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Thomas Jerome Moulton is the full name of the guy we usually know as just - TOM MOULTON!
Tom was born in November 29, 1940 in a town with the Indian name Schenectady, which is right next to Albany - the capitol of
New York State. When Tom reveals the year he was born, he adds; "God - That old!!!".
Tom's love for music started at an early age, he specially fell in love with "black" music. He even quit school to work in
a record store. And as he says himself;
"Music has been my whole life. I originally wanted to become a DiscJockey and then my idol was caught in a pay-off scandal
in the late 50's and that absolutely destroyed me. I mean, that's how anybody could take money to play a record was beyond
me. I thought 'Oh my God, they're playing it because they love this new song.' And that's what I thought I wanted to do - I
wanted to turn people on to music. 'Cause I know what it did to me emotionally, it just made me feel good or it made me feel
melancholy. And I've always felt like, why don't they [DJ's] play records like this? I always felt that way about music."
Discoguy: We start out with a difficult (???) question. WHO is Tom Moulton?
Tom replies; "Tom Moulton is a guy who loves music. I don't know how else to explain it - music has been my whole life.
I mean, I get such pleasure and joy out of taking something and trying bring it to another level or a level that I feel that
other people can enjoy. I've always done that, I've always felt like that."
I know you also used to be a model, was that something you did before you got into the record business or
did you do it on the side of the music business?
Oh No. Let me explain... In my late 20's I became a promotion man for this record company and it got to the point where
you had to manipulate... You know, like in other words - I know I was gonna get a record in a couple of months, so I would
start laying ground work things. Things like; 'Oh, I've heard so and so is coming out with a new song.' And then of course
you would drop these little hints and then all of a sudden when it come out, it's like; 'Oh here, I've got the new so and
so.' They would go 'Oh yeah! I've heard about it!'
I mean, like, you've already laid the ground work and I never liked doing that. I felt that's like being devious, it's being
sneaky. So I said; 'You know, I wanna try to get in to a position were I don't have to use my brain just my body!' I know
it sounds dumb, but I just felt I was really being like against my grain, you know. And being... Dishonest!
So someone said; 'Hey, why don't you try modeling!' and I said; 'Phuu, I don't wanna be a model, you know!' But then I did try
it and I thought it was interesting. But I didn't have that reward that I always got in music. I only felt I was half alive.
And it's hard when something can like control your moods, music certainly did that for me, it make me up, it make me happy,
it could make me sad. I mean, it's amazing when you take something like that and all of a sudden you don't do it any more...
You feel like you're half alive."
So Tom, How come you started mixing stuff?
"Well, I started mixing... Eh, I went out to a place called Fire Island and I went up there for a weekend 'cause
I had never been there and I watched these people dance. All these white people dancing to black music - I was so amazed.
I said; 'Oh my God, there are other white people that like black music.' I was really stunned. And... Especially seeing that
many of them.
And of course all the songs were 3 minutes long and I went; 'It's a shame because the minute the song is over they start
mixing in this other song and they don't know whether they should dance to the new song or keep dancing to the old one.' And
then people would just walk off the floor. That's when everybody would change and you could see that they were trying to get
more intense and more involvement. I said; 'There's got to be a way to make it longer where you don't loose that feeling.
Where you can take them to another level.' And that's when I came up with this idea to make a tape... So that's what I did.
I spent like 80 hours to make this 45 minutes tape and then I gave it to them and they told me; 'Don't give up your day job.'"
Hahaha [both laughing]
Oh, that was cruel!
Tom continued; "Well, but it was true and then I was so depressed. I was waiting for the boat and then this guy came over
to me and said; 'I got to say something - You look soo down. What's the matter?' I told him what happened, I said; 'Well, the
guy who has this place down the boardwalk here, he is also a model and I was invited out here and I made a mistake.' But he
said; 'Well, you know, we own a place here - the Sandpiper. How bad can a tape be.' I said; 'I think it's incredible.
It took me 80 hours to do it.' He said; 'If you like, I'll give it to Ron here and let him play it and let him see what he
thinks of it. He'll tell you! And if he says - Don't give up your day job - Then I guess it must be true.' I gave him the
tape and I gave him my phone number and a couple of weeks later they called me at 2:30 on a Saturday morning and said; 'Oh,
can you make another tape? The people are getting wild for this tape!' And that's how I really got started into that side
of it."
Great! So have you ever been DJ'ing?
"No! Absolutely not."
OH - You haven't???
"Everybody assumes I have, but I haven't. - I made the tapes for 2 seasons for the Sandpiper. And if you're from New York,
doing the music at the Sandpiper you sort of hit the... It's like you take the most famous place you can think of and then
if you played there you've made it. So, by doing the music at the Sandpiper people sort of like saying; 'Oh my God, he has to
be like one of the best to do the music there.' And no one could understand that it was a tape, so someone had to stand
there behind the booth so people wouldn't know it was a tape!"
Tom's idea of making longer versions of the songs, led to one of the DJ's most essential tools... the 12" Disco Single!
