[Slowhand] RE: ziggo820's piece on Tom Dowd from Slowhand Digest, Vol 3, Issue 566

[John Walasko]

RE: ziggo820's remarks about Tom Dowd from Slowhand Digest, Vol 3, 
Issue 566 - there are a few things I would like to add and/or correct.

Firstly, those interested can go to the website for the recent Tom Dowd 
Documentary;

www.thelanguageofmusic.com

The website has a very interesting and concise four-part biography of 
Dowd.


Zigoo820 wrote;

 >>He then moved on with a partner to work for CBS and formed 
Atlantic,Atco and Columbia records.

Dowd wasn't part of the formation of any of these record companies. His 
1940's work at Columbia (University) often gets misread as Columbia 
(Records).
Atlantic/Atco was formed in 1946-47 and Dowd first engineered for them 
in 1949. He didn't join Atlantic's staff until 1954.

 >> Four track and eight track recording were basically his brainchild,
 >>all the way up to the multitracking we now know today.

Les Paul is considered the true inventor of tape-based multi-track 
recording. But Dowd was certainly one of the first recording engineers 
to see the possibilities and adapt to it. It is also true he was 
recording in stereo before the rest of the industry.

 >>I found this documentary to be facinating and I would Highly 
recommend this DVD,not just for his history
 >>with Clapton but for anyone who loves the history of music in general.

This is true!

I believe that the 20 year partnership between Dowd and Clapton is one 
of the keys to EC's career as a recording artist.