Ron Greene | The Musicians blog

Cleaning Chrome and Scratches on Drums…

So, the question continues to come up amongst the drummer environment… ? “How do you clean chrome on your drums?”

Well, after some deep and exhaustive research I’ve discovered some very interesting and powerful conclusions from the professionals out there… Here are some specific ‘bullet point’ details regarding this subject matter…

You do not want any ‘spider webbing’ what-so-ever… learn how to prevent this and read on!

Jam On!
– Ron

How to Clean Chrome Drums

Only let your drum take a comfortable ‘bath’ and do not allow it to experience a rough treatment… for example…

* Never Steel Wool to clean chrome drums.
* Never Ever. Never dry wipe a dirty drum.
* Never attempt to clean a dirty drum without a full, and careful disassembly.
* Never follow a famous persons recommendation to use steel wool. (if you wait long enough, there WILL be one.)
* Never use a power operated tool for disassembly or assembly.
* Get the right tools for the job, in good condition, and don’t cheat.
* Dawn (or equivalent) liquid dish soap is safe on chrome.
* Stay away from rough fabric and use only soft cotton cloths.
* After disassembly soak parts in a solution of Dawn (or any soft water suds maker) and water for several hours.
* If the [your] shell has no paper tag or other badge that would be damaged by immersion, soak that also. If it does use damp cloths to saturate the grime on the shell, and then, once saturated, clean it.
* Always ‘SAVE’ any provenance tags / originality!
* Rinse to remove all residue, and dry.
* For your parts… clean, rinse and dry. Then use your polish of choice… Meguire”s, Mother’s, Blue Magic, Flitz, and Never-Dull, are just a few brand names of products that are safe for chrome with no abrasive qualities!
* Be sure your fastener threads are clean with any spall (look it up) – especially with thread cutting fasteners removed from the threads, and any residual removed from the lug bosses and other parts. Carefully start the screws so that no cross-threading occurs.
* Do not over tighten anything!

And if the job is beyond one’s individual skill, please consider hiring a professional.

Deep Purple Continues to Rock!…

Since its inception in 1968, Deep Purple (the band of course) continues to this day with ‘3’ core original members, inclusive of… Ian Paice on traps, Ian Gillin on vocals, and Roger Glover on Bass. And as of 1994 the wonderful ax-man, Steve Morse, joined the group. Ron Airey has picked up the keyboard duties hence the departure of previous keys man, Jon Lord.

In April (2017) Deep Purple has a brand new album titled Infinite coming out, and they will be touring shortly thereafter, what they’re dubbing, their Long Goodbye Tour.

This video spends some time with Ian Paice and Roger Glover and they further discuss the history of DP and their new projects… and, what could be their last road gig!

Jam On!
-Ron

(video and article via: Society Of Rock .com)

“There’s going to be a day in the not-so-far future when it is going to be ‘the last.’ That’s an emotional strain that I don’t think any one of us are brave enough to say ‘This is the date.’ But we are thinking… not thinking, we are realizing that time is creeping up every day that goes on, those numbers mount up. It’s inevitable…”

Read the rest of the article here –>
societyofrock.com/ian-paice-and-roger-glover-reveal-deep-purple-are-terrified-of-the-future-heres-why/

Remember Mott The Hoople?…

In the late 60s and early 70s Mott The Hoople was (of course) an English rock (with some glam slants) band that had R&B chops as their roots. They provided some very interesting and strong original sounds for sure.

Unfortunately for these old time rockers some of its original members have passed on…

Drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin died January 2016 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s… And in January 2017 Mott the Hoople Bassist, Peter Overend Watts Died due to throat cancer.

Their radio cut, “All the Young Dudes” (written by David Bowie) will continue on as a mainstay of their cult rock music.

Here’s a video from one of their last concerts (via 2013) – and below you can read further about their career in a special blog released by By Nick DeRiso for Ultimate Classic Rock .com.

Jam On!
-Ron

“Watts helped start the Buddies with Mick Ralphs, a band that evolved into Mott the Hoople after periods in which it was known as the Doc Thomas Group, the Shakedown Sound, then Silence. They became Mott the Hoople after Hunter joined in 1969.”…

Bringing Back Analog in Music…

Is the rise of the digital machine really a cause for celebration?… This music artist in me believes not… especially when it comes to musical instruments…

Give me my analog tube amplifiers and my screaming ‘steel’ stringed guitar opposed to digital devices, for any live stage or studio experience.

This article covers the existence and the rise of the (digital) machine as it’s associated with the musician. It’s something to consider to say the least…

Jam On!
Ron-

Source (By: Gary Cooper / via:www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk)

“I’m no Luddite and I doubt many of MIN’s readers are, either, but equally, I am not yet ready to surrender control of either my car or my sound system to robots which seem to have more in common with 1960s Japanese horror movies than Robbie from Forbidden Planet…”

… Read more about this article here:
https://www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk/2016/11/21/really-sure-rise-machines/

Vanilla Fudge, the Original Cover Song Artists…

Playing cover songs is in itself a artistic technique… However, some will argue that playing cover tunes your ‘own way’ is truly a real art form.

