Give the Drummer Some
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Biography, Music
Give the Drummer Some is a documentary about the life and influence of James Brown's most revolutionary drummer, Clyde Stubblefield, who's rhythmic style transcended time and genre. Despite Stubblefield's impact, a lack of credit for his work sentenced him to a life of obscurity and hardships.
Give the Drummer Some
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Biography, Music
2 Campaigns | New York, United States
53 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$4,584
Goal: $30,000 for post-production
Give the Drummer Some is a documentary about the life and influence of James Brown's most revolutionary drummer, Clyde Stubblefield, who's rhythmic style transcended time and genre. Despite Stubblefield's impact, a lack of credit for his work sentenced him to a life of obscurity and hardships.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Give the Drummer Some is a documentary chronicling the life and influence of Clyde Stubblefield, who is most known for his contributions as James Brown’s former drummer. His iconic breakbeat on Funky Drummer is considered one of the most sampled recordings in music history and a pivotal piece of the foundation of hip-hop. Despite his influence on the genres of funk and hip-hop, Clyde was never credited for his work or given royalties for the usage of it. The lack of recognition and compensation would lead to a life of relative obscurity for Stubblefield, who’s career as a musician would never reach it’s fullest potential, finding himself stuck in a perpetual cycle of missed opportunities, health issues and exploitation.
Give the Drummer Some will provide viewers a candid insight into the mind, motivations and personal life of Stubblefield in a way that’s never been seen before. Through interviews with some of the most prominent figures in the music industry and never before seen footage of Clyde in his twilight years, this documentary is going to break down Clyde Stubblefield’s impact on popular music as we know it, analyze the root causes of why he never received the credit he deserved and how it all impacted his life.
This documentary will rely on the commentary, analysis and testimonials of some of the most prominent figures in the music industry, along with family, friends, bandmates, and Clyde himself. Through the capture of verité footage, we’ll get a glimpse into the mind, motivations, and personal life of Clyde in his final years. We’ll juxtapose this intimate footage sporadically, yet purposefully, in a way that ties Clyde’s past to his present.
The utilization of archival media will provide engaging and authentic support of the film’s narrative. In addition we’ll create animated reenactments of Clyde’s past experiences, didactic breakdowns of “Funky Drummer” as well as the many other innovative works by Clyde.
The approach of this film is to provide a comprehensive re-telling and analysis of past events while leaving no stone unturned. In order to maintain the attention of our viewers we’ll create an eye catching aesthetic built with nostalgia, grit, and color that immerses anyone watching. Most often the unadulterated subject matter itself will be enough to keep viewers submerged, through its rawness, comedic quips, shocking stories and jaw dropping revelations.
A key mission in telling this story is to give a honest portrayal of who Clyde was as an individual, aside from just his artistic accomplishments. It’s crucial to be able to show the nuances of him as a person in order to fully show just how authentic he was. To make sure the audience understands that he was an anomaly of a human and truly 1 of 1.
The social significance of this film is more relevant now than it ever has been. We’re in an era where culture is evolving faster than it ever has, in this case music culture. This film’s intent is to preserve a crucial piece of our musical foundation. To recognize and celebrate an individual who’s imprint spans the globe. This documentary invites the audience to understand the history—to be conscious of lineage, ancestry and legacy. To preserve one single, yet crucial, piece of American music foundation. To enshrine an individual who helped shape cultures that have become so beloved across the globe. As the cultures evolve it is pivotal that whoever is holding the the torch understands the genealogy of the art forms.
This film hopes to instill a mentality within the viewers to recognize anyone, in any capacity, who has paved a way for others to be in the positions that they are in today. To be conscious of the pioneers who’s fruits of their labor we’ve been fortunate enough to consume. Clyde unfortunately is not the only artist who’s contributions to the world have been taken for granted. Moving forward, how can we ensure that these musical architects get the credit they deserve?
