Celebrating Clyde Stubblefield’s Birthday and PHD with Joey B. Banks

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Good evening, rocker.

What's happening, Jimmy?

What a song.

Hardies in the kitchen.

We play this song a lot.

Rolling Stone magazines.

Rolling Stone magazines, top 100 drummers of all time, has Clyde's Double Field at number 6.

Clyde's Double Field played drums with the James Brom band from 65 to 70.

That's the 1900s, Jimmy.

And it was the era that makes up some of the bronze biggest hits, like Cold Sweat, Say It Loud,

I'm Black, I'm Proud, Sex Machine, and of course, the funky drummer.

The song which made Clyde probably the most sampled drummer in the world.

And after James Brom band, Clyde chose Madison, Wisconsin as his new home and lived in the

Mad City until his death in 2017.

And a lot of us here in Madison got to know Clyde very well over the years.

And Joey B. Banks literally grew up with Clyde, even acting as his back up in his older

age.

And no one can tease or explain Clyde better than Joey, who is the drummer of the funky

JB's, who are playing a series of Clyde's Double Field Tributes.

Joey B. Banks, welcome to Maxing Radio.

Hey, thank you.

Joey, can we hear a little closer to that microphone please?

All right, I'm close.

I'm close.

Hey, yeah, yeah.

Before we get back into the interview, I got to ask you a serious question here.

Joey, you're a drummer, right?

Correct.

You are a good drummer.

Okay.

Yeah, you are.

Good.

I don't know if good means good, but I think we're taking a poll as a drummer.

You give me your raw emotion when you look at the suitcase of cables that we use for the

layer.

He wants to know if you wrap chords or if you're kind of like, can you wrap chords?

I have my own chords and I can wrap chords.

Okay.

It's not an everyday thing, but if needed.

I mean, are you...

We're not working on a scale of 1 to 10, is it?

Like, you know, that gives me anxiety.

So you're the first drummer that can roll chords.

Actually, I'm sorry, the second.

Daniel Stauffles.

He can roll chords.

Okay.

There's, there's drummers that are not just drummers.

There are drummers that do other things too.

Yeah.

I don't believe that.

I can hang out in recording studios.

I don't believe that.

I do live shows.

Oh.

But it is purple suitcase, so that's even cooler.

Yeah.

Yeah, isn't it?

It's a purple suitcase.

Well, Joey, you know, you grew up with Clyde Stubblefield, but for our listeners who've

heard James Brown's music, but they never knew about the person who was the funky drummer.

Tell us a little bit about Clyde and then we might get to know him a little bit better.

Well, for me personally, probably like the most humble person, considering the amount

of impact he's had on our popular music and funk music and hip-hop music.

And he's just really humble about who he is.

And he's really, really down to earth person.

As you know, he probably played in everybody's backyard in Madison.

Yeah, at some point.

He's just super kind.

You know, he signed his autographs, peace and love.

I mean, he's just a genuinely good human being.

And we had a pretty cool relationship.

I had like kind of multi-layered relationship with him.

He's like a father figure.

He's a mentor.

He's a friend.

He was, you know, like chords.

And we were bandmates, even.

How often did you lose money to him?

It was about 50-50, to be honest.

He hated to lose at card.

That was, I mean, he really, when he won, it was like mine.

Yeah, the pile, it's mine.

He lost, he got that look on his face.

Like, you mother, you know, but yeah, he was fond of my card.

And that was, you know, I really missed those card games on Sundays hanging out with Clyde.

Listening to music, everything that came on the radio, he said he played on.

It was cool.

Yeah, right.

What was that like for you, Joe?

We growing up, knowing Clyde like you did, and appreciating music like you do.

You know, you hear a song in the radio, and that's Clyde's beat.

Mm-hmm.

Or, you know, in his brand new, it was coming out.

What was that like for you?

You know, it grew into more admiration as I got older.

And appreciated more of what he was doing.

And that's actually the timeframes, I mean, from the James Brown days to when they started sampling.

For example, the first public enemy sampled him on fight to power.

You know, and that's on the movie.

Great talk, by the way.

And that's on the movie, do the right things.

Spike Lee movie.

And then he does stuff like that.

You know, the soundtrack for Super Bad.

You ever see that movie?

No.

I don't think I've seen Super Bad.

You got it.