Discoguy; A while ago I was speaking to Mel Cheren, the owner and former of
West End Records, and he told me that the 12" single was all your idea. How did
you come up with the idea of the 12" single?
"OK, Well - You have to remember something - so many great ideas are accidents... I mean - I thought it [the 12" single]
was a great idea AFTER the fact.
You see, this is going back now to the early 70's, when I first started I took my records to Media Sound to master.
And I came in with a new Trammps record and this was on a Friday, so I said; 'Dom...' - Dominic was the guy - I said;
'Dominic, I really got to get like some test of this.' Dom said; 'Well, I don't have time and I'm leaving - I'm going away.'
I said; 'Oh my God, I can't believe this... I really got to get this, I really got to get some acetates cut of this thing.'
So, I said; 'What about your assistant there?' He goes; 'Oh, you mean the Puerto Rican sweeper!' I was SO offended by that,
so I went over to that guy and I said; 'Hi, I'm Tom Moulton!' and he goes; 'I know who you are.' And I said; 'Well, what's
your name?' He says; 'José!'. I said; 'José, do you know how to use this?' He goes; 'Sure!' And I said; 'Well, can you cut
me some acetates?' 'Oh, well. I think so.' I said; 'Well, let's do it!'.
So, you know, he did everything I wanted... I told him I wanted this, I wanted more bottom or I wanted more top - whatever!
And he did exactly what I wanted to do. And I said; 'This guy's amazing!' So, from that day he was the guy who mastered all
my records. I took it back to Atlantic and I said; 'I want it to say "A Tom Moulton Mix" but I also want it to say
mastered by José Rodriguez.' They went; 'Oh, we don't do that!' and I said; 'Well, you gonna do it now.' So I started
putting his name on everything and everybody was like absolutely stunned."
Tom continues; "So, the thing is - one day I went in there to José - José Rodriguez - and I had 'I'll be holding
on' by Al Downing and I said; 'José, I could really need some acetates.' And he said; 'Just Tom, I don't have any
more 7" blanks. All I have is like the 10".' And I said; 'Well, if that's the only thing - we're gonna do it, what difference
does it make?' So he cut one, I said; 'It looks so ridiculous, this little tiny band on this huge thing. What happens if we
just like... can we just like, you know, make it bigger?' He goes; 'You mean, like spread the grooves?' And I said; 'Yeah!'
He goes; 'Then I've got to rise the level.' I said; 'Well, Go ahead - rise the level.' And so he cut it like at +6. Oh, when
I heard it I almost died. I said; 'Oh my God, It's so much louder and listen to it. Oh! I like that - why don't we cut a few
more?'. So it was by accident, that's how it was created.
But for the next song we cut, we went for the 12" format instead of the 10" and the song was "So much for love" by Moment
of Truth. That was the birth of the 12" single.
WOW! That's amazing... Haha!
"But it's true!"
Yeah! And it's just great!!!
In another interview with famous Disco journalist Brian Chin, Tom mentioned the great benefits of cutting the songs
on 12" singles; "Because 45s were geared for radio, they were all 'middle', and you couldn't cut a lot of [bass] onto
the record. A lot of records didn't have the fidelity and sounded terrible. But you were playing them for the songs, not
the fidelity."
So... Look out for TM/JR [Tom Moulton/José Rodriguez] in the run-out groove in the US pressings of classic Tom
Moulton mixed records... You'll most likely find the TM/JR mark there - since they mastered over 3000 records
together.
But how did you find the time for everything? Both mixing, mastering and everything else?
"Because I was doing it 24 hours a day it seemed."
Hahaha! I see...
"I was doing all the mastering on Fridays."
So you were mixing all week and then you were mastering on Fridays!?
"Right! I never slept Thursday night - I worked right to Friday."
Oh my God! OK! But you started with mixing before you got into mastering?
"Yes!"
You told me 'bout José and everything. Do you know the other famous mastering guy -
Herbie Powers?
"I know who he is."
You have never worked with him or something?
"No!"
The first 12" singles Tom and José cut, was only test-pressings Tom would give out to some selected DJ's to get the response
from the dance floor crowds. So, the next question was quite obvious;
Tom, I know this is a question many people out there around the world would like to know the answer to -
Which was the first 12" single?
"The first commercial 12"...
That was "Ten percent" by Double Exposure, right?!
"That is true!"
But which was the first "official" promotional 12" single?
"Southshore Commission's 'Free man' was the very first one."
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When telling me of the "accident" of inventing the 12" single, Tom asked me if I know how he came to create the famous Disco
"Break". It actually came from creating one thing and ending up creating something for an entirely different use -
another of Tom's (great) "accidents". He told me the following;
"I got a record for Scepter Records, it was called 'Dream world' by Don Downing. That was the
very first record I ever went into mix. It immaculated! [Immaculation is when the key goes up.]
