Bobby Gregg
Bobby Gregg | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert Grego |
Born | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S. | April 30, 1936
Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer |
Instrument(s) | Drums |
Robert J. Gregg (born Robert Grego; April 30, 1936 – May 3, 2014)
Early career
Gregg first attracted attention by 1955 as the only white member of the otherwise all-black group
Work with Bob Dylan
In 1964, as an experiment,
In January 1965, Gregg got to work with Dylan as the drummer on the songs on the electric side of the album Bringing It All Back Home.[2] Gregg recorded the album takes of "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "She Belongs to Me", "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", "Outlaw Blues" and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" on January 14, 1965, and recorded the album takes of "Maggie's Farm" and "On the Road Again" on January 15, 1965.[2][7]
On June 15, 1965, when Dylan was ready to record "Like a Rolling Stone", several of the musician from the Bringing It All Back Home sessions including Gregg were called on to back him.[8] Thus, it is Gregg's pistol-like snare drum shot that opens the song, as well as the album Highway 61 Revisited.[2][9] "Like a Rolling Stone" eventually reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in 2004 was named by Rolling Stone as the #1 song of all time.[10][11]
The remainder of the Highway 61 Revisited album was recorded between July 29 and August 4, 1965.[12] Gregg was the drummer for the July 29 and 30 sessions that produced "Tombstone Blues", "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" and "From a Buick 6".[13] He was also the drummer for the July 29 recording of "Positively 4th Street", which was left off the Highway 61 Revisited album but became a Top 10 single in both the United States and the UK.[13] At the August 2 session at which "Queen Jane Approximately", "Highway 61 Revisited", "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and "Ballad of a Thin Man" were recorded, Sam Lay played the drums early in the session due to Gregg's other commitments, with Gregg joining the session later.[14][15] Although Lay is believed to be the drummer on the album take of "Highway 61 Revisited" and played on several takes of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", the album take of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is generally believed to be one that Gregg played on.[14][16] Gregg was also the likely drummer for "Queen Jane Approximately" and "Ballad of a Thin Man", meaning that Gregg played on all the songs on the album except "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Desolation Row" (on which there is no drum part), and Gregg is the only drummer credited on the album.[16][17]
In November 1965, Gregg joined
Work with other artists
In 1965
In 1966, Gregg was one of the drummers backing Peter, Paul and Mary for their album The Peter, Paul and Mary Album.[2][22] In 1971, he backed John Cale and Terry Riley on their album Church of Anthrax.[4][22]
Death
Gregg died on May 3, 2014, at the age of 78.[1]
References
- ^ a b Robert Gregg. "Robert Gregg Obituary - Las Vegas, NV | LVRJ.com". Obits.reviewjournal.com. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8264-2974-2.
- allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bobby Gregg". The Band. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8021-3891-0.
- allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 15, 2006. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-8264-1775-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-55652-843-9.
- ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56025-185-9.
- ISBN 978-0-8264-2974-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8021-3891-0.
- ISBN 978-1-55652-843-9.
- ISBN 978-1-55652-843-9.
- ^ allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5.
- allmusic. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved August 16, 2009.