John"JR" Robinson | |
|---|---|
 Robinson in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | JR, Time Machine |
| Born | John Frederick Robinson (1954-12-29)December 29, 1954 (age 70) Creston, Iowa, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock,funk,pop,jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Drums |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Website | johnjrrobinson |
John Frederick Robinson (born December 29, 1954), known professionally asJR, is an American drummer andsession musician who has been called "one of the most recorded drummers in history".[1] He is known for his work with producerQuincy Jones, includingMichael Jackson's multi-platinumOff the Wall album and the charity single "We Are the World".[1] JR's drum fill kicks off Jackson's chart topper "Rock with You", and his drum solo opens theSteve Winwood albumBack in the High Life (1986) to begin the number 1 song "Higher Love".[2]
Rolling Stone listed JR in 2016 at number 81 in their list of the top 100 "Greatest Drummers of All Time".[3] He was awarded oneGrammy Award for theRufus andChaka Khan single "Ain't Nobody", but has played drums on more than fifty Grammy winning works.[4]
JR plays in many different styles. His first fame came with thefunk band Rufus, and he recordeddance/funk hits withthe Pointer Sisters. In thepop androck fields, his work stretches from the straight-up rock ofJohn Fogerty,Bonnie Raitt andPeter Frampton to the mainstream pop ofLady Gaga,Daft Punk,Wilson Phillips andMadonna. JR has backed manycontemporary R&B singers includingWhitney Houston,Lionel Richie andAnita Baker, as well as vocal pop/soft rock singers such asBarbra Streisand,Seal,Peter Cetera andRod Stewart. He played on a string of purecountry hits byGeorge Strait,Clint Black andToby Keith. In the 1990s, hisfilm score assignments shifted into high gear, drumming forHans Zimmer,Christophe Beck andJames Newton Howard. And throughout JR's career he has collaborated withjazz artists ranging fromJeff Lorber toDavid Benoit toSadao Watanabe. JR said he is "a chameleon kind of drummer".[4]
JR was born on December 29, 1954, inCreston, Iowa.[5] His parents, Helen Sloan and Jack Robinson, made certain he had aneducation in music, starting him in piano lessons at age five.[1] JR's father played violin as a hobby, and his mother played himbig band records, pointing out the elements ofswing.[6] Robinson senior was also the arranger for the local choir Creston Chorus.[7] Both his grandfathers were musical. His favorite record at age seven was "When the Saints Go Marching In" from the soundtrack of the 1959 filmThe Five Pennies. At eight he got his first drum kit – a secondhand 1940sLudwig set with notoms, justsnare,bass,hi-hat and oneZildjiancymbal. At age ten he formed a duo with Kevin Clemens who played electric guitar.[8] His next drum kit was a new 1966 Ludwig Champagne Sparkle set.[4] Tall and athletic, JR wavered between a basketball or music career, choosing music.[9] At 14, he performed with the Iowa Big Band, and he played drums in high school band,[1] using amaple Ludwig drum kit in White Marine Pearl.[4] JR went to jazz band camp atNorthwest Missouri State University andIllinois State University where he met drummer/teacherEd Soph who helped JR break some of his bad habits, training him in traditional grip.[9] Soph encouraged him to enroll atBerklee College of Music in Boston.[8]
JR gigged with theTommy Dorsey Band in 1973, finding that the old, yellowed charts were very extensive, more than 1200 songs.[9] In August 1973,the Pointer Sisters opened forChicago at theVeterans Memorial Coliseum in Des Moines.[10] JR attended the concert, and he was moved by the Pointer Sisters' songs "Cloudburst" and "Yes We Can Can". He said he "always wanted to play with them".[11] Seven years later he played on the Pointer Sisters' hit song "Slow Hand".
