John Bonham’s son picks his father’s finest moment: “It’s the drum intro of the Gods”
The 1960s saw the rapid development of rock music, especially in Britain, where groups like The Yardbirds were fusing rhythm and blues influences with rock and roll. The dissolution of The Yardbirds, which included Jimmy Page, led to the creation of Led Zeppelin. He was joined by Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, forming a band that would become one of the most successful in music history.
Bonham, who had started playing drums as a child, was praised for his incredible skills, infusing every track with the perfect beats. The drummer was capable of playing in various different styles, and according to Dave Grohl, “He really knew how to put down a groove.”
Grohl continued: “I’ve learned that keeping the groove is more impressive than playing a hundred fills every 4 bars. John Bonham played drums hard but kept the groove.”
Bonham appeared on every Led Zeppelin release, some of which are considered seminal releases in the history of hard rock. The band had an incredible impact on guitar music, and even though they were not fans of being labelled as heavy metal, they certainly paved the way for many metal outfits that formed in the years following their popularity.
Whether you’re a fan of Led Zeppelin or not, it is hard to argue against the fact that Bonham was an insanely talented drummer. Out of his many impressive drum solos, fills and grooves, one of his most highly celebrated is taken from ‘When The Levee Breaks’. Featured on the band’s fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV, the song originally emerged in 1929. Written by Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy, the British group put their own spin on the track in 1971.
Bonham’s son, Jason, who has played the drums in place of his late father during Led Zeppelin reunion shows, picked out the intro of ‘When The Levee Breaks’ as his father’s finest moment. He once told Q Magazine, “It’s the drum intro of the Gods. You could play it anywhere, and people would know it’s John Bonham. I never had the chance to tell dad how amazing he was – he was just dad.”
The recognisable drums have been sampled by many modern artists. For example, Beyoncé and Jack White used them in ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ from the singer’s seminal album Lemonade. Additionally, Dr Dre used the drums in ‘Lyrical Gangbang’, Massive Attack added them to Mezzanine‘s ‘Man Next Door’, and The Beastie Boys incorporated Bonham’s beats into ‘Rymin’ And Stealin’. That’s just the tip of the iceberg – it is one of the most sampled drum sounds in music history.
Revisit ‘When The Levee Breaks’ below.
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