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Jim Gordon

Jim Gordon, American Recording Artist, Musician and Songwriter. The Grammy Award winner was one of the most requested session drummers in the late 1960s and 1970s and was a member of the blues- rock supergroup, Derek & The Dominos. 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 2 or 3 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. Later in 1972, Gordon was part of Frank Zappa's 20-piece Grand Wazoo big band tour, and the subsesequent 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.

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Book Review

Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon

Read "Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon" reviewed by Doug Collette


Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon Joel Selvin 288 Pages ISBN: #978-1635768992 Diversion Books2024 In keeping with the title of Drums & Demons, Joel Selvin's account of The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon is a schizophrenic piece of work. A seasoned journalist who's distinguished himself with a disinterested yet frank objectivity in past publications like Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Derek & the Dominos:...

Polydor Records
1973

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Meu Amor

Peace69Love Records
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Meu Amor Short Version

From: Meu Amor
By Jim Gordon

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