Buddy Rich - The Bus Tapes (dialouge only)

[@unwindzen]

I met Buddy in high school in '76 at a drum clinic. He had us come up on stage where he was behind his set giving demonstrations. I asked him a few questions and he gave sincere answers. I appreciated that.

[@bigswingface5847]

Bottom line, Buddy was one of the most amazing drummers in the history of music. He was astounding every time he played. He had a big heart, and championed young musicians like myself. He had one of the quickest wits you would find anywhere, and a great sense of humor to boot. All this far outweighed the periodic temperamental outbursts (which were also very funny most of the time). I am forever grateful for the opportunity to play in Buddy’s band. Bob Mintzer, March 25, 2013

[@arame29]

Good News, Party Time, Rhoda Rat, Saturday Night. Great charts.

[@billp4]

Wow, great drummer and even a more talented motivational speaker. Tony Robbins, eat your heart out!

[@arame29]

LOL

[@onazram1]

lol

[@dallasstiles118]

Best.Comment.Ever.

[@MarkR1957]

Truthfully, MANY great figures throughout history had their darker side, as we ALL do, admit it or not. What Buddy said to his guys was a private matter. Just remember this -- Buddy NEVER disrespected his audience, and always gave 100% when he played. That's all he really owed anyone. His private moments are no one's business, really. Buddy's accomplishments in drumming and Jazz will never be matched by any drummer, ever. All things considered, quite a remarkable man.

[@tiluriso]

In the mid 1990s I had a handful of guitar lessons w/ Walt Namath, a great underrated player who was Buddy's guitarist for a number of years in the late 1960s/early 1970s (he's on Rich's famous live album 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy). Walt told me during his tenure w/ the band, he and the others had to regularly endure much of the same too. One time in the bus, during a post-gig rant, Buddy turned to him and yelled:"...you on the guitar; when it's time for your solos, turn your volume all the way up, but whenever you're not soloing, turn it all the way down!"

[@MatthewPacheco]

interesting...

[@jaydnvonrhoman736]

Seinfeld brought me here!

[@JacobTurnbloom]

same

[@toreckman8899]

Same. Lmao.

[@dallasstiles118]

Yeah, I recognized that Seinfeld was lifting this stuff a few times. I found the interview where he mentioned how many comedians knew about the bus tapes.

[@toreckman8899]

@@dallasstiles118 ‘lifting’? He said one couldn’t write this stuff. 😉

[@cloudhybrid]

I've never listened to buddy rich, I don't care about who he was as a person. I really just listen to this as a fan of language, those are some of the most inspired phrasings I've ever heard.

[@ChristianSnook]

Okay... so the man was a musical prodigy. His drumming was beyond amazing. It appears his interpersonal skills suffered as a result (not everyone can be good at everything). But it doesn't matter that his name was on the band, he was after perfection, whatever. You shouldn't treat people that way... period. Abuse is abuse.

[@styleomatic]

Our Buddy, who aren't in Heaven, Shallow be thy name. Thy swear words come, the Sidemen run, spreading Mirth, when you died in '87. Give us this day, our daily Beard and forgive us of our Clams, As we forgive those, not playing two bars in one fucking tempo. Lead us not into the Bus Station, but deliver us from Upheaval, For Thine is the Superstardom, the Egotistical Power and the best chart in the book, West Side Story, forever and ever, Amen. signed, P. Anka

[@AarHan3]

2:44 - "You not only insult _me,_ but you insult _yourselves!_ Don't you have any more pride?!"

[@MarkR1957]

Buddy's small band recordings, made with his small bands in the 50's - early 60's, were absolutely amazing. Probably no one except the really true Jazzers know that Buddy led several SMALL bands in his career, as well. There recordings, on the Emarcy, Verve and Argo labels, are superb examples of Buddy's TRUE greatness. Superb solos, hard swinging, and tasteful and sensitive brush work are all on display on these records. Buddy was THE consumate drummer/musician ~

[@jjonnewman]

You know the more I listen to it the more I think he may actually have a point

[@matthewwood5653]

"I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle!"

