While that might be harsh on Bonham in turn, the point remains that for different songs there are different drummers. As Newcombe told us in his glowing testimony: “It’s easy to dismiss the sweet as pie wholesome ways of the saccharine, mellow music that the 1970s mainstream brother-sister group The Carpenters offered. However, we are blessed through streaming services like YouTube to be able to review absolutely incredible documentation of many artists. One clip that comes to mind, is a very young Karen Carpenter absolutely killing it on her version of ‘Dancing in the Street’ while singing (see below).”
Continuing, he added: “It is very doubtful that the drummer of your favourite band could ever pull this off. It really shows off her skill and places her in the top tier of musicianship. It cements her legendary status in a way that the simple, quiet, but fitting drumming on their soft rock mega-hits do not. Mad respect.”
He’s not alone in offering that retrospective respect, either. In plenty of discussions I’ve had, session drummers and coaches have heaped praise upon her dexterity and effortless groove. Hell, even Buddy Rich, perhaps the greatest to ever pick up sticks, also lauded her, citing Carpenter among his favourites. So, her premiere position is far from the ludicrous feat Bonham made it out to be.
Aside from the fact that she largely kept it simple for the sake of the song and the health struggles that hamstrung her output, perhaps another reason she was undervalued as a musician came down to her earnest humility in an era where ego ruled the roost. Her response to Bonham’s rage typified this. When she came out on top, she commented, “[I am] humbled and embarrassed.”
Adding: “I heard John Bonham is quite upset. I hope he is not mad at me, as I had nothing to do with the poll.”