Great that you have joined us to celebrate Jeff Porcaro's 70th birthday! It's today (1.4.2024). The release of the video is 1.4. which is Jeff's birthday. There are great people here in the studio, from the oldest to the youngest. Respected drummer, teacher Miri Miettinen. Also respected drummer, teacher Tommi Rautiainen and youngest drummer enthusiast Joel Siirtola, all are Jeff fans too. Joel has made the great Porcaro blue set that is here in the background and has been a fan of Jeff all his
life. We're supposed to talk and hype Jeff and Jeff's life today. we also get excited about this discussion I feel that it is great to talk about Jeff even though it has been more than 30 years since his passing People still tell stories about Jeff and remember him, he was a huge influence on us drummers. And you Miri and Tommi also have their own stories about meeting Jeff face to face. It's amazing, I haven't seen it myself and I haven't heard it live either. when Jeff went to Finland with Tot
o, I missed all the times even though I'm a big Jeff fan, it's a shame. Let's start with Mir, when was the first time you heard Jeff play? It's been a while, probably 40 years already, but I think it happened in the early 80s, I don't remember on which record, but I must have heard Jeff's playing without knowing it. I was listening to a lot of American music at the time so it must have happened at that time I can't say this more precisely? but in the early 80s. I was young and enthusiastic about
Porcaro then, and I still am How does Tommi remember the first time he heard Jeff Porcaro? I was at Pyynikki in Tampere, in 1982 Toto IV was released. My friend had received a tip from his friend to buy this album or it could have been borrowed from a friend Toto IV and Rosanna started playing from the record and it captured me immediately. I wondered how it could be so good, the song starts with a drum intro, we listened again and again, we wondered how this was played? The next day I went to
a record store and bought all the albums that had been released up to that point. Q: In 1982 you had already learned to play drums? A: Very little. Q: Did you understand a bit what is going on here? A: Very little yes. Q: How old you were that time? A: I was, wait... 12-13 years that time. Well, that's a good age, when music wakes you up. A: Yes and this still works, listening to Jeff every day. Yes, you can hear a lot of Porcaro playing on the radio, Radio Suomi for example. My story is that, J
eff was gone even before I was born. I obviouslly wasn't able to see him play. I was introduced him through Toto. For me Toto has always been The Thing. You can always find something there for the sunshine and for the rainy days The first time I heard Jeff was even before I was born! Both of my parents were into Toto, specially the album Isolation hit hard. My mum used to play the the album to her belly. That is probably the reason why that album, even if not a hit record, is the thing. It has T
HE sound. The next thing was a VHS Past To Present. From early on I have been into technical stuff. I ran the tape over and over again. The video of Angel don't cry, where Jeff had his setup just right with big cymbal setup and all that. Little bit like my replica! Jeff had them (cymbals) higher though with greater angle. That was the thing that had an huge impact as a child. But through parents was a first- and the it just got deeper and deeper and it's almost a sickness of a kind! Let's get g
oing through the history of Jeff. I know there are some viewers who are still unknown of Jeff's greatness. First it's off to the history of his playing and later we hear the stories and memories. The first recordings are from the early 70's? Good that you mentioned! Let's start with this one! Here is a treasure which I bought from eBay some time ago. Jack Daugherty's album. He was a producer for the Carpenters. At the weekends he wanted to sample how the recordings and new song were sounding. He
had a big band, with players like Hal Blaine, Joe Osborne, Jack Findley etc. Was he a millionaire? No, no, the guys WANTED to play a different kind of music than just do session after session in a studio. Do i tell the whole story? Go on please! How did Jeff end up the band? Well Hal Blaine was so busy so Jeff was just filling in for him. Can I have a look? Certainly! Jeff was first a training drummer. About a year before Jeff was playing at the same neighbourhood at the Halloween party. There
was this guy who made artist contracts, the name slipped my mind, but he was listening- The next day the guy went to a session and told Joe Porcaro that he didn't know Jeff was such a drummer. Joe said that yeah, he has kept a low profile, but yeah the son plays drums. The guy said that he would like to start using him in a sessions, is it ok? Can he read music? Joe said that he might do allright. The guy told the story about the Daughretys band and Hal Blaine and all. Jeff went in there as a f
iller, and of course everybody fell in love with Jeff's playing He was asked to part of the album, I think he's at maybe two or three tracks, Jim Keltner was playing also. This was at the May 30 1971, when Jeff had just turned 17. I didn't know that the picture is from this album. Yeah that famous picture is also somewhere in Internet. Was this the first time Keltner and Jeff met? I think they had met before. But this is the first official recording of Jeff Porcaro. I can talk later what happene
