Post by darkstar on Mar 22, 2006 12:34:32 GMT
Celloid and Vinyl:
John Densmore: The C&V Interview
I wanted to do something special in honor of my 300th post. Well, what’s more special than an interview with legendary drummer, John Densmore!?!? Densmore, along with guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and singer Jim Morrison founded the groundbreaking psychedelic rock group, The Doors. Between their 1967 debut album and Morrison’s death in 1971, The Doors only recorded six albums, but those six albums forever changed the face of rock and roll with such heights as “Break on Through (To The Other Side),” “Light My Fire,” “Hello, I Love You,” “L.A. Woman,” “Riders On The Storm,” and “The End” amongst countless others.
John Densmore’s contribution to the music landscape that we presently enjoy is of particular note. Densmore is often credited with the incorporation of “non-traditional” beats into the rock pantheon. “Break On Through’s” bossa nova groove and the African-poly-rhythms of later tracks, combined “world” music with “rock shaman” bombast to sculpt a precendent that is often imitated, but never duplicated. In addition to several Doors reissues, Densmore has kept busy by acting in Tim Robbins’ troupe, The Actors’ Gang, writing a best selling autobiography, Riders on the Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison and The Doors, and side projects like Tribaljazz, a combination of jazz with African percussion.
With Densmore’s “world beat” emphasis in mind, I sat down with him for a quick interview in order to discover what, in his opinion, is the most influential beat of all time. And now, John Densmore: The C&V interview.
Dan: Thanks for being here.
John Densmore: No problem.
D: The Doors had a very distinct sound. But I’m curious about the Supremes and the Four Tops and all that Motown stuff… Did they have an influence?
J: Thank God for Motown. I mean it was the other half of this entire country. Coming out of apartheid, et cetera… I was a teenager when I saw the Tami show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and James Brown. I was in LOVE with Diana, the supremes. That shot of her profile. Oh my God. I was in heat. And so I was very affected. And Marvin Gaye. Oh my God. I can’t find the words. It’s American music… The Tami show were mainly feel good songs. But not too long after that, “What’s Goin On” came along and I’m always for politics with my kisses. So great melodies. And then political. I’m for it all.
D: Is there a certain song of the Supremes–
J: –Baby love!… Watching Diana sing it at the Tami show, I almost had an orgasm.
D: What would you say was the most influential pop music?
J: …It’s reggae. And, and the reverberations. Here we are 2006 and we’re still whafting like crazy… All the reggae singers had this uh, maybe because they came from islands off shore, they had a more objective look at this country and the underlying Apartheid. We think we’re so free and pure, and you know you look under the rug and it’s still a mess… Music, writing, words can be weapons. They can be dangerous. And they can make change. Danger’s good. ‘Cus youre using words not bullets.
D: The Doors kinda had that. You guys were considered a very… outspoken band.
J: Violence in art, you walk a fine line. You gotta be careful not to be exploitative. The Doors were considered a dark band with violent undertones, but really I think we were exposing the underbelly of the times, which was Vietnam… There’s so much… brutality in the early 60s. It wasn’t in the streets. We were going into Vietnam and messing with another culture. And we wrote “The Unknown Solider.” We didnt say Vietnam, but we were exposing this stuff that people didnt want to hear about. And this is what’s going on. And then you expose it and it gets looked at.
D: So when did you first hear about Reggae?
J: Robbie Kreiger, the doors guitar player, and myself went to Jamaica after a tour. In the middle 70’s, I was back in Jamaica recording a band called “The Butts Band.” Phil Chin was on bass, a chinese Jamaican guy. And, uh, we were a dynamic sound, and we heard this word “reggae.” And one moring, Jimmy Cliff showed up and was in the studio. We thought we had it booked, but he was in there. And we were a little disgruntled. But then we heard this (mimicking the Reggae guitar sound) “ooh fa chick, ooh fa chick,” and Oh my God, our jaws hit the pavement. Ya know? It was just, uhh, baptism. And later I came back to the states and I was telling my musician friends in LA, “REGGAE! CHECK IT OUT! IT’S COMING!” And Kenny Edwards, the bass player for Linda Rondstat, said to me, “Reggie? What? Who?” And cut to a year later and Linda’s recording reggae type grooves. So I’m happy to segue that for people.