[@48markf]

He came to my high school and berated the janitor over something or other, so this is totally in character.

[@crunkalac]

"what do u think your playing out there CLAMS!" lol hes the best

[@mrthundaboots]

@MarkR1957 So Frank's guys didn't rough Buddy up after the pitcher incident prompting him to start studying karate?

[@drummer78]

Never heard the same about Elvin Jones pulling this stuff with his bands.

[@plasticweapon]

elvin was an anomaly among drummers...he was nice.

[@RobConstantine]

One of the greatest moments of my life was meeting Buddy Rich between sets at Disneyland in 1981. He was kind and gracious to me.His face broke into that great toothy grin of his when I showed him a picture of my dad playing drums. He then gave me a pair of wood tipped ludwig drumsticks,which I have mounted and are still like new. Yes he could be rough,but very kind as well...

[@AarHan3]

Bernard "Buddy" Rich...the Bobby Knight of bandleaders.

[@joustwave6541]

From the information available, it seems these recordings capture Buddy Rich at a few specific points in his career where he had to deal with musicians who were acting lazy and thought they could get away with it even though everyone (the audience, Buddy, the musicians themselves) knew the performance was subpar. You might complain about his vocabulary and the tone of his voice but the message is spot-on and arguably there wasn't any other way to deliver it.

[@justlooking4clues]

Wow, I just realized, The term "You suck!" has been used a lot longer than I thought.

[@newsmanbluesman]

Who's the australian guy who gets fired here.. and had he been the one making prior tape - seems like - and what part of what highway and on what date does this guy get set aside? BR tells driver - anywhere you want.Cold. But bands like W Pickett's got parked, here in Scotia c. 1970

[@nairolfmackebrecht]

If you get the chance to play music with Buddy motherfucking Rich you better give 110% or he'll show you what it's like. Who said that geniuses have to be nice? Isaac Newton was an asshole and to my knowledge calculus still works like a charm.

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

i have a better edit of this stuff (that audience applause?) and there is one tirade that is not on here they should. WHY DOES IT HAVE THIS SOUND QUALITY? this is not the original sound quality. ONLY one of the recordings (the 'chord' one) seemed to have been taped on a mini cassette....and what is with all the engine noise? does he turn the engine on while he yells?

[@AECJ1]

He was considered on eof the greatest living talents at this time, and was just asking for his band to acknowledge their own level of proficiency that he hired them for to back him up- they let him down and he was involved with it - the guy with his life on the line.

[@MarkR1957]

Thad and Mel's band played the Vanguard every Monday night from the time they formed the band in 1965, and when Thad left for Europe and left the band to Mel, The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra continued the gig. It continues to this day with The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, with the great John Riley in the drum chair. The DVD "Jazz at the Smithsonian" with the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra is superb. Mel's solo on "Eye of the Hurricane" is absolutely amazing ~ Mel died of cancer in February of 1990.

[@vistacruiser70s]

We need more men like this today. If we did, the world would change for the better.

[@gailcraig4935]

I couldn’t disagree more. That is abusive and not acceptable. A great leader wouldn’t need to belittle people with such a tirade.

[@vbowker]

We've got too many assholes in the world already.

[@mavw]

Thanks so much for putting this up...been looking everywhere for it!

[@genericgeorge]

I'm glad I finally heard this

[@MarkR1957]

To quote Buddy himself - "The whole idea of the band is to set a standard that's so high, that that's what every band has to shoot for."

[@ironbrigade6]

.... and SAXOPHONES? You gotta fuckin be KIDDING ME

[@wyattdawg]

i don't see why people are trashing Buddy. it is HIS band and he's paying them to do a job, he has a right to call them out if they screw up even if he does act like an asshole. the rest of them don't have to be there.

[@shaunreed6551]

" What are you playing? Clams?"

[@MarkR1957]

Curious -- how do you mean that you heard worse from him, and how did it make sense? Me thinks you may have been in B's trumpet section?

[@drummer78]

That comment was directed to Arythmnmaker1 by the way. There is a really great Mel Lewis solo up on youtube from around 1968. His cymbal work was beautiful. I'm sure you've seen that. I wish I saw him at the Village Vanguard in the 80's because I heard he used to play their every week.