d before. But this is the first one. You can find this at the YouTube, like everything else. As you can imagine, the word started to go around that now there is a new kid in tow. The hottest stuff ever, the best thing they had heard. This started it all. I have here one album that is from 1973, but I bet he also reorded also in 72. I also tried to find some tips from the book, but couldn't find any gems to point out in this occasion. But overall, he was involved in lot's of stuff. I'm not shure
how many thousands of songs he did record. Sessions were also done by great numbers, even though he did record lot more in those occasions, full albums. What's that? This you can also find at the You Tube. Sonny and Cher live in Las Vegas. This was his pro gig, before the end of high school. He was still 17? Yes, I think? Wasn't there some debate at home? Yes, father Joe demanded that you have to graduate because he didn't! But mom talked with the headmaster, and it was ok. This is from 1973 and
can be found at the YouTube. You can already find the classic Jeff Porcaro licks and bits in it. So he was pretty steady early on? This is where you can find the beat of Toto already. What I read from the book, that this has got some thing do with the connection between, Hungate, Paich and Jeff? David Paich was the musical director, David Hungate was at the bass and Dean Parks at the gutar. Quite a band! The horn section was from Vegas and with this "humble little" band. Wasn't this the first b
ig gig for Jeff? He did record earlier, but as a touring musician as a pro with big names? Yup, this is why he quit the school! A guy called Willie Ornelas used to play before Jeff, he would know more. I'm his Facebook friend but haven't asked yet. I have to talk with him in a future. But if we go into sessions. You have done a lot in this country, so you can slip in that world. There were lot that was made in the 70's, but specially at the 80's. What would you choose from that- period that you
could point out? "Low Down" comes to mind and everything Toto. We will dig deeper into Toto later, but specially the session work. I have something here. Example: Michael McDonald, I keep Forgetting. It's great. One of biggest. It has a great drum track and iconic fills also. I have to point out one thing while I still remember. When Jeff was doing his sessions, he often highlighted the fact that when singer starts singing. He doesn't want to accent it. Quite the opposite, take it down a bit, s
o it leaves a room for the singer. Have you noted this? I have at least, and tried to copy it a bit. I try and leave a room so that I won't play "over" the singer. Jeff did play crash sometimes, but in moderation, with the right volume. It all blended in with the music. He did also start with a ride cymbal quite a bit. That's it, small marking only. We call them "accent cymbals". They are crash and tones. You don't have to hit them always. The song I Keep Forgetting is accompanied by this specia
l drum stick episode, is this familiar to you? Yeah, he seems to have dropped a stick in the middle of the song, yes, you can tell when you know where it happened. A more detailed description of where this happened has been made. Quite a smooth move when he pulls a new stick, you don't notice it much, in one of his clinics she explains how it happened, the clinic is on YouTube. Stick went broke, here's another and waved his hand from here to there and left hand goes here and there The take had t
o be really good and habit has been to play song through till the end? Yes just like that. It has been a good take, it didn't matter that the stick fell or went broke. Was it first take? a second one. Back in the time, the tape was made so punch in was easy but punch out was not so you had to play till the end of the song Do you tell the viewers what Punch in and Punch out meaning? I don't know either :) If we taped a song and the musician wants to correct his playing, it can come in the middle
of the song you can include either one musician or the whole band in between and it's slower when the sound head comes off the tape and there's a little noise "tsiu" Okay, there will be a small cross fade, it's harder to come out, easier to go in so it has been played to the end? yes, or if is there a break that makes it possible So here's Don Henley's Dirty Laundry? special because the drummer took another drummer to play on his solo record? yes, Jeff played a few songs on this record. There i
s a Linn drum drum machine from that time Did you have one? No but I have one now. Really!! :)) Anyway, it was on the bottom at first and Jeff played on top of it. So that's the beginning of the song? It was whole song. And then Steve did some (yada yada) thing to it. There is also a story about this told by Steve on YouTube. I don't know for sure, but it could be that Jeff did the drums right after the keyboard, end of the session? The track was praised anyway. Yes and this is one more proof of
