In this episode, we sit down with the legendary John Robinson, the most recorded drummer in modern music history. Known for his work with musical icons like Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, and Steve Winwood, John gives us an exclusive look into his career, his new book The King of Groove, and the stories behind some of the most iconic hits of all time.

From his early beginnings in Iowa to shaping the sound of timeless classics like Off the Wall and Higher Love, John shares insights on groove, musical innovation, and the creative process.

Timestamps:

1:20 - Growing Up in Iowa
2:04 - Learning from his Mom
3:45 - First Time Playing Drums
4:54 - What is Groove?
8:30 - The Pocket
9:03 - Rock With You & Off The Wall
12:33 - Be Spontaneous as a Drummer
13:58 - Staying Prepared
15:04 - How Do You Know You Have A Hit?
16:28 - Rod Temperton's Writing Style
18:08 - Working with John Williams
21:02 - We Are The World Sessions
23:45 - On AI Demos
26:00 - The Killer Q Posse
27:40 - Being Entrepreneurial
29:10 - Touring v. Session
31:17 - Steely Dan
32:00 - Favorite Places to Tour
33:25 - Modern Music
35:56 - Genre-Blending
37:31 - What is Melody?
38:54 - Intros for Songs
39:05 - Higher Love
41:02 - On Healthy Ego
42:24 - Have A Fresh Eyes When Making Music
43:55 - Writing the Book
47:13 - New Book Publishing Company
48:33 - Getting Music Credits
49:40 - Stories that Missed the Book
52:30 - Top 10 List in the Book
53:55 - Rapid-Fire
57:03 - What Should Be A Drummer's Toolkit

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📚 Get your copy of John Robinson’s book King of the Groove - https://www.johnjrrobinson.com/store/p/jr-signature-hat-6xnza

Follow John Robinson on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnjrrobinson1/?hl=en
Website: https://www.johnjrrobinson.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/johnjrrobinson?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

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