Jim Keltner is one of the best studio drummers in the world, having recorded and played with John Lennon, Eric Clapton, John Fogerty, George Harrison, Neil Young and Simon & Garfunkel. But few outside of the music business know his name, and he’s okay with that. He told me he has never sought the spotlight. In our exclusive interview series, Keltner discussed many things, including his early influences, relative anonymity as a popular musician, involvement with the “12 Drummers Drumming” charity auction for veterans with PTSD and Cream drummer Ginger Baker’s African influences. Here, in Part 1, we focus on two of the most famous talents he has had the pleasure of working with: Clapton and Lennon. Following are edited excerpts from a longer conversation.
Jim Clash: The list of those you have recorded with reads like a who’s-who in the music business. Let’s discuss some off them. How about Eric Clapton?
Jim Keltner: That’s a special case [laughs]. I wish this unbelievable stuff [his anti-vaccine stance] hadn’t happened. What Eric has done to himself is something nobody seems to be able to explain. And he is not explaining it, either, which is the worst part. He’s just doubling down. I hope he can find a way out. But it doesn’t change my opinion of the man. I can’t tell you how much I love Eric, one of my very favorite to play drums with, an unbelievable guitar player. He also is a great singer. When he connects with a good song, like any good artist, you can’t go wrong.
Cream was one of my favorite bands of all-time, just like about everybody else. Jack’s [Bruce] singing was incredible. Anytime you put on a Cream record, it sounds great, feels great, never seems dated. But Eric didn’t like his own singing back then. In fact, we were at lunch one day, between sessions working on one of Eric’s albums, just sitting around talking about our favorite Clapton eras. I joined in, said mine was Cream. Eric just looked up and said, “Oh, f’ck off,’” in a funny way, of course [laughs].
Delaney & Bonnie And Friends really helped launch a bunch of us. For me, it started a relationship with John [Lennon] and George [Harrison], unreal. Eric fell in love with our music, and we opened for Blind Faith, his band with Ginger Baker and Stevie [Winwood]. Those guys would take their limos, private jets and stuff, but Eric traveled with us on our funky bus. In the back, Delaney [Bramlett] would try to teach him how to strengthen his voice, sing out more, how to “call the hogs.” Delaney was from Mississippi, with a lot of farm time. They were doing this hog-calling really loud [laughs]. Eric always credited Delaney with helping his singing.
Jim Clash: You’re a known commodity in the music community. But, as a behind-the-scenes studio guy, not many average rock fans know your name. Does that ever bother you?
Jim Keltner: I’m one who never wanted the spotlight. I’ve been around so many of what I call “geniuses.” Not all of those guys lived to be famous, either. Most want to use their musical gifts to satisfy their souls and to enlighten the world. The Randy Newmans, the Bob Dylans. I know Bob very well. Like John [Lennon], he’s been in the limelight all of his life. He was just a kid when it started. Now I don’t think Bob is uncomfortable in the spotlight, but it’s not something he ever wanted. It just came to him. When it comes like that, how you handle it is key. The cool ones use it wisely. The sad stories are the ones you see all the time, the ones who can’t handle it. For me personally, I’ve been blessed. I’m grateful for the gifts I have, and just to be a part of this whole [musical] thing. You come into this world, live your life and then you’re gone. I’m a strong believer in God. My mama made sure of that. I spend my time on Earth preparing for what’s next. So I don’t want my life to be about how rich I get, or how famous. Those things are fleeting. But there’s nothing wrong with that, either. I don’t resent people’s wealth and fame. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to use my own gifts [laughs].
Jim Clash: I just interviewed Def Leppard’s Rick Allen, who’s involved like you in the “12 Drummers Drumming” charity effort to benefit PTSD victims. As you probably know, Rick lost an arm in a car accident, but has relearned how to drum on a pro level with just three limbs.
Jim Keltner: That’s the heroic part. He’s laid it out there for anybody to follow. God forbid, if you ever find yourself in a similar predicament, read that man’s story. Find out how he got through it. It’s awesome that he’s that guy, and that he’s also giving back with this wonderful charity event.
