Jerry Marotta

About

From Wikipedia:

Jerome David “Jerry” Marotta (born February 6, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American drummer currently residing in Woodstock, New York. He is the brother of Rick Marotta, who is also a drummer and composer.

Marotta was a member of the bands Arthur, Hurley & Gottlieb (1973–75) Orleans (1976–77 & 1982), Peter Gabriel’s band (1977–86), Hall & Oates (1979–81), the Indigo Girls (1991–99), Stackridge (2011), Sevendys (2010–present) and The Tony Levin Band (1995 to present).

Marotta also played drums on Stevie Nicks and Mike Campbell’s song “Whole Lotta Trouble” from Nicks’ 1989 album The Other Side of the Mirror. He has also performed on albums by Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, Marshall Crenshaw, The Dream Academy, Suzanne Vega, Carlene Carter, John Mayer, Iggy Pop, Tears for Fears, Elvis Costello, Cher, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Lawrence Gowan, Ron Sexsmith, Banda do Casaco, Joan Armatrading and many others. […]

Jerry Marotta contributed to McCartney’s 1986 album, “Press To Play“.

[Producer Hugh Padgham] mentioned Jerry Marotta, he mentioned Phil [Collins] as well, but I didn’t want to get Phil too heavily involved because of the risk of people saying ‘Oh you’re just going for flavour of the month’, and I really wanted a drummer to do the whole album. I knew Jerry’s work from Peter Gabriel and Tears For Fears, and Hugh recommended him as a good thwacker of a skin!

Paul McCartney, Club Sandwich N°42, Autumn 1986

From an interview in Modern Drummer, March 1986:

Interviewer Robyn Flans: How did you get called for the McCartney gig?

Jerry Marotta: Through Hugh Padgham, an engineer/producer who did the last couple of Police records, the Bowie record, Phil Collins, and Genesis. He had engineered a Peter Gabriel record, which is how we met. He called me in January of 1984 and asked what I was doing next April. He said that he couldn’t tell me what it was because it wasn’t definite, but that it was something very big. Then he called me about six weeks later, and told me he was producing McCartney and he wanted me to do it.

RF: What was that like?

JM: It was an interesting experience working with somebody like Paul McCartney, who is certainly the most successful working musician alive.

RF: Why?

JM: Because I’m interested in being a Paul McCartney myself—a songwriter and more of an artist. So it was nice to work with the most successful composer of modern times.

RF: He’s also a drummer.

JM: He kind of plays the drums. He might be able to play the drums on a record, but just about anybody could play the drums on a record because of the wonders of modern technology. To have him play a live gig would really be the true test. I couldn’t see him doing that at all. But he’s got very good ideas as a drummer, and he’s a lovely guy. I respect him and his family. His prime concern is his wife and his children, which I love about him.

RF: In that situation, did you feel like a sideman?

JM: Definitely. I felt a little uncomfortable. That’s a good point. I never really thought about what I didn’t like about doing that record, but there were a couple of times on that record that one person or another said to me, “You’ve got to do it this way, because that’s the way I want you to do it.” I don’t like that at all, and most people I work with wouldn’t say that to me.

Last updated on April 21, 2020