(Questlove, Bootsy Collins, Anderson .Paak, Christian McBride, Dennis Chambers, Fred Wesley, Hank Shocklee)
A major reason we've reached this point in our production is thanks to supporters like you who contributed to our first Seed & Spark campaign back in 2021, where we were able to raise $20,885!
Production on this film began in 2015 and to date we’ve conducted interviews with:
Clyde Stubblefield, George Clinton, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Bootsy Collins, Anderson .Paak, John “Jab’o” Starks, Fred Wesley, Fred Thomas, Harry Weinger, Alan Leeds, Breakbeat Lou, Dennis Chambers, Christian McBride, Hank Shocklee, Nate Smith, Kid Capri, Daru Jones, John Scofield, Bob Both, Ben Sidran, Leo Sidran, Stro Elliot, Bret Stubblefield and Dylan Wissing. In addition to these valuable interviews, we were granted access to capture incredibly intimate footage with Clyde during the final years of his life and never before seen archival video/photos. This invaluable footage includes him in his home, performing in his adopted hometown of Madison, WI and unprecedented access during his life preserving dialysis treatments. We’ve also been in correspondance to schedule interviews with individuals like Sheila E., David Garibaldi, Steve Gadd, Michael Bland, Little John Roberts, Butch Vig, as well as close friends and family of Clyde.
Despite this progress, we continue to find ourselves stifled due to the lack of funding and resources. This project is ready to transition its focus into post-production, and if enabled, will even further develop the leverage to not only pitch for more funding but also distribution opportunities and film festival submissions.
(Exec. Producers: Chris Caro, Riley Dengler)
Stretch Goals:
Reaching our campaign goal of $35,000 will enable us to complete a strong rough cut to pursue our distribution and festival endeavors.
- If we raise $40,000, we'll be able to capture the remaining interviews we have on standby.
- If we raise $45,000, we'll be able to begin the development of animated reenactments.
- If we raise $55,000, we'll be able lock picture and begin the color grade and/or audio mixing.
- If we raise $65,000, we'll be able to start investing into our own marketing/distribution strategy.
(Kid Capri, Breakbeat Lou, Daru Jones, Nate Smith)
I was fortunate to get to know and spend time with Clyde Stubblefield starting at a young age in my hometown of Madison, WI. Clyde embraced me at a point when I hadn't fully comprehended just how impactful his work was. I not only cherished our friendship, but I cherished his existence. His willingness to invite me into his life to tell his story is a privilege I'll never take for granted.
As our relationship developed, not only did I become more conscious of his undeniable influence on modern music, but I began to see the complexities of him as an individual that lead me to the conclusion that he was—and I don't say this lightly—nothing short of a musical genius. These revelations only heightened my frustrations with the lack of credit he received for his contributions, thus further motivating me to ensure that not only his full story be told, but that his legacy as a pioneer and innovator becomes cemented within American music history. I've dedicated nearly 10 years of my life to this film, and my determination to complete it has yet to waver—in fact, I feel more motivated now than ever before.
-Trevor Banks, Director/Producer
(Clyde Stubblefield, Trevor Banks)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
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About This Team
Trevor Banks (Director/Editor)
Trevor was a kid when he met Clyde Stubblefield at a local music festival in his hometown of Madison, WI. It wasn't until nearly a decade later that he really understood how influential Clyde was to the landscape of music history. Not long after this revelation is when Trevor decided he needed to tell the world about who Clyde really was.
So here we are...
Banks is a documentary and commercial director & editor. His documentary work includes intimate portraits of subjects within music and sports. He has worked alongside Nike, New York City Football Club, New Balance, Firelight Media, Wax Poetics, Boiler Room, Slate and AJ+. Feature length docs Trevor has played a role in include String Theory: The Richard Davis Method (Editor) and the in-production Stanley Nelson directed We Want the Funk! (Associate Editor). Trevor’s short films Racing Against BRCA, DJ Seinfeld: Time Spent in NYC and Pierre Kwenders Live at The Apollo, have screened at the New York City Independent Film Festival, been featured on Four Four Mag and premiered on TIDAL. A graduate of Old Dominion University and recipient of the student filmmaker award in 2009. Trevor is a Creative Partner at NYC based production company, CMMN CNTRL.
