Interviewing Jim Gordon
Thirty-eight years ago, Monday, January 11, 1982, I was alone in a single room at a New Jersey boarding house. “Bitter Arctic Winds Blow In and Sting New York Area” read the NY Times headline that day.
This was my home for about 2 1/2 years while working full-time as managing editor of Modern Drummer magazine — a new magazine devoted to drumset players.
I loved the work — a once in a lifetime chance to capture for posterity, interviews with great drummers; the musicians who supplied the spark and beat to popular music of all types. Before MD, drummers had to vie for space in monthly music magazines with every other musician. Popular drummers made it into print, but in-depth interviews were rare, and lesser known drummers of musical historic significance were ignored.
My old-style landline phone surprised me when it rang that night. I wasn’t expecting a call. I really wasn’t expecting a call from the caller: drummer Jim Gordon.
Derek and the Dominos, Traffic, The Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, George Harrison, Delaney and Bonnie, and a long list of recording studio hits for The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Steely Dan, Gordon Lightfoot, and many other artists and bands — that is Jim Gordon’s body of work.
Mental illness was taking a toll on Jim Gordon. This legendary drummer was at a low point. Most of his calls to work with bands or in studios had dried up.
Gordon’s good friend, Jim Keltner — another excellent drummer — had called me days earlier, asking, Would Modern Drummer be interested in interviewing Jim Gordon?
Keltner hardly finished his question when I said yes. Unequivocally.
Keltner told me, in general terms, Jim Gordon was having a tough time. Maybe, Keltner reasoned, an MD interview would boost Gordon’s morale.
With a yes from MD, Keltner next had to ask Gordon if he was interested. Maybe he would be, but maybe not. Keltner would let me know.
But Jan. 11, before hearing again from Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon called me at home. I answered Jim’s “how-to” questions about MD interviews, the interview process. I always gave drummers copies of their interviews, as they would appear in print, for approval, before publication.
Jim Gordon surprised me when he said okay to the interview — that very night. I was not as prepared as I would have been normally – not by a mile. Neither was I sure if I had the equipment in my room to record a phone interview.
But I also had a strong sense that if a Jim Gordon interview was going to happen, it was that night or never.
Using a cheap cassette recorder, two used 90-minute cassettes, and a Radio Shack suction cup mic attached to my phone — I recorded an interview with Jim Gordon.
MD published the Gordon piece in January 1983. Five months later, Jim Gordon murdered his mother and was imprisoned in California, where he still resides.
Mine is the only Jim Gordon interview in existence. A few times, after his tragic shift, major networks asked to use the interview for exposes on Gordon. I refused. Except for some audio excerpts posted on my blog Jim Gordon’s interview has remained in my box of interview tapes.
Until now.
Starting last week, after 38 years, I am posting the audio of my full interview with Jim Gordon. The tragedy of 1983 should not diminish Gordon’s significant contribution to popular music and drumming.
One drummer on a web forum, after hearing Part A of the interview, said of Gordon, “He sounds just like any other normal person. Hard to comprehend how bad his mental illness was at the time and where it would lead him in less than a year and a half. If you have never known anyone who struggles with mental illness you may not understand[. B]ut if you have it is hard to have anything but sympathy for the man.”
True.
Scott K. Fish has served as a communications staffer for Maine Senate and House Republican caucuses, and was communications director for Senate President Kevin Raye. He founded and edited AsMaineGoes.com and served as director of communications/public relations for Maine’s Department of Corrections. He now works in the private sector.