Earl Young
image sourced here.
Intro
Earl Young is a legendary drummer of the Philly and Salsoul sound.
Earl Young's four on the floor drum style was a precursor to the deep house sound of the nineties [check tracks like "Bad Luck" and "The Player]
From discostepbystep.com
In the early '60s, Young began his professional recording career with the Volcanos. The group's 1965 R&B hit "Storm Warning" peaked at number 33. They were the house band for the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia.
The Uptown was akin to New York's Apollo Theater, a necessary stop for R&B/pop acts of the '60s. While playing at the Uptown, Young backed such stars as Jackie Wilson. In his early twenties, Young was called by Stevie Wonder to join him on his tour of Japan. Wonder, who was a student of influential Motown drummer Benny Benjamin, taught Young some valuable drumming tips.
Returning to Philadelphia, Young teamed up with guitarist Norman Harris and bassist Ron Baker where they began playing at area clubs. Of the three, Harris began doing recording sessions first, later bringing in Young and Baker. The group can be heard on Barbara Mason's "Yes I'm Ready" (number two on the R&B charts for two weeks, number five pop, summer 1965) and on the Delfonics' "La La Means I Love You" (number two R&B for four weeks, number four pop, around March 1968) and the million-selling "Didn't I Blow Your Mind (number three R&B, number ten pop, January 1970). --http://www.discostepbystep.com/earlyoung.htm [Mar 2005]
From popmatters.com
Earl Young changed the whole industry's approach to percussion, rejecting both the 4/4 Motown bombs and the Southern backbeat of Al Jackson in favour of more fluid, cymbal-driven patterns. The results were similar to Kenny Clark and Max Roach's experiments in the '40s and Philly thus stands as Modernist to Motown's Classical style in the same way bebop stands against swing. I actually believe Roach was Young's inspiration and as Young invented the disco shuffle that makes Roach its earliest antecedent (which should piss off a few jazz buffs). - Maurice Bottomley via http://www.popmatters.com/music/columns/bottomley/021002.shtml [Mar 2005]Four on the floor
Ten City - Where Do We Go (1989)- Earl Young live on drums
from allmusic.com
Philly Soul drummer Earl Young of the classic rhythm section of Baker-Harris-Young, kept the beat on countless hits coming out of the City of Brotherly Love during the 60's,70s and mid 80s. As one third of the core rhythm section that included bassist Ron Baker and guitarist Norman Harris, Young played on hits by The Intruders, The O'Jays, Barbara Mason, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, The Three Degrees, The Village People and many others. The trio was an intregal part of MFSB, the studio aggregation that was the house band for Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records (PIR).He also played on numerous releases issued by other Philly area labels and co-formed Baker-Harris-Young Productions having hits with First Choice, Loleatta Holloway, Love Committee [-->] and other acts on the Cayre Brothers' Salsoul Records out of New York City. Young, who aspired to be a singer, read drum instruction books and taught himself how to play. As a teen,he began playing drums in a marching band called the Elks. Economics dictated that he concentrate on the drums, rather than sing, because it paid better. In the early 60s, Young began his professional recording career with The Volcanos. The group's 1965 R&B hit" Storm Warning" peaked at #33. They were the house band for the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia. The Uptown was akin to New York's Apollo Theater, a necessary stop for R&B/pop acts of the 60s. While playing at the Uptown, Young backed such stars as Jackie Wilson. In his early twenties, Young was called by Stevie Wonder to join him on his tour of Japan. Wonder,who was a student of influential Motown drummer Benny Benjamin,taught Young some valuable drumming tips. Returning to Philadelphia, Young teamed up with guitarist Norman Harris and bassist Ron Baker where they began playing at area clubs. Of the three,Harris began doing recording sessions first,later bringing in Young and Baker. Besides their considerable playing abilities and cohesiveness, what also made the trio so in-demand was the fact that,if record producers called Young, he could contact Baker and Harris;thus insuring that there would be a complete rhythm section for the recording session-such "one stop" shopping saved time and money.