I was revisiting some old music I was into back in High School and remembered how alot of the Brit bands I was into back then all had that similar beat in alot of songs. It was very popular in early 90’s britpop. 3 examples that immediately spring to mind are:
It’s not exactly the same in each song but they all have that what I called brit drumming. I was thinking maybe it was some sort of influence from the Manchester scene, but then when I think of Manchester I think of The Stone Roses and cant remember a song of theirs using that style.
Pretty much. I wasn’t familiar with that song before I just listed to it. But if I had heard it outside the context of this discussion i’d think “early 90’s british band” based on the drumming.
I know exactly what drumbeat you mean, and I’ve always considered it a takeoff of The Funky Drummer (originally Clyde Stubblefield, James Brown’s drummer)
While not strictly a Manchester band, I think (and I’m really not sure, thus “I think”) that the Charlatans were closely enough associated with Madchester that perhaps it could be considered an attribute.
The drumming has definitely got a funky (in a good way) sound.
If it’s what I’m thinking of, I call it a “baggy drum beat” and it is, indeed, inspired by “The Funky Drummer.” More on baggy beats here. And here’s a whole "baggy beats playlist on Youtube. See if those songs line up with what you’re looking for.
Also, to further explain, probably the most defining characteristic of the baggy beat is the placement of the snare. There’s a snare on beats 2 and 4, like in most rock music, but also a snare on the last sixteenth of beat 2 and the second sixteenth of beat 3. The loudness of these two off-beat snare hits varies from song to song. It’s often quieter than the beats on 2 and 4, but usually not completely ghosted. Sometimes, it’s played at the same dynamic as the main snare beats. Also, the primary kicks are on one and usually the second eighth note of 3 (so to the two off-beat snare hits tumble into the kick.) There can be a lot more additional kick drums, but those are usually the two important ones. That said, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this beat played “four to the floor” with the kicks on one, two, three, four so you don’t have that second eighth note kick on 3.
Furthermore, it generally should be played with a loose style. There’s a little bit of “air” in the parts, a bit of “swing.” And, of course, there’s many variants. Those off-beat snares can get displaced to the kick or even a hi-hat or something while still maintaining the feel of the baggy beat.
Darn it, missed the edit window. ETA: I should clarify, that’s one of the most distinctive baggy beats, based on The Funky Drummer. There are other beats that also fall into the category.
Yeah thats it. So I guess it did/does have a name. Baggy. I remember hearing the term, but back then, I thought ‘baggy’ was referring to the clothing style of the Manchester scene.
It does, but by extension, it also refers to a certain genre of music that went along with this type of fashion in the Manchester music scene. More info on the term. I personally use the terms “baggy” and “Madchester” fairly interchangeably (in the very rare times I use them), but that article seems to suggest there is a distinction between the two. Perhaps that “baggy” music can be from outside Manchester, while “Madchester” is tied to geography?
