A recent Crawdaddy! article listed the top 5 things we could use more of in 2009*. Clocking in at #2 was singing drummers. "There’s just something about a vocalist who can drive a melody while simultaneously keeping an entire band’s rhythm that never fails to lose our interest." Agreed. It's simply dumbfounding to consider how someone can coordinate every muscle in their body into an integrated musical vehicle like that, from the most primal aspects to the most lofty parts of a song. Which could also help to explain why there just aren't that many of them.
The Band - Levon Helm
Genesis - Phil Collins
Traffic - Jim Capaldi (singing with Steve Winwood)
Electric Flag - Buddy Miles
Mates of State - Jason Hammel (singing with his wife Kori Gardner)
The Donkeys - Sam Sprague
Grand Ole Party - Kristin Gundred
Triumph - Gil Moore
Blue Oyster Cult - Albert Bouchard
The Romantics - Jimmy Marinos
Phil Collins - granted, he doesn't start drumming until 4 minutes into the song, but it's one of the most memorable fills/beats of all time.
Apologies to Karen Carpenter, Don Henley, Kelly Keagy, Peter Criss, and Don Brewer, from whom we don't yet have anything on the site. Did we miss anyone else?
* http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article.aspx?id=11386