D: She recorded “Rivers of Babylon.” That Melodians song.
J: There you go! Via Me!
D: Were you in the studio with Jimmy before “The Harder They Come” was released?
J: No. When we were in the studio and saw Jimmy, “The Harder They Come” had been released. And I had seen it a couple years before that. And I was astounded. I was like “Oh my God, this is so great! They have subtitles and they’re speaking English! I love this! It’s just outrageous.” And the tunes… You know, I’m a drummer, but the melody always tells me how to drum. I don’t know why. But when I hear the melodies it just informs me. And every tune on that soundtrack has great melodies. It just hooks you. Every single one. And so they’re very inspiring.
D: When’d you first see it?
J: Early 70’s.
D: At the Nuart?
J: Yeah.
D: Do you remember anything about that experience?
J: I dont wanna say, but I will. I remember coming out and wanting to have a spliff immediately. Busted!
D: Were people smoking in the theater?
J: Oh yeah. yeah. It was whafting. It reminded me of when I saw Peter Tosh later at the Roxy and he was lighting up giant cigar spliffs on stage. And I was going, “Oh man! No fear!” You know… the Butts Band, this group I was in Jamaica recording, actually did record “Get Up, Stand Up” and this was a couple years before Clapton with “I Shot the Sherriff and The Police getting into the reggae groove and stuff. So we were first and that felt good. And we happened to have the same road manager as the Wailers. So I went to the Roxy and the Wailers were the Wailing Wailers and they were second billed to Cheech and Chong. Whoa was that a cultural gap. Here’s some African-Americans in the audience. Afros, raised up on funk, ya know. And there’s this rhythm fighting against the system… and they’re scratching their head, but I had been in Jamaica and I knew what was up and I was just knocked out. And I went backstage and Marley said he really liked our version of “Get up, Stand up.” Which felt pretty damn good. You know? it hadn’t spread yet. And we were on it.
D: Do you have a favorite track from “The Harder They Come?”
J: (shakes head) No. Many rivers. lootin’ and shootin’. all of it. And then there’s the song “Johnny you’re too bad” which is sort of mocking and glamorizing the gangsta life… You can’t. it’s like, “uhhh is ‘Light My Fire’ your favorite song?” No! there’s several.
D: Why’d Marley eclipse Jimmy in those early reggae years? I mean, Jimmy came out the gates strong and with a movie.
J: Wow… Good question. A good song is a marriage between the lyrics and the melody. How they (interlocks fingers) “Click.” Doesn’t matter. Reggae or heavy metal… And uh, Marley was so.. God, album after album after album of brilliant melodies and lyrics. I think that’s why he sustained so long.
D: He had the goods.
J: Right.
D: So why reggae? What makes reggae so special?
J: The thing about Reggae drumming that just blows drummers minds. You know, a normal pop, rock beat would be the bass drum on 1 and 3 and the snare drum on 2 and 4. (Demonstrates on his knees). And here comes reggae playing a rhythm against the system. It turns it around. Just blew our minds. When you hear a whole new way of doing somehting. It’s very stimulating… Family man and Carly (The Wailers’ bassist and drummers) were so tight. And they turned the beat around. And it was revolutionary… I can’t think of a beat since that’s been so revolutionary.
D: Why’s it so hard for white people to get that?
J: I dont think the Americans smoked enough. The reggae beat’s not counterintuitive, it’s political. It turns it around. Just messin with you. It’s good. you know, you have a regular groove that you hear for years. 3/4’s good. I’m very partical to 6/8 and 3/4 because it’s very African. it changes your movement and your psyche…. It changes your consciousness when your rhythms changed. It makes you move different.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 6th, 2006 at 12:03 am and is filed under Music, Interviews, Exclusives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
One Response to “John Densmore: The C&V Interview”
atara
March 7th, 2006 15:32 1Dan,
Incredible interview! Densmore is one of the most insanely influential drummers of all time. What a treat!
