John Bonham's Double Bass Drums - with George Fludas and Terry Keating

[@DAGDRUM53]

At 1:55 George mentions Bonham playing double bass in August of '69. I saw Zeppelin on August 4th 1969 at the Dallas Fairgrounds. Photos exist of Bonzo onstage with two bass drums on July 30th in Salt Lake City, August 2nd in Albuquerque and Anaheim August 9th. Also I have an undated photo of Bonham on doublebass alongside John Paul Jones wearing denim bib overalls; Bonzo is wearing the same tank top at all four concerts. For the longest time I was positive Bonham played double bass drums on all eight shows the band performed from July 30th to August 9th but I found another photo in San Bernardino August 8th (the night Sharon Tate was slain) and Bonham was playing his normal kit with one bass drum. That reminded me of August 4th that he did a drum solo with his bare hands before he slipped off his shoes, leaned back in his seat, played a short roll on his snare with his sock feet then stood up with one foot on top of a floor tom and the other on his snare and muttered something (unmiked) to the audience that made them laugh. Had Bonzo been playing double bass that night in Dallas a second bass drum would've blocked my view of him taking off his black slip-on shoes before clowning around for the crowd.

[@konstantinlebedev1999]

Such an incredible information at this channel

[@Mike-ol7xp]

I will be digging up my old video clip of Bonzo playing the double kick. Never used on any studio recordings though.

[@lssoundcompany5034]

Cool video ! Here's one for you....Ventures Hawaii 5-0, who played drums? My opinion, the intro was played with one guy hitting a marching bass drum because the hits were to perfect. What Say You?

[@richardhirsh4954]

If the story about Carmine getting Ludwig to give Bonzo a “Carmine kit” is true, it would have come with two bass drums like Carmine’s kit, yes?

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

It has been a while since I watched the full original episode but I think that is the case, they would've just sent him the exact same kit as Carmine. Pretty cool!

[@jacedaniel]

The real question is HOW he used the second kick. My guess is that his foot parts remained the same, but the orchestration changed. The eighth notes he’d normally stomp with his left foot on the hats was simply transferred to the kick. If he did mess around with 16th notes on the kicks, it was likely with the left-foot lead.

[@martinhedberg3514]

Singel bassdrums guys on the borderline……Ive read about Ginger Baker and Keith Moon race to get their first double kit, and back in the days they had to order two singel kits. Ginger won since he played Premier. The Ludwig-kit took longer to ship . And that Tommy Aldridge inherited a double bassdrum Sonorkit that Nicko had ordered for the Traversgig. And thats how he got into Sonordrums in the seventies. He used to play Ludwig. The use of à second bassdrum for Bonham…..I dont know, he kept the eightnotes very often on the hihat. 😊

[@JaxDrummer]

Great video!! You’ve got a new sub. 😎👌

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks man!

[@esotericgeOrge]

When Zeppelin came to America for their first tour they opened for Vanilla Fudge. Bonzo used Carmine Appice's set which was a Ludwig natural wood finish with with the double bass drum set up. On their way back home Bonzo either bought the same kit or Carmine bought Bonham the same kit because Bonham fell in love with it. At this point is when Robert would hide one of the bass drums. I think it was their third album where Bonzo got the green sparkle kit and recorded every studio album from that point on with it.

[@thetype85]

Georgy boy!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@suphraphonic]

Ok there is now a Pats Delight soundtrack from the tea party plus another soundtrack with four songs on KZbin . I hear how two bass drums changed his timing and feel ?? looking at the photos of him playing the double kit it was over twice , some shots have a mike stand in front , others dont . Interesting you cant see the ?? dampening rings on either bass drum in any of those photos and I think the base drums sound wide open ?? see what you think George .

[@matthewsabin1841]

im Going to say yes he used 2 bass drums on bonzo's montreux. if you listen to it closely you can hear the higher tuned bass drum

[@jamesberlo4298]

He went from a standard four Piece Set up and when He got the Ludwig Thermo-Gloss Drums according to an Interview I read by Carmine years ago the first I heard of the two Bass Drums, He said Bonham started with the four Piece in Thermo-Gloss but had two 26" Bass, Supra-Phonic Snare , 23" Universal Copper Shell Tympani, a 13" & 14" and 16" & 18" Floor and special ordered 22"- (14" length?) Floor Tom with matching Triple Flange Hoops and a 6" & 10"? Single Headed Toms Carmine saying that's exactly what He Himself had and He used combinations of this Equipment later adding the Bigger (unknown size) Machine Timpani , then the known most common set up of Wood Shelled later Drums, Vistalite and Stainless Bass Drum & Toms. Supposedly they liked it when He played the Standard four Piece Set-up and even with that He overplayed and couldn't be restrained because he had so much Power and creativity and would go of in tangents and Jimmy Page had to reel Him in, but Jimmy loved it because it gave Ideas & Solutions, Bonham was so young, Enthusiastic with Boundless energy, amazing the Talent at that age,

[@rogercaruso9337]

Hey guys I'm not sure if it was a tea party one. I heard it was some festival in 69. Let me know if that's the same one you guys are talking about.

[@richardhirsh4954]

Sure…Jimmy Page says “pull it”….can you see Bonzo telling Jimmy to lose the two-neck guitar? :)

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Haha!

[@rogercaruso9337]

I do believe I heard the same story but it was Robert and Jimmy said that's his way too much drums. He was doing stuff like if he was with his hands for god's six

[@jamesberlo4298]

The former Tea Party is a Huge Brownstone Mansion, the First Floor that was where the Auditorium / Tea Party was, it is now a 711 Store where the Entry & Lobby was, it still has the 3 Archways , I dont know what the rest of it is, Storage? But there is a Plaque in front on the Corner Dedicated to Led Zeppelin, its so cool, when I did a Desk Job as a Boston Fire Captain I wish I thought at the time , I had access for Inspection anywhere without a Warrant , I would have loved to Check out where the Auditorium was. The name of the Street (Dover st.) was changed because it was notorious, right about the time they Played there the South End and the City was going through the beginnings of a Horrendous Era and was so Dangerous you couldn't drive through there, the South End was always on Fire, or Riots , the Crime & Violence was unreal ,Now it is So expensive normal people cannot afford to live near there, its so hard to believe it is the same South End, and it is now East Berkley st.

[@billnicholas1381]

Listen to Bonzo also waltzes

[@davidsuprenant2782]

The man never needed two bass drums with that right rabbit foot he had., I couldn't imagine what level he would have been at if he would have not died at such an early age.The man was an incredible drummer.!!!!

[@smarkmalark]

I’m sure he wanted to use double bass at first but since his bandmates didn’t want him to he tried learning his double bass parts on a single pedal

[@binkwood]

Definitely double bass, the space between the notes gives it away. I am a fan of double bass drumming but I agree with Plant, Bonham and Led Zeppelin was better off with Bonham playing one bass drum. Carmine Appice, who supposedly hooked Bonham up with Ludwig, claims Bonham did in fact get double bass.

[@johnnywomack548]

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[@ronniek7748]

Yea or no get your shit together

[@Peter64AD]

Bonham did indeed use a double bass kit on that solo simply because you can hear it. Real musicians don't use their eyes to understand music they use the ear! Poor John he had great talent it's too bad he destroyed his life with alcohol and drugs. It must be really difficult to leave your family behind for a long tour obviously the alcohol abuse didn't help him in the end.