Andy Newmark
Andrew Newmark is an American session drummer who was a member of Sly and the Family Stone and has played with George Harrison, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Carly Simon, Ron Wood and Roxy Music. Sly Stone, in his memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), called Newmark the best drummer he had ever worked with.
Biography
Andrew Newmark was born on July 14, 1950, in Port Chester, New York, and raised primarily in the nearby suburb of Mamaroneck. His mother was Bermudian and his father, Charles W. Newmark, was an Assistant District Attorney from 1938 to 1940 in New York City under District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey. His Father was Russian-Jewish. Taking up the drums at the age of nine, Newmark gradually honed his craft and was taking paid gigs at age 15. Visiting his mother's native Bermuda frequently throughout his youth, Newmark made the decision to move there at the age of 16. Newmark played in the Bermuda Jam, a band that included guitarist Paul Muggleton.One of his first gigs was recording with Carly Simon on her albums Anticipation and No Secrets. These and other sessions segued into a more permanent role as a member of the funk band Sly and the Family Stone from 1972 to 1973. Hired to replace Gerry Gibson, who had replaced founding member Greg Errico, Newmark was invited to audition for Sly Stone by saxophonist Pat Rizzo. Newmark went on to record one album, Fresh (Sly and the [Family Stone album)|Fresh], as the Family Stone's drummer and performed with the band for two years in concert.
After leaving Family Stone in 1974, Newmark played drums for the first month of George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour, and returned to session work, playing drums on Gary Wright's 1975 album Dream Weaver. He continued performing on Carly Simon's solo albums throughout the 1970s and again in the 1990s. Newmark has performed and recorded with John Lennon, Cat Stevens, Joe Walsh, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Roy Buchanan, Bryan Ferry, Dan Fogelberg, George Harrison, Rickie Lee Jones, Patrick Moraz, Randy Newman, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Murray Head, Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross, Ronnie Wood, Roxy Music, ABC, Hue and Cry, Laura Nyro, Nicolette Larson, Elkie Brooks, Sting, Steve Winwood, Nils Lofgren, George Benson, and Michael Franks.
In 1980, Newmark was the drummer on John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy, as well as Milk and Honey released in 1984. He was the featured drummer on Yoko Ono's Season of Glass in 1981. His connection with the Double Fantasy album was reprised in 2012 with his contributions to the Lennon Bermuda tribute album on several tracks, including those by Paul Carrack, Bryan Ferry, Nils Lofgren, and Rocky and the Natives.
According to a 2006 Sound on Sound magazine interview with engineer Andy Jackson, Newmark played drums on David Gilmour's On an Island album. Newmark also plays on several tracks on David Gilmour's 2015 solo album Rattle That Lock.
Equipment
Newmark uses Yamaha drums, Remo drum heads, Zildjian Company|Zildjian] cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks. His drum setup and cymbals vary slightly with who he plays with, but generally favors a setup consisting of a bass drum, rack tom, snare drum, and then one or two floor toms. He plays a mix of Zildjian A and K cymbals.Drums: Yamaha Recording Custom and Tour Custom Series:
- 16"x24" bass drum
- 8"x12" rack tom
- 16"x16" floor tom
- 13" A new beat hi-hats or 14" A new beat hi-hats
- 8" A splash
- 16" A rock crash or 17" A thin crash
- 18" A thin crash
- 20" A medium ride or 20" K ride or 20" K Constantinople ride
- Yamaha variation of Remo drumheads
- Vic Firth 5A drumsticks