Drums on "Sysyphus"?

[3Dasha]

According to Wikipedia, each Floyd member played all instruments on his own solo piece on "Ummagumma"(except "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party", which featured Lindy Mason playing flute).
Did Rick really play drums on "Sysyphus"? I mean, at first I've automatically assumed that it was Nick's job, but that doesn't correlate with the fact that Pink Floyd members didn't play on each other's "Ummagumma" pieces.

[moom]

It could be an outsider as well, since Nick did so and obviously so did Rick with the female vocals.

[snifferdog]

I've no idea but the drumming on The Narrow Way sounds very like Nick Mason

[StarlightDragon]

Everything in both Nick Mason's book and Mark Blake's Floyd biography suggests that the four members were very much separated from each other while recording their Ummagumma pieces, and all online sites credit the drums on Sysyphus to Rick. I'd say it was probably him.

[moom]

David drummed for Syd, so he could drum on his own track as well.

And I remember really vaguely an image of Rick drumming.

[RonToon]

David drummed for Syd, so he could drum on his own track as well.

You can also see David playing drums on the 1970 St Tropez soundcheck.

[my breakfast.]

David would no doubt drum in the style of Nick. Afterall he would have heard those drums behind him and probably picked up the fills and things. THe drums on Narrow Way part III are hardly the hardest.

Ditto Sysyphus. From what I remember there is some vaguely tribal drum parts (more Stig of the Dump than Barundi Warriors).

[3Dasha]

Thank you all for your answers! I was unsure mostly due to the fact that Rick is the only Floyd(besides Syd), who isn't seen drumming on photos and such. David did play drums on Island jam, so I'm sure it wasn't Nick drumming on the Narrow Way.

[snifferdog]

It is something that I wondered about too. I read Nick's book as well and would've thought everyone did their own thing for those tracks. The style of the drums on The Narrow Way did make me wonder was Nick remembering things differently?

[moom]

What do others say? It's hard to make another band-member secretly play for you without anyone noticing.

Thanks, RonToon.

[my breakfast.]

Gus might be the best to consult. I can tell Keith Moon fromBilly Cobham, but not two similar drummers such as on Ummagumma.

[The Gunner's Dream]

I've listened to all 4 movements of "Sysyphus". In my opinion it is most likely that Rick himself played all of the percussion on this track. For one thing, the "touch" of the drummer on this track (particularly on the snare and timpani) is the touch of someone who isn't too experienced with these instruments. So Rick gets my vote- it is his piece of music after all. Another thing to consider is that none of the percussion parts played on the track would require the skill of an actual drummer. Even things like the drum-roll on the timpani (which was very inconsistenly played) can be played by someone without any former experience with the instrument.

So in short, Rick played drums on Sysyphus. Weird track.

As for "The Narrow Way", it is certainly a different drummer. I still do not think it is Nick though, as the drumming is a bit more tentative and uncertain than Nick's usual playing. The timing also phases some as well. My best guess would be that David is the one drumming on this track.

[PemmicanHoosh]

For those who know they've seen Richard sitting behind a drum kit somewhere, but can't quite place it. Sorry about the lousy picture quality. For my money, if he played the vibraphone on PF songs then it's likely he also played the simple percussion parts of Sysyphus.

Also, someone mentioned female voices. Those are not outside musicians on Sysyphus, but (as I read someone once say) are the voices of a long-dead choir 'ahh'-ing - captured upon the tapes of the mellotron, which Rick also uses to play the string sounds.

David also plays drums on Fat Old Sun, so they say.

[moom]

What's a long-dead choir? Your information sounds very interesting indeed I'd try suggesting doing that thing to, say, Justin Timberkale just to see him react.

[PemmicanHoosh]

Oh, may I join the choir invisible
Of those immortal dead who live again

The female and male voices on the mellotron were probably recorded in the early 60s. Some of the singers may well still be alive, though many of them will have been getting on a bit at the time. The recordings were so clear and full of character that, unadorned by reverb or backing music and pressing one key at a time, it's like they are standing in the room with you, which makes it a bit of a ghostly experience.

Here's a low-quality copy of one note of the women that would have been used at the end of Sysyphus: