Buddy Rich at one point said that Danny was on of his favorite drummers 🥁 to actually listen to!!!! It doesn’t get any better than that!!!!🫡

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

High praise from Buddy!

@emb2302

17 күн бұрын

He also loved Bobby Colomby of Blood Sweat and Tears and said the drum break on ‘Spinning Wheel’ was the perfect thing to play. Wow!!!

Great stuff, Tate. Endlessly interesting, glad to have helped in some way. Steven

For me, the 60's and 70's were the best! Great presentation fellas!

Tate: The cymbals with the black acoustic and electronic Yamaha kits circa 1986 were indeed Zildjian: they were finished in what was called "Platinum Finish" - they were a brilliant silver finish which really reflected under stage lights. Of note: Danny loved odd cymbal sizes: left side 17" crash, 21" ride and 19" crash/ride. I still have my set of Zildjian Platinums, including 14" Quick Beat hi-hats. Hope this helps!

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Platinums! Yes thank you very much. We appreciate you watching

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

Thanks so much for this! It makes total sense that he was using this newer Zildjian line as he was latching on to all the new products from his endorsers at the time.

One of the last shows I saw Chicago live with Danny. Most of the show, he was on an electronic Yamaha Kit, then in a side platform was an acoustic Yamaha Kit.

My own theory for Danny's sudden and unusual switch from coated Remo Ambassador heads to CS Black Dot ones: The latter may have only just been newly introduced by Remo, and Danny then was attracted to their cool look and wanted to try them out! I've always preferred the look of transparent drum heads myself! 😁 And while I'm not all that familiar with Danny's work (except for some of Chicago's big Hits), I do always think of _him_ first, whenever I read or hear the name 'Slingerland' mentioned; Well possible it was in a photo of him where I'd noticed that brand name for the very first time, too! 🙂 Very enjoyable content! Thank you Bart, thank you Tate! 😀👍

Thrilled to see Tate Berkey on the show! He’s an excellent player.

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

Thanks Craig!

Just an FYI, DW recommends that if your floor tom has too much sustain, then just reverse the floor tom legs to get a smaller sustain out of the floor toms. This way you can keep the toms tuned the same, not have to use tape or some muffling device, and you can reverse one leg at a time to dial in the amount of sustain you want/need.

Holy smokes son! You're 23. Welcome to what many of us past 60 can remember when the seven original members were playing at the old Chicago Stadium and a few other Chicago venues. Speaking of course to any other Chicagoan like myself. I became a big time fan when I was 12. My brother won the first five Chicago albums from WLS. I remember listening to these great albums over and over. Tate, thank you for sharing your story and doing this video.

Great interview Bart … I’m only half way through this one, but since my name has been mentioned I thought I’d give you some old schools observations. Thank you @tateberkey for all the kind comments. Now around 59:00 … I’m still convinced it’s a 14x24 kick drum, but Tate’s argument is compelling 😎 for the 14x22. The concert tom kit floor tom size dispute …. I wrote Danny an email and I mentioned 14x14 and he didn’t disagree with that sizes, but he was sketchy in 2005 on drum sizes! But he said the 14x20 kick had more punch then the 24” or 22” kick. The heads with the circle logo (on the concert tom kit) were the original Fiberskyn heads which were produced in the mid 70s. I have a Remo catalog with Danny playing those heads on a small Slingerland kit. He used those until the Fiberskyn 2 heads were produced in 1980. I don’t think he ever used Evans heads! He was a Remo head guy until late in life! And always Zildjian cymbal player! That’s it for the first half! Great stuff Bart and Tate!

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Great information Earl! You and Tate are both great guys who are doing excellent work to keep Danny's history alive! Keep up the great work on your channel my friend

@earldrum

24 күн бұрын

Tate and Bart this is an amazing episode! Thank you! I completely listened to the episode! I got lost in my life in the 80s. But the 80s electronics faze was a time when the technology was changing very quickly! Very hard to explain the need for refrigerator sized racks to house Akai samplers! But that was the music business until ProTools! Electronic were very wonky, but cutting edge! Drum sizes got crazy with power toms, Danny’s kit shows that well! Back to the 77 kit, I was pretty sure I got that 14x14 floor tom on the concert tom kit idea from the MD article … then you read it Tate! Tate you covered the 80s kits great! The 80s were time of great wealth and gear! Great research my friend! Tate, I hope you get to meet Danny … he is a great person! I look forward to talking with you in real life soon Tate! Thank you Bart are you going to the Nashville drum show this year? I’d love to meet you in person! Keep doing what you do every episode of Drum History Podcast! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻👍🏻😎😎

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

Thanks so much for all the help, info and support Earl! Glad you enjoyed the episode!

Still here 🙋‍♂️❤ at the end

I saw Chicago a half dozen times between 1974 & 1978. The only time that I saw Danny use the roto-tom was during his drum solo.

