Godspeed, Mr. Baker.
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Beware of Mr Baker
I loved his drumming, it was awesome!
He had been a heroin addict and cleaned himself up.
He was voted the best rock drummer in the world at one point.
But nobody could every top Buddy Rich who was a one-in-a-zillion genetic aberration to the world of drumming.
How some of these guys made it to 80 is kind of a surprise.
I hope he makes it through this peacefully.
They will all start falling like dominoes from this day forward. Ginger Baker? He didn’t look healthy 50 years ago.
He was famtastic.
Look at “Sunshine Of your Love”, every coda is a different drum rif.
He’s down by the crossroads...
Geez, the way he looked back in the day makes me always surprised he is still around.
Glad he has had a good life up until now. Hope he recovers and gives Keith Richards the high sign.
there was a rumor flying around that Ginger Baker had died ...
Clapner and Bruce came out and played, but the drums sat empty ...
They played a bit, then suddenly, Ginger Baker appeared ...
He looked like he died ... until he started drumming ...
2 feet and 2 hands ... sweat flying ...
non-stop for a couple of hours .... amazing!
Toad ...
Saying a prayer for Ginger Baker.
The grand design dictates that we all just eventually wear out. Prayers for Ginger Baker.
Shocked he made it this long. He made Keith Richards look like a choirboy in comparison.
I really wish all my rock heroes would stop dying, dammit!
I am still mourning Keith Emerson and Greg Lake.
I have wondered how he has made it this long. In the documentary “Beware Mr. Baker”, pretty interesting BTW - watch it if you haven’t, one scene he is on oxygen another he is smoking. I don’t think they were terribly far apart in time.
The documentary was released in 2012. 7+ years is a long time for someone with COPD on oxygen to continue smoking - especially at his age. Seen it first hand.
One of the truly great rock drummers. He has that something intangible extra that only few of the top tier drummers have. But apparently a very difficult person to work with for any length of time. He’s put a lot of mileage on that body.
An opinion comment regarding Cream. As a high school student when Cream hit, their music was that moment when I realized that blues influenced rock was where my taste was going. It always seemed to me that with a different guitarist of similar caliber to Clapton Cream could still have been Cream. But IMO, such as it is as I have zero musical talent, Cream could not have been Cream without Bruce or Baker.
I remember the late Leonard Bernstein in an interview saying that Baker was one of the few rock drummers who could keep time. Coming from him that was a compliment.
Why does everyone think a third can attach themselves to Eddie and Ric? Eddie only had *two* tickets to paradise!
(I can say that ‘cause I love both those guys)
I think you may want to get used to it ....that generation, mine is getting old. I’m fighting the same demon.
Greatest Drummer who ever lived, but Rolling Stone ranks him behind Bonham and Moon.
He regularly kept 4 different rhythms, bringing them together at will, or bringing two or three together while allowing the others to grove where they were at.