Andy Newmark

Andy Newmark
Newmark at the Three Mariners, Faversham, Kent, England, in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Newmark
Born	(1950-07-14) July 14, 1950 Port Chester, New York, U.S.
Genres	Rock soul funk R&B
Occupation(s)	Drummer
Instruments	Drums percussion
Years active	1967–present
Associated acts	Sly and the Family Stone Roxy Music David Gilmour Roger Waters ABC John Lennon David Bowie
Website	http://www.andynewmark.com/

Andrew "Andy" Newmark (born July 14, 1950)^[1] is an American session drummer who is well known as the onetime drummer for Sly and the Family Stone, and has also played with numerous other artists, particularly British acts such as John Lennon, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Roxy Music.

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 then District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey. First taking up the drums at the age of nine, Newmark gradually honed his craft and was taking paid gigs at age 15.^[2] Visiting his mother's native Bermuda frequently throughout his youth, Newmark made the decision to move there on a more permanent basis at the age of 16.^[1] Newmark played in the Bermuda Jam, a Bermuda band that included former Savages guitarist Paul Muggleton.

One of his first prolific gigs was recording with a young Carly Simon, and he is featured on Simon's 1971 album Anticipation as well as her follow-up album, No Secrets. These, and other early 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 in turn had replaced founding Family Stone member Greg Errico, Newmark was invited to audition for Sly Stone by Family Stone saxophonist Pat Rizzo.^[3] Newmark went on to record one album as the Family Stone's drummer, Fresh (1973) and also performed with the band for two years in live concert. And had played Beautifully Sweet Beat time on a Bread Recording 'LA Session to Artist' Giants.

After leaving Family Stone in 1974, Newmark returned to session work, soon landing another prominent role playing drums on Gary Wright's 1975 album Dream Weaver. In addition, he continued performing on Carly Simon's solo albums into the mid-1970s and again in the early/mid-1990s. Newmark has also 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, Ronnie Wood,^[4] Roxy Music, ABC, Hue and Cry, Laura Nyro, Nicolette Larson, Elkie Brooks, Sting, Steve Winwood,^[5] Nils Lofgren,^[5] George Benson and Michael Franks.^[6]

In 1980, Newmark was the sole drummer on John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy, as well as Milk and Honey released in 1984. He was also 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^[7] 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^[8] 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 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:

13" A new beat hi-hats

8" A splash

16" A rock crash

17" A thin crash

18" A thin crash

14" A new beat hi-hats

20" A medium ride

20" K ride

Discography

With Carly Simon

• Anticipation (1971)
• No Secrets (1972)
• Hotcakes (1974)
• Playing Possum (1975)
• Another Passenger (1976)
• This is My Life (1992)
• Letters Never Sent (1994)

With Sly and the Family Stone

• Fresh (EPIC, 1973)

With Ronnie Wood

• I've Got My Own Album to Do (1974/Warner Bros.)
• The First Barbarians: Live from Kilburn (1974 but only issued in 2007/Wooden)
• Now Look (1975/Warner Bros.)

With David Bowie

• Young Americans (1975)

With Gary Wright

• The Dream Weaver (1975)

With George Benson

• In Concert-Carnegie Hall (CTI, 1975)
• Good King Bad (CTI, 1975)
• Benson & Farrell with Joe Farrell (CTI, 1976)

With Bob James

• Three (CTI, 1976)

With Patti Austin

• End of a Rainbow (CTI, 1976)

with Patrick Moraz

• The Story of I - side 2 (Atlantic, 1976)

with Hank Crawford

• Hank Crawford's Back (Kudu, 1976)

With Urbie Green

• The Fox (CTI, 1976)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Black Widow (CTI, 1976)

With Joe Walsh

• You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind (ABC, 1976)

With John Martyn

• One World (Island, 1977)

With Mark Farner

• No Frills (Atlantic, 1978)

With Dan Fogelberg

• Phoenix (1979)
• Exiles (1987)

With Badfinger

• Airwaves (1979)

With John Lennon

• Double Fantasy (1980)
• Milk and Honey (1984)

With George Harrison

• Dark Horse (1974)
• Extra Texture (Read All About It) (1975)
• George Harrison (1979)

With Roxy Music

• Flesh and Blood (1980)
• Avalon (1982)
• The High Road (1983)

With ABC

• Beauty Stab (1983)

With Pink Floyd

• The Final Cut (Harvest/Columbia, 1983)

With Roger Waters

• The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984)

With David Gilmour

• On an Island Columbia Records (2006)
• Rattle That Lock Columbia Records (2015)

With Bryan Ferry

• Bête Noire Virgin Records (1987)

References

External links

• Official website
• Andy Newmark interview. Keef Trouble interviews Andy Newmark.