Tom Dowd's Influence as a Recording Engineer

If you were to pick up a record from the early 1950's, specifically one from Atlantic Records, you will find Tom Dowd's name under recording engineer or producer. Tom Dowd can be recognized as one of the most influential and diverse producer of the 20th and 21st century. He was born October 20th, 1925 and began his work in the music industry around the 1940's. But before his work in the music industry, Tom Dowd worked in something greater that he himself would later find out would be historical.

Tom Dowd was born in Manhattan where he grew up playing piano, violin, tuba, and string bass. His mother was a soprano singer and his father a stage manager for Roxie. It is no wonder Tom Dowd was where he was during his lifetime. After graduating from Stuyvesant high school in 1942, he attended the City College of New York where he studied music and was also a part of Columbia University's band. He was also employed in Columbia in the physics department. Right there was where he would learn he that he would be a part of something historical. Tom Dowd helped develop and engineer the creation of the atomic bomb. He was a part of several underground and aquatic bomb testings. The purpose of his work on the Manhattan project was unclear to Tom until 1945. Tom Dowd planned to pursue a career in nuclear physics but once he realized his work would not be accounted for since it was top secret and the university would not give him credit, he transitioned into a career of music production as a recording engineer and music producer.

1947 was the first time that Tom Dowd had ever been in a recording studio. After working in a local music studio, he was employed at Atlantic records. During his beginning years at Atlantic Records, he would travel frequently travel from state to state to produce records for different artists. In 1954 Atlantic Records proposed that Tom Dowd would only work for them. As a producer and recording engineer in Atlantic Records, he was very diverse with the artists he produced. Jerry Wexler, a music journalist help change "Race Records" to what it is now known as Rhythm and blues. Tom Dowd was approached by many white artists to produce the same songs that have been originally written for African American artists. His first hit record was Eileen Barton's "If I Knew You Were Comin', I'd Baked a Cake." Tom Dowd recorded artists such as Ray Charles, who he states was a very humbling experience to work with handicapped people. He also produced artists such Eric Clapton, Lynard Skynard, The Eagles, and Aretha Franklin. The diversity in the artists he worked with allowed him to be a well-respected artist.

For Tom Dowd, it was very important to create a good first impression with the new artists he worked with. Artists such as Eric Clapton admitted that they were weary of having a new young producer they have never heard of before. He gained the trusts of the artists by