Charlie doesn’t do solos, but he has licks and fills of his own.

Love the way, for many years he interacts with Mick between songs. So many examples, but too complicated to post here. Think to Gimme Shelter movie, with yeah-yeah-Mick jumping as the drums beat, think to Charlie’s birthday STP 1972 in Houston, I believe (noisy Charlie), thinks to any band presentation (Charlie, modestly, doesn’t hit the drums when Mick says his own name).

Lately, see interaction of Mick and Charlie for instance in Abu Dhabi or for Come On - 50th Anniversary (Charlie was the only Stones to jump into the wagon).
[www.youtube.com]
[www.youtube.com]

Guitars used also to interact the funny way between songs, (think Get-Yer-Ya-Ya “I think I lost a button of my trousers, etc” – DONG! - even it was smartly edited for the LP - , think Mick-Keith interaction before Honky Tonk Women, Altamont), or because of the loose tuning of guitars in the seventies. But these time have gone since guitars’ techs change guitars all the time and the guitars are perfectly tuned.

Other element of Charlie’s playing I like is his trademark for ending songs, his classy, wrap-it-up, mayhem. He seems he needs to let the beat loose. Naturally - nothing related to heavy rock much rehearsed endings (dozens of examples around), which adds an extra quarter of length at the end the song, supposedly to please the crowd. Boring!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-10 12:23 by The Joker.

I enjoy Charlie marching the band off stage at the end of Let It Rock from Leeds.

I don't think I've heard Charlie do a classic rim-shot, but when Mick is out front talking to the crowd, Charlie's drums are often chatting away in the background, emphasising what's being said.

Nice thread, The Joker.

Charlie's drums chatting away, is a great way to put it, Green Lady. His drumming does often seem to be an extension of his personality. Not in your face, but quietly letting everyone know who's really in charge.

I think my favorite Charlie moments are when he's locked in with Keith. The end of Street Fighting Man is one example.

I love the video of "rock me baby " from 2003 (mentioned on ac/dc thread) where mick finishes the song and charlie and keith decide to carry on
[youtu.be]

Quote
latebloomer
Nice thread, The Joker.

Charlie's drums chatting away, is a great way to put it, Green Lady. His drumming does often seem to be an extension of his personality. Not in your face, but quietly letting everyone know who's really in charge.

I think my favorite Charlie moments are when he's locked in with Keith. The end of Street Fighting Man is one example.

I'm no drummer, so what do I know? But my feeling is not that Charlie signals anything about being in charge but rather that he is endlessly attentive to and appreciative of his fellow musicians. The others may be buzzing around, catching a puff of their ciggies etc when Mick speaks, but Charlie is still right behind Mick, listening and supporting when his drums chat. In that band of extrovert showmen, Charlie is a listener and that informs his musicality.

I've posted this before but I will say it again as it is very helpful regarding the best bands and one key reason as to why they are...

Eric Burdon told me back in the seventies "A singer is absolutely nowhere
without a good drummer."

"Charlie's good tonight"

-----------------------------------------------

The website drumlessons.com has a great collection of Charlie Watts videos. I especially like the first one, "Charlie's Drums."

[www.drumlessons.com]

My fave Charlie moment like that was at the end of Tumblin' Dice, Philadelphia 3/15/99. I had seats behind the stage and watched him suddenly do one of those end-of-song mayhem moments. It came out of nowhere and was the closest thing I've ever heard to a drum solo from him. Awesome.

I have always thought it is huge what Charlie brings to the Stones' live shows. In between songs.Because CW is a professional throu and through. he knows how to keep the excitement flowing. he never quits in a live show. Green Lady calls it "chatting away"; that is a good description. Often he is accentuating Jagger, but more often initiating his own discourse.

This ending-mayhem is one of the better ones of Charlie out there. Go to Satisfaction, or watch the whole concert

Two favourite moments that come to my mind are I can't turn you loose - Circus Krone 2003 where he continues the song after the first double ending. You can see Keith smiling and continue to play, Darryl already took off his bass and then Jagger walks of the stage with his finger raised in the air only to come back to "go bananas" much to the delight of Keith. He does many little fills in that lost bit and he is clearly enjoying himself.

The second favourite moment is his fill at the beginning of Keith's solo on Gimme Shelter - St. Louis '97 which is on the official DVD. There is something about it that makes it too good. It locks in perfectly with Keith's playing. I've watched that bit over and over again. Love it!


And most shocking bit, his start to Tumbling Dice Paris' 07 (could have been Barcelona) where he missed the start of the song and the first bars are played by just Keith and Darryl. I had never seen him make a mistake like that. All part of it though, it's what makes music great!

Cheers,
Wuudy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-12 01:03 by Wuudy.

I love the charlie bit in montreaux rehearsals from about 1.57 - beautiful

[youtu.be]

Quote
Lady Jayne
... Charlie is a listener and that informs his musicality.

Brilliantly observed

At 2:17? The little snare roll Charlie does?

Quote
GasLightStreet
At 2:17? The little snare roll Charlie does?

He thought the chorus of Ruby Tuesday might appear, or something

Quote
GasLightStreet

Quote
Wuudy
The second favourite moment is his fill at the beginning of Keith's solo on Gimme Shelter - St. Louis '97 which is on the official DVD. There is something about it that makes it too good. It locks in perfectly with Keith's playing. I've watched that bit over and over again. Love it!

There is a lot a nice work of Charlie on that recording. The first four bars of his drum brake in Saint of Me is brilliant, especially when he in a nice jazz manner hits the crasch cymbal on the third beat in the third bar, which creates a surprising effect.

At the Stones' first Anaheim show last year, Mick gently pushed Charlie toward the stage edge and said, "It's taken 50 years to get Charlie this far forward on the stage." I wondered how literally true that might have been. Had I witnessed history that night?

He introduced Little Red Rooster from the front of the stage as early as in 1965

If you don't have "Live In England '65" - get it now

He does it on the newly discovered Hamburg-show as well.

Although not live, one of many Charlie moments i´ve loved from the first hear is in Blinded By Rainbows between 2:55 - 3:21m specially 3:18 m.mark(It´s a must to turn up the volume control)
No need to mention (love this discrepancy beginning of a mention) that how the band plays alltogether is fundamentals for a one player to shine.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
He introduced Little Red Rooster from the front of the stage as early as in 1965

Mick's really such a tease.

I really really love the way Charlie plays his drums.

Love the parts in songs where he plays (sort of) alone,
like rock and a hard place, from 2:55





Great how he sometimes plays the bassdrum every 8th for a while...

I'm a drummer for 30 years now,
and listening to "Charlie and friends" for 25 years.
People say my playing is really a lot influenced by Charlie... :-)

Some good Charlie 'solos' (if you can call them that!) on this one!

Love to read all this posts. Look in different way to Charlie now. Still learning en enjoying their music in all facets. Go on!

(Always took candy from strangers)