Arriving at Berklee in 1973, JR was taught by drum educator and theoristGary Chaffee who advocatedlinear drumming, and jazz drummerAlan Dawson. JR's schoolmates included bass guitaristNeil Stubenhaus and drummersSteve Smith,Kenwood Dennard,Vinnie Colaiuta andCasey Scheuerell. Dawson helped change JR's bass drum footing to a heel-down style, which took years to master. JR studiedxylophone andvibraphone withDave Samuels, and they gigged together.[8] By 1974, JR was working as a studio musician for ProfessorJohn LaPorta who needed a precise drummer for his teaching tapes.[9]
After five semesters of Berklee classes,[9] JR left school but stayed in Boston to focus on gigging. He toured in a band called Shelter, and in March 1978 at the Rare Cherry nightclub outside of Cleveland, his band was surprised to find they were opening forRufus andChaka Khan.[9] After the Shelter set, Rufus and Chaka Khan came on stage to ask JR to stay and play with them. This invitation extended through the whole evening. Two weeks later, JR moved to Los Angeles to fill their touring drummer position. The first gig was in Hawaii, where JR metDanny Seraphine, founding drummer of Chicago, who encouraged JR to sign an endorsement contract with drum manufacturerSlingerland.[8] JR recorded with Rufus in 1978 on the albumNumbers released in early 1979, which rose to number 81 on the Billboard 200. ProducerQuincy Jones led the next album projectMasterjam for Rufus.Masterjam was recorded in late 1978 and released in November 1979. The single "Do You Love What You Feel", featuringChaka Khan on vocals, crossed over to number 30 on the Hot 100. Jones was the person who first started calling John Robinson by the nickname JR.[9] BeforeMasterjam came out, Jones brought JR toMichael Jackson's album projectOff the Wall in December 1978.[1] The first thing JR did on the project was go to Allen Zentz Recording Studios to overdub drums for the songs "Girlfriend" and "It's the Falling in Love", replacing the previous drummer's work. Jones listened to the results, conferred with Jackson, and then invited JR to be the drummer for the rest of the album. JR remembers going toWestlake Recording Studios to cut basic tracks for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" with just keys, bass and drums. The trio wasLouis Johnson on bass, JR, and keyboardistGreg Phillinganes: this was the first time JR had met Phillinganes. After they recorded the track, Phillinganes stood on the piano bench with his hands up, exultant. Everyone knew they had just laid the foundation for a hit.[11] Released in August 1979,Off the Wall netted JR three hit singles: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (number 1), "Rock with You" (number 1), and "Off the Wall" (number 10).[12] From this point forward, JR was a first-request drummer for Jones.[1]
JR was on the road with Rufus and Chaka Khan for ten months in 1980 – his longest tour. During a brief stop, he spent one day recordingGeorge Benson'sGive Me the Night.[13] He helped on a few ofKaren Carpenter'ssolo album tracks, which were not released until 16 years later. In 1981, JR recordedParty 'Til You're Broke with Rufus, yielding the hit single "Tonight We Love". Later that year, the Rufus albumCamouflage brought JR another hit single, "Sharing the Love", which reached number 8 on the R&B chart.[14] Rufus releasedSeal in Red in 1983, and JR also played on the Rufus/Chaka Khan single "Ain't Nobody" which topped the R&B chart and rose to number 22 on the Hot 100. "Ain't Nobody" earned aGrammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the26th Annual Grammy Awards in early '84, which is JR's only Grammy.[4] JR said that he recorded his part for "Ain't Nobody" at Amigo Studios in Hollywood, replacing a drum machine demo track with his own ideas, but keeping a robotic feel. He first played kick and snare alone, then overdubbed the hi-hat, then another pass for toms. This was a common practice in the 1980s to keep the drum parts isolated.[11]
