One of the most exciting revelations inspired by Che Underground: The Blog was the reintroduction to our circle of original Wallflowers drummer Cecil “P’Nut” Daniels.
His arrival from Texas in the early ’80s (under the name Aaron Daniels) and unlikely alliance with the nascent Wallflowers wrought a profound influence on the band and on other members of our crew, such as Kristen Tobiason and Patrick Works.
“Aaron elevated the proceedings,” writes Wallflowers bassist Paul Howland. “He showed me how to play slap-style bass, (which we called ‘Thumpin’ ’ or ‘Poppin’ ’); played me recordings of some of the best purveyors of that technique; and even showed me how to set up an amp properly to achieve the right sound to enhance the technique.
“He also is responsible in large measure for me having high standards for myself as a musician, and completely responsible for giving me very high standards about a drummer’s role in a rhythm section. He also helped us revamp our stage shows with segues and tight transitions between songs. We wouldn’t have been the band we were and I wouldn’t be the musician I came to be had he not been there.”
Wallflowers vocalist Dave Rinck recalls the first time the band took the stage (cold) with Aaron behind the drum set: “Oh man, so I got up and we all looked at each other, and (guitarist) Tommy (Clarke) hits the opening chords to I think ‘I Wana be your Dog,’ and all of a sudden I hear this like amazing roar behind me, like a fucking Tsunami is coming up on us, and I look behind me, and it’s Aaron! Wow, that guys could Iggy Pop, he could bebop, you name it. Man, he was truly a kick-ass drummer, and actually a great all-around musician, and yes, he pretty much locked us up in my garage the next day and showed us how to be a band. …”
Today, Cecil “P’Nut” Daniels remains a powerful musical force, now based in the San Francisco Bay area and focused on the DH-100 MIDI sax and Morrison MIDI trumpet. Here’s an online bio from a few years ago as well as his MySpace page.
Students of Cecil “P’Nut” Daniels will be interested in the wealth of YouTube videos featuring this formidable musical talent in conversation and performance. A few samples:
Wallflowers MP3s:
- The Wallflowers play “Funland”: Listen now!
- The Wallflowers play “Rubber Room”: Listen now!
- The Wallflowers play “Walldrugs”: Listen now!
- The Wallflowers play “Paradise on Fourth Avenue”: Listen now!
- The Wallflowers play “Survive the Jungle”: Listen now!
- The Wallflowers play “Raw Power”: Listen now!
Wow
That was really cool, the video clips are amazing.
Aaron was an amazing drummer and he really inspired my drumming. I had to follow him as a WallFlower, not an easy thing to do. Lucky for me I was a very young kid and did not know much better. I remember telling him I could not do it and he gave me the pep talk, he was not going to be around so I had no chioce really. He was such a great person, I’m thrilled to see he is still at it and doing very well.
“I can Iggy Pop Pop, I can bebop, you name it, you got it”
This is a fantastic post. Forget the Stooges and Johnny T, or even Ornette Coleman, Aaron Daniels was in reality the single most important influence on the Wallflowers. The time we spent together was some of the most formative time of my life, and I’m deeply indebted to him for the many things he taught me and the rest of the band, and not only about playing music, but lessons of life in general, Aaron being a generous companion with the wisdom he has acquired.
Let me just tell the story of how the Wallflowers met Aaron. Following Tommy, Paul and my meeting, the band had been “conceptually” together for about a year, but hadn’t ever actually played any shows. There was the famous “Disco Hookers” interlude Ted Friedman, and we’d played a bit with a couple of drummers, even recording a truly garageband-worthy demo on a pair of garbage cans at one point with a kid from Paul’s neighborhood (wow, I’d love to submit that one to the Che Underground archives, but it is truly lost to time). But truthfully we were a band only by virtue of listening to the first two Stooges albums together 5,000 times.
Well, finally I said, “hell, this is the slowboat to China, let’s get out and play. The only way we’re gonna get this band moving is to get some shows, dammit.” So I went out and got us back to back Friday-Saturday bookings at a short-lived little joint on El Cajon Blvd. called Dance City and at Rock and Roll Headquarters down in P.B. The devil be dammed if I was gonna let little things like not really having any songs, or not having a drummer, stand between me and rock and roll destiny!
