James Gadson: The Motown Groove Machine

Full video essay: https://youtu.be/fzSGQpm3lNI

James Gadson was fired five times from his first R&B gig. A few years later he was the drummer on Bill Withers's "Use Me", Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" and Diana Ross's "Love Hangover".

This video follows his path from a doo-wop singer in Kansas City to one of the most recorded drummers in R&B history, and looks at the pocket, the sixteenth-note hi-hat and the sound that made it all work. He died on 2 April 2026, aged 86.

00:00 The Drummer Fired Five Times
00:49 Early Years
03:48 Charles Wright
05:37 Bill Withers
07:20 Motown
10:33 Signature sound
13:00 Legacy

#jamesgadson #billwithers #drumdog

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