Why “Sunshine Of Your Love” Feels Backwards (But Is Actually Genius)
In 1967, Ginger Baker records “Sunshine Of Your Love” with Cream—and creates one of the most influential drum parts in rock history.
*The strange thing is, it sounds backwards.*
Instead of leaning into the traditional rock backbeat on 2 and 4, Ginger emphasizes beats 1 and 3, builds the groove around the toms, and approaches the kit more like a jazz musician than a rock drummer. The result is a groove that somehow makes the song feel heavier, stranger, and more powerful.
But where did this unusual approach come from?
In this episode, we trace the story of “Sunshine Of Your Love” from the song’s origins and its connection to Jimi Hendrix, through Ginger’s obsession with jazz and African rhythms, to the moment he slowed the song down and found the “backwards” beat that made everything click.
We’ll uncover why this seemingly chaotic drum part works so perfectly, how Ginger Baker helped lay the foundation for hard rock and heavy metal, and why “Sunshine Of Your Love” still sounds completely different nearly 60 years later.
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Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – The Hendrix Connection
03:41 – The Backwards Beat
05:44 – How Ginger Was Introduced To African Rhythms
08:10 – Ginger Baker’s Drum Fills
09:40 – Legacy, Influence & Recognition
11:14 – Why Ginger Baker Matters To Drummers
17:13 – Eric Clapton’s Thoughts On Ginger Baker
17:35 – Final Thoughts
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@DrumeoOfficial
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
One of the most influential drum grooves in rock history. 🥁 Who's adding this Cream classic to their practice list this week? 👉 http://www.drumeo.com/trial-yt
@GrampaRicky
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
There’s a great one with Fela Kuti called Let’s Start. Bakers drumming on that is a great demonstration of his tribal drumming
@AsFewFalseThingsAsPossible
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
If you are talking about jazz influence, I can't believe no one mentioned Charlie Watts !
@marcoooijer9893
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Jaki Liebezeit from the legendary krautrockers CAN, started as a jazz drummer too, but developed his signature style when a fan, possibly high on heroine, told him to play monotonously, man. That's it, man!monotonous
@Hollowguit
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
I never liked Baker's self-indulgent style, like eating too much fat and sugar at once. Not fit for rock, not fit for jazz.
@alexstewart839
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
I like how the drummers who actually met Baker had to dance around admitting that he was a miserable cunt when he wasn't drumming.
@RoamingHeathen
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Stop using ChatGPT to write your script
@millroyboy07
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Pretty hilarious that it’s acceptable for someone to be a complete dick as long as they’re good at entertaining people.
@ajamesofalltrades
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Masterful. Saw him play jazz through an oxygen tank at the Howard Theater about a decade ago. I was there because of Cream and the impact that had on me. He didn’t touch any of that. He didn’t play for long. But what he did do, he made it all count. Whatever the time signature. It was spectacular.
@ChrisMoorhead-q5n
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
I love this channel. Here's an idea you should try. Bring in one of your celebrity drummers and make them do one of their songs on a relatively cheap electric drum set. Seeing how they would adapt would be an interesting case study.
@jamesconroy-z5e
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
it's 1967. I am 14. I am walking to school with a guy who wears purple shirts matched with purple sneakers and orange shirts with orange sneakers. When i drop by his house I hear Sunshine for the first time. The world had changed and Sunshine was the Anthem. No one had ever heard anything like Ginger.
@theplayersclub1126
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
my opinion….shitty drummer!
@SyntheticIntelligenceUnion
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
. Wheels of Fire..The Cream Double album, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts in 1968.
@anabidingdude8079
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Love Cream, Ginger was a true original. Just a suggestion for Drumeo, find Neal Smith from the Alice Cooper Group and have him breakdown some songs. One of the great, original drummers of the 70s. You cannot listen to Billion Dollar Babies and not air drum the intro!
@onefodderunit
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Gentle? One story that stands out is when JB started playing along during a drum solo and got slugged in the face.