Other projects during this time included some dates withthe Temptations andthe Four Tops,[4]the Brothers Johnson albumLight Up the Night (1980), Quincy Jones' albumThe Dude (1981), Louis Johnson's gospel albumPassage for A&M,[9] and six songs with JR as drummer on thePatti Austin albumEvery Home Should Have One which produced the hugely successful hit duet withJames Ingram, "Baby, Come to Me". BassistStanley Clarke used JR for one song, "We Supply", onRocks, Pebbles and Sand (1980).[9] JR covered drum duties for two songs on theHerbie Hancock albumMagic Windows (1981), and also for his next albumLite Me Up.The Pointer Sisters' 1981 albumBlack & White birthed the hit single "Slow Hand". Jazz keyboardistJeff Lorber put JR on the drum throne for hisIt's a Fact album in 1982, andLionel Richie used JR's drumming skills for three songs onLionel Richie (1982) including the big hit "You Are".[15] Jones brought JR toDonna Summer's self-titled album to cut the song "State of Independence".[4]
When the Pointer Sisters were ready for their next album, producerRichard Perry called JR in early 1982 to bring his drums to Perry's own Studio 55 onMelrose Avenue. Once again, JR joined bassistNathan Watts to form the rhythm section, supporting John Barnes on keys, and a changing lineup of guitarists.Paulinho da Costa added percussion. JR recalled that the music was surprisingly funky for the song "I'm So Excited" which turned out to be a Top 40 hit in 1982, and then a Top 10 hit in 1984 as a remix.[11] Lionel Richie used several drummers including JR on his albumCan't Slow Down (1983). In 1982 at Ocean Way Studio A, JR formed a trio with Richie playingYamaha CS-80 synthesizer andAbraham Laboriel on electric bass. The three of them laid down the basic tracks for "All Night Long (All Night)" to create "the space and grace that the song needed", according to JR.[11] Percussion parts were layered into the mix afterward. The song topped threeBillboard charts: pop, R&B and adult contemporary.[16]Glenn Frey pulled JR on the road with him in September–November 1982, starting in Japan and returning to the US; all in support of his solo albumNo Fun Aloud.[4]
The theme for the1984 Summer Olympics was "Olympia" bySérgio Mendes who used JR for acoustic drums andTerry Bozzio for electronic drum programming.Diana Ross called upon JR to record her song "Missing You" (1984). ProducerTed Templeman used JR for the firstDavid Lee Roth solo projectCrazy from the Heat (1984).[4] Two hits came from that: a cover ofthe Beach Boys' "California Girls", and a medley of pop classics "Just a Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody". Richard Perry used JR for his three songs onLaura Branigan's albumSelf Control (1984). Phillinganes tapped JR for a couple of songs on his solo albumPulse (1984).DeBarge included some of JR's drums on the albumRhythm of the Night (1985).Eric Clapton put JR on one song from his albumBehind the Sun (1985). Benson used JR on a couple of songs from his 1985 album20/20, including a cover of "Beyond the Sea (La Mer)" which charted in the UK.[4]Whitney Houston cut some tracks with JR in 1984 for her eponymous album, giving JR more number 1 hits: "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 and "Greatest Love of All" in 1986. Houston's next album used JR on the number 1 hit "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (1987).[15][17]
Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones headed the project USA for Africa to provide relief for the1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. To cut the rhythm tracks for the charity single "We Are the World", Jones bookedLion Share Studios in Los Angeles, the oldABC/Dunhill studio where Rufus first recorded, and Jones called JR to cover drums. JR joined bassist Johnson and keyboardist Phillinganes to learn the song from Richie and Jackson with everyone gathered around the piano. JR recalls that when it was time to push the record button, the various industry executives and media people were making too much noise, ruining the vibe, and Jones asked JR to clear them out. JR shouted, "Everyone, get the fuck out, let us record first and then you all can come back in!" Which is exactly what happened.[11] The basic rhythm tracks went down very well, followed the next week by a different recording session for all the celebrity voices. "We Are the World" became one of thebest-selling singles of all time.
