We all know what we mean when we refer to a “Chuck Berry lick” or the “Bo Diddley beat.” These musicians made popular distinctive musical styles that taught the world a useful approach to arranging a rock ‘n roll song. It’s only just that the musical devices they made popular should be known by their name. Are there other examples of musical devices being known by a particular musician’s name?
Jerry Garcia and Keith Richards do some distinctive things that could probably lend themselves to a device named after them, but I’m not sure that’s happened yet. My bandmates and I have our own terms along these lines that have not caught on, such as The Foxton, as we call it, when suggesting we add the standard harmony that Jam bassist Bruce Foxton enthusiastically sang at the drop of a hat in every Jam song.
Is Micky Waller the drummer on Rod Stewart’s best songs: “Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Maggie May,” “You Wear It Well”…? Stewart’s best songs from that period (and not his Faces ones – Kenny Jones didn’t do this) have an extremely deliberate, plodding, non-drummer feel, like he set me down behind the drums and simply said, “Keep the beat and don’t fuck it up!” To me, that beat should be named after the drummer who pounded it out.
That’s what I’m talking about.