Listen to his drum programming for the 1986 hit “Will You Still Love Me”. It’s way more complex than any other similar radio song at the time thanks to Danny and it fits in seamlessly

Single-headed drums for many years. He told me at a clinic it was to imitate the big sound of Hal Blaine.

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Very interesting!

Excellent chat

I really want you guys to know that I enjoyed your conversation and that I watched it all the way through and I subscribed to Tate’s channel as well. Thank you 🙏!

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

Thanks for the sub!

Great interview Gentlemen! Subscribed to all of Tate’s Socials…

@tate_berkey

21 күн бұрын

Thank you for doing so!

Great podcast with helpful picture inserts. There’s so much to take in that repeated listenings are required. Just a thought on the inverted floor tom legs used by Danny in the latter years:It could be that regular splayed floor tom would clash with with the extended spread of cymbal stands. By making the floor tom leg straight an angle of 30% is saved on floor space thus allowing a more exact placement of the cymbal stand.

In '77 I saw Chicago on Halloween in Toronto. Laudir would spin the rototom whilr Danny solo'd on it. I copied that big concert tom kit in Blakrome with even larger sizes 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and a 18" floor and 24 bass drum. I still have the Slingerland concert toms. I used the 51N kit from the catalogue as the basic kit then built from there. Later adding a 22" bass as well.

@earldrum

24 күн бұрын

I saw them in NYC MSG in 1977 and that was the use of the RotoTom on that tour…it was part of the drum solo! I think there is a video of Chicago in Germany where he plays the RotoTom and Laudir turns the RotoTom during the solo!

2.32.32 length! What a nice number sequence! 😊 And that'll be my evening's programme sorted, I guess! 😄 I'm already looking forward to listening to / watching this 😊 And I'm happy for you Bart and your family and the little patient in particular that things at the hospital did go well indeed! May you all stay well and healthy! 😊🙌💚🌈☀️🎵🍀🦋🌻

Thanks Bart and Tate for your awesome discussion of Danny Seraphine and his drum gear. He still is a such an inspiration and respected player also drum aficionado. 🥁

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Thank you my friend!

Tate needs to do a book ❤

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

Topic suggestions? Lol. I don't know what I'd write about!

@Chicago_Podcast_Authority

24 күн бұрын

@@tate_berkey about Danny’s gear Mr. subject matter expert 🙃

There’s a lot of great information here, but I’ll add my knowledge about his kit based on what I’ve followed about Danny since the mid ‘70’s. His floor tom preference is 14”x14” and is the size that was part of his large concert tom kit. He liked the 14 floor tom size because of the tympani like rolls he could get from that size (he mentions this in his first Modern Drummer interview) His tom sizes on that kit were 6, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 15 (not 16), plus his 14 floor. His main cymbal crashes were 16 and 18; his ride was 20. His main bass drum size after his Roger’s kit was 20 but used a 24 later for more presence. He started using 22 much later. As other people have mentioned, the round logo on his drumheads were the original Fiberskyns, which were tannish in color, had a “woven” texture and was somewhat translucent. In 1977, Danny helped me get my first and current Slingerland set, the 50N, with 5-ply shells. It’s great to hear that so many people revere and are influenced by Danny.

@tate_berkey

19 күн бұрын

What is your source for the sizes of the concert tom kit? Thanks for your info.

@Shlingerland77

19 күн бұрын

@@tate_berkey I believe Danny describes the sizes of his kit, and his affinity for the 14” floor, in the ‘79 modern drummer article. I’ve also seen one of his old kits…his oldest daughter played drums and percussion and had some of his drums. Also, as a Slingerland owner, I’m familiar with lug counts and relative size between toms.

@tate_berkey

17 күн бұрын

If you skip to 1:30:20, I read directly from the 79 article where Danny references his sizes. He mentions a 14 and a 16. He also references having those same sizes in the MD Legends interview as well. Do you know how deep a 13 and 15 concert tom would be? Looking at the depths was something I tried to pay just as much attention to.

@Shlingerland77

17 күн бұрын

@@tate_berkey okay, just trying to be helpful with your search with what I believe to be the sizes. Not going to die on a sword over drum sizes. As someone who has seen his drums in person, I know what I know, but maybe he had different sizes. Good luck!

@earldrum

17 күн бұрын

Thanks for the info on the drums Slingerland77 …. The sizes for concert toms are outlined in the Slingerland catalog of 1976 & 77 … 9x13, 12x15 are in between the 8x12, 10x14, 14x16 sizes. It almost sounds like Danny mixed a matched drum sizes from an 8 concert tom set. I’m in agreement with you about the 14x14 floor tom on the 76-77 kits. I’m not sure about the later kits which could have been 16x16 or even 16x18 by time you get to that double head kit in 1982 with the clearly large sized 12x15 tom on a stand. It’s so interesting that many of us that saw the kit live believed it was the smaller 14x14 floor tom. Great job Tate!