[@keefriff99]

Really? I've never heard of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson or Neil Peart screaming at each other. You'd be hard pressed to find bigger perfectionists in progressive rock. The bottom line is that we all get frustrated, but there are ways of dealing with people. There's really no excuse for treating people that way...I don't care how much of a genius you are, or how incompetent your employees are.

[@funstuff2006]

Count Basie and Duke Ellington both led their own bands for 50 years, and you never hear stories about them ripping pieces off of people.

[@C1Njz6]

I don't know about you guys... but I find this extremely encouraging

[@rickiovine2170]

I have such a difficult time understanding how he could talk to professionals in this manner. Does he truly believe that he can perform alone? No accompanying band? I don’t care how great he was there is no way that he could hold an audience for a full concert with drum solos.

[@Han-Solo459]

Rick, you're obviously not taking into consideration that Buddy was expected to be the greatest Drummer of all time every gig. And not to mention he is providing a livelihood for them.

[@plasticweapon]

hey, dum dum? he's not saying that he could play the concert all by himself. he's saying that if they didn't meet his standards they could be REPLACED. which they could.

[@Threesixteen3]

anyone have any idea who the guy is that said he wouldn't shave his beard? the guy who kept jawing back at buddy... did he get kicked fromt he band?

[@binx2629]

...im really glad he didnt use the "f" word...

[@prohibitedbeatz]

The guy who got chewed out at the end, he's a trombone player named Dave Panichi who played in Buddy's band. Buddy was upset because Panichi had a beard and Buddy wanted him to shave it because he didn't want his band to "look like that". According to sources, these tapes were recorded by the band's piano player at the time, Lee Musiker sometime in the early 1980s.

[@ThomasMetal75]

How dare anyone mess with Buddy Rich is all I got from his dialog! I don't know that anyone is really worried about Buddy's Rich's legacy being mocked at because of a bad performance here and there. TRUST ME, Buddy Rich was not a perfect musician and never played well 100% of the time. You know how I know this? He's "HUMAN"!

[@F19991]

What a great improvisation!

[@johncrawfordpiano]

radabminj- "And how's it an asshole statement? How come he never played to stadiums, like Charlie Watts or Ringo did? Because he simply wasn't on thier level musically." radabminj, you can't be a musician, right? Even so, please go out and tell a professional drummer that Ringo Starr was a better drummer than Buddy Rich. Then, watch as they fall to the floor doubled up in uncontrollable laughter.

[@guitarman6742]

You don't know jack!

[@FIVE-0-APOCALYPTO]

.....thats very true. When asked to play a very basic tempo, BUDDY ....MISTER BUDDY RICH, could not do it. True story. Now why is that? You said it. No matter how you say it, its true. I myself would rather work for Mr. Rich than a stadium any day. NO MORE FUCKING BEARDS. Yesssss sirrrr MR BUDDY RICH

[@GeorgeHarrysSon]

He was gentle as a lamb to autograph seekers, almost to a fault, and this is from a 1971 concert where he signed two of his own records and spoke to me encouragingly about getting into professional music.

[@dennistedder3384]

Clams!

[@LShackley]

Who's the arranger he's reaming out about 8 minutes in? any ideas?

[@styleomatic]

breadline

[@paulsteezo1772]

SHEER PERFECTION!!

[@TheLordGoat]

My fav drummer and cocaine addict. Buddy.

[@DefThrone]

He's my favorite cocaine addict too.

[@MarkR1957]

Yeah, I met Elvin, too - before the gig at The Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Sat and talked with him and Pat LaBarbera at length. These two cats sat right down with me in the front row, right in front of the stage. Really cool cats, daddy-o. Elvin is one of my top 5, easily.

[@B3nnub1rd]

Altogether now: Entrenched sense of Entitlement!

[@JamesBaldwinIsGod]

Because, Mark, his rants are glorious and inspired and shows how deeply he cares about his art.

