Andy Newmark

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.[2] Visiting his mother's native Bermuda frequently throughout his youth, Newmark made the decision to move there at the age of 16.[1] 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.[3] Newmark went on to record one album, Fresh (1973), as the Family Stone's drummer and performed with the band for two years in concert.

After leaving Family Stone in 1974, Newmark 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, 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.

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[6] 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[7] 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.

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.

Drums: Yamaha recording custom series:

• 20"x16" bass drum
• 12"x10" rack tom
• 16"x15" floor tom
• 18"x16" floor tom

Cymbals: Zildjian:

• 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

Drumheads: Remo

• Yamaha variation of Remo drumheads

Drumsticks: Vic Firth:

• Vic Firth 5A drumsticks

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)
• Now Look (1975)
• Not for Beginners (2001)
• The First Barbarians: Live from Kilburn (1974 but only issued in 2007/Wooden)

With David Bowie

• Young Americans (1975)

With Gloria Gaynor

• Gloria Gaynor (1982)

With Gary Wright

• The Dream Weaver (1975)

With Stephen Bishop

• Red Cab to Manhattan (1980)

With B.B. King

• Deuces Wild (1997)

With George Benson

• In Concert-Carnegie Hall (1975)
• Good King Bad (1975)
• Benson & Farrell with Joe Farrell (1976)
• Pacific Fire (1983)

With Bob James

• Three (1976)

With Sting

• ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987)

With Patti Austin

• End of a Rainbow (1976)

With Murray Head

• Voice (1981)

With Yoko Ono

• Season of Glass (1981)

with Patrick Moraz

• The Story of I - side 2 (1976)

with Hank Crawford

• Hank Crawford's Back (1976)

With Irene Cara

• Anyone Can See (1982)

With Cheryl Lynn

• In Love (1979)

With Bill LaBounty

• Bill LaBounty (1982)

With Laura Nyro

• Nested (1978)

With Michael Franks

• Objects of Desire (1982)
• Skin Dive (1985)

With Urbie Green

• The Fox (1976)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Black Widow (1976)

With Rickie Lee Jones

• Rickie Lee Jones (1979)

With Joe Walsh

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

With Elkie Brooks

• Shooting Star (1978)

With Stevie Nicks

• Rock a Little (1985)

With John Martyn

• One World (1977)

With Richie Havens

• Connections (1980)

With Mark Farner

• No Frills (1978)

With Dan Fogelberg

• Phoenix (1979)
• Exiles (1987)

With Randy Newman

• Good Old Boys (1974)
• Little Criminals (1977)
• Born Again (1979)

With Badfinger

• Airwaves (1979)

With James Taylor

• Gorilla (1975)

With John Lennon and Yoko Ono

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

With George Harrison

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

With Carole King

• Wrap Around Joy (1974)

With Mary Chapin Carpenter

• Come On Come On (1992)

With David "Fathead" Newman

• Mr. Fathead (1976)

With Cat Stevens

• Izitso (1977)

With Roxy Music

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

With ABC

• Beauty Stab (1983)

With Rod Stewart

• Smiler (1974)
• Atlantic Crossing (1975)
• A Night on the Town (1976)

With Carole Bayer Sager

• Carole Bayer Sager (1977)

With Pink Floyd

• The Final Cut (1983)

With Roger Waters

• The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984)

With Michael Bolton

• Michael Bolotin (1975)

With Judie Tzuke

• The Cat Is Out (1985)
• Under the Angels (1996)
• Secret Agent (1998)

With David Gilmour

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

With Bryan Ferry

• Boys and Girls (1985)
• Bête Noire (1987)
• Taxi (1993)
• As Time Goes By (1999)
• Frantic (2002)
• Dylanesque (2007)
• Olympia (2010)
• Avonmore (2014)

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