(*with apologies to Eric Clapton)

The other day I was googling around to research why the Layla album sound quality is, um, less than stellar. I stumbled across a fascinating interview with Tom Dowd, the legendary producer who worked with Aretha, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Herbie Mann, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers and other greats.

It doesn't explain what happened between the recording and the final mix to make the album so muddled. But it does explain how he captured the moment to create an enduring classic. I would say the same applies to the Allman Bros. at Fillmore East.

The origiinal interview was from probably around 1975, and maybe scanned in judging from some of the typos. You have to click through each link at the bottom of the pages to read it all. Trust me, it's worth it. It's a rare look into the mind of a music production genius, with insights into the history of recorded popular music. Bonus: A track-by-track commentary on the recording of Layla.

Anyway, here you go:

RE/P Files: An Interview With Producer/Engineer Tom Dowd