Keep these coming please, Mike. I've missed knowing what was on your mind.

This is a tragic tale. His work spoke for itself, he was definitely one of the best drummers of his time. "Layla" is my all-time favorite Clapton-associated album, even more than his solo work, Cream, Blind Faith, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and Delaney and Bonnie & Friends {which I believe Gordon was a member of as well, before Clapton "poached" Gordon, Bobby Whitlock (p, v), and Carl Radle (b) for the Dominos}. Gordon was dating Rita Coolidge around this time and it was later determined she at least co-wrote (or possibly exclusively wrote) the beautiful piano-driven melody that was used in the coda of "Layla", but it was only credited to Clapton (for the main song) and Gordon.

A heartbreaking story. Jim desperately tried to overcome his mental illness. 15 voluntary hospitalizations over a 4 year period. In patient therapy. Many psychiatrists and therapists. AA meetings and counseling. He was carpet bombed with high powered antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and antidepressants. This was way before he committed the horrific act against his mother. Gordon was deeply ashamed of his condition. He believed himself to be an intelligent person who should be able to deal with and overcome his problems. He desperately longed for a relationship with his daughter, but his mental illness made it impossible for him to build meaningful relationships with others. To make it even more heartbreaking, Jim told one psychiatrist before the murder that Osa, his mother, was his only friend in the world. But it was her voice in his head that commanded him to not eat, not sleep, to throw away his drums and gold records. After Jim's first voluntary hospital admission in the 70's, he checked out after several months and was so despondent that he had not gotten any improvement at all, he went home and carried out his first of several suicide attempts. None of his psychiatrists even considered schizophrenia. He was too high functioning in a competitive, demanding profession. They thought he was either severely depressed or suffering from bipolar disorder. His mother, a nurse, thought that Jim's problems stemmed from drugs and alcohol, and that if those problems were taken care of, he would be ok. He wasn't diagnosed with schizophrenia until after he was already incarcerated.

Great stuff. Mike's music talk is always welcomed.

Jim came over to my place and sat in with my little group a couple of years before things turned bad for him. He was a bit on the old side for a typical schizophrenic (onset is usually late teens to early 20s for guys -- a bit later for females), but with years of drug use who the heck knows what was going on in there. All I know is that he played like the drum-god his reputation said he was. A nice, quiet sort of fellow with impeccable timing on my sad old drum kit. Early 80s I think it was.

One of my favorite segments from the Hardline good to see you Mike

Fascinating. Your ability to tell a story is top notch Sir!

He freaked out during “MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMAN.” Smacked Rita Coolidge.

Damn I miss hearing you on air Mike. I finished “Drums and Demons” on Audible a few weeks ago. Jim Gordon’s story is truly both fascinating and tragic. His discography is long and storied, but my favorite track of his was his drum work on What is Life by George Harrison. He never dominated any songs he played on, but his subtle fills made every song he recorded a much better record. To demonstrate this, here’s an exercise….play My Maria by Brooks and Dunn, then follow the drum sounds of Jim on the original My Maria by BW Stevenson. He made the original a great song!

Glad to see The Ol Gray Wolf back at it! You could give me a voice over of grass growing and I'd be riveted.

Thanks Mike! I just order that book to give it a read.

1/'60s, & '70s, #1 session drummer Hal Blaine had more offers than hours in the day. He told producers to get Jim Gordon. 2/When Gordon was in touring bands, on off-days, producers flew him to LA sessions & back. 3/When Gordon & Jim Keltner, (also a *_top_* drummer), played together, Keltner claimed Gordon could, while very stoned, still out-play him. (Hard to tell a guy to cool-out if he's playing that well.) 4/While much of his session work was to (perfectly) play what was asked for, when Gordon was a band member, his creativity reached another level. The varied rhythmic patterns on some of the Derek & the Dominos tracks are unparalleled, (to say nothing of his beautiful piano-playing at the coda of "Layla").5/Gordon didn't make a serious effort to be freed, because all wanted to do was play w/Clapton, & he knew it wasn't gonna happen, so why bother?

Wait just a cotton pickin minute! Are you the “Mike Rhyner” I remember hearing from the “LaBella and Rody” show that was on KZEW The zoo in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX metroplex back in the early 80s? Seems like I recall you doing sports ? I absolutely loved that show!

Is nobody gonna talk about the connexion to drugs and this kinda behaviour with some people?

It is indeed funny how you can train your ear and know the player by just what he's doing on the track. I figured that out with Clapton at 12 years old as a budding guitarist...it takes a bit more training when it's a drummer. I trust you've finished Joel Selvin's amazing book by now. If you're into reading about rock and crime, may I suggest "Mind Games: The Assassination of John Lennon" by David Whelan. That book is a SERIOUS game changer. Spoiler Alert: it wasn't Mark Chapman.