Drum Sheet – Chicago – I’m A Man

Originally written by Steve Winwood and Jimmy Miller for the Spencer Davis Group in 1967, “I’m a Man” found a second life when Chicago Transit Authority — later known simply as Chicago — reimagined it for their explosive 1969 debut album. And for fans of drums, this version is a percussive playground. The band didn’t just cover the song — they transformed it into a tour de force of rhythmic firepower, giving drummer Danny Seraphine a platform to showcase his technical precision and jazz-rock fusion chops like never before.

Chicago’s version of “I’m a Man” came about as a jam session staple during their early club gigs in the late ’60s. The band’s seven-piece lineup, which included a full horn section, brought new life and intensity to the track. During rehearsals and live sets, they began stretching it out, adding complex instrumental breaks and evolving the drum parts beyond the original’s groove. Seraphine, heavily influenced by jazz drummers like Buddy Rich and Tony Williams, infused the track with dynamic accents, ghost notes, syncopation, and rapid-fire fills that elevated the rhythm section into something urgent and alive.

One of the most iconic features of the track is the extended drum break, a moment that’s nothing short of a drumming clinic. Seraphine locks in with the percussionists and the band to create a rolling, high-energy groove that doesn’t let up. It’s loose and organic, yet tightly executed — the very definition of controlled chaos. For any fan of drums, it’s one of the standout moments in Chicago’s early catalog and a defining example of jazz-rock drumming in the late ’60s.

“I’m a Man” became a staple in Chicago’s live shows, often serving as a centerpiece of their setlists. The band performed it at venues ranging from college gyms to massive festivals like Tanglewood and the Fillmore West, where extended solos and improvisations were encouraged and celebrated. Every performance was a little different, giving Seraphine and the rhythm section room to stretch out and reinterpret the beat on the fly.

More than just a cover, Chicago’s version of “I’m a Man” is a reinvention — and for drum lovers, it’s a shining moment in rock history when rhythm took the spotlight and refused to give it back.