Picture of The Day

Charlie (Watts) with Sly and Robbie

caption competition!

What are they showing him!?

BIRTHDAYS: Remembering Charlie Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) “Charlie’s good t’night inne?"

To the world, he was a rock star. But Watts often said that the actual experience was draining and unpleasant, and even frightening. “Girls chasing you down the street, screaming … horrible!… I hated it,” he told The Guardian newspaper in an interview. In another interview, he described the drumming life as a “cross between being an athlete and a total nervous wreck.”

Watts wasn’t a rock music fan at first and remembered being guided by Richards and Brian Jones as he absorbed blues and rock records, notably the music of bluesman Jimmy Reed. He said the band could trace its roots to a brief period when he had lost his job and shared an apartment with Jagger and Richards because he could live there rent-free.

“Keith Richards taught me rock and roll,” Watts said. “We’d have nothing to do all day and we’d play these records over and over again. I learned to love Muddy Waters. Keith turned me on to how good Elvis Presley was, and I’d always hated Elvis up ’til then.”

“Every band I’d ever been in had lasted a week,” he said. “I always thought the Stones would last a week, then a fortnight, and then suddenly, it’s 30 years.”

By JILL LAWLESS and GREGORY KATZ
Photo by Terry Disney/Daily Express

Don's Tunes

My favourite story almost certainly apocryphal, is when Charlie heard Mick phoned his hotel room at 5 in the morning and said “Where’s my drummer?” He showered shaved put his three piece suit on, a dash of cologne and went round to Mick’s room in his hotel, knocked the door and shoving Mick by the shoulders (“punched"- Keef) and he said 

“Don’t ever call me your drummer again! 

I’m not YOUR drummer!

Your MY singer!’

Class act!

FRIDAY BOOGIE WOOGIE! Jools Holland ‘The ABC of Boogie Woogie (drummers not bad either!)

 

This week, we go back to basics, as Jools performs "The ABC Of Boogie Woogie" in September 2009, and in great company, may we add! Featuring Charlie Watts on drums, Axel Zwingenberger and Ben Waters also on keys, and Dave Green on the double bass! To help celebrate the 30th anniversary of ‘Later... With Jools Holland’, we have unearthed some of Jools’ most iconic performances over the years, as well of some of his favourites to mark the big event. With some very specials guests as well as solo pieces, we set off for a wonderful trip down memory lane. Footage licensed from BBC Studios Distribution. All rights reserved

Mick on Charlie - Paul Sexton. Charlie's Good Tonight

'Charlie's good tonight, inne? ' - Charlie Watts 1941-2021

Mick Jagger: Charlie was an incredibly open-minded musician, and there was a real subtlety about his playing. He was so catholic in his taste, through jazz, boogie-woogie, blues, classical, African music, dance, reggae and dumb pop songs that just happened to be good. People always say he was a great jazz fan, but he wasn’t just that. It’s over-simplifying his musical tastes, and what he liked to play.

He was a classical music fan, too. He liked Dvořák, Debussy, Mozart, and he and I used to listen to Stockhausen and Mahler. We listened to modern composers and tried to figure out what the hell they were on about. He was intelligent, and softly spoken, but he could be direct and say what he thought. He would keep his private life very private, but we understood each other’s thought processes. Charlie was a very quiet person, but he had a great sense of humour and we laughed all the time. I miss him in so many ways.

Sexton, Paul. Charlie's Good Tonight 

Photo Philip Townsend

Charlie's good tonight inne? . . . . . . . . .

 

Bandleader Charlie Watts and his singer . . . . . 

P writes:

"I invited some family to see the Stones on their Bigger Bang Tour. Charlie Watts used to eat in Crew Catering and would just chum around with whomever, so I warned my family not to freak out if he walked in (and also instructed them not to eat any of the food, as it's the crew's only chance to eat).

"They were sitting quietly when Charlie Watts walked in. He clocked they were someone's family and asked would they mind if he sat down with them. He chatted with them and asked if they wanted any food. They explained they understood it was for working crew only etc. 'Oh,' he said, 'but there's plenty. There's always leftovers – and the desserts are exceptional.'

