Interview with Ed Smith, January 23, 1999

Partial Transcript: No, it does it's own level. But, we want to announce today is Saturday, January 23rd, 1999.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his childhood in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, and his early days as a Vaudeville and traveling musician.

Keywords: African Americans; Arrangers; Audio engineering; Bands; Composers; Concertos; Detroit (Mich.); Don’t Be That Way (Song); Gershwin, George; Ham radios; Long Island (N.Y.); Lynn (Mass.); Majestic Theater (New York, N.Y.); Miliner, Lucius "Lucky" (Artist); Miller, Glenn; Mills Blue Rhythm Band (Artist); Paterson (N.J.); Pianos; Recording; Ridgewood (N.J.); Ridgewood High School; Sampson, Edgar (Artist); Schillinger System; Schillinger, Joseph; Schools; Smith, Eddie; Tatum, Art (Artist); Texas; Timothy, Tom; Trumpets; Vaudeville stage; Worcester (Mass.)

Subjects: African Americans; Long Island (N.Y.); Lynn (Mass.); Miller, Glenn; Miller, Glenn, 1904-1944.; Mills Blue Rhythm Band; Paterson (N.J.); Schillinger, Joseph, 1895-1943.; Smith, Ed; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Tatum, Art, 1909-1956; Trumpet; Vaudeville.; Worcester (Mass.)

Partial Transcript: Uh, Henry Glover was playing trumpet, and I got a call from him, uh, from Cincinnati and he wanted to know if I wanted to come out to King Records and for--and be a, uh, A&R man, a producer, whatever you want to call it.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his early days at King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Keywords: Albums; Bass, Ralph; Basses; Bell Tone Recording Studio; Bell Tone Recoring; Brown, James (Artist); Cahan, Les; Cincinnati (Ohio); Clooney, Betty (Artist); Clooney, George (Artist); Clooney, Rosemary (Artist); Columbus (Ohio); Country music; De Luxe Records; Drummers; Federal Records; Glover, Henry; Guitars; John, William Edward "Little Willie"; Kessel, Howard; King Records; Lyons, Ruth; Music producers; Nathan, Syd; Only You (Song); Platters, the (Artist); Queen Records; Record labels; Rhythm and blues (R&B); Smith, Eddie; Thompson, Sonny (Artist); WLW (Radio station); Wright, Ruby

Subjects: Bass, Ralph; Brown, James.; Cincinnati (Ohio); Cleveland (Ohio); Clooney, Betty; Clooney, George; Clooney, Rosemary.; History of science and technology; John, Little Willie, 1937-1968; King Records World Wide; Lyons, Ruth; Music; Rhythm and blues music.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Thompson, Sonny; Wright, Ruby

Partial Transcript: Oh, let me see. Oh, anyway, I'll give you the layout of the King Record place.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses producing and manufacturing records at King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Keywords: Altec Inc.; Ampex Electric Corporation; Basses; Bell Sound Studios; Capps; Chess Records; Guitars; Kahn, Stanley Mastering; Labels; Microphone, stick; Microphones; Microphones, RCA; Molds; Mono; Multi-tracking; Pan pots; Perfect pitch; Popular music; Quality control; Record labels; Record pressing; Recorders; Recorders, tape; Recorders, variable frequency; Recording and manufacturing materials; Records, kinds of: lacquer; Records, kinds of: lacquer masters; Records, kinds of: styrene; Rhythm; Rocky Fellers, the (Artist); Sherman and Kahn; Sherman, Gary; Shipping; Stampers; Stereo; Styrene; Sun Records; Vocalists (Singers); Western Electric

Subjects: Ampex Corporation; Audio equipment industry; Chess Records (Firm); Cincinnati (Ohio); History of science and technology; Microphone.; Music.; Record labels; Rocky Fellers; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Sun Records; Western Electric Company.

Partial Transcript: So, let's see, what else?

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses how he was introduced to the recording business and talks about the reasons for the decline in recording quality in the late 1960s.