Alright, so in the second part of the record, towards the end of the record it immaculated to another key. So what happened
is I went to make a long version of it and of course I want to get back to the beginning of the song and of course the key
drops down. And I went; 'Oh, this is horrible! So what am I gonna do?' I said; 'Like I feel that I can do, is take out
everything that's musical.' So that how it went into a drum break. Then, I would start putting in percussion back in, then
I would bring the bass. So in the long version the song actually sounds like it's immaculate twice, but it only does once.
But that's how it was created.
People said; 'Oh, How did you do that?' And they should go on; 'You're so great, it really takes a genius to create
something like that!' I said; 'No it doesn't! - This was just the way out of the situation.'"
Yeah, but this is also amazing - it's great!
"You know, I'd like to say that I'm the greatest and most bright guy that ever happened - but it's not true. It's just
something that was created by accident - Totally by accident."
Meco Monardo has said Tom's idea of longer versions with breaks, repeated hooks and extended instrumentals was "a
revelation". And in 1974, DCA Productions [Disco Corporation of America, formed by Meco, Tony Bongiovi & another
guy] wanted Tom to work on Gloria Gaynor's first album - "Never Can
Say Goodbye". In this album Tom extended all the songs and segued all three songs of the A side together in a non-stop music
orgy. Something that other artists like Donna Summer and others
later used in their records.
Meco Monardo himself told me, Discoguy, in an interview the following of what he and
the guys of DCA first thought about this idea of segueing Gloria's tracks together and making them more instrumental and
danceable;
"Well, first we thought that we were dishonoring Gloria... What he was suggesting was; 'Let the singer
sing for a minute and then let the music play.' Because after all, when people were dancing, and he was way ahead of his time,
they're really not listening to songs per say. They are dancing to beats, so he saw that that was what people wanted. It was
nice to hear the song for a minute or so, but then if you just hear the music and then you could imagine the song in your mind.
That's a very very powerful thing. And he was the first one to see it, so when he suggested that, we were on the side of Gloria
or any other artist - thinking she'd be very angry 'bout this. But when we heard what he was talking about, try to remember nobody
ever did that before. You know, we would make a mix of the first minute or so with her singing and then we would take her
voice out and tear the track down and start doing other things. And as we heard what we were doing, we found out that he was
right. That it was exciting and wonderful and of course that opened the door for doing new things and we went right along
with it."
Meco continues to talk about Tom; "Tom Moulton is a great guy, one of the best guys I've ever met and was
great to work withand I still talk to him by the way. He's a dear friend. A great guy!"
Tom was the most desired mixer already in 1974-77 and he was one of the few guys who was credited already in these early
Disco years, because the record labels knew it would help sell records with his mixes. So his name is found on many 70's
7" singles - way before the Disco boom started!
I also know you had remixed some hundreds of 7" singles before you "invented" the 12" single and the
longer versions for that format.
"See, you have to understand something. When I started mixing, I really didn't do the remix - I did the mix! When
I was given a tape, they said; 'Can you salvage this record? Can you make it work?' I said; 'Well sure!' So I would always
do a [long] 12" version of it, but then I always do a single version. And my version was always the one that was played -
that was the only one that ever came out. So it really wasn't a remix.
I mean. It was the same thing - There was always a short version and a long version. See, my biggest complaint about music
is - If you hear a short version, I want the long... In other words; You're going in to the store to buy that record
because you heard it on the radio. Why not having the option of being able to buy a longer version of the same song, but
has the same elements that the short version has - that's why you're buying it."
So, I guess you dislike the new remixes they make today?
"Well, because if... like when I first heard Chumba Wamba, you know, I loved that song. The minute I heard it... I've
always been a fan of theirs anyway, but when I went in to buy the record I returned it. I brought it back so fast and I said;
'They took out the hook of the song!' I said; 'That's why I'm buying the record. I'm buying the record because of that hook
and they took it out!!!'"
Yeah, I really thing they should stick with one version of the "original mix" or something if you buy the
12" version today. Instead of mixing them all up and you can't even recognize the song sometimes.
"Right! Oh, let me see... Where you from again?
Stockholm, Sweden!
"Ah, the home of ABBA!"
Yeah! Sure am!
"See... You know what kills me? It's that I had the chance to mix 'Dancing queen'. And you know what I told them -
Atlantic [Records]?"
No?!
"I said; 'That record doesn't need me!' And I'm so sorry I ever said that, because I would have loved to made a
long version of 'Dancing queen'. I mean, I just love that song. But really, I thought it was flawless."
Yeah! It's really a great song...
"I wish I could have been able to work on some of their stuff 'cause I'm just a big fan of them. Their music is
beautiful."
Yes, still is.
"Yes, Absolutely! And it's timeless. Oh, would I love to get the multitrack on 'Dancing Queen'. Oh my God! Boy, would I
do a number on that song that would drive them up the walls."
Yes, I would have loved to hear your version of "Dancing queen".
"Well, I tell you. It would have been a little 'ballsier'. [From having Balls - make something harder or heavier]
Yes, I would have made it a little more edgy and I would have made the dynamics even more dynamic, especially that...
towards the end the string line where it starts to go up and they fade it. That 'di di di di di di di di di di'. You know,
it starts going up an octave and of course the zip it right out. