with Otis Redding or Sam and Dave from 1966---till his collaborations with Duane Allman in 1969.
___Lamar Williams joined The Allman Brothers after the death of Berry Oakley___
Hearing...Jabo Starks...on that old thrown together drumset [changed my attitude] towards what kind of [equipment or instrument] was needed to create music. What Jabo Starks demonstrated was [feeling and emotion] through that drumset.
___’Jabo Starks gave the instrument it’s voice’___ 8
My first kit [1966] was a [$250 set] made by a Japanese company. The brand was ZimGar. In 1968...I was playing a nice set of Ludwig drums with Zildjian cymbals. I can’t say they made me a better drummer...or even sounded better.
[In my life] I’ve seen drummers play and sound great on inexpensive drums. Sometimes duck taped with one head--- horrible finish---missing lugs---warped rims---drums didn’t match---different brands. [The drummer made them sound great]
They expressed their artistic style of drumming with a unique character. ___I’ve seen this many times since 1968___
I’ve owned and played the best drums and equipment money can buy. I’ve made them sound good. I was able to adjust and tune them to my satisfaction. I’ve also [purposely rejected] expensive instruments to find a simple [organic sound]
I regret not hanging out longer at that event---meeting----- Jabo Starks.
___”The 60s, Was a great period in time for music”___
Notes From An Old Drummer
Michael Welch / Michael Welch Publications
(Notes # 8)
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