Porcaro's excellence since it was approved by Don Henley The groove is there. And the backbeat is a little behind the beat in my opinion. Tommi may have more accurate idea? It depends on the song ant the tempo Yes but if we talk bout Dirty Laundry specifically Yes it's commonly agreed to be laid back behind the beat I have listed a couple of tracks from Steely Dan The first one i picked is the cool tune Doctor Wy from the album Katy Lied there's a descent shredding in the end of the tune from M
r Porcaro What are your thoughts about this one? I can't really recall this... Well... I know the tune He (Jeff) was young back then - that was 1973 - he was like 19 or 18 when the album was recorded. It's insane how young he was to be involved on such big and significant recordings If you really think about it. As you mentioned Katy Lied was recorded in 1973. It's wild. Yes and there was the passion of youth. Jim Keltner was rumoured to have told Jeff: "You are young so free your mind and do yo
ur thing" ...as an aswer when Jeff told him he wanted to play exactly like Jim. Meaning less is more. So there is this element on that track although Jeff let it loose only in the very end I want to bring up something I was about to tell earlier when we discussed the firs recording. This was told by Joe Porcaro: When Jeff was around 15 or 16 there was a music store on the way to school in which there was a demo studio in the basement The owner of the store had heard that Jeff was a descent drumm
er and offered him $25 for a track So Jeff agreed and cut several tracks in weekly basis like he cut few songs every now and then which was a good training and a headstart for his upcoming career Sure. Absolutely. And in the end of the Doctor Wu there's a change in the mood of the tune where Jeff shifts to ride-cymbal even if it's not the chorus yet yet it's an altered feel and and the character of the song will ahift as the beat shifts from hihat to ride I find it intriquing. Did you notice thi
s? -No not exactly. Well keep your ears open when listening to Doctor Wo! And then Gaucho the other Steely Dan song from little later period The question is how much of it is played and how much is it programmed. Programming was heavily involved in the making of the album. And it has never been clear which parts are programmed and which not. In the Elliot Scheiner interview he points out the tracks... yes I have the book... I have not read the book but there's interviews on youtube in which he t
ells that... Glamour Profession on which Anthony Jackson plays and which was credited to Gadd is actually programmed ...so just the fills are performed by Gadd and some Rick Marotta track too... But I don't think Gaucho was mentioned as programmed. But it's edited out from the fifty-some takes instead ...tracked through the night... or.. who knows. (joking) we will pull a track from that dude (Jeff) eventually! -giggles- And the next day there's the next drummer in line at the spot. This is the
period.... in the end of the 70s in the turn of the decade when Jeff had really already cut his teeth He had accomplished a lot by the end of the 70s. It's a fine album. Afaik his busiest days in the studio were during 1976 to 1981 according to Allmusic. After that he started his family around 1984 or so so he had to slow down a bit so those were the busiest years I think he set up his own home studio too when he started the family in which there was a lot of recording done too? True. So he cou
ld partially work from home That's how it's done nowadays! So he was ahead of his time I still have few picks here One less known Jeff track is Madonna's Cherish That's just crazy good track! .. So this is one for Joel Yes this is a weird one I have to say. As you guys know and dig all that 70s and early 80s stuff. So this one is little weird to me as I somehow really dig this one because how it sounds and the way you recognize Jeff's playing when the beat starts... ...but I only understood this
later in my life after hearing the song so many times earlier One of the best parts of this song is in the end where there's only vocals and Jeff ...and for me personally another big Jeff album outside Toto is the "On Every Street" I really dig his sound and feel from his later carreer from the late 80s early 90s. there's the maturity in it Obviously I have listened and gone through the big albums from 70s etc but for me this later material means a lot. Thew period when he spent less time in th
e studio. I need to mention about the Cherish I was told... there's a guy called Harry McCarthy in Nashville running Drum Paradise rental business and gear logistics... and he was Jeff's drum tech at the time. In the sessions this tune was performed with DW-drums The drums were delivered and Jeff showed up. All the tracking was done except for the drums. And Jeff would always smoke, kinda bad habit. And he was asked to stop smoking. So Jeff got pissed... ...and went out for smoke on the alley an
d told Harry to notify him when it's time to cut the actual track So he took his time smoking outside... then walked in when told. An cut the track straight away without listening to it first. ..noooo way! So the track was recorder fast. I think Pat Leonard was the producer... he asked Jeff if he would want another take Jeff said no. Harry was wondering what's the rush. Jeff just said "Next stop Ocean Way. Bye." Thats it. Done. -laughs- yes just another story! Yeah... but yet in my mind it is go
