Jim Gordon (musician)

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Jim Gordon

James Beck "Jim" Gordon (born on July 14, 1945) is an American recording artist, musician and songwriter. The Grammy Award winner was one of the most requested session drummers in the late 1960s and 1970s, recording albums with many well-known musicians of that time[1] and was the drummer of the blues-rock supergroup, Derek & The Dominos. At the time undiagnosed as a schizophrenic, Gordon murdered his mother in 1983 and was sentenced to sixteen years-to-life in prison.

Music career

Gordon began his career backing the Everly Brothers in 1963 at age 17, he went on to become one of the most sought-after recording session drummers in Los Angeles where, in 1968, he recorded with Mason Williams on the hit "Classical Gas". During this period, he performed on many notable recordings including Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers by Gene Clark and The Notorious Byrd Brothers by The Byrds. Gordon at the top of his career was so busy as a studio musician that he would fly back to Los Angeles every night when playing in Las Vegas to do two or three record dates, then return in the afternoon in time for the 8pm show at Caesars Palace.

In 1969 and 1970, he toured as part of the backing band for the group Delaney & Bonnie, which at the time included Eric Clapton. Clapton subsequently took over the group's rhythm section — Gordon, bassist Carl Radle and keyboardist-singer-songwriter, Bobby Whitlock. They formed a new band which was eventually called Derek & The Dominos. The band's first studio work was as the house band for George Harrison's 3 disc set All Things Must Pass. Gordon then played on the Derek & The Dominos' 1970 double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Gordon contributing the elegiac piano coda for the title track, "Layla", co-written by Gordon and Clapton. He also toured with the band on subsequent U.S. and UK tours, but the group split in spring 1971 before having completed the recording of their second album.

In 1970, Gordon was part of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. In 1971, he toured with Traffic, appearing on two albums with them, including The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. He also played on Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson album, including an extended drum solo on the track "Jump Into the Fire". Later in 1972, Gordon was part of Frank Zappa's 20-piece "Grand Wazoo" big band tour, and the subsequent 10-piece "Petit Wazoo" band. Perhaps his most well-known recording with Zappa was the title track of the 1974 album Apostrophe ('), a jam with Zappa and Tony Duran on guitar and Jack Bruce on bass guitar, for which both Bruce and Gordon received a writing credit. He worked with Chris Hillman again when he was the drummer in the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band from 1973 to 1975. Some of his best work was with Dave Mason on his 1970 album Alone Together, where Gordon set new standards for rock drumming. Gordon was also the drummer on the Incredible Bongo Band's Bongo Rock album, released in 1972. His drum break on the LP's version of "Apache" has been repeatedly sampled by rap music artists.[2] Gordon also played drums on 3 tracks in the Alice Cooper's 1976 album "Goes To Hell".

Imprisonment

In the late 1970s, Gordon complained of hearing voices in his head, primarily those of his mother. Unfortunately, his physicians did not diagnose his condition as schizophrenia and instead treated him for alcohol abuse.

On June 3, 1983, he murdered his mother with a hammer. It was not until his trial in 1984 that he was properly diagnosed. Due to the fact that his attorney was unable to use the insanity defense, he was sentenced to sixteen years to life in prison with a possibility of parole. He has served his sentence at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero State Hospital in Atascadero, and the State Medical Corrections Facility in Vacaville. He remains incarcerated. Currently, there is a petition online to assist him in either being released from prison or placed in a facility where he is able to receive more sophisticated treatment.

Discography

During his career, Gordon played with a long list of top musicians and record producers, including:

References

  1. ^ Drummerworld: Jim Gordon
  2. ^ Hermes, Will (October 29, 2006). "All Rise for the National Anthem of Hip-Hop". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-11-01.

External links

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