www.celluloidandvinyl.com/2006/03/06/john-densmore-the-cv-interview/
John Densmore: The C&V Interview
I wanted to do something special in honor of my 300th post. Well, what’s more special than an interview with legendary drummer, John Densmore!?!? Densmore, along with guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and singer Jim Morrison founded the groundbreaking psychedelic rock group, The Doors. Between their 1967 debut album and Morrison’s death in 1971, The Doors only recorded six albums, but those six albums forever changed the face of rock and roll with such heights as “Break on Through (To The Other Side),” “Light My Fire,” “Hello, I Love You,” “L.A. Woman,” “Riders On The Storm,” and “The End” amongst countless others.
John Densmore’s contribution to the music landscape that we presently enjoy is of particular note. Densmore is often credited with the incorporation of “non-traditional” beats into the rock pantheon. “Break On Through’s” bossa nova groove and the African-poly-rhythms of later tracks, combined “world” music with “rock shaman” bombast to sculpt a precendent that is often imitated, but never duplicated. In addition to several Doors reissues, Densmore has kept busy by acting in Tim Robbins’ troupe, The Actors’ Gang, writing a best selling autobiography, Riders on the Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison and The Doors, and side projects like Tribaljazz, a combination of jazz with African percussion.
With Densmore’s “world beat” emphasis in mind, I sat down with him for a quick interview in order to discover what, in his opinion, is the most influential beat of all time. And now, John Densmore: The C&V interview.
Dan: Thanks for being here.
John Densmore: No problem.
D: The Doors had a very distinct sound. But I’m curious about the Supremes and the Four Tops and all that Motown stuff… Did they have an influence?
J: Thank God for Motown. I mean it was the other half of this entire country. Coming out of apartheid, et cetera… I was a teenager when I saw the Tami show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and James Brown. I was in LOVE with Diana, the supremes. That shot of her profile. Oh my God. I was in heat. And so I was very affected. And Marvin Gaye. Oh my God. I can’t find the words. It’s American music… The Tami show were mainly feel good songs. But not too long after that, “What’s Goin On” came along and I’m always for politics with my kisses. So great melodies. And then political. I’m for it all.
D: Is there a certain song of the Supremes–
J: –Baby love!… Watching Diana sing it at the Tami show, I almost had an orgasm.
D: What would you say was the most influential pop music?
J: …It’s reggae. And, and the reverberations. Here we are 2006 and we’re still whafting like crazy… All the reggae singers had this uh, maybe because they came from islands off shore, they had a more objective look at this country and the underlying Apartheid. We think we’re so free and pure, and you know you look under the rug and it’s still a mess… Music, writing, words can be weapons. They can be dangerous. And they can make change. Danger’s good. ‘Cus youre using words not bullets.
D: The Doors kinda had that. You guys were considered a very… outspoken band.
J: Violence in art, you walk a fine line. You gotta be careful not to be exploitative. The Doors were considered a dark band with violent undertones, but really I think we were exposing the underbelly of the times, which was Vietnam… There’s so much… brutality in the early 60s. It wasn’t in the streets. We were going into Vietnam and messing with another culture. And we wrote “The Unknown Solider.” We didnt say Vietnam, but we were exposing this stuff that people didnt want to hear about. And this is what’s going on. And then you expose it and it gets looked at.
D: So when did you first hear about Reggae?
J: Robbie Kreiger, the doors guitar player, and myself went to Jamaica after a tour. In the middle 70’s, I was back in Jamaica recording a band called “The Butts Band.” Phil Chin was on bass, a chinese Jamaican guy. And, uh, we were a dynamic sound, and we heard this word “reggae.” And one moring, Jimmy Cliff showed up and was in the studio. We thought we had it booked, but he was in there. And we were a little disgruntled. But then we heard this (mimicking the Reggae guitar sound) “ooh fa chick, ooh fa chick,” and Oh my God, our jaws hit the pavement. Ya know? It was just, uhh, baptism. And later I came back to the states and I was telling my musician friends in LA, “REGGAE! CHECK IT OUT! IT’S COMING!” And Kenny Edwards, the bass player for Linda Rondstat, said to me, “Reggie? What? Who?” And cut to a year later and Linda’s recording reggae type grooves. So I’m happy to segue that for people.