lden. It's Jeff. Maybe it was that he was already at the top level that the routine was hard The fact that you have done both sessions and are professionals, somehow what I appreciate is that the first or second take and that's it Of course he was an outstanding professional and the best things happen on the first or second take. And then the raw truth that if we do it again... You can't get it back, you can't just press Command Z That if the magic is in it, then it is. Fun culture too, he's bee
n a big part of that. Have you ever thought about it in your own sessions, that the first take is one where the energy is good? Have you had such thoughts? It has come, quite often the first take is the best. There might be some mistake, then you start thinking about it and the magic disappears it loses that "ehh..", what makes it good, energy. The more you play the same song, the more magic it loses. If the song is tricky, you have to do it more than once, at least for me But usually easy songs
the first and second ones are the best for me. Will Tommi agree this? It is like you said. After couple of times you start thinking and then you start to anticipate. It can be heard in your playing if you know there is new part or fill coming. Preparing your self for some difficult part. Some difficult part is coming you will hear that on your playing and might not be good thing after all. As long as you know, no matter if you are using music sheet or not but you know how the song is structured
. Then the 1st or 2nd, at the latest 3rd take should be the one. It should be in pocket. During that time it was rare to do dubbing for drums but nowadays it is done in pieces. There were always everybody at same time playing and contributing to feeling and energy. Is the energy same for everybody. Many times it goes that now we are aiming to get drum track done and everybody else are playing somewhat sloppy thinking we are just assisting drummer. Then drummer is annoyed, like "play real" Exact.
I can not do my best because you are not playing fully. It need to be interactive also If everybody else are playing poorly or fooling around it is.. "please even try now.." Let´s go forward. I have here Michael Bolton´s version of "When a Man Loves a Women" That ones "backbeat" is really laid back Or rest of the band is ahead -laughs- It always depends.. Hey, good initiative. that's exactly what we're talking about here somebody says: play more laid back compared to who? you? Let´s say that th
ere is metronome Okey, if there is metronome then it is more easy to play laid back What do you think? Did they use metronome during recording at that time? That was made -90 or maybe -91 Yeah, there has been but never know have it been used or not But in the end of the song there is break and then comes very iconic drum fill but it still always depends where other musicians are in time feel. by the way, this is what I was just watching today one Jeff´s memorial Youtube clip where session musici
an Greg Mathieson who played with Jeff at that time had played once little bit sloppy and laid back in his own opinion but Porcaro advised no You play accurate your thing and I will handle that. Otherwise it will not work out as it should. Then we have Chicago song "Stay the Night" Wonderful piece of music. Have to say When that song was published I played with it every single day. Naturally I did not know. I though that Danny Seraphine was playing there.. or somebody.. sorry about the language
but it was amazing. Absolutely amazing drum track How anybody can play this brilliant and then year later it was revealed how there was actually playing and those vocals.. everything It is so good. absolute pearl in their discography Then Donald Fagen, The Nightfly We could talk about the whole record but he did not play in all tracks yep, yep. but there is some nice ones for example the label song is excellent and in that recording there is once again Wendel meaning drum machine.. might be.. wh
ich was invented by Roger Nichols if I remember correctly when Fagen and Becker were saying, they can not find good enough drummer from anywhere who could play in absolute time -laughs- so he said, I will make one.. Here you are.. and then they got it. but then in fact I do not know how that is really not said. It only can be found from album cover texts. Then "Sunken Condos" fully made with drum machine and sound really good. Yeah, really great. From which year it is? can not remember one of th
e latest or.. 2000 something.. Please for give me, I am really "bad" music enthusiastic "I´m Not the Same Without you" is it really made with drum machine? Yes, indeed. The full album is done with drum machine programmed by the trumpet player How sick is that.. I really did not have any idea. I have listened that a lot That was at some point in power play. Really nice grooves in it really nice sounds also.. Oh shit.. It´s though. totally awesome Let´s talk little bit about it He was also with so
