Friday Funtime: Pop Argot Declares, "Let There Be Drums!"

The death this week of Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell occasions a celebration of some of my favorite drum performances in rock and soul. (Disclaimer: My leanings are far more toward four-on-the-floor pop than surf music or hard rock, so this will be a peculiar list to true drum aficionados.) I have sometimes criticized Mitchell for being all over the place, but when he was on, he was ON - as were the performers on these great tracks.

1. Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Fire" (drums by Mitch Mitchell)
2. Sandy Nelson, "Let There Be Drums" (drums by Sandy Nelson)
3. Billy Stewart, "Summertime" (drums by Maurice White)
4. The Four Tops, "7-Rooms of Gloom" (drums by Benny Benjamin, I think)
5. The Dells, "There Is" (drummer unknown, sorry)
6. The Doors, "Strange Days" (drums by John Densmore)
7. Steely Dan, "Aja" (drums by Steve Gadd)
8. Lighthouse, "Pretty Lady" (drums by Skip Prokop)
9. The Turtles, "She's My Girl" (drums by John Barbata)
10. The Beatles, "Got to Get You Into My Life" (drums by Ringo Starr)