John Bonham: News, History & Updates

John Bonham Biography by Greg Prato

Excerpts from Greg’s books exclusively for Alternative Nation

FRANKIE BANALI [Quiet Riot drummer]: I think that John Bonham has made a much greater impact when it comes to rock drumming than any other drummer in the genre – before or after him. He had an incredible groove that was undeniable, and he was very conscious of what everybody else in the band was playing – especially Jimmy Page. He was on one hand incredibly powerful, and on the other band, he played incredibly sensitive.

So, it was an incredible combination of all the right elements, but also, you have to give credit to Led Zeppelin, because he was able to do it in a band that had the right songs, they had the right producer, they had the right sound. But without a doubt, if I had to choose “Who is the greatest rock drummer that ever picked up sticks?”, it would definitely have to be John Bonham. A huge influence in my career and my life.

CHARLIE BENANTE [Anthrax drummer]: I’d say back in those days when I was a kid growing up, he was probably at the forefront of influencing me – because I loved Led Zeppelin, I loved the Beatles, and of course, I loved Kiss. But the drumming style that Bonham came up with, you just identified with it, because who put a drum solo on their second record? All of a sudden, there’s a drum solo on the record…and it’s good! It’s entertaining. It’s musical. And for all the drummers listening to it, that was the song that you kind of went to – “Put on ‘Moby Dick’!”

Back in the day, I would collect bootlegs – especially Led Zeppelin bootlegs, because their shows were so different. “Moby Dick” from ’75 in Atlanta, and then you listen to “Moby Dick” ’73 in California, it’s totally different. It could be 10 minutes long…or 20 minutes long. That’s the thing I loved about Led Zeppelin – when you went to go see them, you didn’t know what you were going to get in certain songs.

CORKY LAING [Mountain drummer]: Did anyone say anything about the size of his sticks? He was playing with baseball bats! Cozy Powell…those guys must have had wrists of iron, because I checked out their sticks, and they are big sticks. He used some very heavyweight sticks. I know when I spoke to his son, Jason, I asked him about that. And he tuned them very low – he did not tune his drums high. So did Mick Fleetwood – he had to dig in for the sound. The sound probably came in a few centimeters into the skin. I think that’s where you get the full apex of the sound from the impact of the sticks.

CHAD CHANNING [Nirvana drummer]: The greatest thing about John Bonham was unless he’s playing a blues standard beat, there is rarely a song you will come across that has a beat that’s like the other. He came up with something different in every single song – from something as straight- forward as “Rock and Roll” to “Black Dog,” “Going to California,” “Custard Pie,” and stuff like “Bron- Y-Aur Stomp.”

ERIC KRETZ [Stone Temple Pilots drummer]: A lot of guys in the late ‘60s were bringing out the 26-inch kick drums [that Bonham is famous for using] – and even in the ‘50s they had it – but the way he would just smack you upside the face with it was so revolutionary at that time. And then, just how he could take the R&B style of drumming – which was so perfect for the blues-based rock n’ roll that the early Zeppelin stuff was delving into. So, no one can do that, because it’s been done already, and he did it so well – I just can’t see it happening. All any young drummer can do is show love and respect, and try to emulate and do stuff that is different. But once those shoes are so big…they’re like the Noah’s Arc of shoes – you just can’t fill those shoes!

JEFF OCHELTREE [Bonham’s drum tech 1977-1979]: He listened to a lot of swing – he was a swinger. I mean, that guy could swing. And he listened to jazz drummers of the old days, and how they maybe had no mics or one mic, and he understood the dynamics of big drums and how to get them to project. First of all – he was a great player. Self-taught. And, he listened to a lot of jazz-fusion, Latin music.

MIKE PORTNOY [Dream Theater drummer]: His personality though…he obviously drank too much, as most people did back then if you look at the people we lost to drugs and alcohol – whether it be Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, or Keith Moon. And John Bonham was one of those tragedies – he just overindulged and left us way too young.

STEVE GORMAN [ex-Black Crowes drummer]: What’s the line, “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” It’s like, the more you say, the more trite it sounds. The best thing about Bonzo…it’s like an athlete – you just do the eye test or the body language test on whether someone is really what they think they are. The best thing about John Bonham is you don’t have to talk about John Bonham. There’s probably no drummer that needs less said about them – you can just put the records on, and he does all the work for you.

QUOTE SOURCES (CLICK LINKS FOR ORDER INFO):
All quotes from BONZO: 30 Rock Drummers Remember the Legendary John Bonham