E29-B: Andy Newmark Remembers The Legendary Jim Gordon

The entire drumming community mourns the passing of the great Jim Gordon. This is an excerpt from E29: Live From My Drum Room With Andy Newmark! originally aired live March 28, 2021. In this segment, the great Andy Newmark discusses watching the legendary Jim Gordon record Carly Simon's masterpiece, "You're So Vain."

[jeanclaude]

To hear Andy Newmark be in awe of Jim Gordon says something. I'm in awe of Andy Newmark.

[jeffs]

Jim Gordon. More people should know what an incredible drummer he was.

[Cheektowga]

Even more powerful coming from a master player like Andy Newmark.. Thank You Sir.

[hippydippy]

Jim Gordon was one of the best... PERIOD. Such a tragic story though.

[MrTang-qowm]

What a generous man. How honorable this man is. Fantastic, a mensch!

[paulrevelli]

I have always admired Jim Gordon's drumming and consider him to be one of my biggest influences to this day. Sad to hear of his passing.

[gsmith]

At 56 and still hittin the cans, I realize now Andy is so part of my influences as well as Jim G. Thanks for puttin Andy on, he’s the coolest.

[vgycgkf]

As a frustrated guitar player, the contributions of drummers to my favorite records wasn't something I appreciated until I got a little older. Jim contributed every bit as much to those songs as my favorite guitar players did. I hope he has found peace and he is in God's forgiving arms with his Mother now. Mental illness is a terrible thing.

[iedzibb]

R.I.P. Jim and Hal. I saw Andy play for Roxy music. Outstanding

[MrDaveaccord]

RIP Jim Gordon. I fist heard him on the Low Spark of High Heeled Boys by Traffic. Just drumming perfection on that record. Also his work on Layla with Clapton is epic.

[ronjon]

What a legend ANDY is and Jim Gordon was king in the studio. If your Jeff Porcaro favorite drummer your pretty damn good.

[gudgengrebe]

Pleasant to hear someone genuinely praising someone else.

[LPCustom]

I sat and watched Jim one night at Western-United Studios. He was doing a track for Johnny Rivers, a remake of “Hang On Sloopy”! But Jim’s playing was a thing of beauty! This was probably 1973..(?) My friend Joe Zagarino was engineering.

[andrewdriscoll]

Been plying for 35years been playing this song for a couple of hours today, Jim was a master of groove, & dynamics, & playing fills that will enhance the song. Andy, is a technical mater, so nice to hear him heaping praise on Jim. It's real easy to think , well that's easy I could do that, but if you really listen to the feel, to the dynamic control, the push and pull of the back beat & fills, he's syncopating it in such an emotional way. He's making it a hit.

[UFO_computers]

Jim - it will be your incredible work that’ll be remembered after all has been said. I take solace in the fact you are now free from that cruel illness. 🥁 ⭐️

[luvbasses]

Wanna hear a intimate and very clever example of Jim on drums? Call up Sundown by GL. His accents and understated fills in between verses and choruses command your attention as such that you’d think it was he who wrote the tune! Coming from under the wings of Hal Blaine, it’s not too surprising! He provided the perfect drum accompaniment for this beautiful song. Rest in peace, Jim.

[gerry]

I think Jim was one of the greatest drummers. He and other studio musicians like him play on more songs on the radio than most of the biggest artists. That’s quite a feat to me.

[bellbrass]

Andy wrote me years ago, sharing this same story - but it's so cool to hear him tell it in the flesh here. Andy is just great to share this story in this way...he breaks down Gordon's brilliance very well. Thanks for posting this, John.

[MarkFeldman]

wow. heavy. I used to go see Andy at the Bitter End in NYC in the late 80s /early 90s.... wow talk about playing with conviction.... That's actually what I remember most about seeing Andy live... he had more conviction than anyone else I had ever heard play. he hit the drums hard and sounded unbelievably clean and crisp with a heavy groove.

[donjarvie]

Jeff Porcaro said if you want to appreciate Jim Gordon listen to My Maria by BE Stevenson