This article is about the song written by Michael Nesmith. For the Linda Ronstadt album, see Different Drum (album). For the record label, see A Different Drum.
"Different Drum" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Michael Nesmith in 1964. It was first recorded by the bluegrass band The Greenbriar Boys and included on their 1966 album Better Late than Never!. Nesmith offered it to his group the Monkees, but the producers of the Monkees TV show turned it down, though he did perform a short comic version of the song in one episode.[4]
The song became popular in 1967 when it was recorded by the Stone Poneys who took it to No. 12 on the Cash Box Top 100, No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 16 in Record World magazine. "Different Drum" had its strongest commercial performance in New Zealand, where it reached No. 5.[5] In 1972, Nesmith recorded his own version. "Different Drum" has since been covered by other artists.
The Greenbriar Boys version
Michael Nesmith wrote the song in 1964, early in his career as a singer-songwriter. "Different Drum" tells of a pair of lovers, one of whom wants to settle down while the other wants to retain a sense of freedom and independence. Its narrator is the lover who wants to remain free, telling the other that "we'll both live a lot longer" if they part ways now. Nesmith said: "The lyrics ... had nothing to do with my personal life – I was newly married with a pregnant wife."[6]
In 1965, he shared the song with John Herald of the Greenbriar Boys. The following year, Herald's group recorded it on their album Better Late Than Never.[7][6]
The Stone Poneys version
The song is best known for the 1967 version credited to the Stone Poneys, issued by Capitol Records,[8][9] and featuring a vocal performance by up-and-coming 21-year-old singer Linda Ronstadt. It was Ronstadt's first hit single, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as No. 12 on the Cash Box magazine singles chart. (It went to No. 1 in the Los Angeles market and No. 6 in Detroit.)[10]
Ronstadt's version makes slight changes to the lyrics which were originally written from a male perspective to a female lover, replacing "girl" with "boy". The Stone Poneys had intended to record an "acoustic ballad version" of the song, but producer Nick Venet opted for a more complex instrumental approach for the recording session. This new orchestration used an arrangement by Jimmy Bond (who also played upright bass); a string section led by Sid Sharp; guitarists Al Viola and Bernie Leadon;[11] drummer Jim Gordon; and harpsichord by Don Randi played in a mostly improvised quasi-baroque style. As a result, Ronstadt was the only member of the Stone Poneys who performed on the record. The released version was the second take, recorded live-in-the-studio with no overdubbing.[6] The album rendition offers a different stereo mix from the hit single, including a longer harpsichord bridge.[12]
Ronstadt later commented that she had been expecting to record the song as arranged by the Stone Poneys, and felt "completely confused" by the changed approach to the song due to the tight schedule which didn't allow her to rehearse with the new musicians.[12] Even years later she perceived "fear and a lack of confidence" in her performance. Nesmith, on the other hand, said that Ronstadt's performance "infused it with a new level of passion and sensuality".[12] Her bandmates in Stone Poneys recalled feeling no animosity when they were excluded from the recording sessions, agreeing the song should be a showcase for Rondstadt's vocal.[12] In later live performances of the song, Nesmith would often sing the closing verse in the same singing style as the Ronstadt version.[citation needed]
The song was performed on the Monkees television program when Nesmith rushed through a version of it in a comedy bit while performing as the character Billy Roy Hodstetter, in the Monkees television show episode "Too Many Girls", which aired in December 1966.[19]Davy Jones mentions this during the commentary track on some DVDs of this episode.[20]
Nesmith later re-recorded "Different Drum" for his 1972 LP And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. His version contains four verses, as opposed to the three in Ronstadt's version.
Other versions
The song has been covered by many artists, often modelled on Ronstadt's performance:
↑ Coleman, Mark; Scoppa, Bud (November 2, 2004). "Linda Ronstadt". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp.701–702.
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