I blame the hip-hop crowd. From what I can tell, nowadays the entire backing track behind a rap is called “the beat”, as in “Timbaland’s cool beats”. I suspect this is rappers finally admitting that most rap lacks two of the three components that form the definition of “music” (those three components being rhythm, melody, and harmony).
Once again, I must admit the the title may have implied something that the OP didn’t dwell on. In fact, the OP was nothing more than selected YouTube clips. I gave examples of what I was after. The issue of “beat” versus “groove” and whatever other terms may be used to identify the nature of those selections in the OP came up well after I had supplied at least 19 examples in several posts. Post #6 is the first one not supplied by me.
After that, whatever confusion exists is due to other posters reacting to what they thought was being called for. I also expanded the scope of the thread by way of the selections in Post #14 where drumming clips were introduced. That group was definitely of a different basic sound than the earlier ones, but I did think they were some excellent examples of “beat” as limited to drumming and percussion.
I have become aware through the course of this thread that I don’t know enough terminology to expand on what I learned (or absorbed) 50 years ago. In those days things like What’d I Say “had a good beat.” That was the way things were referred to when thay made you pat your foot, bob your head or get up and dance. In my own case they made me play along on my bongos.
I would enjoy being brought up to date on the finer points of the terminology. But I had hoped this thread could examine YouTube (and other sources for musical selections) for the better examples (in individual posters’ minds) of what those early posts were pointing to – whatever that is called.
And it looks to me, JKellyMap, that your confusion over terminology didn’t get in your way of doing just that. Good stuff!
Right on, thanks! Didn’t mean to imply that this was anything less than a FUNK-AY thread. It’s great to see such a diversity of musical forms and styles, which nevertheless share a certain thang…they make you want to move it!
Okay. I guess if nobody’s going to mention it: Enter sandman - Metallica ( Studio Version )
Sorry to hijack, and this probably deserves a thread of its own, but what happened to Stevie Wonder? The man used to be able to groove like nobody else. Superstition, Higher Ground, For Once in My Life, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours, even a cover song (We Can Work It Out) or two. And the next thing you know he’s got a Casio arpeggio backing up dreck like I Just Called to Say, “I Love You.” Has anyone ever in the history of pop music lost their funkiness so dramatically?
Back on topic, I see Robert Cray got mentioned upthread for Smoking Gun, but I’d like to throw my vote in for Nothin’ But a Woman.
Hey, carlb – see post 50 (“Superstitious”) and post 60 (“Higher Ground”)! Yes, Stevie is the man with the groove. And on several of his albums, he played the bass AND the drums (AND the keyboards, AND sang).
Edited to say: Now I see what you mean by “What Happened to Stevie?”…you don’t mean his absence from this thread, but from the real-world scene! Good question. Loving life, I would hope (and suspect). The man certainly has given us plenty.
There was a perfect example of just what you say on PBS lately. Stevie at the White House with lots of other names. Except for Superstition it was funk-free. Not only that but almost all the tributes to his music were done by people who had trouble hitting the key or the range. Obviously Stevie is a lot like Elvis was in the Your Hit Parade’s waning months: nobody can do his music right but him.
Man, there was some draggy shit being played on that show. Pathetic.
His name came up in another thread, and it would be a crime not to mention Bernard “Pretty” Purdie and all he has done for drumming. Check out the associated links at YouTube. You can kill lots of time there!