Kenny Aronoff, the powerhouse drummer known for his dynamic and distinctive style, is a name synonymous with rock and roll drumming excellence. While his impressive career spans collaborations with countless music icons, one track remains indelibly linked to his name: John Cougar’s “Jack & Diane”. In a revealing look behind the recording process, Aronoff recounts the journey of crafting the iconic drum part for this timeless hit, featured in the documentary film Hired Gun.
The creative process for a John Cougar Mellencamp song, as Aronoff describes, was a collaborative and evolutionary one. Mellencamp would introduce a song idea – sometimes just him on acoustic guitar, other times a simple cassette demo. The onus then fell on Aronoff to sculpt a drum beat that wasn’t just rhythm, but a hook in itself. His mission was to create a foundation that would inspire the band and, crucially, propel the song to radio airwaves and chart-topping success. Mellencamp envisioned drum parts as integral hooks, and Aronoff consistently delivered on that vision throughout their collaborations.
For “Jack & Diane,” the initial approach was straightforward. Aronoff instinctively laid down a beat with accented eighth notes on the hi-hat, a cross-stick snare on beats two and four (which later morphed into a solid backbeat), and the bass drum anchoring beats one, the ‘ah’ of one, and the ‘&’ of two. This initial groove felt right for the intro, verse, and chorus, capturing the song’s essence. However, Aronoff and the band recognized it lacked the dynamism to sustain the entire track. They knew that to truly captivate listeners and achieve hit status for John Cougar’s “Jack & Diane”, they needed to innovate and build upon this foundation.
Kenny Aronoff behind his drum kit, focused on playing, in a promotional shot likely for Modern Drummer.
The band’s philosophy was simple: if it didn’t sound exceptional in the rehearsal room, it would only sound worse under the scrutiny of the recording studio. The studio environment magnifies every nuance, demanding even greater attention to detail. The pressure was on to elevate “Jack & Diane” beyond its basic structure and inject the unique elements that would transform it into a chart-dominating single.
Recording at Criteria Studios in Miami for the American Fool album, they found themselves sharing the space with the Bee Gees. Intriguingly, Aronoff recalls hearing the Bee Gees experimenting with programmed drum grooves, a stark contrast to rock and roll sensibilities. This experimentation took an unexpected turn when producer Don Gehman introduced a Linn 1 drum machine into their own recording sessions. The Linn 1 was the very machine the Bee Gees were exploring, and initially, Aronoff was resistant to the idea of replacing his live drums with a machine. Drum machines were still a relatively novel concept in mainstream music in 1981, and Aronoff was a staunch advocate for the organic power of real drums. However, Mellencamp’s priority was clear: crafting a hit song, regardless of the tools used.
Embracing the challenge, Aronoff dove into the Linn 1, learning its intricacies and programming the very beat he had been playing on his acoustic kit. He ingeniously repurposed the machine’s sounds, using its floor tom for the kick drum and tambourine for the hi-hat. Handclaps replaced the snare backbeats, creating a unique sonic texture. Crucially, each sound from the Linn 1 was routed to a separate track on the 24-track tape, allowing for meticulous mixing and control.
Just as Aronoff thought his drum machine experimentation was complete, Mellencamp threw another curveball: a drum solo after the second chorus. A drum solo in a ballad? Aronoff was initially perplexed. The idea seemed unconventional, even counterintuitive. However, embracing the challenge, he set about crafting a solo that would be both musical and impactful within the context of John Cougar’s “Jack & Diane”.
The quest for the right drum sound became a day-long endeavor. Breaking from the conventional wisdom of the time, which favored small rooms for controlled drum sounds, Mellencamp pushed for a massive, room-filling drum sound. This desire for a huge drum sound, inspired by Phil Collins’ iconic “In the Air Tonight,” was unusual for commercial radio at the time, adding to the pioneering spirit of the recording.
When it was time for the drum solo, Aronoff opted for simplicity and power. He began with a rhythmic pattern on the kick and snare, landing on the “&” of beat four. The reaction in the control room was immediately positive. However, Mellencamp remained unconvinced. Seeking clarity, Aronoff went into the control room, only to be met with a flurry of suggestions that ultimately proved more confusing than helpful. As he walked back to his kit, a stark realization hit him: failure to deliver a compelling drum part could mean being replaced. The pressure was immense.
In that brief walk back to his drums, inspiration struck. He conceived of playing the same rhythmic pattern, but starting it an eighth note later, creating a syncopated feel. Instead of the typical descending tom fills, he ascended, adding an unexpected melodic element. As he finished this ascending tom passage, Mellencamp’s voice erupted in his headphones, “Hit a cymbal crash!” which Aronoff punctuated perfectly, transitioning into a descending drum fill reminiscent of Phil Collins. Concluding with quarter-note triplets on the snare, rack tom, and floor tom, Aronoff’s unconventional drum solo was complete. Mellencamp was ecstatic.
With the solo solidified, it was time to lock back into the groove. Aronoff returned to the song’s original feel, injecting more power and incorporating sixteenth notes on the hi-hat. On beat four of each measure, he unleashed a powerful explosion by hitting the snare and floor tom simultaneously, an idea inspired by Steve Gadd’s Mozambique beat with Chick Corea.
A debate ensued between Mellencamp and Aronoff regarding the hi-hat pattern during this section. They eventually settled on sixteenth notes on beats three “e” “&” “ah,” played with a dynamic swell from soft to loud, building tension and excitement into the beat four snare and floor tom hit. Adding another layer of creative input, Mick Ronson, David Bowie’s guitarist who was present in the studio that week, suggested the now-iconic a cappella chorus sung over Aronoff’s powerful drum groove.
The impact of these creative decisions was undeniable. “Jack & Diane” soared to number one, as did the American Fool album. Thirty-five years later, the song remains a radio staple, a testament to its enduring appeal. For Kenny Aronoff, John Cougar’s “Jack & Diane” was more than just a hit song; it was a career-defining moment, his “big break.” The American Fool album garnered two Grammy Awards and sold millions of copies, solidifying the song’s place in music history and cementing Kenny Aronoff’s legacy as a drumming innovator.
