You didn't ask, but...

April 1, 2005

You didn’t ask, but…

many people don’t know who wrote Crazy Army!

There are two gigantic misconceptions when it comes to the famous rudimental drumbeat, Crazy Army.

1. Many people think it was written during the Revolutionary or Civil War. (It wasn’t!)

2. Many others think Steve Gadd, Bobby Thompson, Gus Moeller or John S. Pratt wrote it. (They didn’t!)

The composers name was Ed Lemley. He was the son of a Civil war drummer and a brawny blacksmith by trade. His mentor had been “Champ” Fancher, the 1925 National Champion, referred to as “the best-known drummer in Connecticut .” Much of Champs success rubbed off on Lemley, as he became a top drummer and instructor in the early 20^th century.

However, Ed Lemley’s greatest achievement was not as a drummer or teacher, but as a composer. He wrote one of the most popular “traditional” drumbeats titled, Crazy Army. To really tell the story I’m going to share “the legend of Crazy Army” as told to me by Ed’s grandson in-law Walter Sprance.

“It was around 1934 when Ed Lemley was listening to music on a crystal radio. He picked up a station being transmitted from Ireland . The rhythm of the music inspired him to create the drum music we know today as Crazy Army. It was the middle of the night when Ed woke up his son Kenny. He brought him into his room and taught him the piece on drum pads he made to fit the footboard of his bed. Kenny said it was 2 or 3 in the morning when he learned the beat as his mother slept in the bed. Ed wanted to make sure Kenny learned it before he went back to sleep because he was afraid he would forget the music by morning!”

At the time Crazy Army was written there were many drummers who criticized it saying the piece was too “modern & flashy.” But to the dismay of the minority, the beat caught on and became a mainstay among rudimental drummers all over the world.

One other story Walter shared with me occurred at the 1986 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Washington DC .

“In 1986 I went to PASIC with Kenny (Lemley) and Swiss drummer Mike Quinn. Steve Gadd was a featured clinician. When someone asked how he kept his chops, he responded by saying he played a great piece taught

to him by his drum instructor, Bobby Thompson. You guessed it…the piece was Crazy Army. There were tears in Kenny’s eyes as Steve Gadd played. I remember Ken leaning over to me and saying ‘pop would have gotten a helluva kick out of knowing his drum beat had become so well known.’”

Today, Crazy Army is admired and enjoyed by both amateurs and

professionals. You can hear the likes of Steve Gadd, Nexus, The Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps, West Points “Hellcats”, and Walt Disney Worlds Jammitors & Spirit of America all performing this timeless rudimental classic. In the 70’s the Concord Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps also used this beat as a regular part of their drum book. And, on any muster field in America you can hear almost every corps performing this beat somewhere in their repertoire!

As far as the legend of Ed Lemley goes, it will never be as famous as the music he wrote so many years ago. Many have written variations on Crazy Army but never credited the man who wrote the original…there is no excuse now!

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