me other artist recordings besides Toto. For example he made one full album with Bruce Springsteen. Porcaro. and there is some rumors that Bruce was so fond of him that he would wanted to have Jeff to tour with him. maybe year or two long period with quite big earnings but Porcaro would have politely declined Is there any story about that? what would have been the compensation? 1 million or so.. and Bruce offered privat jet for whole Jeff´s family to join the tour.. that is, if we were on the ot
her side of the mountains, he could go home after the gig wake up there and then leave again. when ever and where ever you need to leave Bruce understood the greatness apparently there was Toto tour on pipeline or something.. and I remember another same type of story related to Dire Straits which repeated same pattern lot of money and 2 years job period was offered but.. -laughs- So this is actually nice bridge to the main thing Toto which was really the most important thing for Jeff. Of course
it was Jeff´s band In Toto he was able to express him self. Was it so? Jeff and David Paich but naturally other members also but they were founders and handled the whole deal. demo tracks and so on.. and it started mid seventyish. Was it 1975 when they started to formalize things? do not know if it was already when they played this one.. Yeah, there was pretty much same rhythm section. I guess Boz Scaggs "Silk Degrees" was the one there were many Paich songs and it got some success and from same
record company there came queries that "do you have something similar?" Apparently, the same rhythm group played in the background with the whole first album? Yes, Hungate, Paich and Porcaro Toto's rhythm group, combo, was already established at that point? And then when they did live gigs, there was Mike, Steve and even father Porcaro was somewhere at the Hollywood Bowl gig With Boz Scaggs He mentions it in one interview, it was his star moment With your own sons? So did all the boys and him.
Toto's story is also interesting, it started in the late 70s. Yes, at the turn of the 70s/80s I got all the records that had come out by 1982, so it was the same for me as it was for you in the early 80s. My first song was the same as yours, so Rosanna had a big impact when I heard it for the first time So after that I got all the albums that had been released up to that point. The albums were all good, I really liked them, music and playing, the influence was really big. Porcaro's playing was s
o incredibly good and magical What do you think of Toto? Now you say something! I can share, but you start first. Safe space. After all, it has been an important band. I've seen the band a couple of times Yes, it was listened to a lot, that IV was the first one I listened too. Then I also listened to those other albums, I was gigging a lot and I had Sony Walkmans at the time, so c-cassettes- was listened to a lot. Headphones always on, that's how those gig trips went. There’s been quite a good d
rummers in Toto. Oh yeah. Not just the drumming, but the songs overall. Joel already opened about his Toto obsession. It’s funny, Toto is still touring but, for me- After Jeff passed, the songs made by Steve Porcaro, like Taking it Back or It’s a feeling, are great songs. I’ve been able to say that also to him. Jeff was the brightest star of the family having done arguably the most work of the three brothers Father (Joe) was the thing of his own. There are lot’s of things that are just spot on i
n Toto’s music. It’s has been so much to me that it’s hard to pint point. When it comes to the music. It is THE thing for me and have always been. It’s the music that plays at the weddings and funerals. Great playing, great songs, great singing. It’s kinda musicians music. TOTO was also mocked a bit few years ago. Well, splashes were a tabu few years ago, don’t mind about it. You can have an opinion about it but the fact is that- what the players have done individually or collective wise, like T
hriller and such is amazing. You can argue that it is shit music, but you have no clue and you’re wrong. They also had their own sound. And besides that, like Toto IV, the technical stuff they experimented. Like Africa is a loop or parts of it. Or linking three 24-tracks together and do crazy shit. It’s significant to me. How about you Tommi? I will continue from here about Toto IV. I consider that as the best record made. Ever. My opinion and okey, Rosanna is in it album but all songs how they
are made. There is no bad songs in that album. That´s right. They used big orchestrations and horns.. and how good those songs has been sung. No any dubbing, nothing. No autotune. Just how good those songs have been made, played, sung, produced Al Schmitt. Mixed by Greg Ladanyi The world greatest professionals in every possible role. And then of course how it became so big hit. Like Africa, which is their most biggest hit. I have tried to copy things from there with drums, but also bass guitar s
ome little with piano.. I have tried to get insights from it. By the way, is there any knowledge, did David Hungate play on fourth one or.. Yeah, Hungate played on that album and Porcaro came just after recordings. He said he was moving to Nashville or actually he had moved already in 1980 and his children were small.. It was enough for him. Isn´t it so what comes to Africa, funny thing. when it actually made new coming among younger people But if you think, it is the last song in B side of LP v
