Bobby Gregg
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Robert J. Gregg (born Robert Grego; April 30, 1936 – May 3, 2014) was an American musician who performed as a drummer and record producer. As a drum soloist and band leader he recorded one album and several singles, including one Top 40 single in the United States. But he is better known for his work as a drummer on several seminal 1960s songs, including
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's "
Like a Rolling Stone "Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhauste ...
" and
Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...
's "
The Sound of Silence "The Sound of Silence" (originally "The Sounds of Silence") is a song by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon. The duo's studio audition of the song led to a record deal with Columbia Records, and the original ac ...
". He was also temporarily a member of the Hawks, which later became known as
the Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
.


Early career

Gregg first attracted attention by 1955 as the only white member of the otherwise all-black group Steve Gibson and the Red Caps. By 1962, he fronted Bobby Gregg and His Friends for an
instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
single, " The Jam - Part 1", which reached #14 on the
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
and #29 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The B-side of the single was "The Jam – Part 2". That same year, Gregg put out another instrumental single titled " Potato Peeler", which only reached #89 on the Billboard's Hot 100, but became well known for containing the first ever known pinch harmonic to be in a song. Guitarist Roy Buchanan crafted the technique. The song bears a strong resemblance to another instrumental record, "The Hunch" performed by The Bobby Peterson Quintet, which was released 3 years earlier in 1959. In 1963, he put out an album, released on
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, called '' Let's Stomp and Wild Weekend''. In 1964 and 1965, he released the singles "Any Number Can Win", "MacDougal Street", "It's Good to Me" and "Charly Ba-Ba". He also acted as a record producer at this time, producing songs by
Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...
,
Erma Franklin Erma Vernice Franklin (March 13, 1938 – September 7, 2002) was an American gospel and soul singer. She recorded the original version of " Piece of My Heart", written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns in 1967, for which she was nom ...
,
Richard "Popcorn" Wylie Richard Wayne Wylie (June 6, 1939 – September 7, 2008), often known as Popcorn Wylie, was an American pianist, bandleader, songwriter, occasional singer, and record producer who was influential in the early years of Motown Records and was ...
and Frank Hunter. He sometimes played the drums on the records he produced. Gregg was also a house studio drummer for Cameo-Parkway Records (a successful independent record label based in Philadelphia) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. While he was there, he played for artists such as Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, The Dovells, Dee Dee Sharp, and others on many of the label's hits. He continued to do this until the hits dried up for the label during the British Invasion, and that is when he moved from Philadelphia to New York officially in 1964.


Work with Bob Dylan

In 1964, as an experiment,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's producer Tom Wilson wanted to see what Dylan's 1962 recording of "
House of the Rising Sun "The House of the Rising Sun" is an American traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the ...
" would sound like if the original solo acoustic guitar backing was replaced by a band playing electric instruments. Gregg was brought in to play drums on the replacement backing track. In January 1965, Gregg got to work with Dylan as the drummer on the songs on the electric side of the album ''
Bringing It All Back Home ''Bringing It All Back Home'' is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in April1965 by Columbia Records. In a major transition from his earlier sound, it was Dylan's first album to incorporate electric inst ...
''. Gregg recorded the album takes of "
Subterranean Homesick Blues "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It is the first track on the album ''Bringing It All Back Home'', released som ...
", " She Belongs to Me", " Love Minus Zero/No Limit", " Outlaw Blues" and " Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" on January 14, 1965, and recorded the album takes of "
Maggie's Farm "Maggie's Farm" is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album ''Bringing It All Back Home'' on March 22 of that year. Like many other Dylan songs of the 1965–66 period, "Maggie's Farm" is based on electr ...
" and " On the Road Again" on January 15, 1965. On June 15, 1965, when Dylan was ready to record "
Like a Rolling Stone "Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhauste ...
", several of the musician from the ''Bringing It All Back Home'' sessions including Gregg were called on to back him. Thus, it is Gregg's pistol-like snare drum shot that opens the song, as well as the album ''
Highway 61 Revisited ''Highway 61 Revisited'' is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on August 30, 1965, by Columbia Records. Dylan continued the musical approach of his previous album ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (1965), usi ...
''. "Like a Rolling Stone" eventually reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in 2004 was named by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' as the #1 song of all time. The remainder of the ''Highway 61 Revisited'' album was recorded between July 29 and August 4, 1965. Gregg was the drummer for the July 29 and 30 sessions that produced " Tombstone Blues", "
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" is a song written by Bob Dylan, that was originally released on his album ''Highway 61 Revisited''. It was recorded on July 29, 1965. The song was also included on an early, European Dylan compilat ...
" and " From a Buick 6". He was also the drummer for the July 29 recording of "
Positively 4th Street "Positively 4th Street" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965, reaching on Canada's ''RPM'' chart, on the U.S. ''Bi ...
", which was left off the ''Highway 61 Revisited'' album but became a Top 10 single in both the United States and the UK. At the August 2 session at which " Queen Jane Approximately", "
Highway 61 Revisited ''Highway 61 Revisited'' is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on August 30, 1965, by Columbia Records. Dylan continued the musical approach of his previous album ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (1965), usi ...
", "
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan. It was originally recorded on August 2, 1965, and released on the album ''Highway 61 Revisited''. The song was later released on the compilation album '' Bob Dylan's Grea ...
" and " Ballad of a Thin Man" were recorded,
Sam Lay Samuel Julian Lay (March 20, 1935January 29, 2022) was an American drummer and vocalist who performed from the late 1950s as a blues and R&B musician alongside Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Paul Butterfield, and many others. He was inducted int ...
played the drums early in the session due to Gregg's other commitments, with Gregg joining the session later. Although Lay is believed to be the drummer on the album take of "Highway 61 Revisited" and played on several takes of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", the album take of the latter song is generally believed to be one that Gregg played on. Gregg was also the likely drummer for " Queen Jane Approximately" and " Ballad of a Thin Man", meaning that he played on all the songs on the album except "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Desolation Row" (on which there is no drum part); he is the only drummer credited on the album. In November 1965, Gregg joined the Hawks, who were then backing Dylan on tour, when Hawks' drummer
Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Hel ...
left. He remained with the Hawks for about a month before being replaced by Sandy Konikoff. He recorded with Dylan in the November 30 sessions at which an early version of " Visions of Johanna" and possibly the single release of "
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" is a folk rock song written by the American musician Bob Dylan. In 1965, Columbia Records released it as a single, which reached number 58 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and number 17 on the UK char ...
" were recorded. He also recorded with Dylan at the January 1966 ''
Blonde on Blonde ''Blonde on Blonde'' is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as a double album on June 20, 1966, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musici ...
'' sessions at which " One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" was recorded, as well as several other songs which either did not make the album or were rerecorded later for the album, including "
I'll Keep It With Mine "I'll Keep It with Mine" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1964, first released by folk singer Judy Collins as a single in 1965. Dylan attempted to record the song for his 1966 album ''Blonde on Blonde''. Dylan's versions Dylan recorded a voca ...
", which was eventually released on ''
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 ''The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3'' is a box set by Bob Dylan issued on Columbia Records. It is the first installment in Dylan's Bootleg Series, comprising material spanning the first three decades of his career, from 1961 to 1989. It has been ...
''.


Work with other artists

In 1965 Tom Wilson, who had produced Dylan's ''
Bringing It All Back Home ''Bringing It All Back Home'' is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in April1965 by Columbia Records. In a major transition from his earlier sound, it was Dylan's first album to incorporate electric inst ...
'' and "
Like a Rolling Stone "Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhauste ...
" decided to experiment with electrifying the
Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...
song "
The Sound of Silence "The Sound of Silence" (originally "The Sounds of Silence") is a song by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon. The duo's studio audition of the song led to a record deal with Columbia Records, and the original ac ...
". An acoustic version of "The Sound of Silence" had been released on the Simon & Garfunkel album '' Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.''. As he did with Dylan's version of "
The House of the Rising Sun "The House of the Rising Sun" is an American traditional folk music, folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children t ...
", Wilson employed a band to record an electric backing track for the song, without
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
's or
Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainte ...
's knowledge. Bobby Gregg was once again the drummer Wilson employed in the band creating this backing track. The version of "The Sound of Silence" incorporating the electric band backing track became a #1 hit and was released on the Simon & Garfunkel album ''
Sounds of Silence ''Sounds of Silence'' is the second studio album by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 17, 1966. The album's title is a slight modification of the title of the duo's first major hit, " The Sound of Silence", which ...
''. It was also listed by ''Rolling Stone'' as the #156 song of all time. In 1966, Gregg was one of the drummers backing
Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...
for their album '' The Peter, Paul and Mary Album''. In 1971, he backed
John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, dr ...
and
Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist music, minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his work became notab ...
on their album '' Church of Anthrax''.


Death

Gregg died on May 3, 2014, at the age of 78.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregg, Bobby 1936 births Drummers from Philadelphia Record producers from Pennsylvania American male drummers 2014 deaths