Sam Clayton
Encyclopedia
Sam Clayton has been a singer and percussionist, primarily focusing on drums; conga
and djembe
, throughout his musical career. He is best known for his membership as percussionist and supporting vocalist with the American rock band Little Feat
since 1972.
music, and gospel music
. After seeing Lester Horton
and the modern dancers, "Zapata", he was enthralled by seeing the conga player. However, it wasn't until a chance opportunity to sit in with a house band for a song on the congas at a farewell dinner, just as he was laid off from his employment in electro-mechanical engineering drafting, that Clayton was offered the chance to join a band and play.
Clayton played for a short time with Little Richard
, and says he was inspired by "what Mongo Santamaría
was doing with Cal Tjader
".
, an eclectic
band drenched in Southern rhythms, funk, and alternative rock, by his friend Kenny Gradney
with whom he had played behind Delaney & Bonnie, and who was to replace original bassist Roy Estrada
. Gradney recommended Clayton to the band as he knew both men needed work following Delaney & Bonnie's split up following their divorce.
Sam made his debut with Little Feat on their third album Dixie Chicken
in 1973. He also played congas on Bonnie Raitt
's 1977 song, "Sweet Forgiveness", on her album of the same name. As time went on, his vocal talents as well as his percussion came to the fore, which gave the band a funkier sound. Although he rarely sang lead vocals, his scat-influenced bass vocals were strongly in evidence on tracks like "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" from Feats Don't Fail Me Now
. His first lead vocal with the group was "Feel The Groove" from Down on the Farm
in 1979 but the band broke up shortly afterwards and the subsequent death of founder Lowell George
meant they did not reform until 1988.
When Little Feat re-grouped Sam's voice became even more evident on songs like "The Ingenue" (from Representing the Mambo
) and "Romance Without Finance" and "That's A Pretty Good Love" (from Ain't Had Enough Fun
). He also sings the Lowell George
classic "Spanish Moon
" at Little Feat's live shows.
and has played with, among others Duane Allman
, Jimmy Barnes
, Jimmy Buffett
, Valerie Carter
, Freddie King
, Robert Palmer, Bonnie Raitt
, Bob Seger
and Travis Tritt
. He is the brother of singer Merry Clayton
.
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
and djembe
Djembe
A djembe also known as jembe, jenbe, djbobimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered drum meant played with bare hands....
, throughout his musical career. He is best known for his membership as percussionist and supporting vocalist with the American rock band Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
since 1972.
History
As a young man, he was influenced by R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
music, and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
. After seeing Lester Horton
Lester Horton
Lester Horton was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher.-Early years:Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 23, 1906. His parents were Iradell Horton and Pollyanna Horton....
and the modern dancers, "Zapata", he was enthralled by seeing the conga player. However, it wasn't until a chance opportunity to sit in with a house band for a song on the congas at a farewell dinner, just as he was laid off from his employment in electro-mechanical engineering drafting, that Clayton was offered the chance to join a band and play.
Clayton played for a short time with Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, and says he was inspired by "what Mongo Santamaría
Mongo Santamaría
Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All...
was doing with Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
".
Little Feat
Clayton was introduced to Little FeatLittle Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
, an eclectic
Eclecticism in music
Eclecticism is used to describe a composer's conscious use of styles alien to his nature, or from one or more historical styles. The term is also used pejoratively to describe music whose composer, thought to be lacking originality, appears to have freely drawn on other models .-Sources:* Kennedy,...
band drenched in Southern rhythms, funk, and alternative rock, by his friend Kenny Gradney
Kenny Gradney
Kenny Gradney, a native of New Orleans, is a member of the band Little Feat. He joined after their second album, replacing founding bassist Roy Estrada in 1972....
with whom he had played behind Delaney & Bonnie, and who was to replace original bassist Roy Estrada
Roy Estrada
Roy Estrada is an American musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and for co-founding Little Feat.-Biography:With drummer Jimmy Carl Black and Ray Collins, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa's...
. Gradney recommended Clayton to the band as he knew both men needed work following Delaney & Bonnie's split up following their divorce.
Sam made his debut with Little Feat on their third album Dixie Chicken
Dixie Chicken (album)
Dixie Chicken is the third studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1973. . The artwork for the front cover was by illustrator Neon Park....
in 1973. He also played congas on Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
's 1977 song, "Sweet Forgiveness", on her album of the same name. As time went on, his vocal talents as well as his percussion came to the fore, which gave the band a funkier sound. Although he rarely sang lead vocals, his scat-influenced bass vocals were strongly in evidence on tracks like "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" from Feats Don't Fail Me Now
Feats Don't Fail Me Now
Feats Don't Fail Me Now is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1974. .-Track listing:#"Rock & Roll Doctor" – 2:57#"Oh, Atlanta" – 3:26...
. His first lead vocal with the group was "Feel The Groove" from Down on the Farm
Down on the Farm
Down on the Farm is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1979. It was also their last original work for nine years. The band announced their break-up in June 1979 during the making of the album, and a fortnight later the band's founder and guiding light Lowell...
in 1979 but the band broke up shortly afterwards and the subsequent death of founder Lowell George
Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :...
meant they did not reform until 1988.
When Little Feat re-grouped Sam's voice became even more evident on songs like "The Ingenue" (from Representing the Mambo
Representing the Mambo
Representing the Mambo is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1990 . First single "Texas Twister", aided by a popular video which received heavy rotation on MTV, became the band's second #1 hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.-Track listing:#"Texas Twister"...
) and "Romance Without Finance" and "That's A Pretty Good Love" (from Ain't Had Enough Fun
Ain't Had Enough Fun
Ain't Had Enough Fun is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1995. . It was their first with female vocalist Shaun Murphy and was dedicated to the memory of their cover artist Neon Park who died in 1993 after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's disease...
). He also sings the Lowell George
Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :...
classic "Spanish Moon
Spanish Moon
Spanish Moon is an American-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by Khalid Abdullah. He became famous ran second in Dubai Sheema Classic. His group one win is Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud....
" at Little Feat's live shows.
Session work
Sam Clayton is also a respected session musicianSession musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
and has played with, among others Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
, Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
, Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, Valerie Carter
Valerie Carter
Valerie Carter to James J and Dorothy Carter, is an American singer-songwriter...
, Freddie King
Freddie King
Freddie King , thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential African-American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert...
, Robert Palmer, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
and Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
. He is the brother of singer Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer , and an actress...
.