ersion. The most worst place in album This is like "joke". It will never come of this.. quite crazy. Or what it was the story about Lukather that he will run naked somewhere if this will come as hit song. Do not know if he really did that He might have run even if it never became a hit. Probably yes, feelings were quite high during that time. What if we then speak about the last album were Porcaro was playing. Kingdom of Desire. Have to say that album has pretty damn good drum sounds What do you
think? I think the album is quite different from previous albums, e.g. IV, more of a band album? The sound changes even if the drums are the same, but when the whole thing changes, it affects everything. this record has some great songs and some great drum tracks some nice drum fills too :) How Many Times, everyone can try that fill, and think how did it go? I haven't heard the first successful version of that fill yet, except Jeff's. Will we hear on April 1st? (Joel's band perform tribute to T
oto Live in Paris gig) Do you play it there? We talked about this when we met. I've tried to block it but I can't say I can. The Swedish guy playing it on Youtube is playing it wrong. But then I found another clip on Youtube and the hand order is correct that's a damn good fill Fill is a real Jeff signature fill, it must have been asked of him Another good Jeff's signature fill is English Eyes? Even the start of the fill is a bit special it should be the same after the end of the fill? It's just
like that, do you have a story about this? I started crying the last time you told me this I can start crying myself, but when you said this song (English Eyes) In 2007, Toto played in Ratina Stadium in Tampere, they played that gig After that gig, we were playing Toto's music at the Bricks nightclub (Jarmo Nikku(g), Jari Heino(b), Jari Puhakka(k) and Kimmo Blom(v) and me(d)) I was there too. Oh, you were there, at Bricks. We knew the guy who took care of Luke and the rest of the band He said t
hat maybe a member of the band might come here after the gig?? Then we started playing the first set we played These Change and then we played English Eyes Then comes drum fill I played the drum fill out of that with syncope I look and see Steve Lukather standing there And the tears run down the cheek We'll play to the end of the set I went to Luke's table during the break and he said that in 15 years he hasn't heard of someone playing that fill like that. Hah, hah, don't ever play that again :)
:) I was really taken by Luke's words. So you had really learned it well? At least I knew how to fake well :) It's a bit like How Many Times fill. I was with Jarmo in the car on Saturday and he told the story that the dudes came there, and they wanted a microphone and started singing backing tracks to their own songs. Yeah, Bobby Kimball came there And Luke grabbed the guitar and played several songs. Yeah Hold The Line at least I have a video of it but the sound is bad The phones of that time
were bad in terms of sound, the picture is quite good but the sound is distorted I don't know what it is about English Eyes, that is, if you think of Toto Everything related to e.g. that set, the English Eyes from the 1990 Le Zenith gig is something like that, I've watched that clip hundreds of times and that fill is it and the whole mood of the song, the guitars, etc. is really amazing. My opinion, It's like Toto at his most perfect, fucking magical in that song. The original version, which is
on the Turn Back album, is a bit rude sounding Paris Le Zenith live and how Jeff plays it is a really cool version. We can all agree on that Are we still talking about Toto, do any memories come to mind? I've talked too much but I have to say it I spent a summer working in Sweden long ago, this was before I went to America to study I met a guy there, a music digger, we started talking about music and found out that we have pretty similar taste in music He asked to borrow some of my records and i
t suited me perfectly Then he said that he has a VHS tape with Toto's live concert .. aah. From Cleveland And then he had Toto Hydra tour live from Japan and also Toto IV tour in Japan, I have that video tape. Do You want to watch it sometime? Ok can you borrow it for the weekend, he said: of course I borrow and I say: I'll return it on Monday. Friday came, I went to the bank and emptied my bank account, bought a plane ticket to Finland I flew to Tampere in Finland on Saturday and went to the mu
sic store of my friends, they had 2 video recorders, a copy of the cassette and I flew back to Stockholm on Sunday I returned the tapes from the loan and said that the recordings were a hell of a good gig It came to cost approx. 1000€ in today's money, but it doesn't matter to me This happened in 1990 and then there were hardly any of these anywhere, now you can find them all on YouTube In those days it was a tough deal The video showed how Jeff worked with Toto live in the 70s And then the Toto
