Tom Wilson

[Sassi]

Does anyone have information about his technic, approach, etc?

We don't hear his name very often, its always Phil Spector, Brian Wilson or George Martin. The guy did albums with velvet Underground and Simon & Garfunkel, for christ's sakes.

Thanks.

[trashy]

And Bob Dylan! And Frank Zappa! He's my all-time favorite producer. Seriously, the dude produced "Like a Rolling Stone"... why don't we hear his name?!??

well, maybe it's because he's black:

a fact I didn't know until I wanted to find out who were all of those guys on "We're Only In It For The Money". Of course, it might be something else. It's just curious that one of the most successful rock producers of the 60's - behind only Martin and maybe (maybe) Oldham - is never talked about.

[mikehattem]

Tom Wilson was one of the hippest producers around the time of Rolling Stone... However the guy who produced the rest of Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Johnston, was pretty good too... He convinced Dylan to do Blonde On Blonde in Nashville after some initial sessions with The Hawks in NYC didn't come out like they'd hoped... I know he also produced JWH, and Nashville Skyline too at least...

Mike

[the brill bedroom]

If you want to hear a Tom Wilson rave, e-mail Al Kooper. He reckons Tom was just about the coolest cat he ever worked with. He is kind of single handedely responsible for Al's career, though. He's the one that didn't kick him out of the studio when Al started messing around on the Hammond during "Like A Rolling Stone".

I'm sure you all know that story, but have you ever heard the sesion tape where Tom Wilson sees that Al has not only entered the studio, but is sitting at the organ? It's great, he's like "Alright, let's try another...what are you doing in there?"

[leigh]

Here's a bit more on Tom, which I found wondering if he'd died or just faded into obscurity (the former, as it turns out):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wilson

Leigh

[Dubious]

well i think there'splenty of reasons he doesnt get alot of props...

i think of he was more of a producer in the JAZZ sense IE he was the dude who coordinated the recording.. i would highly doubt he actually so much as touched a knob or moved a mic.. he was there to oversea the recordings.

he got production credit on zappa's freak out but its pretty much common knowledge zappa produced that record.

he produced "transitional" records for dylan... but dylan chose to work with bob johnstone for the bulk of that eras material

he produced simon and garfunkle.. but in doing so seriously PISSED them off by adding the drums to sound of silence without their knowledge.. hence getting him DISSED almost everytime they mention that song.

and he produced the Velvets white light white heat a record were pretty much universally considered to sound like SHIT (but in a good way)

not really he best way to make a name for yourself in the industry.

i think he's a cool dude and an interesting figure but he was more of a facilitator of cutting edge artists within the mainstream music industry, than an actual hands on SOUND OF THE RECORD producer.

[the brill bedroom]

I can certainly see resenting someone who tampers with your song a year after you record it, but in the case of "Sound Of silence", that album had been out, bombed and they ahd broken up and it was only because of the folk rock boom (kick started by "Like A Rolling Stone) that Columbia had Tom Wilson overdubbed the Byrds' session musos and had a huge, #1 single that forced the poor darlings into actually having a career.

There's a really great story about that. The single started climbing the charts and they were trying to get in touch with Paul Simon who, i believe, was back in England touring as a solo folky. He flew back and he and Artie were driving around Queens trying to fihure out if they wanted to re-group and the new version of "Sound Of Silence" came on so they pulled over to listen. At the end, the DJ said "And that's the #1 single in the country by Simon And Garfunkel" and Artie said something like, "Man, those guys have the #1 single, i wonder what they're doing right now."