"He got up, filled a few plates and served it to them. He then excused himself and said 'I've got to get to work,' then smiled, '...you know' – pointing to the direction of the stage.

This account I found on Facebook and it struck me as true . . . . . an account as to how kind and everyday or matter of fact Charlie actually was . . . . . .  it rang true and if you wrote it and want credit please drop me a note but I post it as found

THE ARMS CONCERT - For RONNIE - Voodoo Wagon

 

The Voodoo boys (well Jobe!) reposted this classic live concert of wonderful sets from Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton Stevie Winwood, Jeff Beck and others (Andy Fairweather Low, Joe Cocker, Paul Rogers to name but three). 

Ronnie Lane of The Small Faces, Faces and Slim Chance and a happy solo career fell foul of MS in 1977 and organised a charity concert of by now legendary attendees after Clapton's run for the Prince's Trust and he extended the run at the Royal Albert Hall to arrange a follow up fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis charity. After living with the disease for 21 years, Ronnie died in June 1997, aged 51 leaving his wife and four children (two step children who took his surname)

It is always worth checking out and again the guys over at Voodoo Wagon have reposted part of it here again

The Ronnie Lane ARMS Concert - Voodoo Wagon

The Concert:

For the Boss and Jobe! Gimme Some Lovin'! TURN IT UP!

If this last doesn't get you dancing around the room in your pants then someone has done some serious mischief to your boogie bone!

CHARLIE FOR A SATURDAY! - ALL DOWN THE LINE - THE ROLLING STONES

 

 

 Charlie's spare style of drumming always fascinated me and there is a thing he does with the snare and the hi-hat where he never hits them together on the same beat. This is quite unique. Some drummers would find it odd some less experienced might have the temerity to criticise him for it but it lends him a looseness somehow that frees up the right hand. The left hand is rock SOLID!! As are his feet. The heart of the beat and like a freakin' metronome. . .That thing cannot be underestimated and given he is a jazz drummer in a rock band (the greatest?!) it lends to their totally unique sound and for everyone else in the band even the horn section here but especially the guitarists (Keith I'm looking at you) gives then something so solid to fall back on they can underestimate him!

Steve Albini put it better than I but he noticed it too check out his twitter feed

"I've always loved the quirk of his playing that he never hits the snare drum and hi-hat at the same time. Even timekeeping, he lifts his right hand out of the way so he can get a full whack on the snare. It adds a buoyancy to his playing that is utterly his, utterly unique."

"I want to tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beat

Comes out of the Virginia swamps

Cool and slow with plenty of precision

With a back beat narrow and hard to master" 

Jim Morrison

Charlie Watts Tribute - Urbanaspirines

 

Charlie Watts Quintet - Tribute to Charlie Parker '92 - Urbanaspirines 

A nice tribute to Charlie Watts over at Urbanaspirines this morning. His jazz album A Tribute To Charlie Parker covered here from Ronnie Scott's. Really well written as always . . . . . . nice

Really worth a listen if you shared Charlie's taste for Jazz from the best Rock n Roll drummer in the world

Charlie Watts remembered by Aquarium Drunkard

The Aquarium Remembers Charlie Watts

Rolling Stones :: Tumbling Dice (Live / Forest National Arena, Brussels / 1973)

Posted on August 24, 2021

So long to the mighty Charlie Watts, whose elegant, uncluttered style was as essential to the Rolling Stones’ sound as Keith Richards’ more lauded guitar work. Flash wasn’t Charlie’s thing — instead, he gave the Stones an always sturdy rhythmic bedrock, (usually) immovable even in the band’s wildest moments. Bliss out to his joyous interplay with Mick Jagger during the coda to “Tumbling Dice,” live in Brussels, 1973

Say 'Good night Charlie' . . . . . . a personal favourite 'Sweet Virginia'

Dead Flowers

The Watts family; Seraphina, Charlie and Shirley