That's a great movie.

And I mean, another example of just him doing things, just in having these different influences over the course of the years.

You know, it wasn't not just, you know, I don't think we appreciated him enough here locally, to be honest.

I think people outside of Madison really, really knew who he was and really took care of him when he laughed.

People loved him outside of Madison.

Madison loved him.

He loved Madison.

But there's, you know, there's a big difference between getting offered $500 to play at the majestic and getting $10,000 to play for guitar.

Yeah, right.

Drop off.

So when he left the city, they really, really took care of him.

Well, I mean, what made Clyde Stubblefield the number six top drummer?

I mean, and where do you have him reading?

I mean, he's got to be in the top three because with who?

Who are they really two?

Are you thinking of?

Up.

That's a really hard one because there's greatness in each genre.

Like, who's the best overall drummer of all people?

All drummers?

I mean, that's a hard one for me.

It would be like a Dennis Chambers level person who's in our movie.

There's just a lot of great drummers out there that have had influence.

But I think that's the word.

Like, who's had the most influence on popular music?

Who's had the most influence on funk music?

Who's had the most influence on hip-hop music?

Yeah.

I mean, even like just like the Powerpuff girls on Nickelodeon as Clyde's beat, you know what I mean?

He's just ingrained in our social musical site.

Wow.

That's so deep.

I don't know if there's anybody else that's like, I don't think Neil hurts that.

I don't think Ginger Baker is that.

I don't think, you know, Buddy Rich could, Buddy Rich is probably like, you know, the notoriety

he got in the way he was looked at as like more of a celebrity than a drummer.

He was on all the night shows.

Yeah.

The game shows.

He was like the first drummer that was really like a real personality television personality.

So, I mean, you can look at that.

Just I look at the influence and how much he influenced millions and millions of drummers.

Similar to like Jimmy Hendrix.

Who's the best guitar player?

Yeah.

Definitely one of the most pioneering, unique guitar players ever.

I love Jimmy Hendrix.

But how many millions of people they influence?

Yeah.

He influenced.

And famous people.

I'm definitely a bigger guitar electric guitar fan than I am a drumming fan.

Right.

Oh, I'm not a drummer though.

But I ask you that question.

Yeah.

That's an impossible.

It just is here.

It's impossible.

It's a hard question.

It's a hard question.

It's a hard question.

Jimmy Hendrix.

And you're thinking just rock.

What about jazz guitars?

Yeah.

What about classical guitars?

Yeah.

I mean, how do you...

It's very subjective.

It is.

Yeah.

It is an art form, which is...

Everybody has a different view of what that is.

Now, the funky JBS.

They're playing a couple of tribute shows coming up that we'll talk about.

But first, tell us about the funky JBS.

You played James Brown tunes, but also some covers that were songs that Clyde loved to play.

Yeah.

I mean, the band has three parts.

The number one is a legacy component for Clyde.

So the music that we play reflects the music of Clyde Somafilm and both music with James Brown

and his original music and the funky Mondays.

Yeah.

Which, you know, we do shows where it's just like focusing, like the Atwood Music Hall show

will be kind of like trying to re...

Well, actually, it's birthday.

It will be more like trying to create like a funky Monday vibe.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

With some tribute songs, James Brown.

He did with James Brown.

Not all of them, because there's a bunch.

But we touch on all of that.

And so it's kind of three different things for us.

It was the Clyde Somafilm all-stars before it was the funky JBS.

And then, you know, when he passed away, there was some little bit of friction.

And I just didn't want to get anybody coming to his name.

So I changed it to my name to the funky JBS.

And it's growing.

And it's a fun group of musicians from the Madison area and Chicago area.

Now, first up is the Clyde Somafilm birthday tribute on April 18th at the high-needs

June.

And then the Memorial Union terrace on May 9th celebrating Clyde's PhD from the W.

Madison School of Music.

Yes.

Let's start with the birthday tribute.

Birthday tribute is going to be the JB3s, which is basically Chris Clemente, myself, and Todd Fipps B3.

Oh, yeah.

And I think Dan Spiffy, Newman will be sitting in the entire...

Oh, I love him.

And we'll have some of the funky JBS will sit on some of the songs that we do when we do the Clyde Tribute.

And that's that.

It's mostly an instrumental funk set we're going to do.

