'Feels So Good' Drummer on How Steven Treated Him
Aug 29, 2021 15:54:56 GMT -5
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Post by AeroCooper on Aug 29, 2021 15:54:56 GMT -5
Drummer Speaks on How Steven Tyler Treated Him in Studio + What Aerosmith Frontman Had to Tell Him
During an appearance on Drum for the Song, drummer Brian Tichy - known for his work with Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Foreigner, The Dead Daisies, and more - looked back on performing on Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler's 2011 single "(It) Feels So Good."
When asked, "What are your favorite recording sessions that you've done?", Tichy replied (transcribed by UG):
"I've played on a lot of records but honestly, there's probably nothing I'm more proud of - just getting the experience to record with Steven Tyler for a single he released after he put a book out and put a single out along with it.
"I think it was called "(It) Feels So Good." I was working with the producer who co-wrote it with him [Marti Frederiksen] and we were doing something else.
"And he said, 'Hey, Steven's in town, and I've got a drum machine on this song. Do you want to do it tomorrow? Because we're all set up and we're recording.'
"And I was like, 'Are you kidding me? Yeah!' But it was really cool just because we've heard all the stories about Steven is a drummer initially, and he could be maybe - I don't want to say difficult but he could have the definite ideas of what he wants in the studio, and maybe that's become a thing between him and [Aerosmith drummer] Joey Kramer or whatever.
"And I grew up on Aerosmith, I love Joey's drumming. Aerosmith was huge in my formative years of learning how to play drums, so much of Joey's drumming, it is great, sensible, and you can understand it, and he plays for the song but there's great stuff inside it, and he's solid as shit...
"And I look back, oh my god, I played thousands of hours to Aerosmith records back then. Anyways, fast forward all these years and be in the studio with Steven, and he was super cool, and I had the song, we checked it out the night before when he came in so I had my parts sort of planned out...
"It's just a cool story because I was totally nervous, Steven-freaking-Tyler, right? And Marti the producer behind the control room window goes, 'Alright, go for it.' So I did a take and they instantly go to the chorus, and they start my drum take with the drum machine.
"And I'm like, 'Oh man, they're probably listening to groove and feel, am I locked in, am I pushing, am I pulling... Oh god, Steven is probably not happy...' I'm bugging out, thinking this could be a really sucky experience.
"And Steven gets on the talkback and he's like, 'Hey, you have another snare drum with a higher pitch with some more ring to it?' And I was like, 'OK, they were listening, he likes the snare drum on the demo!'
"And I go, 'Yeah, hold on, I want to grab another snare.' And cranked it up and put it on, and then I said, 'Alright, cool, do another take.' And I did another take and they checked quickly again and then Marti's like, 'Hey, come on in.'
"I came in the control room and Steven looked at me and said some really nice things, complimented me, and I was like, 'Cool, alright, so it was really about the snare tone and the snare pitch.' And that was it!
"They played it, we listened to a little bit here and there the section, that section, and Marti's like, 'I think we got it, Steve.' He's like, 'Alright, great.' And that was it, we're done - two-take thing.
"Those are great experiences to be able to work with somebody that's your... he doesn't realize how much of an effect his band and him as a musician and singer/songwriter has had on me.
"And you don't want to go in there and start babbling all about that, you're there to do a job and make them happy with the drums. But you're like, 'Man, there's so much I want to say but at the same time I'm not going to.'
"This guy gets it all the time, this is his life, people coming up to him. And so I just want to be cool and get the job done and I definitely don't want to see implications on his end that I'm bothering him by over talking and babbling about whatever.
"But anyway, at the end of the day I was loading up the drums and he came in and he starts just talking to me as I'm packing up, and telling me he's carried drums around, he was a drummer too, and this is he and I in the studio.
"At the end of the day, I probably could have said a lot then because I gained his respect, as far as getting the job done in the studio, but I didn't, I probably didn't know where to start. But I did have a ticket from Aerosmith in high school that he signed.
"That was just really cool because after that he called me a couple years later to do a fundraiser, a John Varvatos fundraiser hit with him and [Aerosmith guitarist] Joe Perry, and [Stome Temple Pilots bassist] Robert DeLeo on bass.
"We got to rehearse the day before that, and we just played like ten classic Aerosmith songs. And the rehearsal was just amazing, to be in a room with him and Joe Perry and play their songs, they don't realize that I was literally a 9-10-year-old-kid playing to Aerosmith live bootleg and 'Toys in the attic' and 'Rocks,' and learning how to play drums to those two guys, their music...
"I'm sitting here now playing Walk this way with them, Sweet emotion, Dream on, and stuff I grew up learning how to play drums to. So those experiences just make it all worth it, when you have ups and downs, you go, 'Hey, man, there are times where I've been in these places I never thought I'd be.'
"It doesn't mean every day you're going to wake up and the phone rings for some iconic artist to call you when you're working with them. But hey, if it happened here, here, and here, it's been decades later I'm still doing it.
"Well, that gives you hope, it gives you hope to think that as long as I keep doing what I'm doing, there's always going to be a need for a drummer somewhere one way or another, and hopefully with a little luck and decent timing, as far as drummer timing, and just timing throughout your life, you end up in a position where you can take advantage of those opportunities.
"But yeah, that stood out just because it was a one-off recording experience, and I don't know how many drummers have actually recorded Steven Tyler. So I think that that was a really standout thing.
"But also, just writing and recording with Billy Idol when I was his drummer for a few years, and we started writing together, and we hit it off, that became his comeback record, and we did a Christmas record, we did more songs for his 'Greatest Hits,' and a whole mess of other stuff that hasn't come out yet...
"And then just playing on records with Foreigner stuff and Whitesnake. And even write... I don't know what I'm starting, it could be today, I'm waiting to get the tracks, but I'm starting a bunch of songs on Michael Schanker's next record, I did stuff from last year.
"And that's the cool thing about having a studio, we're all in a pandemic and his producer will say, 'Brian, can you do some songs on Michael's record?' 'Are you kidding me?'
"I've played with Michael a couple of times at some NAMM events and recorded one song from a long time ago but I've never been his drummer, his touring drummer, in his band, or anything. But when they call, you go, 'Yeah!'
"They send the session over, you get the stems, bring it up, start making your charts, you hear what the drum machine's like, sometimes you asking questions, 'Do you want me to stick to the vibe of the drum machine or do you want me to go off a little bit?'
"You want to send them what they want as close as you can get. So I did a bunch of that last year."