Keywords: Ampex Electric Corporation; Amplifiers; Arrangers; Audio engineering; Electric basses; Electronics; Faders; Glover, Henry; Guitars; Inputs; Mayfair Recording; Microphones; Millinder, Lucius "Lucky" (Artist); Mixing; Multi-tracking; Music producers; Musicians; Ramone, Phil; Smith, Eddie; Vocalists (singers); Volume controls

Subjects: Ampex Corporation; Audio equipment industry; Glover, Henry; Guitar; History of science and technology; Microphone; Millinder, Lucky; Music.; Ramone, Phil; Record labels.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: I did a thing called "Finger Poppin' Time."

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the many musicians with whom he worked at King Records during the 1950s.

Keywords: Abbey, Frank (Artist); Australian Jazz Quartet (Artist); Bacharach, Burt (Artist); Ballard, Hank (Artist); Bennett, Max (Artist); Bethlehem Records; Boyd Bennett and His Rockets (Artist); Chester, Gary Mayfair Recording; Duke Ellington Orchestra (Artist); Edison Hotel (New York, N.Y.); Ellington, Edward Kennedy "Duke" (Artist); Faye, Frances (Artist); Finger Poppin' Time (Song); Garcia, Rush (Artist); Gershwin, George; Gershwin, Ira; Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (Artist); High fidelity; Hodges, Johnny (Artist); I Love You, Porgy (Song); Levy, Stan; MGM Records; Nathan, Syd; National Recording; Owens, Frank; Porgy and Bess (Musical); Radio Recorders; Records, kinds of: lacquer; Seventeen Hot Rod Queen (Song); Simone, Nina (Artist); Smith, Eddie; Torme, Mel (Artist); Valentin, Luis; Valentin, Val

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Australian Jazz Quartet; Bacharach, Burt; Ballard, Hank; Bennett, Boyd; Bennett, Max; Duke Ellington Orchestra.; Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974.; Faye, Frances; Gershwin, George, 1898-1937.; Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983.; High-fidelity sound systems.; History of science and technology; MGM Records.; Music.; Record labels.; Simone, Nina, 1933-2003.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Tormé, Mel, 1925-1999

Partial Transcript: Yeah, you started to tell me something about what--that's the reason you went to get that, um, record...

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses working under the Bethlehem Records label and talks about the unique challenges of recording and remastering jazz music.

Keywords: Blair, Sally (Artist); Echo (reverberation) chambers; Faye, Frances (Artist); Gershwin, George; Gershwin, Ira; Hartman, Johnny (Artist); Jazz; Mastering; Miller, Glenn (Artist); Nathan, Syd; Porgy and Bess (Musical); Radio Recorders; Recording tape; Roché, Betty (Artist); Smith, Eddie; Stereo; Torme, Mel (Artist)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Faye, Frances; Gershwin, George, 1898-1937.; Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983.; History of science and technology; Jazz music.; Miller, Glenn; Miller, Glenn, 1904-1944.; Music.; Record labels.; Roché, Betty; Smith, Ed; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Tormé, Mel, 1925-1999

Partial Transcript: When I started at, uh, King they had two Presto lathes.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the record manufacturing process and talks about learning to be an audio engineer.

Keywords: Audio devices; Audio engineering; Bostic, Earl (Artist); Bruno, Frank; Cincinnati (Ohio); Columbia Records; Cronin, Dan; Cutterheads; Electrical engineering; Equalizers; Feedback coils; Grooves; Ham radio; Harris, Wynonie (Artist); King Records; Los Angeles (Calif.); Mayfair Recording; On the job training; Oscillators; RCA Records; Record stampers, Klein stamper; Recording business; Recording lathes; Recording lathes, Fairchild; Recording lathes, Presto; Recording lathes, RCA; Recording lathes, Scully; Recording lathes, stereo; Records, kinds of: lacquer; Records, kinds of: long-playing (LP); Rock Mr. Blues (Song); Saxophones; Scott, Howard; Scully, Ira; Scully, Larry, Sr.; Starr, Bill; Stylus; Training; Tubes; Volume; Westrex; Westrex Recording system; Westrex method

Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio); Electrical engineering; Equalizers (Electronics); Harris, Wynonie, 1915-1969; King Records World Wide; Lathes.; Los Angeles (Calif.); RCA Records; Record labels. Audio equipment industry; Scott, Howard; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Stylus; Westrex (Firm)

Partial Transcript: They look--I know what you're talking about.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the challenges of cutting different record sizes.

