Influences and Inspiration - Ed Greene

The drummer behind hits like "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby," "Rich Girl," "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," "The Theme from S.W.A.T.," "Cruisin'," and "New Frontier."

As a young kid in the early 1970s, Saturday mornings were always the same. I'd wake up to the sound of my mom cleaning with this gigantic Kirby vacuum that looked and often sounded like a Mack truck banging up against my bedroom door. Back then, we had wall-to-wall carpets, which had to be cleaned frequently. Hardwood floors weren't a thing, at least not for us. I think we may even have had shag carpeting, which is why a Kirby had to be used to tackle the fibers of those kinds of carpets. While she busied herself with chores, I heard incredible music playing in the background. She would sing along to whatever was playing on the hi-fi, which was a soundtrack that stayed with me long after the cleaning.

My mother's Saturday morning playlist included Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, and especially Barry White's seven-minute songs. While she worked, I would listen to those records as I started to wake up. Even after the vacuum was silent, I was drawn to the music. It wasn't just the voices or the melodies that captivated me; it was the drumming.

For years, I didn't know who was behind most of the songs, but I knew I loved what I heard. It wasn't until about a decade ago, thanks to the internet and interviews I stumbled across, that I discovered the man responsible for so much of the music I loved—Ed Greene.

Ed Greene is easily one of my top ten drummers of all time, and he might be yours, too, even if you don't know it yet. His playing is woven into countless songs that defined an era, and his name should have been included in more liner notes. But understand this, his influence is undeniable.