Did Alan White help create the Glam Beat?

[ProgArtist]

This question was posed this morning on Facebook by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants. I personally have no idea, but figured some of you might have some answers:

"JF here with a question for the tmbg fb musos--I was listening to a "best of 1970" broadcast this morning and it included John Lennon's Instant Karma. It dawned on me that the drum beat--played by Alan White (later of the band Yes) in Feb. 1970 might be the first example of the "glam beat" in a pop song (a chugging shuffle groove heavy with flams with loud hand claps on the back beat) Can anyone think of an EARLIER example? I see it pre-dates T. Rex entirely, and no other earlier examples come to mind… did Alan White create the template that was soon to dominate the UK charts?"

[bRETT]

Gary Glitter's producer lifted it directly from Instant Karma, whether he admiitted it or not, so yes. .

[trurl]

It's not just the beat, it's the echo... gotta thank the producer for that. (Was that Specter? I guess he was good for *something*...)

[calyx]

It's not just the beat, it's the echo... gotta thank the producer for that. (Was that Specter? I guess he was good for *something*...)

Yes, it was Spector (with an "o").. His first production for a Beatle, leading to the "Let It Be" debacle but also great solo albums by Lennon and Harrison.
"Instant Karma" was actually recorded in late January 1970 and released early February - releasing it in a matter of days was part of the challenge and impulse for doing it.

[trurl]

Ah, crap, you'd think I'd know how to spell Phil Spector's name

[Baribrotzer]

There was also an influence from an album called Burundi Black, isn't there? It consisted of field recordings of African drumming, overdubbed with Western rock and pop. I think some of it might appear on Joni Mitchell's "the Jungle Line", as well.

[Dave (in MA)]

Apparently there's something called "The Glam Beat".

The drumming on Instant Karma sounds like he's playing the arm of a leather couch.

[bRETT]

There was also an influence from an album called Burundi Black, isn't there? It consisted of field recordings of African drumming, overdubbed with Western rock and pop. .

That was an influence later on-- Adam & the Ants borrowed it, then the Ants took it into Bow Wow Wow. Also borrowed independently by Fleetwood Mac on Tusk.

[B D]

"Instant Karma" was actually recorded in late January 1970 and released early February - releasing it in a matter of days was part of the challenge and impulse for doing it.

In sound engineer Geoff Emerick's book "Here There and Everywhere" he mentions that the version released in the UK was a rough mix tape given to John to take home and listen to after the session. Spector had written "DO NOT USE" on the tape but John said "why not, it sounds fine!" and used it anyhow. Also mentioned that the version released in the USA was a different mix done by Spector a few days later, but never told John!

[Rufus]

Didn't Slade introduce it ?

[bigbassdrum]

How about 'Spirit In the Sky' ?? Is that not the glam beat referred to ??

Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded[1] by Norman Greenbaum and released in late 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969-1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart (April 18, 1970) where it listed for 15 weeks in the Top 100.