Give The Drummer Some will be Trevor's feature length directorial debut.
Michael Neelsen (Executive Producer)
Michael's experience as a filmmaker will be immeasureable to our succes, as he already has three feature length docuementaries to his name. His directorial debut began with his film, Last Day at Lambeau (2012), a film that depicted the divorce of Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in 2008. It was an official selection to the Austin Film Festival 2012, Milwaukee Film Festival 2012, Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival 2012, Wisconsin Film Festival 2012, Duluth-Superior Film Festival 2012, Flyway Film Festival 2012, Driftless Film Festival 2012, Green Bay Film Festival 2013 and Gasparilla Film Festival 2013. Michael's most recent documentary series, Beyond Human Nature, chronicles the Tom Monfils murder investigation. His latest feature doc, String Theory: The Richard Davis Method (2024), screened at the Wisconsin Film Festival and Milwaukee Film Festival.
Riley Dengler (Executive Producer/Director of Photography)
Riley Dengler is a Brooklyn based DP and Creative Partner at CMMN CNTRL who has helped major brands like Amazon, Spotify, Under Armour and New Balance execute major campaigns and commercials. From artist spotlights and short documentaries to video podcasts and commercials, his work has been displayed on digital billboards in Times Square, accumulated hundreds of millions of views on social media, and even been the #1 trending video on YouTube. Although Riley enjoys himself most behind the camera, his foundation in the video industry has formed himself into a Swiss army knife of sorts who is well versed in editing, sound design and color.
Chris Caro (Executive Producer/Cinematographer)
Chris Caro began his career in the advertising world as an art director, creating campaigns for Nike, Adidas, and K-Swiss to name a few. After transitioning to directing commercials from behind the camera, his passion for storytelling led him to pick up a camera himself. This move landed him on the road as Ne-Yo’s touring photographer, capturing the artist’s performances and life around the globe.
Drawing on years of production experience and a keen eye for compelling visuals, Chris joined forces with longtime collaborators to form CMMN CNTRL. Today, he focuses on commercial and documentary projects, bringing visionary narratives to life.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Give the Drummer Some is a documentary chronicling the life and influence of Clyde Stubblefield, who is most known for his contributions as James Brown’s former drummer. His iconic breakbeat on Funky Drummer is considered one of the most sampled recordings in music history and a pivotal piece of the foundation of hip-hop. Despite his influence on the genres of funk and hip-hop, Clyde was never credited for his work or given royalties for the usage of it. The lack of recognition and compensation would lead to a life of relative obscurity for Stubblefield, who’s career as a musician would never reach it’s fullest potential, finding himself stuck in a perpetual cycle of missed opportunities, health issues and exploitation.
Give the Drummer Some will provide viewers a candid insight into the mind, motivations and personal life of Stubblefield in a way that’s never been seen before. Through interviews with some of the most prominent figures in the music industry and never before seen footage of Clyde in his twilight years, this documentary is going to break down Clyde Stubblefield’s impact on popular music as we know it, analyze the root causes of why he never received the credit he deserved and how it all impacted his life.
This documentary will rely on the commentary, analysis and testimonials of some of the most prominent figures in the music industry, along with family, friends, bandmates, and Clyde himself. Through the capture of verité footage, we’ll get a glimpse into the mind, motivations, and personal life of Clyde in his final years. We’ll juxtapose this intimate footage sporadically, yet purposefully, in a way that ties Clyde’s past to his present.
The utilization of archival media will provide engaging and authentic support of the film’s narrative. In addition we’ll create animated reenactments of Clyde’s past experiences, didactic breakdowns of “Funky Drummer” as well as the many other innovative works by Clyde.
