Tag: neil diamond

See that guy behind Fancy Spanglestein? That, Enthusiasts, is Ronnie Tutt; he is a motherfucker. Do not bring your mother around Ronnie Tutt, unless you want her to be fucked. Ronnie Tutt was born in Dallas, Texas, and he might be one of the great American drummers. Ronnie played in Garcia’s best solo band, the short-lived Legion of Mary, and his second-best band, the one with Nicky Hopkins.

Ronnie Tutt also played sessions. You are intimately familiar with him even if this is the first time you’ve heard his name. Piano Man. You’ve heard it once or twice? Ronnie Tutt. He also played for the Carpenters, which breaks my heart because I thought Karen did the drumming. You lied to me, Carpenters. (Although that does make the story about John Bonham flying into a rage when she beat him in some “Best Drummer” poll even funnier.)

And he drummed for Elvis. Ronnie Tutt was in the King’s vast Vegas band from the first show in ’69 to the last tour in ’77, and Elvis keyed in on him throughout the show, and Ronnie Tutt watches Elvis right back so that when the King demonstrates karate, he has a proper soundtrack.

Here, watch:

When Elvis died, Ronnie Tutt went to work for Neil Diamond and hasn’t left since; from interviews with him, the job seems like a good fit. Ronnie Tutt appreciates professionalism, and one gets a sense that he was completely sick of Garcia’s hippie bullshit within weeks of forming the LoM. (When Ronnie Tutt asked John Kahn when band practice was, John Kahn responded with, “Practice? We’re talking about practice? Not a show. Not a show, but practice?) Neil also lets him sing, which Ronnie Tutt loves to do.

“WE TALKIN’ ‘BOUT HARD-WORKIN’ RONNIE TUTT?”

Oh, good. You’re back.

“AH AM WELCOMED EV’RYWHERE, AN’ SOMETIMES PEOPLE GIMME STUFF.”

Great.

“RONNIE TUTT WAS TH’ MOST POWERFULLEST DRUMMER EVER DONE COME OUTTA TEXAS. HE SOUNDED LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN WITH A BONER, BOY.”

Lovely simile.

“AH WOULD OFTEN HAVE HIM SET UP HIS DRUMS IN MAH BOO-DWAH AT GRACELAND.”

Why?

“SO HE COULD MUSICALLY ACCOMPANY MAH LOVEMAKIN’. MADE IT SOUND REAL DRAMATIC. LIKE AH WAS SOME SORTA SEX DINOSAUR.”

You just popping in or are you back for a while?

“TH’ FUTURE GONNA DO WHAT TH’ FUTURE GONNA DO.”

True. Elvis, did Ronnie Tutt ever sing backup for you?

“SINGIN’ DRUMMERS? AIN’T GONNA BE NO SINGIN’ DRUMMERS AT TH’ KING’S SHOW, BOY. THERE’S TWO DOZEN SINGERS IN TH’ BAND ALREADY.”

Also true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DK25FgSOEs

I’ll stand up for Neil Diamond’s songwriting, and the voice he had as a young person (Neil Diamond was never a kid), and his Semitic Prince Valiant haircut, but he was never cool and has only gotten schmaltzy with age. I cannot recommend watching the above video, but–again proving that the Dead is everywhere, maaaan–Neil’s drummer (for many years now) is the Ronnie Tutt of drummers, the actual Ronnie Tutt.

After Elvis and Garcia, perhaps Ronnie was looking for a more predictable and/or sober bandleader. (Elvis and Garcia could be predictable as hell when they wanted to be, but it wasn’t the good kind of predictable.) No more lunatics or junkies or British wastrels on piano: professional management, top-notch travel, great pay. Sure, Neil wouldn’t stand for half the bullshit he used to get up to with Elvis–Ronnie pretty much soloed for the whole show with the King–but he’d never have to have another conversation with Red or Joe Esposito. Elvis hung out with some dumb motherfuckers.

I’d ask if he misses the chaos at all, but I don’t think Ronnie Tutt does, not in the slightest. Interviews with the man reveal an insanely low tolerance for foolishness; even lower for fucking up the time. To drop a beat while playing with Ronnie Tutt was an insult: it was implying you disagreed with Ronnie Tutt about where the one was, and Ronnie motherfucking Tutt knows where the one is.