From the mid-1980s, JR played drums for a wide range of rock, soft rock and pop artists. He replacedRuss Kunkel's work on six tracks forBob Seger's albumLike a Rock in 1985, noting that Seger only wanted to hear low-pitched wooden drums – no brass snares.[2]Maurice White used JR for some songs on his solo albumMaurice White (1985),[4] on which his cover of "Stand by Me" was a hit.[18] In November 1985, JR was in New York City recording songs for George Benson'sWhile the City Sleeps... album.[4] He was called byRuss Titelman to bring his drums over toUnique Recording Studios, to work onSteve Winwood's upcoming album,Back in the High Life.[4][11] Titelman and Winwood used various combinations of JR's drums, drum machines, triggered samples and sequenced samples to create the electronic pop sound they were looking for.[2][19][20] JR's drum fill on "Higher Love" was originally just JR playing around between songs, hitting rimshots on his vintage brass Ludwig Black Beauty snare to sound like aLatintimbale.[2][4] EngineerTom Lord-Alge captured the drum pattern on tape, and shifted it to the beginning of the song.[21] Winwood and Titelman were very happy with the result, and the drum fill was used to open the album. After the song hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986, the pattern was so famous that JR put it on his answering machine to let callers know they had reached the right man.[2]
JR put together his own band in 1986, recruiting his friend bassistNeil Stubenhaus, guitaristMarty Walsh, and pianistAlan Pasqua. They had been playing gigs together whenWarner Bros. Records PresidentLenny Waronker called JR to catch up. JR told Waronker about his band and Waronker said thatJohn Fogerty (ex–Creedence Clearwater Revival) should be the singer of the band. After working on more than a dozen of Fogerty's song ideas, JR and his band recordedEye of the Zombie for Fogerty in 1986, then toured to promote the album. On the road serving as musical director, JR sat behind a Yamaha Power Recording drum kit with two bass drums, using flat foot pedal style on the right and toe method on the left. Three hi-hats were used: a 15-inch Zildjian Quick Beats on the left and two linked 13-inch Zildjian K-series on the right.[2] JR said that the tour was disappointing because Fogerty was getting sued bySaul Zaentz and could not play his popular CCR songs.[13]
Other work by JR in this period includedBryan Ferry'sBête Noire (1987),TDK's jazz compilationJoyride (1987),Agnetha Fältskog'sI Stand Alone (1987) andBoz ScaggsOther Roads (1988).[15] Michael Jackson's albumBad was recorded for more than a year during 1985–87. JR drummed on six of the album's songs: "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Speed Demon", "Liberian Girl", "Dirty Diana" and "Smooth Criminal". Four were Top 40 hits.[12]
In 1988, JR was called by producerPatrick Leonard to work onMadonna's albumLike a Prayer. With his longtime drum tech John Good (later withDrum Workshop), JR brought his drums to Leonard's own Johnny Yuma Studios in Hollywood, to set up for the session. The session stalled, waiting for Madonna to show up, because she prefers to be present when the drums are recorded. But JR could not wait and recorded his drums for "Express Yourself" anyway. When Madonna appeared and was introduced to JR, he said he thought the song was "smokin'". Madonna listened to the drums on tape and said, "It's fucking great!"[11]
ProducerGlen Ballard (Pointer Sisters, Patti Austin) leaned heavily on JR for a pair of albums byWilson Phillips, includingWilson Phillips in 1990 andShadows and Light in 1992. These projects put six more Top 40 singles into JR's discography. Ballard also brought JR intoCurtis Stigers' debut album (1991), yielding two Hot 100 chart singles, followed byK. T. Oslin's retrospective albumSongs from an Aging Sex Bomb andLea Salonga's eponymous album, both in 1993.[15]
In 1989, Quincy Jones used JR on thequiet storm song, "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" (1990), featuring singersAl B. Sure!,James Ingram,El DeBarge andBarry White. Jones also put JR on the song "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)", withTevin Campbell on vocals, which hit number 75.[22]
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JR was present for a handful of jazz dates with Herbie Hancock, Jeff Lorber and George Benson in the '80s, and in the 1990s he picked up more jazz work. Quincy Jones used JR on the albumQ's Jook Joint which rose to number 1 on the jazz charts. Jazz pianistDavid Benoit employed JR on his 1991 albumShadows. English composerMike Oldfield picked JR for one track on his albumTubular Bells II (1993). With JR on six tracks, Lorber's albumWorth Waiting For rose to number 1 on the Contemporary Jazz chart in 1993.[23] Lorber used JR again onWest Side Stories in 1994, reaching number 5 on the same chart.[24]
Mexican singerLuis Miguel decided to record an album in Los Angeles under the Warner umbrella, and JR was chosen as drummer on the project titled20 Años. Two singles from the album rose to number 1 on the USHot Latin Songs chart: "Entrégate" and "Tengo Todo Excepto a Ti", both in 1990. British singer-songwriterSeal used four drummers including JR on his 1991 albumSeal. The song "Crazy" with JR on drums hit number 7 on the Hot 100.[25][26] English singerRod Stewart used JR for his song "Rhythm of My Heart", rising to number 5 on the Hot 100 in 1991.[27] Canadian guitaristRobbie Robertson used JR for two songs on his albumStoryville (1991) and again on 1994'sMusic for The Native Americans.[4]Buffy Sainte-Marie's 1992 albumCoincidence and Likely Stories was assisted by JR.