@PrinceAsmodeus
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Creativity and personality were his gifts. He didnt have good technique, and his jazz playing was meh. He wrote drum hooks with energy
@mo5h3rman
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Great history and breakdown of what made Cream’s drumming unique! …It was kinda wild seeing a bunch of white guys repeatedly using the term “tribal” to describe non-white musical influence though.
@robertbrindamour8309
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
This was the era back in the 60's.Ginger,Mitch and others they were nailing it,don''t you think?
@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
The version that Clapton plays with his solo band is in 4/4 and played at about 120 BPM. Steve Gadd absolutely KILLED IT playing this live!
@JESSEROYAL
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Great vid. Does anyone know where the Ash Soan from Snow Patrol interview was filmed? What a gorgeous studio setup that is…
@Hobbygtrguy
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
It Never felt Backwards! 🙄
@roikelly1183
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Even though Ginger did not get along with Jack, he knew he needed him for Cream. That is very professional.
@JoriDiculous
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
You really got flagged for including the stone age old music in this? From a band that has been dead for almost as long. Insanity.
@johnmclaughlin5660
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
It's Ginger ,F#£#in Baker! Everyone Knew he was a Jazzzer with African rhythm! It swung in the groove 💜🥁🔥🏴🍷
@imaginaryshadow1
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Imagine Eric Clapton saying yes to joining your band, everytime I asked him he threatened to call the police.
@jazz_addict7079
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
You mention 60's drummers influenced by Jazz and yet you fail to mention Mitch Mitchell? What's that about?
@pleaseletthiswork3966
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Art Blakey is the man!!
@Raimondoverse
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Not to be controversial, and Ginger is indeed up there among the best in my firmament. Beautiful artist.
But how is it that we all seem to have forgotten a drummer of the finesse and articulation of Aynsley Dunbar?
Hear him on "A Hard Road", or in his "Retaliation" records, or even in the first couple of Journey albums.
He still strikes a deep chord in me, if you pardon the clumsy metaphor.
@BuckrBill
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Watch…Beware Mr.Baker….there are two…one at the end Ginger Baker uses just a tiny bit of snare with massive double bass work
The most unreal drumming I ever saw and/or heard…cigarette on his bottom lip…eyes closed…just giving her..with Fela..
awesome video…thanks..Ginger Baker..has been my favourite drummer…for a very long time…peace from Vancouver Island
@BuckrBill
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
His Autobiography…is insanely good….page 1.. till the end
@BuckrBill
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Ginger Baker was a SELF TAUGHT……EVERYTHING ………,DRUMMER…
Till the day he died, Ginger Baker said the best drummer that ever came from the UK… was Phil Seaman…. for some reason, there is very little video of Phil Seaman playing the drums…….. You can hear him lots….. just can’t see him or watch him…Ginger Baker…Phil Seaman…..and Mick Fleetwood…totally self taught…Phil Seaman taught Ginger all about heroin..
@travisbartin1394
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Wait y’all have been accenting beats 2 and 4…..?
@oz1747
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Cmon , no one will say it?…he was an a$$hole..
@brookelder1865
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
My old boss! While teching for him in '97, he yelled at me to bring him a Chesterfield, mid dueling-solos at a clinic with Alan White. I handed him one and lit it in his mouth without missing a beat. For the effort, I received the most applause the Denver drumming community has ever given a tech. Working for him was down right transcendent for a teenage drummer. I can vouch first hand that he wasn't the villain he's so often portrayed in media. Well done on the Sunshine video drumeo! Hopefully we can get Kofi on here someday.
@JeffreyTheTaylor
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
Gotta hunt up Ginger's wonderful career coda project, joining stoner, doom, psych outfit Masters of Reality for 1992's wonderful "Sunrise on the Sufferbus" LP. It kicks off with a classic Baker fast shuffle, throws in some sig tom fills and we are off. I do not think there is a bad track on the album. And do not miss "T.U.S.A." Ginger's sneering spoken word instructions to Americans on how to make proper tea.
@jamcarr67
August 27, 2026 at 10:38 am
His sense of rhythm reminds me of Mick Fleetwood
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