James Gadson
American musician (born 1939)
James Gadson
Born (1939-06-17 ) June 17, 1939 (age 85) Kansas City, Missouri , U.S.Genres Occupations
Musician
singer
songwriter
producer
Instruments Years active 1968–present
Musical artist
James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician . Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B .[ 1] He is also a singer and songwriter.[ 2]
Career
Born in Kansas City, Missouri , Gadson played with the first line-up of Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band ,[ 3] and recorded three albums with them between 1968 and 1970. Along with other members of Wright's band, he went on to appear on many hit records, including with Dyke & the Blazers .[ 4] Gadson started to become well known as a drummer following the release of the album Still Bill by Bill Withers ,[ 5] released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on The Temptations album 1990 ,[ 6] released on the Motown label in 1973.
In 1975, he played with Freddie King on Larger Than Life [ 7] and went on to record with Martha Reeves , Randy Crawford , Quincy Jones , Herbie Hancock , B.B. King , Albert King , Rose Royce , Elkie Brooks and many more artists.[ 8] In 1975, he anchored the Motown classic double platinum album City Of Angels , recorded by Billy Griffin & The Miracles .
Gadson was also the drummer on Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" in 1976 and Diana Ross 's hit 1976 single Love Hangover and appeared on two tracks, "At The Mercy" and "Riding To Vanity Fair", on the 2005 Paul McCartney album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard .
He has a brief appearance in the Adam Sandler 2009 movie Funny People as a member of the jam band that Sandler's character hires to play with him.
In April 2009, Gadson joined Alex Dixon, grandson of Willie Dixon , on his 2009 release titled Rising From The Bushes, in which he appeared on two tracks, "Fantasy" and Willie Dixon's famous song "Spoonful ".[ 9]
In June 2009, Gadson joined Beck , Wilco , Feist and Jamie Lidell covering Skip Spence 's Oar as part of Beck's Record Club series, with videos appearing on Beck's website beginning November 2009.[ 10] He has drummed on Beck's albums Sea Change , The Information and Morning Phase , as well as Jamie Lidell 's 2010 album Compass . Gadson played drums, as well as hambone (slapping his legs), on the D'Angelo song "Sugah Daddy", on the Black Messiah album (2014).[ 11] He appeared in the 2016 video for “Mama Can’t Help You No More,” by Doyle Bramhall II .
In 2019, James Gadson, who resides in Los Angeles, was featured on Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back as his paternal niece's and nephew-in-law's restaurant, Bayou on the Vine, was renamed "Gadson's Restaurant & Jazz Club", named after him and his late brother, guitarist Thomas Maurice 'Tutty' Gadson (died 2014).[ 12]
Discography
Singles
"Express Yourself" (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Band) - (1970)
"Lean On Me" (Bill Withers) - (1972)
"Use Me" (Bill Withers) - (1972)
"Got To Find My Baby" / "Let The Feeling Belong" - Cream Records 1014 - (1972)
"Good Vibrations" / "Just To Love You Girl" - Cream Records 1019 - (1972)
"Dancing Machine" (Jackson 5) - (1974)
"I Want You" (Marvin Gaye) - (1976)
"Love Hangover" (Diana Ross) - (1976)
"Go By What's In Your Heart" / "Go By What's In Your Heart" - United Artists UA-XW815-Y - (1976)
"Got To Be Real" (Cheryl Lynn) - (1978)
James Gadson & Lou Washington
Gadson & Washington - "Ain't No Way To Live" / "Indian Village" - B And W Records – BW-011, B And W Records – BW-012 (12" 33rpm single)[ 13]