[@kielbasaglen6843]

The day a BOSS treats you like garbage, you give it right back! Treating humans like this is totally UNPROFESSIONAL! Buddy was a great drummer, but pretty much an A-hole! Sorry Buddy! Teach your musicians instead of being an A-Hole to them and treating them with no respect! The whole band should have left him there by himself. They would all playing with someone else, no matter what Buddy thought! Will throw me off the stage if my beard is still on?

[@styleomatic]

BR had it all.... talent, chops, personality, leadership and excellent drill sergeant cursing skills. Obviously, from these recordings, he cared deeply about his band.... almost like they were family. But he's too stressed! With all the rigors of the road, how would Buddy ever find time or a way to relax? He should have found a nice cool, quiet room and begun by stretching. Then, taken a drumstick, pushed it up his ass, and tried to breathe as regularly as possible.... till the tip was gone.

[@AdamG1983]

Buddy Rich, are you real mad?

[@DrBackBeat]

I'm not sure if these are the same audio tapes, but tapes with transcriptions can be found when you google trackdrummer buddy rich. worth it

[@Dana_Danarosana]

He demanded perfection. That's his name out there. I worked for one bandleader in particular who was also one of my professors. He was a tyrant and I love him for it. If you know how to play, don't f*** up! Those are the rules!! I appreciate having this instilled in me. That's how the Jimmy Dorsey gigs, Rat Pack Broadway shows, etc. come along. You earn them by example and absolute discipline. If you don't like it, get off the f***in' bus!! Perfection is getting to be a lost art...

[@Dana_Danarosana]

***** People LIKE me?... hmmm. People are different from each other. It's a beautiful thing. There's nobody like me. There definitely is a lack of discipline or basic drive for perfection as a whole these days, though. I'm seeing a world of robots eating at ho-hum corporate chain restaurants that serve bland, somewhat edible "food". Then everyone buys cheap crap at WalMart and goes home to hug and say that everyone's the best... everyone gets a trophy. This isn't political nor is it religious or anything else... just a basic reminder that you get out of life what you put into it. We're only here a short while; you'd better take advantage of it. Buddy Rich was actually a warm person away from when he was being passionate about his art. And guys like Steve Marcus, Don Menza, Bill Reichenbach, Art Pepper, and others would've told you that they adored him and appreciated his drive for perfection. If you somehow think that's bad, and "people like me" are even worse, get of my f****** bus!! Enjoy your mediocre life.

[@ADtestchannel]

+Dana Danarosana lol ;)

[@MarkR1957]

+Dana Danarosana "Enjoy your mediocre life" - - - - Priceless!!! Well said, and 100% true.

[@Dana_Danarosana]

MarkR1957 Thank you. I see by your pic that you're a guitarist. I've been playing trombone professionally since 1987. I can honestly say that the majority of musicians still understand this. I've had the pleasure of playing some sub gigs with some current university players over the past few months and I'm happy to say the future is likely safe for us... great batch of disciplined, talented young players... Pop music as of late may be a different story with a couple of exceptions...

[@MarkR1957]

Dana Danarosana You're welcome. Yes, a guitarist for the last 10 years, and a drummer for the last 45. Good luck to us all on getting good gigs with disciplined players!

[@VegardMinde]

This is gold !

[@mcgovnor1]

In answer to your question, no, Buddy did not do this after every show. He did it once every couple of months,especially if he knew someone was taping the band each night.If he felt bad, he would ask for the tape. He would also ask for it if he played erratically. If the guys didn't catch him,play with him, he would freak. I played with him, and we got along great.

[@Oneness100]

Buddy RIch was the band leader, it's Buddy's name and reputation is on the line. If the guy wants to go ballistic, it's HIS band and it's HIS reputation. He does pay the bills. If you can't hang, then LEAVE. This is priceless.

[@a1rf0rce1992]

@cast390 which tape is that on, 1 2 or 3? \

[@eriksmithdrummer]

Ive worked with several of Buddys alumni musicians. they were all in total awe of him. And remember, he toured 300 days pr year with 14 guys in their 20s. Do you think they were all saints?:)Buddy was who he was and he played that way too; Strong, passionate,unique and brilliant. And by the way, they dedicated film clips and comments on NORWEGIAN National TV News when he passed away in 1987! I didnt see that with many other drummers!