The approach of this film is to provide a comprehensive re-telling and analysis of past events while leaving no stone unturned. In order to maintain the attention of our viewers we’ll create an eye catching aesthetic built with nostalgia, grit, and color that immerses anyone watching. Most often the unadulterated subject matter itself will be enough to keep viewers submerged, through its rawness, comedic quips, shocking stories and jaw dropping revelations.
A key mission in telling this story is to give a honest portrayal of who Clyde was as an individual, aside from just his artistic accomplishments. It’s crucial to be able to show the nuances of him as a person in order to fully show just how authentic he was. To make sure the audience understands that he was an anomaly of a human and truly 1 of 1.
The social significance of this film is more relevant now than it ever has been. We’re in an era where culture is evolving faster than it ever has, in this case music culture. This film’s intent is to preserve a crucial piece of our musical foundation. To recognize and celebrate an individual who’s imprint spans the globe. This documentary invites the audience to understand the history—to be conscious of lineage, ancestry and legacy. To preserve one single, yet crucial, piece of American music foundation. To enshrine an individual who helped shape cultures that have become so beloved across the globe. As the cultures evolve it is pivotal that whoever is holding the the torch understands the genealogy of the art forms.
This film hopes to instill a mentality within the viewers to recognize anyone, in any capacity, who has paved a way for others to be in the positions that they are in today. To be conscious of the pioneers who’s fruits of their labor we’ve been fortunate enough to consume. Clyde unfortunately is not the only artist who’s contributions to the world have been taken for granted. Moving forward, how can we ensure that these musical architects get the credit they deserve?
(Questlove, Bootsy Collins, Anderson .Paak, Christian McBride, Dennis Chambers, Fred Wesley, Hank Shocklee)
A major reason we've reached this point in our production is thanks to supporters like you who contributed to our first Seed & Spark campaign back in 2021, where we were able to raise $20,885!
Production on this film began in 2015 and to date we’ve conducted interviews with:
Clyde Stubblefield, George Clinton, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Bootsy Collins, Anderson .Paak, John “Jab’o” Starks, Fred Wesley, Fred Thomas, Harry Weinger, Alan Leeds, Breakbeat Lou, Dennis Chambers, Christian McBride, Hank Shocklee, Nate Smith, Kid Capri, Daru Jones, John Scofield, Bob Both, Ben Sidran, Leo Sidran, Stro Elliot, Bret Stubblefield and Dylan Wissing. In addition to these valuable interviews, we were granted access to capture incredibly intimate footage with Clyde during the final years of his life and never before seen archival video/photos. This invaluable footage includes him in his home, performing in his adopted hometown of Madison, WI and unprecedented access during his life preserving dialysis treatments. We’ve also been in correspondance to schedule interviews with individuals like Sheila E., David Garibaldi, Steve Gadd, Michael Bland, Little John Roberts, Butch Vig, as well as close friends and family of Clyde.
Despite this progress, we continue to find ourselves stifled due to the lack of funding and resources. This project is ready to transition its focus into post-production, and if enabled, will even further develop the leverage to not only pitch for more funding but also distribution opportunities and film festival submissions.
(Exec. Producers: Chris Caro, Riley Dengler)
Stretch Goals:
Reaching our campaign goal of $35,000 will enable us to complete a strong rough cut to pursue our distribution and festival endeavors.
- If we raise $40,000, we'll be able to capture the remaining interviews we have on standby.
- If we raise $45,000, we'll be able to begin the development of animated reenactments.
- If we raise $55,000, we'll be able lock picture and begin the color grade and/or audio mixing.
- If we raise $65,000, we'll be able to start investing into our own marketing/distribution strategy.
(Kid Capri, Breakbeat Lou, Daru Jones, Nate Smith)
I was fortunate to get to know and spend time with Clyde Stubblefield starting at a young age in my hometown of Madison, WI. Clyde embraced me at a point when I hadn't fully comprehended just how impactful his work was. I not only cherished our friendship, but I cherished his existence. His willingness to invite me into his life to tell his story is a privilege I'll never take for granted.
