Playing Whipping Post w Zero Rehearsal at a Gig

silvertone

silvertone

Nov 6, 2007
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SF, CA
#1
So I'm at a Festival in the Sierra Foothills when I get an instant message from (headstrong) band leader informing band that he plans to sing Tied to the Whipping Post in honor of Gregg Allman at upcoming Tuesday night gig.

Having seen the brothers dozens of times since my my first experience back in 1980, I think to myself - isn't that the one with intro in 11 and the rest of the tune in 12/8 time?

Why would a band leader force this upon his band and take the risk of public failure?

(Mod edit)

Anyway, I got home from the festy and started reviewing Youtoobs.

The tune is certainly not complex on the level of Dreams, E. Reed or a few other classic AB Instrumentals but the trick will be making this tune flow with a drummer who never saw the Allman's and is only 26 yrs old.

I'll report back tomorrow on whether we succeeded or failed miserably....
 
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#4
Yeah, depending on the makeup, age of the band, considering the circumstances, I don't see the issue. I could plug my bass in right now and more than half ass my was through it well enough for a live gig, 'cuz I know it in my head (never played it before) being 52 and all.

If the drummer due to age and experience is at a disadvantage, well, he'd better do his homework.
 
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#5
From an article on drummagazine.com

The classic Allman Brothers track “Whipping Post” starts in the very odd time signature of 11/8 phrased as 3-3-3-2. The groove is spelled out very literally with bass drum and snare combinations following that phrasing. The verse switches to 12/8 with a double-time ride cymbal pattern and a bass drum and snare pattern similar to a paradiddle, followed by a five-stroke roll. At the chorus, the time signature remains the same but the groove switches to a half-time feel because of the slower ride cymbal pattern and the strong crashes on2 and 4 (assuming you count 12/8 1 & ah 2 & ah 3 & ah 4 & ah). Triplet fills at the end of certain bars add energy as the band leads into the break.
 
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#6
JMacBass65 said:
Yeah, depending on the makeup, age of the band, considering the circumstances, I don't see the issue. I could plug my bass in right now and more than half ass my was through it well enough for a live gig, 'cuz I know it in my head (never played it before) being 52 and all.

If the drummer due to age and experience is at a disadvantage, well, he'd better do his homework.
Click to expand...
+1
I can't remember having played the song but I sure know it well enough to get through it. I don't think the audience would have a clue either way if the time signature was off.
 
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#7
Plectrum72 said:
From an article on drummagazine.com

The classic Allman Brothers track “Whipping Post” starts in the very odd time signature of 11/8 phrased as 3-3-3-2. The groove is spelled out very literally with bass drum and snare combinations following that phrasing. The verse switches to 12/8 with a double-time ride cymbal pattern and a bass drum and snare pattern similar to a paradiddle, followed by a five-stroke roll. At the chorus, the time signature remains the same but the groove switches to a half-time feel because of the slower ride cymbal pattern and the strong crashes on2 and 4 (assuming you count 12/8 1 & ah 2 & ah 3 & ah 4 & ah). Triplet fills at the end of certain bars add energy as the band leads into the break.
Click to expand...

Whew! That's it, though.
 
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#9
jeffbrown said:
You could always try this, I suppose:

:hyper::woot::thumbsup:

:bassist::bassist:
Click to expand...


Oh great, just when I thought; sure Whipping Post's odd time signatures are doable, then you hit me with the time signature master, Frank Zappa and his take on what I always assumed was a simple little ditty.

Well, I must say when I saw the Allman Bros live back in the 70's and they played this song it's seemed simple enough,
but then again, I was not exactly clear headed at that concert.
 
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#10
In other news I'm opening up for Devon Allman later this summer (8/18 in Homer, NY if ya'll are around) and you can bet a pretty penny we will NOT be trying to cop this tune. It's really not too crazy of a feel once count/feel it comfortably, but I'd probably catch hell from the bassist on the headliner.

My papa's band "Jam Factory" relocated to the south towards the end of his stint and actually lived on the Allman Bros. farm for a period of time. Papa talks about how Duane and Greg would run down guitar licks with fender twins dimed in a small room- ridiculously loud but somehow warm and enveloping. They would run solos/scales together and it was impossible to determine the origin of a particular note.

I'm tempted to grasp at some deep metaphor about the resurgence of Southern rock as a symbol of pride and differentiation but I don't think Greg would want us to go there.
 
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#11
silvertone said:
So I'm at a Festival in the Sierra Foothills when I get an instant message from (headstrong) band leader informing band that he plans to sing Tied to the Whipping Post in honor of Gregg Allman at upcoming Tuesday night gig.

Having seen the brothers dozens of times since my my first experience back in 1980, I think to myself - isn't that the one with intro in 11 and the rest of the tune in 12/8 time?

Why would a band leader force this upon his band and take the risk of public failure?

Anyway, I got home from the festy and started reviewing Youtoobs.

The tune is certainly not complex on the level of Dreams, E. Reed or a few other classic AB Instrumentals but the trick will be making this tune flow with a drummer who never saw the Allman's and is only 26 yrs old.

I'll report back tomorrow on whether we succeeded or failed miserably....
Click to expand...

Try something like this version ... it is a little more laid back ...

 
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#15
Our band rehearsed it with the 11/8 vamp and the 12/8 verse and chorus. At the first gig, the drummer forgot and we ended up in 12/8 all the way through. Bummer, but once I realized I could not break the drummer out of his groove, we just followed along, and the audience never seemed to catch it. It can work if the drummer isn't with you. I'm glad plectrum72 is able to describe the drum part, because I can't.
 
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#16
Spectrum said:
Wow that was a cool cover, leave it to Zappa to do a prog rock version of a Southern rock song and kill it!
Click to expand...

I'm confused. (Which I'm sorry to say is pretty much my 'normal' state most days.) But where does it become a prog rock version?

It's a fine enough performance even if it sounds slightly rushed. But I don't hear anything in it that makes it sound or feel like prog rock.
 
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#18
I have to laugh.
My BL has been known to call a song, mid gig,
that we have never played, rehearsed, talked about
or
even heard.

Sometimes it works.

The drummer and I have both been playing over 50 years
and have been in severl bands together, so we can usully turn it into
something, even if it wasn't what the BL thought he was going to get.
 
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#20
silvertone said:
So I'm at a Festival in the Sierra Foothills when I get an instant message from (headstrong) band leader informing band that he plans to sing Tied to the Whipping Post in honor of Gregg Allman at upcoming Tuesday night gig.

Having seen the brothers dozens of times since my my first experience back in 1980, I think to myself - isn't that the one with intro in 11 and the rest of the tune in 12/8 time?

Why would a band leader force this upon his band and take the risk of public failure?

Anyway, I got home from the festy and started reviewing Youtoobs.

The tune is certainly not complex on the level of Dreams, E. Reed or a few other classic AB Instrumentals but the trick will be making this tune flow with a drummer who never saw the Allman's and is only 26 yrs old.

I'll report back tomorrow on whether we succeeded or failed miserably....
Click to expand...

make him do it solo



 
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