Jim Clash: You’ve been on so many albums with so many big names. Name one or two you are particularly proud of.
Jim Keltner: That’s one of those questions that’s hard for me to answer. The body of work is just so tremendous. If I mention one, it’s not fair to the others. That said, one of my favorites was back a few years with Mavis Staples, and Ry Cooder producing. We knocked it out of the park. Then there was Randy Newman, who I always loved playing with. He was funny, smart and musically amazing. I won’t go into the names of the songs. Neil Young was another. Eric Clapton, too. Not everybody loves Eric’s blues album, “From The Cradle,” as much as I do. I always felt that it was a really good start to a blues series, and have been hoping that there would be another opportunity to do a blues record with Eric, one where we would still capture the real thing, but even more so. There’s a record I did with Lucinda Williams, I think it was called “Essence,” one of my favorites to play in the studio and then to listen to later.
Jim Clash: The Wrecking Crew, a bunch of studio guys, were famous in the sixties and seventies for redoing parts of songs for known artists, but incognito. Have you played with and/or do you know any of them?
Jim Keltner: Yes, but they were already big-time dudes when I was a kid just starting. Hal Blaine, God bless his soul, was one of my main heroes, as was Earl Palmer. Every chance I got to see or meet them was a huge thrill for me. Hal actually threw me into the deep end for a session early on, and I made it through. That was the beginning for me, knowing that I could handle those kinds of things. Then, when I got calls to play with them - various combinations of the Crew over different periods - I would find myself on different sessions, especially when Phil Spector was producing. So yeah, I pretty much got to know all of The Wrecking Crew. They knew that I didn’t play like Hal - that I could never rise to him, or to Earl Palmer - but they liked what I did, what I brought to the table.
Jim Clash: You had mentioned Ginger Baker earlier. I love how he plays that inverse beat on the Cream classic, “Sunshine Of Your Love.”
Jim Keltner: Ginger was a jazz guy. That’s one of the reasons he didn’t play terribly conventional rock stuff, and that’s what drew me to him. As far as playing on all fours on “Sunshine” – by the way, he didn’t just do that on one song, he did it a lot – it’s African. They don’t necessarily clap on two and four like we do here in the U.S. and in other parts of the western world. Africa is a wonderful source, and Ginger grabbed onto as much of it as he could. “Sunshine” is a perfect example. But it was not only the way he played around the drums, but the way he tuned them, too. Everything about Ginger Baker was really frickin’ cool. It was Afro and jazz, not your normal rock thing. I once talked to Eric [Clapton] about Ginger. He loved him, too.
Jim Clash: Let’s go back to your youth. Who were your biggest influences?
Jim Keltner: My first influence, like a lot of people, was Gene Krupa. Then I discovered Buddy Rich, and went nuts. I didn’t think what he did was possible. Buddy was kind of inhuman, whereas Gene was soulful swing, a beautiful sound. Buddy always pointed that out about Gene. There was no competition. There couldn’t be anyway, because nobody could compete with Buddy, not even today. Later on, I would listen to records not having a clue as to who the drummers were. Eventually, I made a point of finding out. That’s when I discovered that Hal Blaine, who we discussed earlier as part of The Wrecking Crew, had played on a bunch of those records - and Earl Palmer, too. The drums were the key to many of those. When I fell in love with jazz, I learned about Philly Joe Jones, and the records he played on with Miles [Davis], and then Elvin [Jones] with [John] Coltrane. If I had to pick who was most influential to me, I would say Elvin. His playing was a blueprint for all jazz players, which was key to my life. He played so wide. It all comes at you at the same time. You find yourself studying it, playing like it. His [cymbal] ride pattern was completely different from anyone else’s. Again, like Ginger, very African.
Jim Clash: Is there a question I didn’t ask that you want to answer?
Jim Keltner: That’s a good one, but it’s surprised me. My wife has left the room now, so I can say this. She sometimes listens to my interviews and tells me later, “You don’t have to say everything that’s on your mind.” And I know what she means. I do tend to go on. That’s not really a question, but it’s an observation [laughs].
By Jim Clash