IV tour recording, wow, this was the story of this. Let's go to the next thing that tickles me. Miri, have you met Jeff once? Yes. In the corridor of the ice hall at Toto's gig You, Tommi, have met him too, how many times? Three times, there in the ice hall and also at the hotel in connection with Toto's concerts. Start Miri you, what kind of meeting did you have? I had received a backstage pass from Tumppi Haaranen, Thank you! I was walking down the halls at soundcheck and then Jeff came over
there and we talked a little bit Long coat on, thoughtful Probably thinking about new paintings or thinking about new song lyrics :) What was your impression of him? He seemed really nice, approachable Just like his father. Have you met Joe? Yes, I studied under him at PIT in the early 90's, at the same time Jeff was also there often. Did you meet Jeff while you were in America? I don't. But Joe more than that. Was there a similarity between them? Yes they were similar. PIT had such open counsel
that you could go to anyone's workshop When I often went to Joe's place, there were a lot of questions about Jeff We asked everything, e.g. how is the Mushanga comp going? Well it goes like this and then Joe played it and it sounded exactly like Jeff played it, no difference. I was still young at that time and Joe was already 50-60 years old and played really like a diamond I felt like I'm going to stop here because he (Joe) played all the same stuff as Jeff and in exactly the same way The feel
ing was also the same, as was the technicality as well. Hand orders and all the same He is a professional, a percussionist/drummer who has played a lot of film music Ralph Humphrey and others Well Tommi you must have the most probably Go ahead I have told this a lot I don't know if I'll remember everything but I'll try to tell this quickly but In 87' Toto came to Finland for the first time Then I got the tickets first to the concert and then And for some reason I don't know why but I thought I c
ould go to my aunt's the previous day So that maybe I could see the guys somewhere in Helsinki So then I went to Helsinki on Sunday and then on Monday morning And then I don't know why but I thought I could call Sony or Columbia whatever it was in Finland at the time I'll call them and ask that where is Toto? They didn't understand cause a jerk was calling them But when the phone started ringing and beeping some woman answered And then I say Jouko Konttinen from TV2 hello Where do you have Toto
's press today And then she said "yeah its in Intercontinental at 2 pm" Then I said "allright" and I marched to Intercontinental And I go to the lobby to wait and the time was like 10 or 11 am something like that After a couple of minutes after I sat down in the lobby Steve and Jeff Porcaro out of the elevator Then I saw them and I had gotten a camera from my aunt Then I got brave and asked them for a picture with them and that I was coming to the concert tonight Is that okay? Ofcourse. Luckily
I still have the picture. I take the picture "thank you thank you" I walk into the bistro next to the reception to sit and recover from the shock that I just met my idol This is over and this is enough and a couple of minutes later Jeff Porcaro walks into the empty bistro and looks around and sees me alone at a table Walks to sit right there across me and sits there like this and then says hey what's happening And I say that I'm coming to listen to your concert I have tickets. And for some reas
on it came to mind the modern drummer which I can show There's a picture of Jeff You have snares also here and more like 20 snares in a cabinet of sorts Then I asked Jeff if he had this kind of snare with a bronze body Would you like to try cause I had one Absolutely, definitely! Come here before 5 pm cause our bus leaves then you can come along to the soundcheck and I will try it there I said alright I'll bring you a drum I didn't have the drum ofcourse and I would've had to fly to Tampere or w
hatever but luckily then I knew that Jartsa had one but he didn't answer the phone cause he was in the studio or something Leevi had luckily in his car a message that he was in pop jazz conservatory then I went there and When Leevi found out what was the situation he said that ofcourse you can borrow the snare And I said no come with me to the Intercontinental like at half 5 so we won't be late and then Leevi came with the snare Then Jeff came well before 5 to talk to us about stuff like what do
we do etc. Really just like normal smalltalk and he was really interested in things and then I remember this still that David Paich I'll use this as an example. Brought the setlist to Jeff and asked is this a good list? No let's switch these two and lets put this there He must've had the last word about the set that here's a good set Then we went there on the bus and he tested the drum and said that this is so goddamn heavy that we can't use this It was Leevi's drum anyway so we couldn't have g
iven it to them but after that w made a deal that every time they came to Finland I said that I have more of these drums and in different sizes would you like to try? Yeah we'll always meet here cause we'll always be in the same hotel come here by all means And that's how it got done. I would always go to the Intercontinental to find Jeff and go to the soundcheck to test the drum What kind of feeling did you get from his persona? Really caring and interested in everything and none of the "star s