And then a new band I'm playing with, I'm very happy to say I'm playing with.

I love these guys.

Automatic lovers playing the party this year.

Oh, yeah.

So I'm just bringing a little different kind of funk, some Latin fusion.

And you know, to be honest, it would be a band that Clyde would love.

He would love.

He would love.

Like the Latin rhythms and he loved that the more world beat Afrobeat stuff.

And we do all that too.

He would love Eury-O.

This as a person, as you guys know.

Yeah.

How can you not love Eury-O?

You know, he's such a great guy, you know.

And also automatic lover.

You guys are playing the mamas.

Yes, we are.

We're playing the mamas.

That's going to be a crazy week for me on when we're doing the very first day of the brand opening of the Atwood Music Hall.

June 13th.

And then the 15th, I'm playing with automatic lover at the mamas.

And then the 18th, I'm playing with automatic lover for the Mad Latin showcase for the grand opening week.

So while I'll be at the, I'll be living at the Atwood Music Hall in June.

But yeah.

Yeah.

So the party is, and then we're going to DJ Kaboombox, Spinnin, Rare Groups, and whatever songs we don't do.

By Clyde, he usually plays, he spends his original version.

And then I kind of as a special, the last couple of times I've been taking all the photos I've ever taken of Clyde during the performance is on a video behind us.

Oh, nice.

So there's lots of pictures of us playing cards and drinking and doing shows.

Wow.

Eddie and Gigi hanging out with, well, at the time it was Mookie and Gigi.

It was Trevor's dog who's still alive.

He's 14 years old now.

Wow.

I'm good at living in Brooklyn.

But I have a bunch of pictures I just added with him hanging out with Gigi and Mookie.

Oh, that's great.

That's awesome.

And then Clyde, he's got his PhD.

Yeah.

Dr. Clyde's double field.

Yes, Dr. Clyde's double field.

And just a quick plug, if I can, we're going to be selling t-shirts for the scholarship fund.

The mama's Clyde's double field music scholarship at the show.

And one of the t-shirts is the Funky Drummer t-shirt.

It's got Clyde's likeness with the Funky Drummer.

And then we have a purple one that has Dr. Stubblefield.

Wow.

That's pretty cool.

And you can only get those at Funky JB Shows.

Wow.

So the pretty exclusive shirt.

You guys are lucky.

I cooked you.

Oh, we thank you.

That's awesome.

And Alice, if you're listening out there, Joey, Joey got a shirt.

Right, Alice, I donated a purple one to you.

I've never seen it just show, Alice.

You better be coming.

Oh, man.

You know, what drives you to keep Clyde's memory alive?

You know, he's just had so much influence on me.

You know, pushing me into this career and kind of giving me a realistic look at what, like being professional drummer is.

And, you know, he's part of the reason why I'm at where I'm at right now.

And that's why I feel like I owe that legacy component to him.

The recognition, you know, Trevor and I are honest pushed to get him in the rock and roll hall of fame.

As you, if you guys ever signed a petition, you need to, but just, just, it's just a legacy that's here in Madison.

I mean, part of that legacy is Madison.

And I grew up here in Madison.

And my students, they all know who Clyde Stubblefield is.

Yeah.

They're not a play Clyde Stubblefield beats.

And everybody that I come in contact with in the educational side of things gets a little bit of Clyde.

And that legacy also continues through those students that I teach and people that I performed his music in front of.

Young people that haven't heard his music that are hearing it for the first time.

I mean, it's, it's a never ending legacy, I think.

And with the movie dot coming out, we'll do that.

Hopefully we'll get him in that rock and roll hall of fame spot.

All right.

Joey Binks, the funky JB's Clyde Stubblefield birthday tribute coming up.

It's so awesome that you came down here.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

It's Kelly still driver on the block.

She probably is.

Thank you, Rocker and Jimmy.

It's always, it's always a great time coming down here and to your, to your realm.

Well, thank you, media.

I love it.

Well, we love you.

We're going to talk with Trevor.

You're son coming up next hour.

Well, tell Trevor.

I said, hey, yeah, actually Terry's going to talk to him.

It's a, it's a pre-record.

It's pre-record.

Talking about Clyde, the Stubblefield, getting him into the rock and roll hall of fame.

Right now.

Keep it in the family, brother.

Let's do some automatic lover right now.

Sick love.

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