PDA

View Full Version : Tom Dowd


TheCapitalist
August 21st, 2008, 07:46 PM
Just finished watching Tom Dowd, The Language of Music DVD one more time. What an incredible and intelligent man. If you get the chance, watch this documentary!

http://www.thelanguageofmusic.com/

A man who seemingly fit many lives into one lifetime, Tom Dowd was born on October 20, 1925 in New York City. At a young age he excelled in mathematics and physics, leading to his work from the ages of 16 to 20 on the Manhattan Project at Columbia University. In 1946, as a sergeant in the Army Corps of Engineers, he oversaw a team of radiation detection specialists at the atomic bomb tests in Bikini Atoll. After his discharge from Army, he soon began applying his science background to help revolutionize the process of recording music. While working for Atlantic Records, his pioneering work in binaural stereo recording, and later his design of the eight-track console, modernized the recording industry.
Tom Dowd produced and engineered timeless records for artists including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, Cream, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Dusty Springfield and countless other celebrated musicians. Dowd also formed both strong professional and personal relationships with many of these artists, including Eric Clapton, starting with Cream and leading to their working partnership on Layla and Other Assorted Loves Songs and collaborations on several of Clapton's finest solo albums.

It is amazing to hear him suggest the drum beat on Creams "Sunshine of your Love". Then hear it. The respect and admiration accorded him by these musicians that span from Coltrane to Skynyrd is unequalled. He started using radio equipment with round knobs and pioneered the use of sliders for eq/monitors. Amazing man.

Here is a trailer of the movie:

http://www.thelanguageofmusic.com/#

stinkyboss
August 25th, 2008, 05:54 PM
seconded.

i watch a lot of music-related documentaries, and this one is top notch.

kind of amazing how a guy can be so unknown, but at the same time be responsible for so much that affects our lives. i'd never heard of him until i saw the movie at the public library where i used to live and checked it out about a year ago. netflix also has it streaming, for those interested.

off topic, but another good music documentary i've seen recently is "respect yourself: the stax records story."

TheCapitalist
August 25th, 2008, 08:46 PM
Yes. His catalog and influence borders on unbelievable. Thanks for the nod! And the stax documentary! Booker T. is in the Dowd documentary, as you well know (Who isn't?). It was cool to see a very young Steve Cropper getting down on the guitar. All great stuff!