[@lordmjh]

Imagine coming back from work after receiving dialogue just like that? I could picture him saying, you've got one job, just one job, and your f*** that up too.

[@gailcraig4935]

I can’t believe how many people on here justify Buddy being verbally and psychologically abusive to his band members, just because he was “the greatest drummer of all time.” No one has the right to demean people like that. You can’t argue with his talent, but I have no respect for him as a human being. Being a perfectionist doesn’t give you a free pass to bully others.

[@keefriff99]

There are a lot of very successful people in life who don't have to resort to such boorish tactics. Paul McCartney is a perfectionist. So is Steven Spielberg. By all accounts, they're both terrific people to work with. Being a genius is not a license to be an abusive asshole. I'm a drummer and I love Buddy's work, but as a person...he needed some work.

[@chipstern]

As for Buddy the man, I have personally experienced acts of kindness and generosity by the man that mark who he truly is in his heart of hearts, and the one time I met him and spent some time with him, he couldn't have been nicer. As for drumming, as Jo Jones once put it to me: "You get on the bandstand with Buddy Rich and he'll make you wish you never learned how to SPELL DRUMS!"

[@colonelcorn56]

To anyone who thought this was'nt warranted remember this,he was the best and expected everyone to be at his level of commitment. He probably made these guy's better by pushing them hard, remember he was a marine and trained by marines. He did them all a favor believe me.

[@mattmorgan881]

Adam Sandler's - They're All Gonna Laugh at You was my Buddy Rich tapes. Those first two comedy albums were the funniest things he ever did - WAY funnier than his SNL or the movies.

[@eriksmithdrummer]

Who did you talk to? Eric Myiashiro played lead with Buddy for the last 2-3 years of the band and he is known to treasure the time with Buddy. As far as "kids bands", it was and is impossible to tour 9 months a year with "seasoned", older musicians with families and responsibilities.

[@MarkR1957]

@LShackley It's trombonist Dave Panichi. The chart is question is called "Manhattan".

[@Threesixteen3]

who is 'the beard guy"? did he in fact get kicked out of the band?

[@evensteve284]

One other thing: I saw Buddy in the early 70's and theyre were THREE Bass players at the gig: the one who was actually playing the gig, one who was on vacation from the gig and was afraid of losing the gig, and a third guy who had lost the gig and was trying to get it back. The word was that Buddy was a hard guy to please if you were a bass player!

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

the "Sydney" reference is to the Austrailian trombone player with a beard who was yelled at earlier for not shaving. Sydney, Australia. I read an online article about the guy Dave Pinikie, or how ever you spell his name. I read that buddy changed his mind and winked at the player ect...

[@Fredrockroll]

"Seinfeld" in the tags i see what you did there (that was what brought me here, tough i'm a BR fan)

[@annabananacakes]

My jazz band director got the chance to meet him when he was younger, about thirteen or so, and he went to meet him during when the band was packing up equipment to get an autograph, and he was seriously just yelled at him that "all this shit needs to be moved," and just told him to move. I believe him... I don't know much about Buddy except that he was one of the greatest drummers EVER but I guess it was clear he was under a lot of stress.

[@colonelcorn56]

Hey Deathknight, no argument here. What I meant was how many bands are playing with new younger talent like all the Drummers in "Burning for Buddy" series and all the guys in the Memorial Scholarship Series and the like. You are correct though,all the great ones endure.

[@gregclarke5116]

this guy truly CARED!!-you just gotta love him...seriously!!!

[@NYCJazzFan]

The Seinfeld line "I'll show you what it's like" is at 8:56. The other two are from an earlier tape that's not included in this video - there's a transcript on this page: trackdrummer.com/other-services/buddy-rich-audio-page/

[@simonhead666]

there is the story when Buddy's guitar player called Buddy's wife the day after he died looking for buddy...he wife told him he died...guitar player hangs up calls three more times..wife askes why he keeps calling...the guitar player says "I JUST WANTED TO HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME" Priceless!!