Well, that truly did light a fire under our asses. As the big weekend drew closer we mastered such classic soon-to-be additions to the Wallflowers cannon as “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, “Raw Power”, and “Chinese Rocks”, but on the other front, no drummer materialized despite a frantic search. We asked everyone we could find, but nobody seemed to know any drummers that were free to join our emerging outfit. Or well, at least no drummers that actually had drum kits and knew how to play them. Okay well, as a sidenote to San Diego rock and roll history, let me mention that we had one concrete offer, and that was Leighton Koizumi. He volunteered to play with us that night. So, had Aaron not appeared at the last second, Leighton might have ended up been the first Wallflowers drummer. Imagine that…
But finally, on Friday afternoon, the very day of the first Wallflowers concert, Paul announced a breakthrough. The owners of Music Power down on University Avenue had met a guy fresh in from Texas, looking for a band. And he apparently was a very talented drummer. So I went down there immediately and got his phone number and called him to ask “can you play like Iggy Pop”? He agreed to play that very night, with the now-famous line, “I can Iggy Pop Pop, I can bebop, you name it, you got it”.
And so at abut 4pm on a Friday afternoon circa 1983, I met Aaron Daniels for the very first time as he jumped on the back of my red Harley Davidson Sportster on a street corner near 40th and University. We drove over to my house so I could play him some cassette tapes of the mostly Stooges cover tunes that we planned to play that evening. After sampling these for about 20 seconds, Aaron turned off the tape player, and made the remark, “Okay, got it”… And did he ever! The rest is history.
I have this utterly incongruous image of Mr. Daniels as this kind of Mary Poppins figure … Shows up on the scene and turns around this motley garage full of Stooges fans into something ridiculously funky.
I wish I’d known him better at the time — I certainly could’ve used some professional regrooving myself!
I remember his backbeat persuasion at a Pat “dave fest”. He was one of the those “wow” players. Between Peter meisner’s geetar, Dave Flem’s bass and songwriting, and Keith Fisher’s tinkling of the plastic vox keys; SD had some talented players. The list is longer than this of course. But you all knew that.
Aaron was an incredible talent. He was also warm and big-hearted. He was generous and kind, and would offer help to anyone in need.
I can’t say that about too many from our group back then.
Most of us were self-serving assholes. Myself included.
Ah…youth. *sigh* Aaron was a father figure. well… because he WAS a father!
yeah…Dave Fest 2 with the Pandoras, TTHhearts, Wallflowers, and I think we got shut down before the Unforgiven had a chance to play…Aaron was between kits and had to borrow from the Pandoras. I remember they played the deck by the back door. Aaron asked the Pandoras drummer very politely (he was a pretty soft-spoken guy) if he could use her drums. She said yes…and then Aaron (aka Cecil?) sat down to play.
The Pandoras drummer (I can’t remember names except Paula and Gwen…don’t ask) dropped her jaw to the floor. I don’t think she’d ever heard drumming that good, much less HER kit making sounds like that.
We had a shed connected to the garage out back, and during afternoons we used a lot of art supplies and Aaron would conduct his “school of funkology”. I remember auditing classes (I’m not much of a musician) with Paul Howland and Todd Lehman in attendance. And my cat “Little Booger”. She was at most of the classes too. Funky Kitty. We had a huge blackboard and Aaron would write out music and break down what it really really meant to be funky.
He did know. We all got that in about twenty seconds. What was quite amazing was his patience and inclination to teach.
Another legendary blessing…
Patrick Works
Funky by Proxy
>>The Pandoras drummer (I can’t remember names except Paula and Gwen…don’t ask)
Patrick: Casey Gomez, a k a “the pleasant one” in my encounters with them. 🙂
In the words of Lou Reed, “How do you think it feels, to only be funky by proxy”.
BTW, are Cecil’s horns the coolest or what? I’m such an ignoramus about playing brass and reed instruments … And this domain of MIDI versions of same is completely foreign to me. I really enjoyed his demo — I can see why he was such a great teacher for those of you who were lucky enough to participate in his funky garage seminars.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
WOW! Amazing I remembered all of those incidences. The Pandoras…got me with that one! That was a cool time.
I am truly overwhelmed and humbled by all of the heart-felt sentiments posted regarding one’s association and encounter with myself. Just know that the feeling is mutual and none of it could have happened without you all. The Howland and the Rinc families were the most vital and influential elements to the (what we proudly call) success of this Rock & Roll formula. Dave, Tommy, Paul, you guys are a big part of my music psyche and your influences on me (on and off stage) are greatly cherished. Likewise Kristen, you were very instrumental in keeping the boys nurtured and grounded. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize any of your musical aspirations back in those days but glad you’re now on the set.
It was a little over a year ago when I got the call for the reunion. I can’t relay in words how excited and honored I was to participate. However, a career oriented decision had to be made at that time that overrode my nostalgic desires to participate. Hopefully we can do it again soon!
Sincerely grateful to all,
Cecil Aaron Daniels (P’Nut)
p.s.
Dan Howland rocks!!!!!