Keywords: Basses; Columbia Records; Complete fidelity; Country music; Frequencies; Grooves; Juke boxes; Mastering; Minutes; RCA Records; RIA curve; Radioimmunoassay curve; Records, kinds of: 45; Records, kinds of: 78; Records, kinds of: acetate; Remastering; Rhythm and blues (R&B); Roulette Records; Secretary; Smith, Eddie; Wife

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Columbia Records, Inc.; History of science and technology; King Records World Wide; Music; RCA Records; Record labels.; Rhythm and blues music.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: So how did you know about--how did you learn about that?

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses early sound equalizers, and echo or reverberation chambers.

Keywords: A&R Recording Studio; Audio devices; Audio engineering; Coil equalizers; Control rooms; Echo (reverberation) chambers; Equalizers; Feedback; King Records; Microphones; Mixing; Recording string; Recording tape; Smith, Eddie; Tape delay; Tape slap ("slap-back"); Tunes

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; History of science and technology; Microphone; Music.; Record labels.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: There's a book out--

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his coworkers at King Records.

Keywords: Audio devices; Audio recording; Bass, Ralph (Artist); Chicago (Ill.); Cincinnati (Ohio); Down Yonder (Song); Eddie Smith and the Chief (Artist); Escott, Colin; Honky tonk music; King Records; Nathan, Syd; Phillips, Sam; Pitch; Recording techniques; Speed; Tattooed on their Tongues (Book)

Subjects: Bass, Ralph; Chicago (Ill.); Cincinnati (Ohio); King Records World Wide; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: Alright, so, um, you were at King from '51 to--

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses what led him to leave King Records for Bell Sound Studios in New York City.

Keywords: African Americans; Audio engineering; Audio recording; Bell Sound Studios; Cincinnati (Ohio); Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Daughter; Disc jockeys; Ellis, Bob; Family; Florida; Gambling; General Electric; Germantown, Cincinnati (Ohio); Gibson, Andy; Glover, Henry; King Records; Lexington (Ky.); Maintenance engineering; Mixing; Nelly, Hal; New York (N.Y.); Old Town Records; Overbeck, Karl; Read, Gene; Recording lathes; Smith, Eddie; Weiss, Henry; Wife

Subjects: African American; Bell (Sound recording label); Cincinnati (Ohio); Disc jockeys.; Florida.; General Electric Corporation; Lexington (Ky.); Music; New York (N.Y.); Record labels.; Smith, Ed; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: These are the needle boxes.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses recording styli.

Keywords: Audio discs; Audio recording; Capps; Capps, Evelyn; Records, kinds of: lacquers; Smith, Eddie; Stylus; Wire

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Record labels.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Stylus

Partial Transcript: That's okay. Don't, don't stop. Keep talking about that.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the changes in technology throughout his career, as well as the many musicians with whom he was worked.