[@cally2bad]

I have to salute you. That is one of the funniest comments I've read in a very long while!!

[@TotalSinging]

@rael1999 - you're Dad was "old school" but from a different school. English culture and society is much more refined and restrained emotionally. Buddy came from Brooklyn, NY. A VERY tough place. He grew up in showbiz during the Depression. That hardens a man. When you come from nothing and achieve what Buddy did you expect the best out of people. Buddy could not understand the younger generation's attitude of "good enough". To him you had to be at your best, 100% of the time.

[@cbotten106]

There is nothing wrong with what Buddy is saying. He knows when the band is "right" and "on" and he knows when the quality is slipping. These are actually classic "motivational" tapes. Pretty hilarious stuff.

[@PDGX]

Really? Guy was being a massive douche. Maybe that helps motivate some people. Not me

[@dwilker1]

Constructive criticism...I love it!

[@rocknroller111]

Out of curiosity, I just watched the "Buddy Rich straight no chaser" video and then came back to this. The first part of this post he's chewing out a trumpet player for failing to hold a chord at the end. I noticed that happened in the no chaser video. Are these two segments related?

[@MarkR1957]

I just LUV how people come on YT and judge people they have never met, and situations they have never experienced ~

[@patton303]

@maxqd3 a clam is when a musician plays a wrong note or plays it out of time. Basically when a musician messes up, it's a clam.

[@morgantown1]

@elginsweeperfan there are several Buddy Rich references in Seinfeld and that quote was one of them

[@MarkR1957]

You're correct. Even though B did not practice in his later years, he did practice as a youngster. People mistakenly believe that he never had a lesson, but that's untrue as well. In his younger days, he was influenced and taught by some of the great pit band drummers of the day, and was also a student of the great Henry Adler. No one in the history of Earth just wakes up one day and plays THAT well with no training or practice. It's not humanly possible.

[@ZildjianN7Geth]

I think it's fair to say that Buddy had a psychological complex that made him a legendary drummer but, at the same time, a tyrant with his band. He was a perfectionist. Often times perfectionists are perfectionists because they have some need or void inside that they can't seem to fill, usually something from childhood. This usually results in a low self-image, regardless of their success, which usually means they treat other people like dirt. You can't love others until you love yourself.

[@MarkR1957]

Ok, last comment here by me -- it's a losing battle. Buddy Rich was a jerk sometimes, and a nice guy sometimes, too. No one is a jerk all the time, and no one is NICE all the time. He was what he was, a human being with flaws, like we all are. One thing's for sure -- none of us here will ever accomplish a fraction of what he did in his life. Jerk or Mr. Nice Guy, he was The Greatest at his chosen profession. A true Legend.

[@IndependentGeorge76]

no-one had the same feel as Jo Jones, so smooth, never over-played, total understatement on the drums. genius. still he never bawled out his band as entertainingly as Buddy did ; )

[@eriksmithdrummer]

I suggest strongly that anyone who wants to comment on this checks out Buddy´s complete story and accomplishments. He is not here to defend himself or to explain the reason behind this incident. I´ve had the chance to play with several of Buddy´s past band members and they had the outmost respect and admiration for him. These outbursts were NOT a regular thing but something that happened when the band was sloppy or he had health problems and was worn out from 300(!) days a year touring.

[@rocknroller111]

This was entertaining to listen to, as long as you weren't in the line of spray. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I still say there's a connection between these tapes and the "Straight No chaser" video.

[@joliecide]

wow... he really berates like he was playing the drum :)

[@Rikitocker]

I personally know and have worked with the person this was directed at ... he got thrown off the bus. He knows who he is ... salutations! *L*

[@TheColbles2009]

Well, I read an article from a trumpet player who played with Buddy for years and they said that he seldomly had outbursts as such.

[@julcenarc4335]

Talk about a 1/2 time pep talk. Holy cow!!!

[@evensteve284]

@gammarotor Good point. Buddy's name was on the Bill, the Ticket, and, on THE PAY CHECK of the guys he was yelling at.