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Tom Dowd & the Language of Music
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Wikipedia article
'Tom Dowd & the Language of Music' is a documentary profiling the life and work of music producer/recording engineer Tom Dowd. Historical footage, vintage photographs and interviews with a "who's who" list of musical giants from the worlds of jazz, soul and classic rock provide insight into the life of Dowd, whose creative spirit and passion for innovative technology helped shape the course of modern music. It was a 2005 Grammy Award nominee.
A long-time engineer and producer for Atlantic Records, Dowd was responsible for some of the most important R&B, rock, and jazz records ever made. In his own words, Dowd relates how he went from working on the Manhattan Project as rising physicist, while still high school age, to recording some of the greatest music ever made over the last half of the 20th century. His technical genius opened the door to modern music and made the studio a crucial element in the formula of musical artistry. His use of the multitrack eight-track tape recorder at Atlantic Records in the late 1950s not only added an amazing dimension to the sound of music (he is also credited with taking music recording from monaural to stereo), it also gave musicians and producers greater control over their musical productions and identities. For the first time, it was possible to isolate musical sounds and then manipulate (mix) its parts in the recording process.
The movie 'Ray' provides a demonstration of how Dowd's genius escalated musical artistry and revved up the popular music industry. In one scene, Dowd is shown in the studio directing the recording of Ray Charles' music for Atlantic Records executive Ahmet Ertegun. After Charles dismisses his backup singers, the Raelettes, because of tension with Margie Hendricks, the lead Raelette, Dowd plays back what has been recorded thus far and Charles instantly picks up a difference in the sound. Dowd explains the company's new eight-track console and Charles wastes no time exploiting it to his advantage. He instantly resumes the recording session by performing the required Raelettes' parts himself, assured that Dowd can mix each track to produce the final record.
Dowd's impact on the careers of many esteemed, award-winning artists is a major part of the documentary. His gift for capturing and enhancing sound made him a treasure to musicians from all genres: John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Darin, The Drifters, Eric Clapton, Cream, the Allman Brothers represent a tiny sample of artists who credit him with their recording success. Numerous interviews with these recording industry icons tell the story of this humble genius, chronicling the recording sessions and technical achievements that altered the course of contemporary music forever.
Filmmaker Mark Moormann premiered this independently produced feature-length documentary at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and its international premiere at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. It has screened at festivals around the world to widespread critical acclaim. Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures has released the film in North America and the Caribbean and Lightning Entertainment is handling the foreign release of the film. Dowd died in 2002, shortly after this documentary was made.
Soundtrack
According to the end credits:Tom Dowd and the Language Of Music (2003)
01 Derek And The Dominos - Layla
02 Cream - Tales Of Brave Ulysses
03 Jesse Jones Jr. - This Is The Thang
04 Jesse Jones Jr. - Papa Stoppa
05 Eddie Condon - Improvisation For The March Of Time
06 Jesse Jones Jr. - That's The Way Love Is
07 Eileen Barton - If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake
08 Cab Calloway - Hotcha Razz-Ma-Tazz
09 Joe Morris - The Applejack
10 Stick McGhee - Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
11 Tito Puente - Oye Cmo Va
12 Columbia University Band - Roar Lion, Roar
13 Big Joe Turner - Flip Flop And Fly
14 Ruth Brown - Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
15 Ray Charles - It Should've Been Me
16 Ray Charles - This Little Girl Of Mine
17 John Coltrane - Naima
18 Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk
19 Ornette Coleman - First Take
20 Les Paul - Sweet Georgia Brown
21 Columbia University Marching Band - Sans Souci
22 The Coasters - Charlie Brown
23 The Coasters - Poison Ivy
24 Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus
25 The Drifters - Save The Last Dance For Me
26 Ben E. King - Stand By Me
27 Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife
28 Booker T. And The MG's - Hip Hug-Her
29 Booker T. And The MG's - Green Onions
30 Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog
31 Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness
32 Aretha Franklin - Baby, Baby, Baby
33 Aretha Franklin - Ain't No Way
34 Aretha Franklin - Respect
35 Cream - Strange Brew
36 Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love
37 The Allman Brothers Band - Midnight Rider
38 The Allman Brothers Band - In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
39 The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post
40 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Workin' For MCA
41 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets
42 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
43 Derek And The Dominos - (When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too
44 The Goods - Blow Your Mind
45 The Goods - Snow Skies
46 The Goods - I Love You
47 The Goods - Maybe It's Me
48 Tom Dowd - I Love A Piano (Joe Bushkin piano cover)
49 Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances
Notes
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