Keywords: 101 Strings Orchestra; Advertising; Albums; Amplifiers; Bacharach, Burt (Artist); Barreto, Lou; Bell Sound Studios; Billboard; Bowen, James; Bowen, Jimmy (Artist); Brothers; Cables; Cincinnati (Ohio); Cleptones, the (Artist); Condensers; Consoles (mixing); Consoles (recording); Crows, the (Artist); Cymbals; Dance, Dance, Dance (Song); Dee, Jerry (Artist); Drum solos; Drums; Easier Said Than Done (Song); Eisner, Charles (Artist); Esquire; Essex, the (Artist); Flamingos, the (Artist); Frequencies; Gillespie, John Birks "Dizzy" (Artist); Going out of My Head (Song); Goodman, Benny (Artist); Gourdine, Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" (Artist); Hawkins, Harold Franklin "Hawkshaw" (Artist); High frequency; Jerry Dee and the Starlighters (Artist); Just for the Record (Book); King Records; Knight, Terry; Lonely Teardrops (Song); Loss pad; Mason, Phil (Artist); Mental illness; Microphones; Microphones (models): Neumann U47; Microphones, condenser; Miller, Dave (Artist)101 strings (album); Millinder, Lucius "Lucky"; Mono; Multi-tracking; Musicians; Nathan, Syd; Nervous breakdown; O'Shea, Shad; Ocelots; Patch fades; Plane crashes; Promises, Promises (Song); Promotions; Prysock, Arthur (Artist); Recorders, tape (models): Ampex full-track model 400; Recording lathes; Recording lathes, Scully; Recording studios; Records, kinds of: 33; Records, kinds of: 45; Records, kinds of: 78; Records, kinds of: graphene; Records, kinds of: lacquer masters; Records, kinds of: long-playing (LP); Records, kinds of: mono; Records, kinds of: silicone; Reed, Jerry (Artist); Resistors; Rogers, Gene (Artist); Sacco, Lugee "Lou Christie" (Artist); Seitz, Chuck; Shearer; Shearer, Norma (Artist); Speakers (models): ADC 404; Speakers, Altec; Starr, Bill; The Peppermint Twist (Song); Warwick, Dionne (Artist); Weiss, Hyman "Hy"; Zack, Jim

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Bacharach, Burt; Bowen, Jimmy; Cincinnati (Ohio); Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993; Goodman, Benny; Hawkins, Hawkshaw, 1921-1963; History of science and technology; King Records World Wide; Knight, Terry; Lathes; Mason, Phil; Microphone; Music; Naumann; Prysock, Arthur; Record labels.; Reed, Jerry; Rogers, Gene; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Warwick, Dionne

Partial Transcript: Oh, yeah, yeah, this is about me. That's why I have it.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses audio recording at Mayfair Recording, and his own musical career.

Keywords: Cincinnati (Ohio); Closed-circuit televisions (CCTV); Consoles (recording); Honky Tonk Time (Song); Krepps, Clair; Mayfair Recording; Shaw, Arthur (Artist); Smith, Eddie; Televisions; The Big Gundown (Motion picture); Vallée, Rudy; Vocalists (singers)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Cincinnati (Ohio); History of science and technology; Music.; Record labels.; Shaw, Artie, 1910-2004; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Vallee, Rudy; Vallée, Rudy, 1901-1986

Partial Transcript: Okay, why don't we, um--

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his time at Bell Sound Studios in New York City.

Keywords: Assistants; Atlantic Records; Audio engineering; Bankruptcy; Billboard; Cincinnati (Ohio); Clients; Consoles (mixing); Consoles (recording); Control rooms; Costa, Don; Cronin, Dan; Dates; Drum booth; Duplicating; Echo (reverberation) chambers; English horns; Glover, Henry; Hit Factory; King Records; Maintenance engineering; McMeekin, Bill; Microphones; Miller, Dave (Artist); Mixing; Monitoring; Mono; Multi-tracking; New York (N.Y.); Orchestras; RKO Records; Recorders, tape; Recording brass; Recording sessions; Recording strings; Recording studios; Reed, Louis "Lou" (Artist); Remixing; Smith, Eddie; Stoddard, Bill; Teig, Dave; Trumpets; Viewlex, Inc.; Violins; Vocalists (singers)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Bell (Sound recording label); Cincinnati (Ohio); Microphone; Orchestra; Record labels.; Reed, Lou.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Violin

Partial Transcript: So, when you--

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the changes in technology during his time at Bell Sound Studios.

Keywords: 1812 Overture (Song); Advertising; Agencies; Audio engineering; Bacharach, Burt (Artist); Cincinnati (Ohio); Compact discs; Control rooms; Dates; Fine, Bob; Fine, Wilma Cozart; Isolation; Jingle; Jingles; Mastering; Mayfair Recording; Mixing; Multi-tracking; Overdubbing; Recorders, tape; Recording lathes; Recording tape, master; Records; Records, kinds of: rpm microgroove LP; Records, kinds of: vinyl; Rhythm; Scepter Records; Scully, Larry; Sel-Sync (selective synchronization); Styrene; Transistors; Vocalists (singers)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Bacharach, Burt; Cincinnati (Ohio); Compact disc industry; Fine, Bob; History of science and technology; Music.; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: Well was there that competition for clients, uh, between studios?

