Some (idiots) think drummers aren’t writing music when they create a beat on the drums. For them, crashing and banging aren’t notes or melody. They think drumming isn’t composing. Perhaps they missed James Brown’s proclamation to “give the drummer some” in the song “Cold Sweat.” That’s drummer Clyde Stubblefield, whose breakbeats went on to pave a path to hiphop and dance music. You’ve heard them, trust me. Stubblefield must have made millions, right? Oh wait, James Brown and his bandleader are listed as songwriters, so the money went to them.
Sometimes it’s not so cut-and-dried for a drummer to establish themself as a songwriter. From my own chair as a drummer, I can attest to the tricky nature of balancing business with hitting the skins…