D: She recorded “Rivers of Babylon.” That Melodians song.
J: There you go! Via Me!
D: Were you in the studio with Jimmy before “The Harder They Come” was released?
J: No. When we were in the studio and saw Jimmy, “The Harder They Come” had been released. And I had seen it a couple years before that. And I was astounded. I was like “Oh my God, this is so great! They have subtitles and they’re speaking English! I love this! It’s just outrageous.” And the tunes… You know, I’m a drummer, but the melody always tells me how to drum. I don’t know why. But when I hear the melodies it just informs me. And every tune on that soundtrack has great melodies. It just hooks you. Every single one. And so they’re very inspiring.
D: When’d you first see it?
J: Early 70’s.
D: At the Nuart?
J: Yeah.
D: Do you remember anything about that experience?
J: I dont wanna say, but I will. I remember coming out and wanting to have a spliff immediately. Busted!
D: Were people smoking in the theater?
J: Oh yeah. yeah. It was whafting. It reminded me of when I saw Peter Tosh later at the Roxy and he was lighting up giant cigar spliffs on stage. And I was going, “Oh man! No fear!” You know… the Butts Band, this group I was in Jamaica recording, actually did record “Get Up, Stand Up” and this was a couple years before Clapton with “I Shot the Sherriff and The Police getting into the reggae groove and stuff. So we were first and that felt good. And we happened to have the same road manager as the Wailers. So I went to the Roxy and the Wailers were the Wailing Wailers and they were second billed to Cheech and Chong. Whoa was that a cultural gap. Here’s some African-Americans in the audience. Afros, raised up on funk, ya know. And there’s this rhythm fighting against the system… and they’re scratching their head, but I had been in Jamaica and I knew what was up and I was just knocked out. And I went backstage and Marley said he really liked our version of “Get up, Stand up.” Which felt pretty damn good. You know? it hadn’t spread yet. And we were on it.
D: Do you have a favorite track from “The Harder They Come?”
J: (shakes head) No. Many rivers. lootin’ and shootin’. all of it. And then there’s the song “Johnny you’re too bad” which is sort of mocking and glamorizing the gangsta life… You can’t. it’s like, “uhhh is ‘Light My Fire’ your favorite song?” No! there’s several.
D: Why’d Marley eclipse Jimmy in those early reggae years? I mean, Jimmy came out the gates strong and with a movie.
J: Wow… Good question. A good song is a marriage between the lyrics and the melody. How they (interlocks fingers) “Click.” Doesn’t matter. Reggae or heavy metal… And uh, Marley was so.. God, album after album after album of brilliant melodies and lyrics. I think that’s why he sustained so long.
D: He had the goods.
J: Right.
D: So why reggae? What makes reggae so special?
J: The thing about Reggae drumming that just blows drummers minds. You know, a normal pop, rock beat would be the bass drum on 1 and 3 and the snare drum on 2 and 4. (Demonstrates on his knees). And here comes reggae playing a rhythm against the system. It turns it around. Just blew our minds. When you hear a whole new way of doing somehting. It’s very stimulating… Family man and Carly (The Wailers’ bassist and drummers) were so tight. And they turned the beat around. And it was revolutionary… I can’t think of a beat since that’s been so revolutionary.
D: Why’s it so hard for white people to get that?
J: I dont think the Americans smoked enough. The reggae beat’s not counterintuitive, it’s political. It turns it around. Just messin with you. It’s good. you know, you have a regular groove that you hear for years. 3/4’s good. I’m very partical to 6/8 and 3/4 because it’s very African. it changes your movement and your psyche…. It changes your consciousness when your rhythms changed. It makes you move different.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 6th, 2006 at 12:03 am and is filed under Music, Interviews, Exclusives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
One Response to “John Densmore: The C&V Interview”
atara
March 7th, 2006 15:32 1Dan,
Incredible interview! Densmore is one of the most insanely influential drummers of all time. What a treat!
www.celluloidandvinyl.com/2006/03/06/john-densmore-the-cv-interview/