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses competition for clients between studios and the importance of diplomacy in audio recording.

Keywords: A&R Recording Studio; Bell Sound Studios; Comedy; Comedy albums; Costa, Don; Fine, Bob; Hats Off to Larry (Song); Hit records; Mercury Records; New York (N.Y.); Shannon, Del; United Artists Corporation; Violinists; Violins; Westover, Charles "Del Shannon"

Subjects: Bell (Sound recording label); Fine, Bob; Record labels.; Shannon, Del; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; United Artists Corporation.; Violin.

Partial Transcript: But the best thing, when the so--cell syncing started, you know, the overdubbing, uh, they came in, they had to wear headphones.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the change in musical artists after the advent of overdubbing.

Keywords: Audio devices; Balancing; Bass guitars.; Blending; Compressors; Drums; Equalizers; Faders; Guitars; Hang on Sloopy (Song); Headphones; Limiters; McCoys, the (Artist); Multi-tracking; Overdubbing; Ripp, Artie; Vocalists (singers)

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; Bass guitar.; Guitar; McCoys (Musical group); Record labels.; Ripp, Artie; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: That was something else. What else you'd like to know?

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his time at Mayfair Recording.

Keywords: Alda, Alan (Artist); Amplifiers; Bell Sound Studios; Chase, Cornelius Crane "Chevy" (Artist); Compressors; Consoles (mixing); Consoles (recording); Cutter heads; Equalizers; Equipment; Faders; Flickinger, Dale; Holmes, Leroy Holmes; Krepps, Clair; Lateral compression; Lyons, Ruth; Mayfair Recording; Multi-tracking; Output; Pan pots; Patch fade equalizers; Recorders, tape (models): Ampex 8-track; Sliders; Stoddard, Bill; Tape heads; Transistors; Vertical compression; Wright, Ruby; Yarmouth, Harry

Subjects: Alda, Alan, 1936-; Ampex Corporation; Audio equipment industry; Chase, Chevy; Lyons, Ruth; Lyons, Ruth, 1905-1988; Record labels.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Wright, Ruby; Wright, Ruby (Vocalist)

Partial Transcript: Those were the days.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the musical artists with whom he worked after the advent of multi-track recording.

Keywords: Bacharach, Burt (Artist); Bell Sound Studios; Bosstown sound; Boston sound; Burton, Sybil Christopher (Artist); Butler, Artie; Camel Cigarettes; Christopher, Jordan; Columbia Records, Inc.; Edwards, Vince (Artist); Francis, Connie (Artist); Hopper, Hedda (Artist); Jarreau, Alwin (Artist); King Records; Mayfair Recording; Multi-tracking; Musicians; Nash, Ruby (Artist); Orpheus (Artist); Pizzarelli, John Paul "Bucky" (Artist); Randazzo, Teddy (Artist); Rhythm and blues (R&B); Ruby and the Romantics (Artist); Segal, George (Artist); Smith, Eddie; Streisand, Barbra (Artist); Summer in the City (Song); Yanovsky, Zal (Artist)

Subjects: Bacharach, Burt; Butler, Artie; Christopher, Jordan; Christopher, Sybil, 1929-2013; Columbia Records, Inc.; Edwards, Vince, 1928-1996; Francis, Connie; History of science and technology; Hopper, Hedda, 1885-1966; Jarreau, Al; Music.; Nash, Ruby; Pizzarelli, Bucky; Randazzo, Teddy; Record labels.; Rhythm and blues music.; Segal, George; Segal, George, 1924-2000.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Streisand, Barbra.; Yanovsky, Zal

Partial Transcript: In, in the sessions when you start to have more of the rock groups coming in.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses the unique challenges posed by recording the electric guitar, and talks about the recording studios at Mayfair Recording and Bell Sound Studios.

