Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story [Paperback]

Tony Scherman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2000

There he is, drumming on "Tutti Frutti," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," and thousands of other songs. As a studio player in New Orleans and Los Angeles from the 1940s through the 1970s, Earl Palmer co-created hundreds of hits and transformed the lope of rhythm and blues into full-tilt rock and roll. He was, as a result, one of the first session men to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer's distinctive voice alternates with the insights of music journalist and historian Tony Scherman in an unforgettable trip through the social and musical cultures of mid-century New Orleans and the feverish world of early rock.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

By the time Earl Palmer moved from New Orleans to join the Los Angeles session musician Mafia in 1957, he'd already had a couple of careers in entertainment. As a kid tap dancer in black vaudeville, he saw the country, crossing paths with the likes of Art Tatum and Louis Prima before embarking upon a stint in the segregated World War II Army ("You was always running into stuff you didn't like. At first you took it. After two years you ready to hurt somebody"). Back in Louisiana, he took up work as a jazz drummer, little knowing that he'd soon be part of a revolution in music. As a regular on the scene, Palmer played on the seminal sides by Little Richard, Fats Domino, and many other R&B and early-rock & roll performers. Marked by a preternatural sense of propulsion and delightfully sly fills, Palmer's drumming was an indispensable part of shaping the new sound. By the '60s, he was working with Sinatra and Phil Spector, playing jazz (his first love) in clubs and contributing to dozens of movie and TV soundtracks (you'll hear him next time you watch Harold and Maude, Cool Hand Luke, or a rerun of M.A.S.H. or The Odd Couple). Backbeat is an incisive, frequently hilarious read that opens doors on recording studios, show business, and race in America. --Rickey Wright --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Earl Palmer, the New Orleans jazz musician who became one of rock and roll's great drummers, is a name known chiefly to connoisseurs. By transforming rhythm and blues' lope into a powerful headlong thrust, he propelled hits by Little Richard, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Ritchie Valens, Ike and Tina Turner, Ricky Nelson, the Beach Boys, the Supremes and the Mamas and the Papas, among others. Moving to Los Angeles in 1957, Palmer practically lived in the studio for the next dozen years, co-creating hundreds of hits as drummer or arranger, though never sharing royalties or credits. Between sessions, he played big-band pop and jazz with Sinatra, Gillespie, Basie and Ray Charles, besides doing film and TV soundtracks. In a vibrant oral autobiography, Scherman (who edited The Rock Musician and co-edited The Jazz Musician) lets Palmer tell his own story through interviews, adding chapter introductions and meticulous, informative endnotes that often amount to brief essays. Born in 1924, Palmer joined his mother and aunt on the black vaudeville circuit around age eight as a professional tap dancer. In World War II, he issued live ammo to his noncombatant mates during training (so they could shoot back at racist whites); tried to go AWOL before shipping out; and took a two-week joyride through France. A great raconteur, at once hip, opinionated and irreverent, Palmer reels off stories and lets the good times roll. This exhilarating book offers a rare first-person window on the New Orleans musical scene from honky tonk to bebop, the insular world of black vaudeville, the bitter combat experience of African-Americans during WWII, and rock's early days. 32 photos.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030680980X
• ISBN-13: 978-0306809804
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #729,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a good one!, April 30, 2001

By 

Fred Decker (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BACKBEAT: Earl Palmer's Story (Hardcover)

If you like behind the scenes stories of the old days of music, this is a book you'll like. Palmer has a gunfighter mentality that enhances his story, and a career that began back in the 1930's when he was a child dancer. He's experienced alot in his career, including the start of rock and roll. His explanation of the rhythmic changes that set early rock and roll apart from the music that came before it is fascinating. Palmer was playing in Little Richard's band and he noticed that Little Richard wasn't playing blues shuffle rhythms on his piano. Although the band could play a blues shuffle behind Little Richard and sound acceptable, as was the case on "Tutti-Frutti," the sound was better when the drummer and the band adapted to the rhythm that Little Richard was playing, as they did on "Lucille". Palmer doesn't know if Little Richard or Chuck Berry invented the rock and roll rhythm first, but he points out that Berry's band always played blues shuffles behind him, while Little Richard's band had a more modern beat. The records bear this out. I thought it was a fascinating explanation, and a cool insight.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Story, May 14, 2007

By 

Richard Castanie (Grand Rapids Mi) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story (Paperback)

The life story of the 'inventor' of the rock and roll backbeat! Great insight on life in the 50's era of music in New Orleans.

His success in LA as the premier drummer and his great down to earth language in reliving some of the times when he was in his prime.

He and Hal Blaine are the reason so many of the record labels recorded in LA, and their ability to not only provide the beat, but many times either arrange or help arrange the tunes made Earl invaluable in the studio.

A must read if your into the rock and roll history of the roots of the music.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different Take, September 19, 2002

By 

"mrbubblebutt" (New Orleans, la USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story (Paperback)

I am a great fan of Earl Palmer and eagerly read the book. I was even lucky enough to get him to sign my copy at a jazz fest appearance.

That said, this is a moving book chronicling his rise as THE New Orleans drummer to being the premier studio drummer in the world .

Music is the background of this book-the foreground is more about Palmer's life, loves and career. Palmer is frank, unapologetic, opinionated and somewhat cocky.

He discusses New Orleans in the 40's and 50's, race relations and the music scene from a first person perspective. Its refreshing and full of surprises.

He moves on to chronicle his career in L.A.- how he comes into the scene- who he displaces and eventually how he gets displaced. Anecdotes abound about various sessions and gigs- though not as many as one might want to hear.

What this book clearly is not is some sort of insight into technique or musical philosophy. This disappointed me at first - then I realized Earl can let the huge body of recorded work do the talking there. ( I have seen some video tape for sale where Earl demonstrates various beats and techniques)

The book is a bit choppy and somewhat unpolished at times- but it makes up for it in frankness.- over time I came to appreciate that.