As James Brown's drummer from 1967 to 1970, Clyde Stubblefield is one of the most important figures in modern popular music, yet most people don't even know his name. Estimates show that his work (especially his drum break on James Brown's "Funky Drummer" single from 1970) has been sampled and used in over 1800 songs. He passed away in 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin, without the benefit of the lucrative royalty checks he deserved for his outsized influence on drum breaks and hip-hop.
Back in 2001, Clyde Stubblefield was invited into Steve Marker and Butch Vig's Smart Studios [Tape Op #11] by producer Leo Sidran [#135] (who is also a former student of Stubblefield’s) to play some of his most memorable beats. The session turned into the basis for Stubblefield's solo album, The Original. Almost 20 years later, a conversation between Sidranand Yurt Rock's Ryan Gruss led to the idea of releasing The Funky Drummer as a musical tool. This bundle includes access to MIDI loops, mixed down stereo loops, plus multitracks at 24-bit, 48 kHz WAV, all recorded at Smart Studios. Not one of the takes were recorded to a click, but every single one is on the money and has incredible feel.
I have used The Funky Drummer to practice to, setting a loop and working out fundamentals on bass, guitar, and keyboards. Additionally, I have used the loops to write with. Applying Clyde Stubblefield's feel to a faster rock song changed the tone and outcome, and it helped me work through the creative process. The quality and sound of each file is worth the price of admission. I love taking a section of "The Hippest March," looping it in my DAW, cranking the volume, and applying various plug-ins and EQ. That being said, having The Funky Drummer is like having perfect ingredients for dinner – you don't have to do much to make it any better than it already is. A portion of the sales benefits The Clyde Stubblefield Memorial Scholarship Fund.
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