Ginger Baker

Oneputt
Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
2,500 Likes 1000 Comments

Ginger Baker probably the worlds greatest drummer died today age 80. RIP

Comments

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #2

    Hearing the news about him I remembered seeing him and the Cream band at Mothers Club in Erdington many years ago. John Peel was the DJ, it was one of those memories that doesn't go. Strange to see them in such a small place, we just stood around with drinks and could actually hear the music.  smile

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #3

    ive got just about all the live material Cream recorded (not a lot 'officially') and its listented to regularly.

    Ginger played on Jack Bruce's 50th birthday concert and, along with Gary Moore, who also played, went on to record as BBM (Bruce, Baker, Moore) now sadly all gone....

    but the music lives on....

    a genuine icon has passed...

    RIP Ginger 

     

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
    1,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited October 2019 #4

    I remember watching him play what seemed like a 10 minute drum solo - with Cream - I think it was "Toad" - brought the house down - and I definitely agree with Oneputt - the best drummer ever. Like BB, I've got most of Cream's albums, including some on vinyl.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
    1,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited October 2019 #5

    No better tribute to him, than this:Toad

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #6

     Over 11 minutes at the Albert Hall, Staggering, staggering, staggering  !!

     

    Thank you R & R for the feed to it  surprisedwink

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
    1,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited October 2019 #7

    Until I started looking, the other day - I didn't realise just how much material was out there on You Tube. There is a lovely interview with all three of them after their rehearsals for the Albert Hall concerts.Here

    On one clip, someone had posted a comment about Ginger - which was so true and made me smile - "Ginger Baker never aged - he always looked old!"

    (I also found some early John Mayall with the Bluesbreakers and some later stuff with Clapton. I also came across the explanation of where the "Clapton is god" saying came from)

    Trouble is - all of this reminiscing made me feel oldsurprised

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,809 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #8

    Cream were a significant part of my formative years, musically speaking. He could be a bit...grumpy, but what a brilliant drummer.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited October 2019 #9

    Whilst out and about birding with many acquaintances of a certain age, this solo is remembered over and over again.

    Never to be forgotten. 

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #10

    sky arts running the Cream story at the mo, on catch up.

    my favourite version of toad has to be on Wheels of Fire (the Live at the Filmore disc)...also contains my favourite Spoonful along with a classic Traintime and the definitive Crossroads....where Claptons second solo was voted right up there as the best of all time....

    ok, i liked themwink

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited October 2019 #11

    I think heavy metal or whatever it was called passed me by. I was very into music when I was younger but after the Beatles I seemed to be doing other things. I liked some of what I would call the more mainstream stuff. There was an Imagine programme on about Ginger Baker the other night seemed an interesting fellow in an odd way! Must admit I didn't take much notice of drummers except perhaps Sandy Nelson.

    David

     

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,809 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #12

    “I think heavy metal or whatever it was called passed me by.“

     

    It was ‘blues’ David wink

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #13

    My grandson is having drumming lessons (6 years old!) so as I had seen Ginger Baker and Cream at University (a long, long time ago) I sent my daughter a link to one of his drum solos. Two days later Ginger died. To be honest, I was really surprised that he was still alive up to that point!

  • derekcyril
    derekcyril Forum Participant Posts: 408
    100 Comments
    edited October 2019 #14

    Mick Fleetwood  Ringo Starr

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,809 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #15

    Are you comparing?

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
    1,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited October 2019 #16

    Mick Fleetwood was good, but not in the same league as Ginger. Remember seeing him as part of the original Fleetwood Mac with Pete Green (when they were a proper blues band), in the 60s.

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,809 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2019 #17

    Speaking as a non-expert, I think both Mick and Ringo are good at what they do, good timing and tone, and not to be underestimated, but as you say, not in the same league as Ginger.