More Tom Moulton Interview Goodies...

[markydefad]

I was curious if I could find a Tom Moulton discography on the web, so I did a google search and came upon this interview with Tom and some guy from Sweden (Discoguy). The link is http://www.disco-disco.com/tributes/tom.html if you want to read the entire article. For those who just want the highlights, I'm gonna try to summarize what I found interesting.



A lot of the stories related in Mel Cheren's book "Keep on Dancing: My Life At The Paradis Garage" regarding Tom's many innovations in Disco (Mixing, extended 12" singles, etc.) are here also, told in Tom's own words.



Highlights:



-Tom was never a DJ.

-For 2 years he made tapes for the Sandpiper on Fire Island ("Someone had to stand there behind the booth so people wouldn't know it was a tape".)



-Birth of the 12" single: (first was "So Much For Love" by Moment of Truth)

-First official promotional 12" single: "Free Man" by Southshore Commission

-First Commercial 12" single: "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure

-What song does he regret turning down the opportunity to mix?: "Dancing Queen" by ABBA; ("I told Atlantic Records, that record doesn't need me! And I'm sorry I ever said that, because I would have loved to make a long version of "Dancing Queen. I mean, I just love that song. But really, I thought it was flawless").

-Others he would have like to mix: "Endless Road" by Time Bandits; "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" by Modern Talking; "Souvenirs" by Voyage.

-Any mixes never released? (mentions Adrian Gurwitz on the Jet label)



The TM/JR on the runout groove in U.S. pressings stands for Tom Moulton & Jose Rodriguez, his engineer.

-Together they mastered over 3,000 records together.

-Tom himself estimates he's done "way over 4,000".



-Tom created the Disco Break on Don Downing's "Dream World"

-Tom did the first mixed or segued side of an entire LP on Gloria Gaynor's first album "Never Can Say Goodbye".

-Released an LP on Casablanca in 1979 as TJM (Ron Tyson sang lead vocals)

_Owned a disco label called Tom N Jerry (Jerry was his brother)



-He hated producing: "arguing with the artists (Grace Jones is what I got stuck doing first")



Defines a Tom Moulton Mix: "meaning that a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of effort went into making a masterpiece. I wanted that name to be associated with quality".



-When doing the mix, always did the long mix first, then took the best elements of that mix to make the radio edit.



-Suffered a heart attack doing the "Doctor Love" mix, but wouldn't go to the hospital until he finished it!!!



His favorite mixes: "Doctor Love"; "Love Is The Message", Disco Inferno", & "Where The Happy People Go"



-Background on creating the "Disco Inferno" mix: (They had 12 songs--"Disco Inferno" was supposed to be 3 minutes long--Tom hated most of the other songs--so he said "Boy they're gonna be in for a surprise...and, of course, I made it long").



-Any other remixers he admired? Interviewer feeds him 3 names: Francois Kevorkian, Larry Levan & Walter Gibbons (Says he liked them all)



-What does he listen to today? ("Lots of things. I still like dance music, I still like good pop music, I still like good singers, I still like Ella Fitzgerald and I even like classical music. But I've always liked all kinds of music, I've never been really like just narrow down. I like R&B - traditional R&B."



-Rap?- "I don't care for rap at all. I probably would like rap if they had different beats for it. You know, but all it is - is the same song over and over again with different words. I mean, I just don't get it. It's a story not a song. So when they say "rap music" , I go "What music?"



-At the time of the interview he was remixing & remastering Salsoul Classics for CD and doing the Larry Levan @ the Paradise Garage CD.



- his opinion of Shep Pettibone's 1982 remix of "Doctor Love": "Dreadful"



-Feud with Vince Montana -Why does Vince badmouth Tom?



Relationship with Gamble/Huff: "Those are not my friends. I don't think they're anybody's friends. They're not very well liked."



-He does miss staff at Sigma Sound and musicians like Norman Harris & Don Renaldo.



That's a summary of the highlights. Read it for yourself at the above-mentioned link



Any comments?



_________________

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2001-12-13 14:13 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2001-12-13 15:02 ]</font>

[EduardoFojo]

[Jeff H]

[markydefad]

[BrunoRepublic]

[markydefad]

Ok, Miss Picky,



Maybe I did sample and sit in a few recliners, but for the purpose of my anecdote, I thought a little hyperbole was called for.



Now what's with the "submissive" new catchphrase? Are you on a "Daddy" hunt"? Nicky's on a "Hunter" hunt, I guess.

[BrunoRepublic]

My nickname is "The Dog". You can figure out the rest

[markydefad]

To quote Miss M & the Harlettes in their rendition of "Leader Of The Pack":



"Get the picture?"



"Yes, we see..."