Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American
drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and
funk musician.[1] He is known for his precise musical time-keeping[2] and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie
Shuffle."[3] He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.[4]
Purdie recorded Soul Drums (1968) as a band leader and although he went on to record Alexander's Ragtime Band, the album remained unreleased until Soul Drums was reissued on CD in 2009 with the Alexander's Ragtime Band sessions. Other solo albums include Purdie Good! (1971), Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972) and the
soundtrack for the
blaxploitation film Lialeh (1973).
In 1961, he moved from his home town of
Elkton, Maryland, to
New York City. There he played sessions with
Mickey and Sylvia and regularly visited the Turf Club on 50th and Broadway, where musicians, agents, and promoters met and touted for business. It was during this period that he played for the saxophonist
Buddy Lucas, who nicknamed him 'Mississippi Bigfoot'. Eventually Barney Richmond contracted him to play session work.[6]
Purdie started working with
Aretha Franklin as musical director in 1970 and held that position for five years,[1] as well as drumming for Franklin's opening act, saxophonist
King Curtis and the King Pins.[11] From March 5 to March 7, 1971, he performed with both bands at the Fillmore West; the resulting live recordings were released as Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971) and King Curtis's Live at Fillmore West (1971).[12] His best known track with Franklin was
"Rock Steady",[13] on which he played what he described as "a funky and low down beat". Of his time with Franklin he once commented that "backing her was like floating in seventh heaven".[6]
Purdie was credited on the soundtrack album for the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) and later he was the drummer for the 2009
Broadway revival of Hair and appeared on the associated Broadway cast recording.[14] In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by Five Towns College.[15]
Purdie is known as a groove drummer with immaculate timing who makes use of precision
half note, backbeats, and grooves.[2] Purdie's signature sixteenth note hi-hat lick pish-ship, pish-ship, pish-ship is distinct.[6] He often employs a straight eight groove sometimes fusing several influences such as swing, blues and funk. He created the now well-known
drum patternPurdie Half-Time Shuffle that is a
blues shuffle variation with the addition of syncopated
ghost notes on the snare drum.[19] Variations on this
shuffle can be heard on songs such as
Led Zeppelin's "
Fool in the Rain",
the Police's "
Walking on the Moon", and
Toto's "
Rosanna" (
Rosanna shuffle).[19][20] Purdie plays the shuffle on
Steely Dan's "Babylon Sisters"[21] and "Home At Last".[19]
Everett, Walter. The Beatles as musicians: the Quarry Men through Rubber Soul. Oxford University Press US (2001).
ISBN978-0-19-514105-4
Gottfridsson, Hans Olof; Sheridan, Tony and Beatles. The Beatles from Cavern to Star-Club: The Illustrated Chronicle, Discography & Price Guide 1957–1962. Premium Publishing (1997).
ISBN978-91-971894-7-7
Kernfeld, Barry Dean. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz second edition. Grove's Dictionaries Inc. (2002). Digitized 21 Dec (2006).
ISBN978-1-56159-284-5
Miles, Barry, and Badman, Keith. The Beatles Diary: The Beatles years. Omnibus Press (2001)
ISBN978-0-7119-8308-3
Payne, Jim and Weinger, Harry. The Great Drummers of R&B Funk & Soul. Mel Bay Publications (2007).
ISBN978-0-7866-7303-2
Rabb, Johnny; Brych, Ray and Lohman, Gregg. Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass for the Acoustic Drum Set: A Guide to Applying Today's Electronic Music to the Drum Set. Alfred Publishing (2001).
ISBN0-7579-9025-8
Weinberg, Max. The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers. Hal Leonard Corporation (2004).
ISBN978-0-634-08275-7
York, William. Who's Who in Rock Music+. Atomic Press (1978). Digitized 30 Aug 2007.
Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American
drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and
funk musician.[1] He is known for his precise musical time-keeping[2] and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie
Shuffle."[3] He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.[4]
Purdie recorded Soul Drums (1968) as a band leader and although he went on to record Alexander's Ragtime Band, the album remained unreleased until Soul Drums was reissued on CD in 2009 with the Alexander's Ragtime Band sessions. Other solo albums include Purdie Good! (1971), Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972) and the
soundtrack for the
blaxploitation film Lialeh (1973).
In 1961, he moved from his home town of
Elkton, Maryland, to
New York City. There he played sessions with
Mickey and Sylvia and regularly visited the Turf Club on 50th and Broadway, where musicians, agents, and promoters met and touted for business. It was during this period that he played for the saxophonist
Buddy Lucas, who nicknamed him 'Mississippi Bigfoot'. Eventually Barney Richmond contracted him to play session work.[6]
Purdie started working with
Aretha Franklin as musical director in 1970 and held that position for five years,[1] as well as drumming for Franklin's opening act, saxophonist
King Curtis and the King Pins.[11] From March 5 to March 7, 1971, he performed with both bands at the Fillmore West; the resulting live recordings were released as Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971) and King Curtis's Live at Fillmore West (1971).[12] His best known track with Franklin was
"Rock Steady",[13] on which he played what he described as "a funky and low down beat". Of his time with Franklin he once commented that "backing her was like floating in seventh heaven".[6]
Purdie was credited on the soundtrack album for the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) and later he was the drummer for the 2009
Broadway revival of Hair and appeared on the associated Broadway cast recording.[14] In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by Five Towns College.[15]
Purdie is known as a groove drummer with immaculate timing who makes use of precision
half note, backbeats, and grooves.[2] Purdie's signature sixteenth note hi-hat lick pish-ship, pish-ship, pish-ship is distinct.[6] He often employs a straight eight groove sometimes fusing several influences such as swing, blues and funk. He created the now well-known
drum patternPurdie Half-Time Shuffle that is a
blues shuffle variation with the addition of syncopated
ghost notes on the snare drum.[19] Variations on this
shuffle can be heard on songs such as
Led Zeppelin's "
Fool in the Rain",
the Police's "
Walking on the Moon", and
Toto's "
Rosanna" (
Rosanna shuffle).[19][20] Purdie plays the shuffle on
Steely Dan's "Babylon Sisters"[21] and "Home At Last".[19]
Everett, Walter. The Beatles as musicians: the Quarry Men through Rubber Soul. Oxford University Press US (2001).
ISBN978-0-19-514105-4
Gottfridsson, Hans Olof; Sheridan, Tony and Beatles. The Beatles from Cavern to Star-Club: The Illustrated Chronicle, Discography & Price Guide 1957–1962. Premium Publishing (1997).
ISBN978-91-971894-7-7
Kernfeld, Barry Dean. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz second edition. Grove's Dictionaries Inc. (2002). Digitized 21 Dec (2006).
ISBN978-1-56159-284-5
Miles, Barry, and Badman, Keith. The Beatles Diary: The Beatles years. Omnibus Press (2001)
ISBN978-0-7119-8308-3
Payne, Jim and Weinger, Harry. The Great Drummers of R&B Funk & Soul. Mel Bay Publications (2007).
ISBN978-0-7866-7303-2
Rabb, Johnny; Brych, Ray and Lohman, Gregg. Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass for the Acoustic Drum Set: A Guide to Applying Today's Electronic Music to the Drum Set. Alfred Publishing (2001).
ISBN0-7579-9025-8
Weinberg, Max. The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers. Hal Leonard Corporation (2004).
ISBN978-0-634-08275-7
York, William. Who's Who in Rock Music+. Atomic Press (1978). Digitized 30 Aug 2007.