Clyde Stubblefield, RIP

[mjzee]

Clyde Stubblefield, a drummer for James Brown who created one of the most widely sampled drum breaks ever, died Saturday. He was 73.  

Stubblefield performed on several of Brown's classics in the 1960s and early 70s, including Cold Sweat, Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud, I've Got the Feelin', and the album Sex Machine.

But he was best known for a short solo on Brown's 1970 single, Funky Drummer.

See: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4238324/James-Browns-Funky-Drummer-Clyde-Stubblefield-dies-73.html

[JSngry]

Also heard for years as the house drummer on NPR's "Whad'Ya Know?" out of Madison, Wisocnsin!

RIP, and fullest love possible. James Brown changed my life more than once, with and without Clyde, but especially with.

 

[king ubu]

Very sad news.

"Funky Drummer" btw is not a solo, in fact it's the pure opposite, and Stubblefield in interviews was most ambiguous about it ... JB ushered them into a studio to record, as was his wont, after a gig, everybody was exhausted, so Stubblefield just played that barest of beats and kinda refused to do more ... I guess that's the secret behind it and why it was sampled so often.

Anyway, terrific drummer!

Edited February 19, 2017 by king ubu

[Dmitry]

A relative of the late saxophonist John Stubblefield?

[jeffcrom]

I rank "Cold Sweat" right up there among mankind's greatest music creations (no kidding), and Clyde Stubblefield was a big part of that. RIP to one of the greats.

[king ubu]

2 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

I rank "Cold Sweat" right up there among mankind's greatest music creations (no kidding), and Clyde Stubblefield was a big part of that. RIP to one of the greats.

Well, it's a variant on a Dolphy tune, after all  

I think the combination of John "Jabo" Starks and Clyde Stubblefield was magic. Would be hard pressed to name one favourite JB drummer, there's Melvyn Parker, too, and a few others, but Jabo and Stubblefield would top the list together, I guess.