# Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [August 24, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444 "2021-08-24T16:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/61 "2021-08-26T11:31:59Z")
Without looking through the rest of the thread: “Child of the Moon,” “She Smiled Sweetly,” “Moonlight Mile” (mostly just toms)… …and funky stuff like “Dance, Pt. 1”… …and “Heart of Stone,” “Sway,” “Get off my Cloud,” live “Midnight Rambler”… ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/62 "2021-08-26T18:47:03Z")
Also, “She’s So Cold” (for the hi-hat work); “Ruby Tuesday” and “Stray Cat Blues” (for the fills); and, for the drum ‘riffs’ (repeated rhythmic patterns), “My Obsession,” “19th Nervous Breakdown,” and “Honky Tonk Women.” ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/63 "2021-08-26T18:57:37Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > At 0:55 this guy demonstrates a technique he’s observed in Charlie’s drumming. That’s really cool. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/64 "2021-08-27T15:04:37Z")
Interesting. I’ve always noticed — or at least since high school in the 90s when some iMax Stones live performance came out — Charlie leaving out the hat on two and four, and wondered where that came fron. My speculation was to get a louder backbeat, and that seems to be mostly it, but it does have an effect on the feel of the groove, too. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/65 "2021-08-27T16:12:37Z")
Some Boogie Woogie… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Lg1uoTPbMTs/hqdefault.jpg "Charlie Watts - Boogie-Woogie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg1uoTPbMTs) Music starts @ 3:25. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/66 "2021-08-27T16:58:22Z")
> > [@JKellyMap](#): > > > > That’s really cool. > > > [@pulykamell](#): > > > > Interesting. I’ve always noticed — or at least since high school in the 90s when some iMax Stones live performance came out — Charlie leaving out the hat on two and four, and wondered where that came fron. My speculation was to get a louder backbeat, and that seems to be mostly it, but it does have an effect on the feel of the groove, too. Glad you guys liked it; I thought someone here would find it interesting. I came across the videos because my tribute to him that evening was to crank up a few Stones songs. When it got to be too late for loud music, I looked for videos that showed his technique and, in no time at all, I came across the ones I posted. Although it seemed a huge stroke of luck to find the speculation and the confirmation videos so quickly, I think the YouTube algorithm might have had something to do with it. I don’t really know how it works, but I imagine there were others like me looking for similar videos that evening. By the way, before it got to be too late, one of the first Stones tunes I listened to was Miss You. Recorded in 1978, the beat is very similar to Pick Up the Pieces (AWB, 1974), Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees, 1977), a couple of tracks from The Wall (Pink Floyd, 1979) and, now that I think about it, Carouselambra (Led Zeppelin, 1979). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/67 "2021-08-27T18:01:55Z")
> [@opiewan](#): > > Charlie taking the time to put on a suit and tie first, then going to Mick’s room and punching him in the face As a gentleman does 🕶 ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/68 "2021-08-27T19:00:04Z")
Charlie goes casual sporting a polo shirt… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3xbtlW16Gts/maxresdefault.jpg "The Rolling Stones - Hang Fire - Official Promo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xbtlW16Gts) Hang fire, hang fire, hang fire, put it on the wire, baby ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/69 "2021-08-27T23:17:46Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > I thought he was the classiest member of the Rolling Stones. No Pole Vault to clear that bar. Hell, not even a High Jump. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/70 "2021-08-29T23:33:41Z")
Interview from 1993. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yCxlPRUll-U/hqdefault.jpg "Charlie Watts Interview on LATER with Bob Costas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCxlPRUll-U) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/71 "2021-08-30T19:48:30Z")
I found my copy of the _Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project_. It’s more of a world music compilation than it is jazz. Each track is dedicated to a jazz drummer, though. Mostly fascinating, with a couple of slow spots. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/72 "2021-08-30T21:35:07Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I found my copy of the _Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project_ . It’s more of a world music compilation than it is jazz. Each track is dedicated to a jazz drummer, though. Mostly fascinating, with a couple of slow spots. I’ve been listening to that too. It’s reminiscent of _My Life In The Bush of Ghosts_. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/73 "2021-09-08T18:35:00Z")
Earlier today, I came across this isolated drum track of Gimmie Shelter. It makes a nice tribute and is just the kind of thing I was looking for the night I heard he’d died: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ojWVh0qILMU/maxresdefault.jpg "GIMMIE SHELTER - CHARLIE WATTS | ISOLATED DRUMS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojWVh0qILMU) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444/74 "2021-09-11T01:16:27Z")
Terrific - thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rolling-stones-drummer-charlie-watts-has-died/949444.md?page=3)