| lifetimefanofqueen 01.10.2010 13:31 |
heres a random question just off the top my my head, could Brian play drums? i know he could play many instruments but most from the string family, so thatr guitars, banjo, etc.......... |
| Cyborg 01.10.2010 21:55 |
I think he played drums in FBI, a bonus track in Another World link |
| Sebastian 02.10.2010 08:01 |
Not quite. Does singing 'Teo Torriatte' qualify as speaking Japanese? Most drums by Brian are programmed rather than played. He certainly could (or can?) compose great drum bits, though he always needed someone else to play them for him (Cozy, Roger, Taylor, etc). |
| Wiley 02.10.2010 10:20 |
I'm sure he can keep a basic beat but that doesn't mean he can play drums professionally or even good enough to play sporadically on a record. Personally, I think he would look too damn weird behind a drum kit... hell, he seems awkward every single time he's not behind a guitar. He doesn't know what to do with his hands. |
| john bodega 04.10.2010 05:58 |
I feel for Brian in that respect. I know how it feels to look utterly bereft behind a mic and nothing else. |
| e-man 04.10.2010 06:14 |
the drums on "fbi" is cozy powell brian stated in interviews around the time of AW that he (brian) could programme drums quite well. thus; I don't think he has played the drums on any recordings. I'm sure he's very capable of playing basic beats, but when he chooses to programme a drum track rather than laying it down with actual drums, I think that's an indication that he's not very skilled. one thing that bugs me about another world is that some tracks feature programmed drums. why on earth you'd do that when you've got cozy powell I'll never know... |
| Sebastian 04.10.2010 07:31 |
BTTL too... Driven By You album vs single says it all. |
| thomasquinn 32989 04.10.2010 07:42 |
e-man wrote: one thing that bugs me about another world is that some tracks feature programmed drums. why on earth you'd do that when you've got cozy powell I'll never know... ===== Two words: "the '90s". The synthetic sound without the flatness of the 1980s was, for some inexplicable reason, considered desirable for a little while. |
| rhyeking 04.10.2010 11:17 |
Here's an interesting note from a Status Quo site: F.B.I. (credited to Peter Gormley, written by Hank Marvin/Bruce Welch/Jet Harris) Performed by Brian May Produced by: Brian May; Engineered & Co-produced by: Justin Shirley Smith Line-up: Brian May (G, B, Keys, Drums and all other instruments), Francis Rossi (G), Rick Parfitt (G) There has been a long-term relationship between Status Quo and Queen/Brian May, who guested on Status Quo's "Don't Stop" album. In return, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt recorded this old Shadows tune with Brian May. This recording was originally included on the Hank Marvin tribute "Twang!". Later it was a bonus track on Brian May's single "On My Way Up" and it has also been distributed on bootleg recordings. The credits for this song were offically given to the Shadows' manager, Peter Gormley, as Marvin, Welch and Harris had been encountering some difficulties with their publishing contract at the time of the song's original release. Single: On My Way Up [3:13] UK: EMI 7243 9 96058 7, 1998 (also featured on "Why Don't We Try Again?; Single, September 1998) CD: Twang! [3:13] UK: Pangaea 7243 8 52710 2, 1996 Here's the link: link. The site seems to be pretty thorough in terms of Status Quo and related tracks. There's no record on Cozy this track according them. |
| Sebastian 04.10.2010 12:43 |
No Cozy, but drums are most likely programmed/sampled, or played by someone else... or maybe they ARE Cozy and he didn't get credited. Reportedly, Brian did use samples for some Flash demos. You'd be surprised to find how many records have drums from sample libraries, for instance Demi Lovato's songs often have that, even though she had a very professional drummer in Dorian Cozier (for the albums, not the concerts). Without checking them very carefully, 99% of the people think they're authentic. The Quo web probably took those credits from Bijou and/or first generation Queen websites (from late 90's), which assumed loads of things about who played what and who wrote what, most of which were true, but some of which were wrong... like Brian writing WIAWI, Roger writing Innuendo and so on. |
| e-man 04.10.2010 13:35 |
it's been a while since I've listened to it, so maybe I'll stand corrected. but I know I've read somewhere that Cozy played on "the b-sides" of AW. perhaps it was maybe baybe / only make believe? on a related note, I'm reading a book about Rainbow at the moment ("English Castle Magic - highly recommended if you like rainbow / purple, or indeed, a good book on a good band) - and I never realized the respect Cozy enjoyed in the band. I thought he was just another musician for hire in the bad, but no |
| Cyborg 04.10.2010 18:48 |
What does the Another World CD say about FBI? I don't have it. I checked Queenpedia, and this is what I found. link. It contradicts the website I first posted, but I tend to trust Queenpedia much more than any random site. I agree with Sebastian that this must have been a mistake that was repeated over and over until it 'stuck'. |
| Simulator 04.10.2010 20:08 |
Well, there is one Brian song I sometimes just listen to for the drums: Who Wants To Live Forever According to link it's a mixture of Roger, Drum Machine and drummer of the National Philharmonic Orchestra playing the drums. Some time ago somebody mentioned here the difference between the video and the single version. Now listening to various versions I own of WWTLF I noticed a strange high instrument from approx 2:02 till 2:30 on the Korean karaoke version. Sounds somehow interesting. I couldn't hear that on any other version. What is that ? Just a failure in karaoke remixing ? |
| rhyeking 04.10.2010 20:11 |
The thing about "FBI" is that it was not recorded as part of Brian's "Heroes" project, but for the Hank Marvin tribute Twang!, though he did plan to use it for his album later. When he decided to do "Heroes," a collection of covers, in 1996, he brought Neil Murray, Jamie Moses, Spike Edney and Cozy Powell into Allerton Hill and recorded "Slow Down," "Maybe Baby," "Only Make Believe" and "Marie's The Name" (and possibly other, yet-released, tracks). |
