Tom Wilson (music producer)

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Thomas Blanchard "Tom" Wilson Jr. (March 25, 1931 , † September 6, 1978 ) was an American music producer who in the 1960s because of his work with Simon and Garfunkel , Bob Dylan , Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and The Velvet Underground was known. He first worked for Columbia Records , then he went to Verve Records .

Life

Start of career

Wilson was the son of Tom and Fannie Wilson. Born in 1931, he grew up in Waco , Texas , where he attended AJ Moore High School and was a member of the New Hope Baptist Church. When he attended "Fisk University", Wilson was invited to Harvard, where he dealt with the "Harvard New Jazz Society" and the radio station "WHRB"; As he later said, all his successes in the music business were based on the latter interest.

He was practically the only African-American record producer who was active in mainstream American pop music. Although in business since the mid-1950s, it was particularly productive in the 1960s. With the aim of founding a record label and making recordings with the most progressive jazz musicians of his time, he built the label "Transition Records". Several albums appeared on it, including Sun Ras Sun Song (Sun Ras first LP) and the album Jazz Advance by Cecil Taylor . Ultimately, the label was discontinued and most of the material was sold to the small label "Delmark Records" in Chicago.

Career with Columbia Records

As a regular producer at Columbia Records, Wilson was one of the "midwives" of folk rock . He produced Simon and Garfunkel's 1964 debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, including the world hit "The Sound of Silence" contained therein. Taking up the interest of local Florida radio stations in this piece and inspired by the great success the Byrds had with their folk rock version of Bob Dylan's “Mr. Tambourine Man ”, Wilson took the original soundtrack from the duo's debut album and put electrically amplified instruments over them in the studio - without Simon or Garfunkel knowing about it - making the piece a number one hit and helping to establish the folk rock genre. Simon and Garfunkel, who had already broken up, got back together after this hit - and became famous.

Wilson's other standout achievement was working with Bob Dylan, for whom he produced the album Bringing It All Back Home . Wilson is also mentioned as the producer of the album Highway 61 Revisited , although he only produced one song for this: In Dylan's 1965 single " Like a Rolling Stone " he had allowed the musician Al Kooper to play the organ, although this only until then was known as a guitarist.

More productions

During his career, Wilson has produced the albums of many other artists. When it comes to jazz, the most important ones are Curtis Fuller , Benny Golson , John Coltrane , Booker Ervin , Perry Robinson , Eddie Harris , Louis Smith and Booker Little. In the field of rock and pop music, the most important are the Animals , the Fraternity of Man and Country Joe and the Fish .

Plates (selection)

Individual evidence

personal data
SURNAME Wilson, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wilson, Thomas Blanchard Junior (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American music producer
DATE OF BIRTH March 25, 1931
DATE OF DEATH September 6, 1978