Barbra Streisand took JR on tour in 1993–94 forBarbra Streisand in Concert. After this, JR was always Streisand's concert drummer.[28] Titelman brought JR into theMichael McDonald albumBlink of an Eye (1993). In 1995, JR toured with English guitaristPeter Frampton, recording the concerts to create the live albumFrampton Comes Alive! II.[13] He also contributed toJennifer Love Hewitt's debut albumLet's Go Bang (1995) and performed the drums on theTony Banks andJack Hues collaborative albumStrictly Inc. Clapton andBabyface used JR on drums and Nathan East on bass for the song "Change the World", recorded at theRecord Plant in L.A.; the song appeared in the 1996 filmPhenomenon and won a Grammy.[4] In 1997, JR was one of two drummers onClint Black's albumNothin' but the Taillights, then in '99 JR was the only drummer on his next albumD'lectrified, which put two singles on the Hot 100.[29] JR has participated annually in Celebrity Fight Night, a charity event held in Arizona to benefit the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center atBarrow Neurological Institute. The event has been under the musical direction ofDavid Foster since 1999.[7][30] JR backed Barbra Streisand in 1999–2000 on herTimeless tour.[13]
Country artistToby Keith used JR for his albumPull My Chain (2001), which added three songs to the Hot 100.[31] JR also played on his next album,Unleashed (2002). In 2006–07, JR joined television composerMike Post in the band L.A. Blues Alliance, made up of local session musicians. The band released theblues albumWhat a Life in May 2007.[32][33] JR helped celebrate the 75th birthday of Quincy Jones in Montreux, Switzerland, in July 2008. A video album was made of the party,Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration – Live at Montreux. JR backed a wide range of vocalists with a band consisting of himself, keyboardists Greg Phillinganes and David Delhomme, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., bassist Nathan East, and percussionistPaulinho da Costa.[34] Seal used JR on his cover of "Stand By Me" in 2008. Starting in 2010, JR toured with David Foster,[25] backing singers such asPeter Cetera,the Tenors,Ruben Studdard,Charice andNatalie Cole.[13]
In 2012, joining bassist Nathan East, JR recorded withDaft Punk on their albumRandom Access Memories. The single "Lose Yourself to Dance" topped the Dance Club chart. "Instant Crush" performed well on Hot Dance/Electronic, and the album's opening cut "Give Life Back to Music" peaked at number 9 on the Dance Club chart.[35] JR said that some of the songs on that project had multiple drummers contributing separately, such as the song "Giorgio by Moroder" which usedOmar Hakim in New York and JR in Los Angeles. The same year, Oldfield relied on JR for the2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.[4]Lisa Stansfield used JR for her albumSeven, especially for the track "Can't Dance". Oldfield brought JR into his 2014 projectMan on the Rocks, and New ZealanderKimbra used JR for her 2014 albumThe Golden Echo.