Excellent show, Danny is a fave of mine as well. Just some minor info. Slingerland Made straight shells around 71 ,no rerings. Remo put fiberskin heads out way later ,around 95.Unlessthey had a 70s model,i didnt see them till 95 or 97.

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

The Fiberskyn 3 was introduced in the 90s, but Danny had been working with Remo on the original Fiberskyn and Fiberskyn 2 designs through the 70s. The round logo on the heads on the 77 kit that I questioned are more than likely Fiberskyn 2s. Thanks for the heads up on the Slingerland re-ring info. Again with the 77 kit, by then there were re-rings and you can see them in the underside of the concert toms (or at least the lower ones as the smaller ones didn't require them). Good to know that the Black and Copper kits more than likely did NOT have rings though!

@earldrum

24 күн бұрын

Sal, the first version of the Remo Fiberskyn head was in the mid 1970s (73 - 78). Danny was an early adopter of the original Fiberskyn head. By 1980 they introduced the Fiberskyn 2 head that had that laminated paper texture still found on today’s version of the head. I have an old bass drum head with the Fiberskyn 2 logo. The original Fiberskyn seemed to have a texture more like the NuSkyn bongo heads but I only saw the heads and never played an original Fiberskyn head.

@SalMichael

24 күн бұрын

Thanks Tate ,that's interesting, I do remember an old friend and great player here, Duck Scott used earlier versions of the fiberskyn and the coating was lifting on them. I just messaged you on IG.

@earldrum

24 күн бұрын

@@tate_berkey from the Remo history site …. Danny played the original version … I have photo of this in my drum catalog collection. I’ll try to send it to you if I dig it out! January 1, 1975 Fiberskyn drumheads are introduced. A laminate construction of polyester and fiberglass, this drumhead came closest to matching the look and feel of natural calfskin. Many players that preferred natural skin finally switched over to this synthetic head. Many refinements have resulted in the later use of this type of head for world percussion instruments.Remo Belli: “...I began laminating fiberglass to polyester film to get some of the rounder sounds that some people felt they would like to have from their instruments...We developed the Fiberskyn drumhead knowing that its mass market was not too large. We wanted to accommodate all segments of the market. But after we introduced it, we were surprised by the number of people in the different segments of the music business that went for it.”

20" bass drums are renowned for their punchiness. Phil Collins was also a convert. IMHO, they are the perfect studio drum for the majority of types of music. Additional advantage is over bass drum, lower possible tom placement.

Seraphene, is amazing!! Also good to see younger musicians listening!! GO Philly!! I think that walnut Gretsch had a 9x10 Chrome Slingerland concert tom.

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Danny is Brilliant.

I had the opportunity to speak to Danny at a clinic in Toronto just after his RRHOF induction. I asked him what happened to all his Slingerland kits , especially the white concert Tom kit, and he responded that he gave all the Slingerland kits away.

@cintrepdchannel5854

24 күн бұрын

Yes he mentions that he gave one kit to a guy in the band but doesn't say who. I wonder where that white kit is as well.

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

@@cintrepdchannel5854 I mention that at one point later in the video here. I've heard him mention that he gifted a kit to Kenny Cetera (Peter Cetera's brother) who toured briefly with Chicago as a background vocalist and percussionist in the 80s.

@cintrepdchannel5854

24 күн бұрын

@@tate_berkey Kenny is online in one of my groups. Maybe will ask him Thx!

That’s my dad you mentioned at 51:53!

Temple should allow this piece if work to count for a Master's Degree!

Please do a video on DENNIS CHAMBERS & OMAR HAKIM next!!!!! The DRUMMING COMMUNITY needs this!!!!! THANKS IN ADVANCE

lol. Now I don’t feel bad anymore about the couple of hardware fails I had. Hell, if it happened to Danny, I’m honored that it happened to me 😂😂😂 Don’t forget, Buddy had said that Danny was a great drummer. That was huge!

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Yes we all have our hardware falls from time to time! Thanks for watching!

Wonderful episode. BTW, Caribou Ranch Studio is in Colorado.

@tate_berkey

23 күн бұрын

Jay, thanks for that. I misspoke and confused the location with the band’s current studio that Lee owns which is in Sedona, Arizona

@jaypetach5598

23 күн бұрын

@@tate_berkey No worries. You have an amazing knowledge about the band. I only know the location of Caribou Ranch because I remember reading the story of Chicago recording there in a trade mag in the early 70s. Caribou Ranch was probably the first "destination/resort" recording studio. Again, this was a wonderful podcast. Thanks.

@tate_berkey

23 күн бұрын

I appreciate it!

