James Gadson


James Edward Gadson 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. He is also a singer and songwriter.

Career

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Gadson played with the first line-up of Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, 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. Gadson started to become well known as a drummer following the release of the album Still Bill by Bill Withers, released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on The Temptations album 1990, released on the Motown label in 1973.
In 1975, he played with Freddie King on Larger Than Life 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. 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. He drummed on Thelma Houston's breakout disco hit, "Don't Leave Me This Way", recorded at Motown's West Hollywood studio complex.
He 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".
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. 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, on the D'Angelo song "Sugah Daddy", on the Black Messiah album. 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.

Discography

Singles

  • "Express Yourself" -
  • "Lean On Me" -
  • "Use Me" -
  • "Got To Find My Baby" / "Let The Feeling Belong" - Cream Records 1014 -
  • "Good Vibrations" / "Just To Love You Girl" - Cream Records 1019 -
  • "Dancing Machine" -
  • "I Want You" -
  • "Love Hangover" -
  • "Go By What's In Your Heart" / "Go By What's In Your Heart" - United Artists UA-XW815-Y -
  • "Got To Be Real" -
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

    As sideman

With Mindi Abair
  • In Hi-Fi Stereo
  • Wild Heart
With Arthur Adams
  • Back on Track
  • Soul of the Blues
  • Stomp the Floor
  • Here to Make You Feel Good
  • Kick Up Some Dust
With Alessi Brothers
  • Driftin
With Herb Alpert
  • Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela
With Corinne Bailey Rae
With Philip Bailey
  • Continuation
With Anita Baker
  • The Songstress
With Jimmy Barnes
  • Soul Deeper... Songs From the Deep South
  • The Rhythm and the Blues
With Beck
  • Sea Change
  • The Information
  • Morning Phase
With Booker T. & the M.G.'s
  • That's The Way It Should Be
With Doyle Bramhall II
  • Rich Man
With Dianne Brooks
  • Back Stairs in My Life
With Elkie Brooks
  • Live and Learn
With Randy Brown
  • Intimately
With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole
With Solomon Burke
With Jerry Butler
With Terry Callier
  • Fire on Ice
With G. C. Cameron
  • You're What's Missing in My Life
With Jean Carn
  • Sweet and Wonderful
With David Castle
  • Castle in the Sky
  • Love You Forever
With Paddy Casey
With Ray Charles
With Kelly Clarkson
  • Wrapped in Red
With Jimmy Cliff
  • Follow My Mind
With Joe Cocker
  • Hymn for My Soul
With Adam Cohen
  • Adam Cohen
With Leonard Cohen
  • The Future
With Natalie Cole
  • Thankful
  • Don't Look Back
With Nikka Costa
  • Pebble to a Pearl
With Randy Crawford
  • Everything Must Change
  • Raw Silk
  • Nightline
With Jamie Cullum
  • Catching Tales
With D'Angelo
  • Black Messiah
With Lana Del Rey
  • Paradise
With Jackie DeShannon
  • You're the Only Dancer
With Marcella Detroit
  • The Vehicle
With The 5th Dimension
  • High on Sunshine
With Donovan
  • Lady of the Stars
With Yvonne Elliman
  • Love Me
  • Night Flight
With The Emotions
  • Rejoice
With Enchantment
  • Utopia
With Donald Fagen
  • The Nightfly
With Yvonne Fair
  • The Bitch Is Black
With José Feliciano
  • José Feliciano
With Four Tops
With Aretha Franklin
With Toko Furuuchi
  • Hourglass
With Charlotte Gainsbourg
  • IRM
With Terry Garthwaite
  • Terry
With Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown
  • The Joy
With Marvin Gaye
  • I Want You
  • Midnight Love
With Gloria Gaynor
  • Love Tracks
  • I Have a Right
  • Stories
With Benny Golson
  • Killer Joe
With Herbie Hancock
  • Man-Child
With John Handy
  • Hard Work
  • Carnival
With High Inergy
  • Steppin' Out
  • Frenzy
  • Shoulda Gone Dancin
  • High Inergy
With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler
  • Thelma & Jerry
With Thelma Houston
  • "Don't Leave Me This Way"
  • Ready to Roll
  • Breakwater Cat
With The Hues Corporation
  • Your Place or Mine
With Phyllis Hyman
  • Can't We Fall in Love Again?
With Jermaine Jackson
  • Let Me Tickle Your Fancy
With La Toya Jackson
  • La Toya Jackson
With Norah Jones
  • The Fall
With Rickie Lee Jones
  • The Evening of My Best Day
With Al Johnson
  • Back for More
With Margie Joseph
  • Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling
  • Feeling My Way
With The Keane Brothers
  • Taking Off
With Eddie Kendricks
  • Boogie Down!
  • The Hit Man
With Albert King
  • Truckload of Lovin
With Ben E. King
  • Let Me Live in Your Life
With B.B. King
  • Midnight Believer
  • Take It Home
With Elle King
  • Love Stuff
With Freddie King
  • Larger Than Life
With Gladys Knight
  • Miss Gladys Knight
With Gladys Knight & the Pips
  • At Last... The Pips
  • Touch
With Charles Kynard
  • Charles Kynard
With Labelle
  • Chameleon
With Patti LaBelle
  • Patti LaBelle
  • Tasty
  • Winner in You
With Amos Lee
  • Amos Lee
  • Last Days at the Lodge
  • Mission Bell
With Jamie Lidell
  • Compass
With Jon Lucien
  • Romantico
With Cheryl Lynn
  • Cheryl Lynn
  • In Love
  • In the Night
With Florence and the Machine
  • High as Hope
With Melissa Manchester
  • Don't Cry Out Loud
With Teena Marie
  • Starchild
With Ziggy Marley
  • Fly Rasta
With Letta Mbulu
With Paul McCartney
  • Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
With Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
  • The Two of Us
  • Blackbird Lennon-McCartney Icons
With Gwen McCrae
  • On My Way
With The McCrarys
  • Loving is Living
With Lonette McKee
  • Lonette
  • Words and Music
With Shannon McNally
  • Jukebox Sparrows
With Bette Midler
With The Miracles
  • City of Angels
  • The Power of Music
With Blue Mitchell
  • Stratosonic Nuances
  • African Violet
  • Summer Soft
With Barbara Morrison
  • Love'n You
With Ian Moss
  • Soul on West 53rd
With Aaron Neville
  • Bring It On Home... The Soul Classics
With Paolo Nutini
  • Caustic Love
With David Oliver
  • Mind Magic
  • Rain Fire
  • Here's To You
With The Originals
  • Another Time, Another Place
With Freda Payne
With Sweet Pea Atkinson
  • Get What You Deserve
With Peaches & Herb
  • 2 Hot
  • Twice the Fire
  • Worth the Wait
  • Sayin' Something
With Teddy Pendergrass
  • Workin' It Back
With Billy Preston
  • Late at Night
  • The Way I Am
  • Pressin' On
With Margo Price
  • That's How Rumors Get Started
With Helen Reddy
With Martha Reeves
  • Martha Reeves
  • We Meet Again
With Terry Reid
  • Seed of Memory
With LeAnn Rimes
  • Today Is Christmas
With Minnie Riperton
  • Stay in Love
With Smokey Robinson
  • Love Breeze
  • Where There's Smoke...
  • Warm Thoughts
  • Being with You
  • Touch the Sky
  • Love, Smokey
With Rockie Robbins
  • Rockie Robbins
  • You and Me
With Nate Ruess
  • Grand Romantic
With David Ruffin
With Patrice Rushen
  • Shout It Out
  • Patrice
  • Pizzazz
  • Posh
  • Straight from the Heart
With Lara Saint Paul
  • Saffo Music
With Poncho Sanchez
  • Latin Spirits
With Evie Sands
  • Suspended Animation
With Boz Scaggs
  • Slow Dancer
With Lalo Schifrin
  • Rollercoaster
With Nancy Shanks
  • Nancy Shanx
With Marlena Shaw
  • Sweet Beginnings
With Michelle Shocked
  • Mexican Standoff
With Simply Red
  • Home
With Lynwood Slim
  • Last Call
With Josh Smith
  • I'm Gonna Be Ready
With Phoebe Snow
  • It Looks Like Snow
With Edwin Starr
With Barbra Streisand
  • Wet
With Harry Styles
  • Fine Line
With The Supremes
  • High Energy
  • Mary, Scherrie & Susaye
With The Sylvers
  • Something Special
With Tavares
  • Check It Out
  • Sky High!
  • Future Bound
With The Temptations
  • 1990
  • A Song for You
  • The Temptations Do The Temptations
  • Power
  • Back to Basics
  • Milestone
With Jean Terrell
  • I Had to Fall in Love
With Justin Timberlake
  • FutureSex/LoveSounds
With Diana Trask
With The Undisputed Truth
  • Down to Earth
  • Cosmic Truth
  • Higher Than High
  • Smokin
With Keith Urban
  • Ripcord
With Frankie Valli
  • Heaven Above Me
With Thijs Van Leer
  • O My Love
With Kenny Vance
  • Short Vacation
With Vulfpeck
  • Mr Finish Line
  • Running Away
With Leon Ware
  • Musical Massage
  • Leon Ware
With Was
  • Boo!
With The Whispers
  • Open Up Your Love
  • Whisper in Your Ear
With Mary Wilson
  • Mary Wilson
With Lenny Williams
  • Choosing You
  • Sparks of Love
  • Love Current
With Bill Withers
  • Still Bill
  • +'Justments
With Womack & Womack
  • Love Wars
  • Radio M.U.S.C. Man
With Stevie Woods
  • Take Me to Your Heaven
With Bobby Womack
  • Safety Zone
  • The Poet
  • The Poet II
  • So Many Rivers
  • Someday We'll All Be Free
With Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
  • Express Yourself
  • You're So Beautiful
With Syreeta Wright
With Michael Wycoff
  • Love Conquers All
  • On the Line
With Richard "Popcorn" Wylie'
  • ''Extrasensory Percepition''