JR served as drummer on theLady Gaga song "Stupid Love" (2020) which rose to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.[36]
JR formed the short-lived band Bridge 2 Far (1989) with singer Mark Williamson, and again with Williamson in the trio TRW with guitaristMichael Thompson. TRW released the albumRivers of Paradise on Frontiers Records in 2007.[25] With the band Native Son, JR releasedSon Talk in 2011 on the label King Japan. Native Son is Thompson (guitar), JR (drums),Bobby Watson (sax) andMo Pleasure (bass).[25]
JR has released two solo albums:Funkshui (2004) andPlatinum (2007). He said that the songs onPlatinum consisted mainly of funk and rock, recorded at hisThousand Oaks home studio, Home Court, using aYamaha Pro Audio DM2000digital mixing console.[13] He was inducted into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame in 2005[25] and Rock Godz Hall Of Fame in 2019.[37] JR hosts the "Vinyl Night" radio show at EnterTalk Radio.[38]
JR has played drums for manyfilm scores, always following a pre-written chart. He said that film work is the most challenging, as it requires a higher degree of concentration and focus.[13] His film and television credits include 2009'sThe Hangover interpreting a score byChristophe Beck,[13]Ordinary People forMarvin Hamlisch in 1980,[9]Grand Canyon (1991),My Cousin Vinny (1992),The Bodyguard (1992),Space Jam (1996),That Thing You Do! (1996),Escape from L.A. (1996),Jerry Maguire (1996),Independence Day (1996),[25]The Story of Us (1999),[4] andBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).[25] JR joined Beck again on the filmHot Pursuit in 2015.[7] ForMan of Steel (2013), JR was the leader of multiple drummers recorded in5.1 surround sound, arranged byHans Zimmer.[4]
On television, JR played for theER series (1994), and he has served multiple times as the drummer for theAcademy Awards broadcast orchestra.[25] Joining sax playerTom Scott and bassist Nathan East, JR scored the music and drummed on the HBO documentaryThe Bronx, USA in which the video "Gonna Be Alright" emerged (2019), about talent agentGeorge Shapiro.[39]
Around 1979 through the efforts of Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine,Slingerland Drum Company picked up JR as an endorser. He said he preferred double-headed tom drums for their responsiveness, but played with single heads when a recording project required it.[9] JR endorsedYamaha drums starting in 1981.[6] Yamaha produced a 5×15 signature snare designed by JR, with a thin 4-ply birch shell ringed by a combination of 4-ply birch reinforcing hoops and 19-ply vintage wood hoops. The snare wires were unusual: 25-strand carbon steel in a larger bed of 2.7 mm. A second signature snare by JR was a thicker 7-ply birch shell, 5.5×14 with copper nails around the perimeter, and 3 mm zinc hoops. Along withMitch Mitchell, JR was partial to the ASBA Caroline kick drum pedal for its greater adjustability.[40] In 1990–91, JR helped test the firstAxis Percussion kick drum pedals.[41]
Zildjian's longtime artist relations man, Lenny DiMuzio, signed JR around 1980.[9] Rich Mangicaro[8] ofPaiste cymbals signed JR to an endorsement deal in March 2006, collaborating with JR to develop the 24-inch Masters Deep Ride cymbal,[42] and the 24-inch "Signature Groove" Swish Ride cymbal,[43] made from Paiste's 2002-series CuSn8 bronze copper alloy containing 8% tin, unfinished underneath for complexity.[44] In October of 2024 JR started endorsingIstanbul Mehmet cymbals.
In 2007, Yamaha produced another JR Signature snare, this one made of birch withbird's eye maple on the outer surface. It was 6.5×14 in size, again with copper nails around the bearing edge, to thicken the sound.[6] In 2009 after Yamaha changed their artist relations staff, JR shifted to endorseDrum Workshop (DW) drums, reconnecting with his old drum tech John Good who was now vice president of the company.[1]
JR takes part in drum workshops and industry conventions such asNAMM Show in Anaheim, Drummer's Reality Camp in Pasadena,Musikmesse Frankfurt, the Bag'Show in Paris, and Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Indianapolis.[13] JR served as a judge at the 2002 Collegiate Jazz Festival atNotre Dame. In 2011, JR released an instructional video for drummers, titledJohn JR Robinson: The Time Machine. JR's drum tech, John Oreshnick, appears on the video, as well as David Foster, Nathan East, Paul Jackson, Abraham Laboriel and Luis Conte.[45] The video was named DVD of the Year byModern Drummer.[25]
JR played drums on these songs that appeared on theBillboard Hot 100 chart:[15]
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