Another Great Gone

Dino Danelli, the powerhouse drummer for The Young Rascals has passed.

Danelli was a wonderful drummer and though he was admired by many, there was a tendancy for him to get passed over after the influx of the newer generation of super chopsy hard rock drummers who came along in the late 60's . ( Bohham, Baker, Appice, Bunker, Mitchell, Palmer et al.) While they were breaking new musical ground in innovative bands, Danelli and the Rascals were firmly entrenched in the old school concept of writing hit songs to dance to and sing along with. But on further retrospection, Danelli was right up there and even surpassed them in many ways. He was a beast who had ungodly command of the instrument. In a way, he was like Gene Krupa -- showcasing his drumming in a flamboyant style, yet in a way that appealed to the masses. He'd be animated, twirling his sticks, looking cool as hell, and underneath it all his playing was as solid and groovin' (no pun intended) a player as there's ever been.

Dino played up to the end, and I get the feeling he'll continue to do so wherever he is.

Thanks for the music, Dino. And the inspiration . And the wonderful memories.