Keywords: Allen, Woody; Amplifiers; Arrangers; Audio engineering; Bass guitars; Bell, Vinnie (Artist); Distortion; Electric guitars; Electric sitars; Foot pedals; Incense; Lovin’ Spoonful, the (Artist); Microphones; Recording string; Strings

Subjects: Allen, Woody, 1935-; Audio equipment industry; Bell (Sound recording label); Bell, Vinnie; Electric bass; Electric guitar.; History of science and technology; Lovin' Spoonful (Musical group); Microphone; Music.; Record labels.; Sitar; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: The same guys--'cause I used to go over to all the Weissman broadcasts. Yeah, my father used to bring me over there.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses what inspired him to become a sound engineer, and why he did not serve in World War II.

Keywords: Lucky Strike Hit Parade; Military; Military service; Tank coils; Television broadcasting; Voltage

Subjects: Music.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Television broadcasting.

Partial Transcript: So you went to Mayfair in s--1969 because you got a better offer there?

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses why he left Bell Sound Studios, as well as his salary as an audio engineer.

Keywords: Advertising; Arrangers; Bell Sound Studios; California; Holmes, Leroy; Krepps, Clair; Mayfair Recording; McCann Erickson; Music producers; Overtime; Salary; United Artists Corporation

Subjects: Advertising; Bell (Sound recording label); California; History of science and technology; Music.; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: Oh yeah. So what year was that?

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses his retirement, and the hearing loss he experienced as the result of being an audio engineer.

Keywords: Clients; Consoles (recording); Freelancing; Hearing damage; Hearing loss; Retirement; Sessions; Weintraub, Al

Subjects: Record labels.; Retirement.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Weintraub, Alan

Partial Transcript: And the other thing they used to do, uh, when they ran the tape they never put the, the phalanges on the top.

Segment Synopsis: Smith discusses recording tape technology.

Keywords: Ampex Electric Company; Flanges; Power-train control module units; Recording tape; Recording tape, Ampex; Recording tape, Scotch; Recording tape, bound; Recording tape, digital; Recording tape, leader; Recording tape, video; Smith, Eddie

Subjects: Ampex Corporation; Audio equipment industry; History of science and technology; Music.; Record labels.; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History

Partial Transcript: But, uh, no, it's altogether different now.

Segment Synopsis: Smith talks about microphones and speakers.

Keywords: A&R Recording; Acoustics; Direct currents; Distortion; High fidelity; Magnets; Microphones (models) Neumann U67; Microphones (models): Neumann U47; Microphones, Sennheiser; Microphones, Vista; Microphones, stick; Motion picture industry; Radios; Saxophones; Shearer, Douglas; Smith, Eddie; Speakers, Altec; Speakers, Yahama; Transformers; Tubes

Subjects: Audio equipment industry; High-fidelity sound systems.; History of science and technology; Microphone; Music.; Neumann; Record labels.; Saxophones; Smith, Ed.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History; Yamaha Corporation of America.

Partial Transcript: Are we all cat--set?

Segment Synopsis: Smith goes over photographs with Schmidt Horning.

Keywords: Bell Sound Studios; Bruno, Frank Columbia Records, Inc.; Capitol Records; Graham, Ed "Buddy"; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.; Miller, Glenn (Artist); Miller, Harold (Artist); Nakash, Gabe; Patterson Union; Philadelphia (Pa.); Pizzarelli, John Paul "Bucky"; Records, kinds of: long-playing (LP); Sarser, Dave; Saxophones; Signal Sound Studios

Subjects: Capitol Records, Inc.; Columbia Records, Inc.; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.; Miller, Glenn; Miller, Glenn,1904-1944.; Miller, Harold; Miller, Harold, 1898-1989; Philadelphia (Pa.); Pizzarelli, Bucky; Record labels.; Sound recording industry; Sound recording industry--History; Sound recordings; Sound--Recording and reproducing; Sound--Recording and reproducing--History