| Wiley 05.10.2010 09:38 |
Zebonka12 wrote: I feel for Brian in that respect. I know how it feels to look utterly bereft behind a mic and nothing else. -------------- At first glance, I read "erect" instead of "bereft" in your post. I guess that also falls into the "feeling uncomfortable behind a microphone" category. |
| john bodega 06.10.2010 05:51 |
Well that really depends on the individual! |
| rhyeking 06.10.2010 11:58 |
Simulator wrote: Well, there is one Brian song I sometimes just listen to for the drums: Who Wants To Live Forever According to link it's a mixture of Roger, Drum Machine and drummer of the National Philharmonic Orchestra playing the drums. Some time ago somebody mentioned here the difference between the video and the single version. Now listening to various versions I own of WWTLF I noticed a strange high instrument from approx 2:02 till 2:30 on the Korean karaoke version. Sounds somehow interesting. I couldn't hear that on any other version. What is that ? Just a failure in karaoke remixing ? ++++++++++++++++++++++ There was subtle remixing on many or all of the tracks on Greatest Karaoke Hits. I've noticed it on "Flash," "Bicycle Race," "Hammer To Fall" and others. Little elements are there that either are buried down in the original mix or are completely absent, yet appear on the karaoke mix (listen for the piano at the beginning of "Bicycle Race"). I don't think it's a failure, just a subtle remixing, and I like hearing something a little different. |
| john bodega 06.10.2010 16:36 |
He was a better drummer than Roger. He actually played on Liar, Great King Rat, and Dead on Time. |
| rhapsody8 28.10.2010 09:25 |
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| rhapsody8 28.10.2010 09:25 |
Of course he could :) link |
| rhapsody8 28.10.2010 09:26 |
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| lifetimefanofqueen 28.10.2010 13:37 |
rhapsody8 wrote: Of course he could :) link OMFG THANKS FOR THE PIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D ITS NOW MY NEW FAVORITE ^_^ thats going on my wall ;) if i can get the printer workin :/ lol |
| David Jones 28.10.2010 13:49 |
Did I read somewhere that Brian played or programmed the drums on the original I Can't Live With You? |
| FriedChicken 29.10.2010 13:58 |
Sebastian wrote: No Cozy, but drums are most likely programmed/sampled, or played by someone else... or maybe they ARE Cozy and he didn't get credited. Reportedly, Brian did use samples for some Flash demos. You'd be surprised to find how many records have drums from sample libraries, for instance Demi Lovato's songs often have that, even though she had a very professional drummer in Dorian Cozier (for the albums, not the concerts). Without checking them very carefully, 99% of the people think they're authentic. The Quo web probably took those credits from Bijou and/or first generation Queen websites (from late 90's), which assumed loads of things about who played what and who wrote what, most of which were true, but some of which were wrong... like Brian writing WIAWI, Roger writing Innuendo and so on. FBI is defenately a programmed drum. So no drummers without credit |
| Sebastian 30.10.2010 07:25 |
> Did I read somewhere that Brian played or programmed the drums on the original I Can't Live With You? He programmed them, and probably many others. Not the same as being actually able to play the (acoustic) instrument. I can easily programme a MIDI clarinet, but I can't even play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' on the real thing. It seems that, generally speaking, drums are an off-limit instrument for those who play several fretted strings + keys, unless of course they were originally drummers (e.g. Steven Tyler, Duff McKagan). Examples: Brian: For the recent Kerry Ellis thing, he played all guitars (lead and rhythm, acoustic and electric), all piano bits, all synthesisers, most of the bass... guess what was the one thing he did not play: drums! Valensia: AFAIK, for the Queen cover album, he played guitars, piano, bass, synths... but not drums. Maurice Gibb: He apparently only recorded some rough demos on drums, but they all got replaced for a reason. Most of his bass, guitar and piano/synth parts were kept intact. Steve Howe: For the Dolphin thing he worked on in Switzerland in late 80's, he played bass, guitars and keys, but for drums he got his son to play them. Brian Jones: He played about 16 instruments... but drums were not amongst them. AJ McLean (yes, the one in Backstreet Boys) plays piano, guitar, bass and sax, but not drums. Two of his groupmates, OTOH, can play drums, though neither is particularly proficient on them. John Paul Jones: AFAIK, he's also played loads and loads of instruments, drums not being amongst them. Joe Satriani: For his début album, he wrote all of the songs (one of them with John Cuniberti), played all the guitars, bass and keyboards, but hired Jeff Campitelli for drums. Same for the second album. For the third and fourth, he played bass only occasionally but also added more instruments himself, including banjo and harmonica, and again, drums were by Mr Campitelli. For his self-titled he even added harp, and also sitar for the song Belly Dancer in Strange Beautiful Music... For his most recent releases (including Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards, released on 5th October 2010) he also dropped bass duties. Steve Vai: Instruments he played on his début album were synths, bass, piano, sitar, bells and of course guitar, but not drums (he did programme some of them though). Then, on his legendary Passion and Warfare, he played guitar and some keyboards but again, not drums. The next one was done in a band mode so he stuck to guitar. Roger Waters and Richard Wright. Exceptions: Michael Angelo Batio, Ritchie Blackmore, the three longest serving Eagles guitarists (Frey, Felder, Walsh), Peter Gabriel, David Gilmour, Hugh Laurie (yes, Hugh Laurie, the actor), Paul McCartney, Prince and Mick Ronson (IIRC)... they're all multi-instrumentalists, and for none of them drums are off-limit. |
