Jimmy Maelen

Jimmy Maelen
BornMarch 26, 1940
DiedJanuary 14, 1988(1988-01-14) (aged 47)
OccupationPercussionist

Jimmy Maelen (born March 26, 1940 – January 14, 1988) was an American percussionist from the 1960s to 1980s, who worked with many artists including Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, Dire Straits, Barry Manilow, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and John Lennon. He also played on hit records by Bob James, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Yoko Ono, Meatloaf, Alice Cooper, BJ Thomas, and many others.

Maelen worked with Michael Barbiero and John Luongo and overdubbing on Gonzales' "I Haven't Stopped Dancin' Yet", The Jacksons' "Blame It on the Boogie" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", Dan Hartman's "Vertigo/Relight My Fire", Jackie Moore's "This Time Baby". He can be heard playing seven tracks of percussion on Barry Manilow's classic hit "Copacabana". As a percussionist, he also appeared on the album, Desire Wire, made from 1978, done by Cindy Bullens. His working relationship with Barbiero and Luongo led to a solo album for Epic/Columbia in 1980, produced by the trio and entitled Beats Workin'.

Maelen toured with Peter Gabriel on his first solo tour in 1977. He contributed to Roxy Music's critically acclaimed final album Avalon and appeared with Bryan Ferry at Live Aid in London in 1985. Also in 1985 he performed on the Dire Straits Brothers in Arms album.

Maelen worked as a studio musician on Alphaville's 1986 album, Afternoons in Utopia. At the time of his death he was producing his first rock band Cherri Red, along with Gary Chester at the Edison Recording Studio in New York City. Subsequently, one of the songs "Be With You Tonight" which was written by John Bussi, was used in the film See You in the Morning directed by Alan J. Pakula.

Jimmy Maelen died of leukemia on January 14, 1988. He was 47 years old.

Discography

Solo album

With Bryan Adams

With Peter Allen

With Alphaville

With Blood, Sweat & Tears

With Irene Cara

With Desmond Child

With Linda Clifford

With Jude Cole

With Tim Curry

With Ron Dante

With Mink DeVille

With Karla DeVito

With Dion DiMucci

With Duran Duran

With Bryan Ferry

With Roberta Flack

With Peter Gabriel

With Gloria Gaynor

With Debbie Gibson

With Steve Goodman

With Amy Grant

With Henry Gross

With Gwen Guthrie

With Hall & Oates

With Dan Hartman

With Tramaine Hawkins

With Loleatta Holloway

With Janis Ian

With Paul Jabara

With Garland Jeffreys

With Al Johnson

With Kiss

With Ben E. King

With Gladys Knight & the Pips

With Kool & the Gang

With John Lennon and Yoko Ono

With O'Donel Levy

With Nils Lofgren

With Barry Manilow

With Barry Mann

With Jimmy McGriff

With Frankie Miller

With Stephanie Mills

With Laura Nyro

With Odyssey

With Yoko Ono

With Tony Orlando and Dawn

With Tony Orlando

With Leslie Pearl

With The Pointer Sisters

With Lou Rawls

With The Ritchie Family

With Vicki Sue Robinson

With Roxy Music

With Jennifer Rush

With Helen Schneider

With Eddie Schwartz

With Neil Sedaka

With Marlena Shaw

With Carly Simon

With Lonnie Smith

With Lonnie Liston Smith

With Belouis Some

With Bert Sommer

With The Spinners

With Billy Squier

With Brenda K. Starr

With Dire Straits

With Barbra Streisand

With James Taylor

With Andrea True

With Bonnie Tyler

With Frankie Valli

With Kenny Vance

With Village People

With Loudon Wainwright III

References

  1. ↑ "Radio Swiss Pop - Music database - Musician". www.radioswisspop.ch. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  2. ↑ "ArtistInfo". music.metason.net. Retrieved 2025-07-30.