ymptoms" World's nicest guy I have only heard from different interviews that he always wants to help everyone And to me also when I said that I'm moving to New York next month at the last time He said that hey come to L.A to watch some sessions and that he'll pick me up from the airport and I was so dumb I didn't go. You can't now what's gonna happen in a year I have done mistakes but this is one of the worst that I didn't leave immediately But you still have the memories and that's why we have
assembled here to remember those things In YouTube u can find a video described by Joseph Williams, where u can see me and Leevi Go watch on YouTube Look now it runs there Quite amazing stories I would want to see him myself what kind of view I have gotten trough all such people that have met him The guy has a very big heart and just like you said transitional and not transitional person and takes humans like humans he's not like a normal star But he does not take shit Knows his own values like
he has limits too What story was this, many people might know it already But in some session a thing happened that the sleeves burned Ricky had asked that ''Hey drummer'' didn't call him his name ''could you play a harder fill,yeah I can play'' then he plays it no one can or should stand that Then he left ''too many syncopes'' He left with doors banging Was this the one when he hit the round stick trough the drumhead Trough the drumhead went trough the drumhead What was the thing when he said''n
o but I know where my car is parked''what was that thing when he was in some kind of session and someone asked him something Or some situation of the same type and then he asked him like do you know how to do this and then he answered ''no but I know where my car is parked'' Or something like that I don't know about this attitude at all what is in my opinion really cool Is I checked on YouTube Rock history music channel was Shannon Forrest's interview did u check it already I have watched What c
omes in Jeff's music and playing What comes in human If I understood correctly Shannon did not want to talk with his band mates because Shannon is a huge fan of Jeff He asked Steve Porcaro That were did Jeff's hard self confidence come from Its funny that Jeff was nice person Everyone said that Jeff was a really nice guy like Tommi and Miri says He has been Spontaneous, at the same time he has been confident as hell . such an aura that he knows what he's doing Jeff wasn't a technic freak He knew
his strength of playing Himself didn't think that he was good at playing hihat He knows what he is not good at But at the same time he has been confidence as hell Shannon says in the interview that everything Jeff played comes accurately. What Bill (Detamore) says in the interview is that Jeff has a lot of confidence Its well said what Shannon says in the interview He is really nice, has a lot of confidence without being an asshole In my opinion its very cool. That is a good life's precept for
everyone. Maybe the life's attitude has been pretty cool Maybe something like that I would want to be as a human Can be nice, confident and care of people Be confident without being an idiot this year marks the 32nd anniversary of his death We are still talking about Jeff here although he has been dead for a very long time and there is not many other drummers that we still talk about Tony Williams etc.But not many drummers we talk about He has left a big mark on us, there are four of us here tha
t he has left a mark on Today when this video comes out he would have turned 70yrs if he would be alive in what kind of playing condition he would have been till this day Playing condition would have been very great Many have said he would still be playing but also would produce records. That is a good point of view. wasn't it Boz Sgaggs album he was about to produced he wants Curt Bisquera he asked him to play drums because he didn't want to play himself I don't know had it been started yet Whe
n he died or was it supposed to start he had called Curt B Excellent drummer He had called him to come and play Boz Sgaggs new album How did Jim Gordon relate to this Jeff learned Jim's playing Because Keltner says learn this discipline and musicality that u can get from this guy So listen to him and learn Jeff talked about this in his clinics When he asked do you know who is Jim Gordon Nobody knows That had a huge influence I have seen a clinic video where he talks about this There goes the l
ink to the video! Came in mind this album that Porcaro plays All drum tracks and is a good album What do you think about this album? I tried learning these drum tracks, Pino Palladino is playing bass and Jon Lord from Deep Purple keyboard player Just like u said great drumming and great tunes Before we started to film A rimflam hit was on the album but I don't know which song it was in but it wasn't cruise There is great playing by Jeff and the album is recorded in Paris Before that he had made
the Pink Floyd song Mother Was it that father and son played in the same song Its a great album About Face I recommend listening How did he end up On Every Street album
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