As sideman
With Mindi Abair
In Hi-Fi Stereo (Heads Up, 2010)
Wild Heart (Heads Up, 2014)
With Arthur Adams
Back on Track (Blind Pig, 1999)
Soul of the Blues (PM Records, 2004)
Stomp the Floor (Delta Groove, 2009)
Here to Make You Feel Good (Cleopatra, 2019)
With Alessi Brothers
Driftin' (A&M Records, 1979)
With Herb Alpert
With Corinne Bailey Rae
With Philip Bailey
With Anita Baker
With Jimmy Barnes
With Beck
With Booker T. & the M.G.'s
With Doyle Bramhall II
With Dianne Brooks
Back Stairs in My Life (Reprise Records, 1976)
With Elkie Brooks
With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole
With Solomon Burke
With Jerry Butler
Power Of Love (Mercury Records, 1973)
With Terry Callier
With G. C. Cameron
You're What's Missing in My Life (Motown, 1977)
With Jean Carn
Sweet and Wonderful (TSOP, 1981)
With David Castle
Castle in the Sky (Casablanca, 1977)
Love You Forever (Casablanca, 1979)
With Ray Charles
With Kelly Clarkson
With Jimmy Cliff
Follow My Mind (Reprise, 1975)
With Joe Cocker
With Adam Cohen
Adam Cohen (Columbia Records, 1998)
With Leonard Cohen
With Natalie Cole
With Nikka Costa
With Randy Crawford
With Jamie Cullum
With D'Angelo
With Lana Del Rey
With Jackie DeShannon
With Marcella Detroit
With The 5th Dimension
High on Sunshine (Motown, 1978)
With Donovan
With Yvonne Elliman
Love Me (RSO Records, 1977)
Night Flight (RSO Records, 1978)
With The Emotions
With Enchantment
With Donald Fagen
With Yvonne Fair
The Bitch Is Black (Motown, 1975)
With José Feliciano
José Feliciano (Motown, 1981)
With Four Tops
With Aretha Franklin
With Toko Furuuchi
With Charlotte Gainsbourg
With Terry Garthwaite
With Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown
With Marvin Gaye
With Gloria Gaynor
With Benny Golson
With Herbie Hancock
With John Handy
With High Inergy
With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler
With Thelma Houston
With The Hues Corporation
Your Place or Mine (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Jermaine Jackson
With La Toya Jackson
With Norah Jones
With Rickie Lee Jones
With Al Johnson
Back for More (Columbia, 1980)
With Margie Joseph
Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling (Cotillion, 1976)
Feeling My Way (Atlantic, 1978)
With The Keane Brothers
Taking Off (ABC Records, 1979)
With Eddie Kendricks
With Albert King
Truckload of Lovin' (Tomato Records, 1976)
With Ben E. King
With B.B. King
With Elle King
With Freddie King
Larger Than Life (RSO Records, 1976)
With Gladys Knight
With Gladys Knight & the Pips
With Charles Kynard
With Labelle
With Patti LaBelle
With Amos Lee
With Jamie Lidell
With Jon Lucien
With Cheryl Lynn
With Florence and the Machine
With Melissa Manchester
With Teena Marie
With Ziggy Marley
With Letta Mbulu
There's Music in the Air (A&M, 1976)
Letta (A&M, 1978)
Sounds Of a Rainbow (Munjale, 1980)
With Paul McCartney
With Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
The Two of Us (ABC, 1977)
With Gwen McCrae
On My Way (Atlantic, 1982)
With Lonette McKee
Lonette (Sussex, 1974)
Words and Music (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Shannon McNally
With Bette Midler
Bette (Warner Bros. Records, 2000)
With The Miracles
With Blue Mitchell
With Barbara Morrison
Love'n You (P.C.H., 1990)
With Ian Moss
With Aaron Neville
Bring It On Home... The Soul Classics (Sony Music, 2006)
With Paolo Nutini
With David Oliver
Mind Magic (Mercury, 1978)
Rain Fire (Mercury, 1979)
Here's To You (Mercury, 1980)
With The Originals
Another Time, Another Place (Fantasy, 1978)
With Freda Payne
With Sweet Pea Atkinson