As our relationship developed, not only did I become more conscious of his undeniable influence on modern music, but I began to see the complexities of him as an individual that lead me to the conclusion that he was—and I don't say this lightly—nothing short of a musical genius. These revelations only heightened my frustrations with the lack of credit he received for his contributions, thus further motivating me to ensure that not only his full story be told, but that his legacy as a pioneer and innovator becomes cemented within American music history. I've dedicated nearly 10 years of my life to this film, and my determination to complete it has yet to waver—in fact, I feel more motivated now than ever before.
-Trevor Banks, Director/Producer
(Clyde Stubblefield, Trevor Banks)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Share this update!
About This Team
Trevor Banks (Director/Editor)
Trevor was a kid when he met Clyde Stubblefield at a local music festival in his hometown of Madison, WI. It wasn't until nearly a decade later that he really understood how influential Clyde was to the landscape of music history. Not long after this revelation is when Trevor decided he needed to tell the world about who Clyde really was.
So here we are...
Banks is a documentary and commercial director & editor. His documentary work includes intimate portraits of subjects within music and sports. He has worked alongside Nike, New York City Football Club, New Balance, Firelight Media, Wax Poetics, Boiler Room, Slate and AJ+. Feature length docs Trevor has played a role in include String Theory: The Richard Davis Method (Editor) and the in-production Stanley Nelson directed We Want the Funk! (Associate Editor). Trevor’s short films Racing Against BRCA, DJ Seinfeld: Time Spent in NYC and Pierre Kwenders Live at The Apollo, have screened at the New York City Independent Film Festival, been featured on Four Four Mag and premiered on TIDAL. A graduate of Old Dominion University and recipient of the student filmmaker award in 2009. Trevor is a Creative Partner at NYC based production company, CMMN CNTRL.
Give The Drummer Some will be Trevor's feature length directorial debut.
Michael Neelsen (Executive Producer)
Michael's experience as a filmmaker will be immeasureable to our succes, as he already has three feature length docuementaries to his name. His directorial debut began with his film, Last Day at Lambeau (2012), a film that depicted the divorce of Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in 2008. It was an official selection to the Austin Film Festival 2012, Milwaukee Film Festival 2012, Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival 2012, Wisconsin Film Festival 2012, Duluth-Superior Film Festival 2012, Flyway Film Festival 2012, Driftless Film Festival 2012, Green Bay Film Festival 2013 and Gasparilla Film Festival 2013. Michael's most recent documentary series, Beyond Human Nature, chronicles the Tom Monfils murder investigation. His latest feature doc, String Theory: The Richard Davis Method (2024), screened at the Wisconsin Film Festival and Milwaukee Film Festival.
Riley Dengler (Executive Producer/Director of Photography)
Riley Dengler is a Brooklyn based DP and Creative Partner at CMMN CNTRL who has helped major brands like Amazon, Spotify, Under Armour and New Balance execute major campaigns and commercials. From artist spotlights and short documentaries to video podcasts and commercials, his work has been displayed on digital billboards in Times Square, accumulated hundreds of millions of views on social media, and even been the #1 trending video on YouTube. Although Riley enjoys himself most behind the camera, his foundation in the video industry has formed himself into a Swiss army knife of sorts who is well versed in editing, sound design and color.
Chris Caro (Executive Producer/Cinematographer)
Chris Caro began his career in the advertising world as an art director, creating campaigns for Nike, Adidas, and K-Swiss to name a few. After transitioning to directing commercials from behind the camera, his passion for storytelling led him to pick up a camera himself. This move landed him on the road as Ne-Yo’s touring photographer, capturing the artist’s performances and life around the globe.
Drawing on years of production experience and a keen eye for compelling visuals, Chris joined forces with longtime collaborators to form CMMN CNTRL. Today, he focuses on commercial and documentary projects, bringing visionary narratives to life.