Thanks.
Although, don't think the Dead had anything to do with why ABB had two drummers.
Thanks.
Although, don't think the Dead had anything to do with why ABB had two drummers.
A lot of people assume that the Allmans' setup was based on the Grateful Dead, but I don't really get the sense that Duane was interested in the Dead until they started seeing them on the road. Obviously they got hip to them, and jammed together well. I've read that Duane wanted 2 drummers because James Brown had 2 drummers, which is funny, because I've also heard that James Brown had 2 drummers in case he fired one in the middle of a show.
I attended the Miami Pop Dec. 68. I saw Duane,Berry,Butch,Dickey there
right before the Dead 's set. From then on, back in Jax they never set
up to play without two drummers.
I also saw James Brown play Jax with two drummers, but they
would take turns smoking cigs while the other played.
I attended the Miami Pop Dec. 68. I saw Duane,Berry,Butch,Dickey there
right before the Dead 's set. From then on, back in Jax they never set
up to play without two drummers.
Yeah, but wasn't Jaimoe the first person Duane enlisted?
I didn't get that Garcia was saying the ABB copied the Dead just that some similarities were there. Similar instrument array and jamming. Owsley was quoted saying the same thing.
In Florida 69-71 lots of us thought of ABB as the "southern Dead". More as a hippie cultural comparison than direct musical comparison.
Of course after Duane and Berry's deaths lots changed.
Thanks.
Although, don't think the Dead had anything to do with why ABB had two drummers.
Having known Duane since '66 I can say that he was as big a Dead fan as I was. I am certain the dual drummer idea came from them and not James Brown. After all the ABB was a jamming rock band, not an R+B show band. Also, I'm sure the idea of Mountain Jam came from side 2 of Anthem Of The Sun in which Garcia quotes the Donovan song. Duane and I were Dead Heads before there was such a thing!
[Edited on 4/5/2017 by lespaul58]
[Edited on 4/5/2017 by lespaul58]
Jerry was drawn into comparisons by the interviewer in the influence question and he really didn't speak much to the influence on the Dead by the ABB or ABB by the Dead necessarily instead just talked comparisons. I couldn't help but feel he was implying that the ABB was following what the Dead was doing, that the ABB is where the Dead once were and that the Dead has moved beyond that. And maybe that is true...although that hadn't been my view of things, and I could be wrong in that.
At any rate, it is always good to hear things along these lines from people in similar times and places and from the good people here who have a wealth of first hand knowledge.
Having known Duane since '66 I can say that he was as big a Dead fan as I was. I am certain the dual drummer idea came from them and not James Brown. After all the ABB was a jamming rock band, not an R+B show band. Also, I'm sure the idea of Mountain Jam came from side 2 of Anthem Of The Sun in which Garcia quotes the Donovan song. Duane and I were Dead Heads before there was such a thing!
[Edited on 4/5/2017 by lespaul58]
[Edited on 4/5/2017 by lespaul58]
Interesting to hear from someone who knew Duane. I guess we've all been spoon fed the James Brown story forever. In at least one of the many books written about the band, I've seen Duane quoted as saying that the Godfather of Soul was the reason for having two drummers. Don't believe all you see, hear or read.
As a mere fan it seems to me that any similarity between the Allman Brother's Band and the Grateful Dead is purely in the makeup of the audience. The ABB was rooted more in blues and jazz. The 'Dead (Jerry) more rooted in bluegrass, country and "Americana" (still not sure exactly what that is 😉 ). I guess both infused their music with psychedelia.
Duane likely told many people that JB was the influence as that would have been considered hipper than admitting you were copying another rock band. Duane was a very truthful man but also a master psychologist.
