Interview with Tom Dowd, March 17, 1999

Interview Summary

This interview with music producer and audio engineer Tom Dowd begins with a discussion of Wally Heider and Heider Sound, a business that allowed individuals to have personal recording studios. It then moves on to discuss his work with various musicians and bands, such as Crosby, Stills, and Nash, as well as Buffalo Springfield.

Dowd then discusses his brief time in advertising and talks about the fire at Majestic Studios in the 1950s. The two then talk about VHS tapes and the advent of multi-track recording. Dowd talks about marketing the Ampex 8-track recorder. He then talks about his time at Atlantic Records and talks about Stax Records in Memphis (Tenn.). He also talks about recording Rufus Thomas' hit, 'Walking the Dog.' Dowd moves on to talk about his beliefs regarding efficiency in audio recording and his work in Los Angeles (Calif.). It ends with a discussion of recording at Carnegie Hall and various audio engineering organizations.

Interview Keyword

Dowd, Tom Audio devices Audio engineering Music producers Capitol Records Atlantic Records Sapphire Club Sapphire Group Audio Engineering Society (AES) Ampex Electric Corporation Heider, Wally Crosby, Stills, and Nash (Artist) Buffalo Springfield (Artist) Stax Records

Interview LC Subject

Sound--Recording and reproducing Sound--Recording and reproducing--History Sound recording industry Sound recording industry--History Sound recordings Music History of science and technology Dowd, Tom, 1925-2002 Buffalo Springfield (Musical group) Crosby, Stills, &amp Nash (Musical group) Capitol Records, Inc. Record labels

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.