“Funky Drummer” is much more than a brilliant loop

Despite being a big fan of James Brown, I must confess I didn’t know much about “Funky Drummer” before we started working on our poster. I obviously knew of its importance in the sampling world, but for whatever reason it never featured in any of the James Brown playlists I made over the years. So, when I sat down to transcribe the drum part for our poster it felt very much like the first time I was properly listening to it. 

Photo of Clyde Stubblefield by Richard Ecclestone (Getty Images)

There I was, headphones on, pencil in hand and manuscript paper in front of me. The steaming mug of coffee against the low evening sun painted the moment with a haze of sepia; I was ready to sink my teeth into some juicy funk. I listened to it a first time, from top to tail, without attempting to transcribe it, and I was blown away by Clyde Stubblefield’s masterful performance. 

I simply didn't know where to begin. Every bar of this drum track seemed alive, full of character and worthy of its own poster. Freezing "Funky Drummer" to that one groove that got sampled thousands of times seemed like a crime - the whole track sounds like a drum solo! There is no denying that the famous loop is a one-bar masterpiece, but the song is full of equally brilliant variations. It is improvisational, complex and unquestionably the holy grail of R&B drumming. Next time you have a moment, listen to the song paying close attention to the drum part and you'll know what I mean.

Here's to Clyde Stubblefield!