Kenny says he returned the copper Slingerland kit to Danny.

Thanks a lot!!!

Are you sure that the kit with the Gretsch toms and the Ludwig bass drum is not a complete Gretsch? What I can see in the pics is : 1. that the bass drum has wider inlays in the hoops wich is typical for Gretsch. Ludwig hoop inlays are not that wide. 2. Look at the T-rod and claw between the Rogers tom & cymbal mount-that is Gretsch.The T rod is way too round and conical for Ludwig. 3. Look between the cymbal arm and the same lug-there is a round knob Gretsch muffler like on the toms. I assume this IS a Gretsch bass drum with Rogers mounts and a Ludwig logo head...Great job with the video. I love you guys.

@tate_berkey

24 күн бұрын

Thanks for you eye on this! It may be a Gretsch. I can't quite tell if thats indeed a muffler past the cymbal arm, or if its possibly another mount that was installed. Very interesting, if it is a Gretsch bass drum, that it would have an original Ludwgi logo head on it...

@MasshoffDrums

24 күн бұрын

Nerding out on things like this is so much fun but at the end of the day it does not really matter but it is a great distraction from the crazy world....

*PS:* 1:17:00 - Looking at the width of the snare drum in this photo of the Mega Concert Tom kit and then comparing it with the floor tom's, I reckon the latter actually _could_ well be a 14" one! Especially when considering the bass drum only being 20" big! My own first kit was 20" bass drum, 13" tom tom and 16" floor tom, and those toms looked big / out of proportion with that bass drum, and I don't see that with _his_ floor tom. His snare drum does look quite wide, though! 😀

@earldrum

24 күн бұрын

I agree with you! And that’s how I see it as being a 14x14 floor tom compared to the 14” snare drum. I think as the years went on he used a 16x16 with other concert tom kits … Chicago 13 and Hot Streets, but that first six C-tom kit …. I still think it’s a 14x14🤷🏻‍♂️

Danny & Phil Ehart were the first to have the Copper metal wrapped kits.

@metzilla

19 күн бұрын

Neil Peart's first Slingerland Chrome kit had copper concert toms 👍(not sure of the date, however)

Wasn't Danny instrumental in the creation of the Fiberskyn?

@earldrum

24 күн бұрын

Dennis, it’s documented that Remo did work with Danny and other drummers to create the original Fiberskyn head in 1975. Remo said players, like Danny, wanted a natural calf skin head sound. Danny said that these heads help him switch over to synthetic heads. But like Tate said, Danny was using the Remo heads of day on his tour drum kits even though he preferred that calf sound.

First, loved this episode. Great job guys. My high school band teacher, who was a big early influence on me, was a big Chicago/Danny guy (via Buddy). Also I started out with my first drum teacher, who has a monster red sparkle Slingerland kit, and later also a huge chrome-over-wood kit too. Anyway, super longshot question, but I'll ask anyway. I just bought a big mid-70s double bass Slingerland kit with concert toms, and they're mounted on Super Set-o-Matic mounts. I'm curious if anybody has any advice on getting them moving and adjusting smoother. I messaged Steve Maxwell but haven't heard back yet. Can I lubricate the balls? What are they made of? What should I beware of? I know these mounts have a mixed reputation, but people seem to like the Super version best of them. Thanks DHP community!

Hi all, here is the recent info I just received from John Howard on the cymbals Danny was using with the Chicago 19 kit (blue and yellow DW kits) along with the snare. "Chicago 19 Zildjians: 13” K over Z hi-hat, China Boys (Hi and Low - not sure of the sizes) and yes, a 20” K Custom ride. His original touring snare was a 5 1/2 & 14” maple shell because he liked the crack and the depth it gave the ballads."

That floor tom is a 14. You can tell by the spacing of the lugs.

Arie Crown theater

at 1:47:39, ...that certainly looks to be a 13, 15, and floor tom is definitley a 14, which confirms what @Shlingerland77 has stated.

I don't understand why you are deleting the comments, try putting the floor tom legs upside down and hear if the ring has decreased.Danny didn't set the floor tom legs like that for no reason.

Great work and research guys!! The reason we turn the floor tom legs upside down is that sometimes they just resonate too darn long. Turning a leg upside down reduces some of that long decay. kzread.info/dash/bejne/fJl1mah_dLStnso.html

Could the plexiglass be angled "monitors" so he could hear himself better outdoors?

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

That is interesting. It definitely could be!

wahy did chicago get rid of danny?

Technically…. The drums are considered one instrument even if you mix them up to make it sound good as one instrument!!!! Drummers have certainly done this over the years, I know I have myself!!!

@DrumHistoryPodcast

25 күн бұрын

Very true!

Arie Crown Theater 2301 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60616

Buddy can talk, that's for sure.....