Take for instance the Vanilla Fudge band from the 60s… Now these guys really knew how to twist a cover tune. Considered one of the originators of rock covers, Fudge had an uncanny knack of taking a song and making it actually so unique that it became a tune of its own.

I remember not being a big fan of Sonny and Cher… but after hearing their rendition of ‘Bang Bang’ Vanilla Fudge just knocked my socks off with a take on this tune that… well, just made it better!

Anyway… the article below gives credence to which I speak and hopefully will provide you with a great flashback and for the millenniums a new appreciation for twisting cover songs.

Jam On!
-Ron

(via credit: post by Mitchell Cohen @ web.musicaficionado.com)

Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore admitted as much to Guitar World: “We loved Vanilla Fudge—they were our heroes. They used to play London’s Speakeasy and all the hippies used to go there to hang out.… They played eight-minute songs, with dynamics… The whole group was ahead of its time. So, initially, we wanted to be a Vanilla Fudge clone.” And Bill Bruford says that on the first Yes album the group “made the whole lot sound like a cross between Vanilla Fudge and the Beach Boys.”

The Real Truth Behind The Lyrics In “Hotel California”—It’s Not What You Think!

OK, you no doubt find ‘Hotel California’ by the Eagles a very over played song on the airwaves. We’ll anyway, I do! – But, even though this song gets a ton of air play it certainly goes down as one of the top most misunderstood rock lyrical tunes ever…

Anyway, this article mentions a quote from Don Henley that sheds some truth behind the song… check it out.

Jam On!
– Ron

(via: Society of Rock .com)

“On a dark desert highway…” It’s one of the most interpreted songs in the history of rock n’ roll. Classic “Hotel California.” Many people have argued, debated and researched what the true meaning behind this song actually is. A common belief is that the song is about purgatory…

Fireworks in Your Brain on Music…

It probably goes with saying… playing music stimulates our brain. This article goes further into describing the difference between listening to music and actually playing it.

When we ‘jam’ our brains light-up with inter-related connections that enhance most every activity and function… including fine motor skills that invoke both hemispheres of the brain.

Jam On!
– Ron

Enjoy this video…

(via: Anita Collins: TED-Ed Original lessons)

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on?…

See the Video and Read More Here…

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins

Ed Sheeran’s Song Sued Over ‘Let’s Get It On’…

When you consider most rock and country chords are the same basic 1,3,5 or 1,4,5 structures, it’s a wonder everyone hasn’t sued ‘everyone’!

Now, maybe you hear the ‘very’ similarities to Ed Sheeran’s song, Thinking Out Loud… to that of Marvin Gay’s decades old song, Let’s get it on… but I don’t!

I mean, there are a ton of songs on the marketplace that resemble each other to a certain degree, yet in this case I can’t find a very close resemblance thereof.

Anyway, I feel the poor guy [Ed] is being bothered [again] for no reason what-so-ever. Oh well, when you’re at the top you’re fair game. We’ll see, as it was tossed out the first round…

Jam On!
– Ron

Sergi Alexander/WireImage – via Colin Stutz for billboard.com

… The family of Gaye’s co-writer on the track, Ed Townsend, is pursuing legal action against Sheeran for lifting the the melody, harmony and rhythm from “Let’s Get It On” for his own song.

This is the second such accusation against Sheehan…

Ringo Starr Against Digital, For Supporting Opening Acts…

In this article, Ringo Starr brings up some interesting facts. His first fact is really relative to his up-bringing in the ‘pre-digital’ music world. I can see his point to some degree, yet, this is the latest age we are living in and one must adjust.

Ringo’s second point was covered in one of our earlier blog post… It deals with the issue of ‘Pay to Play’. Now, you may already know that many venues these days, especially in highly competitive locals’, require bands to actually pay to gig live. Now, Ringo brings home to roost his take and complaint on how opening acts are treated these days… you might find it an interesting read…

Jam On!
-Ron

Photo credit: www.mirror.co.uk / via:https://societyofrock.com

When asked about the conditions that new bands face when opening for certain artists such as Ringo Starr himself. “I go crazy, because if you want to open for a well-known band you have to pay; management makes you pay. Who is giving back? I did a Ringo tour once and had a local band at every gig open for us just to give them exposure. Nobody is helping anybody.”…

Read more about Ringo Star’s disposition here:

https://societyofrock.com/ringo-starr-expresses-outrage-in-regards-to-the-bands-that-open-for-him/

Making Your Own Music Video…

Music videos have been around for a few decades now… However, attempts to make your entertainment vids fast and easy continue to earn its stride.

Musical.ly is the first real social network that has reached an audience, young as small humans to the oldest of wisdom-hood.

Potentially, musical.ly will allow the younger and older generations to generate content in ways that they can’t produce as easily on their own. It is democratizing content creation by providing the resources (i.e., filters, control over video speed, access to professional audio) to make fun and entertaining content.

I may not be the best at layin’-down super guitar chops, yet, even I can create something fun without understanding a lot of post-production-editing skills.

You may find this ‘app’ worth looking into if you are considering a quick video about your musician self or with your band.

Jam On!
-Ron

Click the image to visit the https://musical.ly site and grab the App…