Get What You Deserve (Blue Note, 2017)
With Peaches & Herb
2 Hot (Polydor, 1978)
Twice the Fire (Polydor, 1979)
Worth the Wait (Polydor, 1980)
Sayin' Something (Polydor, 1981)
With Teddy Pendergrass
With Billy Preston
With Margo Price
With Helen Reddy
Reddy (Capitol Records, 1979)
With Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves (MCA Records, 1974)
We Meet Again (Fantasy Records, 1978)
With Terry Reid
With LeAnn Rimes
With Minnie Riperton
With Smokey Robinson
With Rockie Robbins
Rockie Robbins (A&M, 1979)
You and Me (A&M, 1980)
With Nate Ruess
With David Ruffin
With Patrice Rushen
With Lara Saint Paul
Saffo Music (Lasapa, 1977)
With Poncho Sanchez
Latin Spirits (Concord, 2001)
With Evie Sands
Suspended Animation (RCA Victor, 1979)
With Boz Scaggs
With Lalo Schifrin
With Nancy Shanks
Nancy Shanx (United Artists, 1977)
With Marlena Shaw
Sweet Beginnings (Columbia Records, 1977)
With Michelle Shocked
Mexican Standoff (Mighty Sound, 2005)
With Simply Red
Home (Simplyred.com, 2003)
With Lynwood Slim
Last Call (Delta Groove, 2006)
With Josh Smith
I'm Gonna Be Ready (Crosscut, 2011)
With Phoebe Snow
With Barbra Streisand
Wet (Columbia Records, 1979)
With Harry Styles
With The Supremes
With The Sylvers
With Tavares
With The Temptations
With Jean Terrell
With Justin Timberlake
With Diana Trask
Believe Me Now or Believe Me Later (Dot, 1976)
With The Undisputed Truth
Down to Earth (Gordy, 1974)
Cosmic Truth (Gordy, 1975)
Higher Than High (Gordy, 1975)
Smokin (Whitfield, 1979)
With Keith Urban
With Frankie Valli
Heaven Above Me (MCA Records, 1980)
With Thijs Van Leer
O My Love (Phillips Records, 1975)
With Kenny Vance
Short Vacation (Gold Castle, 1988)
With Vulfpeck
With Leon Ware
With Was (Not Was)
With The Whispers
With Mary Wilson
With Lenny Williams
Choosing You (ABC, 1977)
Sparks of Love (ABC, 1978)
Love Current (MCA, 1979)
With Bill Withers
With Womack & Womack
With Stevie Woods
With Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
With Syreeta Wright
With Michael Wycoff
With Richard "Popcorn" Wylie
Extrasensory Percepition (ABC, 1974)
References
^ Amendola, Billy (September 2007). "R&B / Soul Legend James Gadson". Modern Drummer .
^ "James Gadson" . Drummerworld.com . Retrieved 2019-12-30 .
^ Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band at AllMusic
^ Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One
^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (1972-10-06). "Still Bill - Bill Withers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards" . AllMusic . Retrieved 2014-06-13 .
^ "AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands" . AllMusic . Retrieved 2019-12-30 .
^ Larger than life at AllMusic
^ "James Gadson | Credits" . AllMusic . 1968-05-18. Retrieved 2014-06-13 .
^ Michael G. Nastos. "Rising from the Bushes - Alex Dixon | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards" . AllMusic . Retrieved 2014-06-13 .
^ Schonfeld, Zach (2009-11-12). "Beck's Record Club draws Wilco, Feist, and others for Skip Spence remake" . Consequence of Sound . Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2014-06-13 .
^ "D'Angelo Reborn" . The New Yorker . Retrieved 2017-05-06 .
^ "Watch Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back S2E6 | TVNZ OnDemand" . Archived from the original on 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2019-03-25 .
^ Discogs James Gadson Discography
Bibliography
External links
Studio albums
Hot Heat and Sweet Groove
Together
In the Jungle, Babe
Express Yourself
You're So Beautiful
Singles Cover songs
Studio albums Singles Songs Related articles
International National Artists Other