Posted on 03/17/2023 3:21:03 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The session drummer had been incarcerated since 1984 for murdering his mother
Session drummer and Wrecking Crew member, Jim Gordon, who played for The Beach Boys, Derek and The Dominos, Steely Dan, John Lennon and many, many more, has died in a medical correctional facility, aged 77.
Gordon’s death was confirmed by publicist, Bob Merlis, who states that he died of natural causes “after a long incarceration and lifelong battle with mental illness.”
The troubled session ace’s already-impressive career was cut short in 1984, when he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for brutally murdering his mother in an attack with a hammer during a schizophrenic episode, before stabbing her to death with a butchers’ knife in 1983.
Gordon grew up in LA’s San Fernando Valley, and by the time he turned 17, was performing as a drummer for the Everly Brothers. Session drummer, Hal Blaine became Gordon’s mentor, bringing him into the Wrecking Crew collective of studio musicians, and Gordon went on to perform on huge-selling albums from The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Byrds, and more.
In 1970, following a stint with Delaney & Bonnie alongside Eric Clapton, bassist Carl Radle and keyboard player Bobby Whitlock, Gordon and the rest of the band’s rhythm section were recruited by Clapton to form Derek and The Dominos.
Gordon recorded drums on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, with Gordon receiving a songwriting credit on Clapton’s anthem, Layla after penning the extended piano section.
In 1972, Gordon was one of two drummers enlisted by producer, Michael Viner for his project, The Incredible Bongo Band. Included on the band’s debut album was a funked-up cover of Jerry Lorden’s Apache - versions of which had already been recorded by guitarist Bert Weedon and The Shadows, respectively.
Apache features a drum and percussion intro (King Errisson played the latter), giving DJs and producers unhindered access to the song’s groove. Apache would become one of the most prolifically-sampled breakbeats of all time after being recycled by the likes of The Sugarhill Gang, Nas, Jay Z. As of 2023, WhoSampled credits over 750 uses of the break.
Two sessions were carried out for Apache, with Gordon cutting his takes in LA and Kat Hendrikse recording parts in Vancouver, Canada. As explained in the documentary, Sample This! it remains unconfirmed as to whether Gordon’s or Hendrikse’s version made the final release. However, it is widely believed that it’s Gordon’s part which gave birth to the famous breakbeat.
Despite Gordon’s success as an extremely active and sought-after drummer, his story ended with a dark tragedy. Gordon’s behaviour started to change, and he began to hear voices that he claimed prevented him from being able to sleep, shut off and affected his drumming. These symptoms were reportedly attributed to, and treated for, as side effects of alcohol abuse by Gordon’s doctors.
His mother’s murder was found to be the result of a schizophrenic episode, and Gordon's condition remained undiagnosed until after the killing took place. Gordon, who failed to attend parole hearings and refused to receive medication throughout his prison term, was re-diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2017.
Gordon was never released from prison, at a 2014 parole hearing, an LA deputy district attorney argued that he was still “seriously psychologically incapacitated”.
He passed away at California Medical Facility in Vacaville and is survived by his daughter, Amy.
>> Why did alcohol abuse by his doctors impact his life? If my doctor takes on an addiction, it should not impact my life. This sounds strange. /s <<
Drunk doctors can be MEAN with schizophrenic patients.
“Now I’ll shine this stethoscope in this ear and oh, my... what’s this?”
“What’s what?”
“Oh, nevermind. I just have to make a phone call.”
Can we send the writer and editors back to 4th grade, please?
This one is just horrific:
“The troubled session ace’s already-impressive career was cut short in 1984, when he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for brutally murdering his mother in an attack with a hammer during a schizophrenic episode, before stabbing her to death with a butchers’ knife in 1983.”
Ditto. Once you've done all your time, a parole board shouldn't be able to do anything, I always thought...
Yeah 🤔🤔🤔
Once you’re in prison, it’s really easy to get time added to your sentence. The article says he didn’t show up for his parole hearings. That shows he probably had other problems in prison.
RIP Jimmy, hopefully you have finally found peace and now living with the Lord.
Good one. Stupid semiliterate journalists.
You can look up the story on what he did if you’re interested.
Just color me confused. Not that important.
Jim Gordon was the drummer.
Bobby Whitlock was the piano/keyboards player.
Gordon’s six-minute drum solo in the middle of Let It Rain on Derek and the Dominoes live is energetic to say the least.
Jim Gordon. Recorded about a week after the main work.
He was the drummer when Classical Gas was recorded. The reason he was in prison so long was that he refused to apply for parole. You can’t get paroled if you don’t apply.
That’s ok. I’m still trying to figure how 16 years lasted 39 years.
But you don’t have to file for parole once your sentence is up. Then you get out free and clear, and no parole officer.
23 years worth of problems? I’m guessing the article misstated his sentence.
Welllll.... he was sentenced to 16 to LIFE. That means the parole board needs to approve your release. Behave, act repentent, become a boy scout, and that could mean six years. Refuse to even show up to your parole hearing, and...well, you die in prison as an old man.
Did he play drums on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”?
His sentence was 16 to life, so no definitive release date. I'm surprised the parole board even set up a hearing for him, since he didn't request one. In Alaska you have to request a hearing, one isn't automatically set up for you. And if parole is denied, you can't reapply for 10 years, unlike California, where you can apparently apply every year.
I stand corrected. Thank you.
That makes Gordon’s story all the more tragic and weird. What an incredible talent.
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