dude graduated HS at 16, got drafted during WWII and worked on the manhattan project. was going to go into nuclear physics but universities didn’t accept him because his work was top secret. went into sound engineering and was instrumental in the advent of multiple track recording, the way soundboards were designed and stereo. look at who he worked with below…just insane.

He captured jazz masterpieces by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker. It was Dowd’s idea to cut Ray Charles’ recording of “What’d I Say” into two parts and release them as the A-side and B-side of the same single record.

Dowd worked as an engineer and producer from the 1940s until the beginning of the 21st century. He recorded albums by many artists including Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Wishbone Ash, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, The Allman Brothers Band, Joe Bonamassa, The J. Geils Band, Meat Loaf, Sonny & Cher, The Rascals, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, The Eagles, Kenny Loggins, James Gang, Dusty Springfield, Eddie Harris, Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann, Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Joe Castro.[3] Dowd received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in February 2002.

I had a roommate in college that was way into Derek and Dominos. He’s told me all the recording studio stories (this was back in 95-96, before the internet) so I had no way of knowing if they were true or not. He told me something similar to this story you posted. Cool stuff. I enjoy reading about how bands and songs and albums came together. Just fantastic.

A few uninspired days into the Layla sessions, Dowd, who was also producing for the Allmans for their album Idlewild South, invited Clapton to an Allman Brothers outdoor concert in Miami, where Clapton first heard Duane Allman play. The Dominoes were sneaked into the show with the help of Dowd and sat between the riser and fans below. At the concert, Dowd distinctly remembers:
“ Duane was in the middle of a solo; he opens his eyes and looks down, does a dead stare, and stops playing. Dickey Betts is chugging along, see Duane’s stopped playing, and figures he’d better cover, that Duane must’ve broken a string or something. Then Dickey looks down, sees Eric, and turns his back. That was how they first saw each other.[9] ”
Formal introductions were made after the show. Eric invited the entire band to Criteria Studios for a jam. After the concert was over, they all came back to the studio and jammed until approximately 6:00 the next night, Dowd remembered. “They were trading licks. They were swapping guitars. They were talking shop and information and having a ball no holds barred, just admiration for each other’s technique and facility. There was no control. We turned the tapes on and they went on for 15 to 18 hours like that. You just kept the machines rolling. I went through two or three sets of engineers. It was a wonderful experience.”

tom dowd and duane allman…legends. RIP.

Gfunk – one photo out front, too.

Gotcha. I came straight from the World Cup post.

Sterile is a better word. Tears in Heaven was a touching song but got so overplayed I just hate it now. For some reason, I can listen to Porch Song all day long for twenty years now and still enjoy it live. Oh, Musical Tastes… you are an odd mistress.

Besides the Layla sessions and Cream, Clapton sucks. And that song sucks as bad as most.

i wouldn’t say “sucks” just…sterile. that said, tears from heaven is one of the most emotionally moving songs ive ever heard.

Besides the Layla sessions and Cream, Clapton sucks. And that song sucks as bad as most.

Serena Williams were in attendance

rumor is she ordered the bullet.

/nods at mamalickbootay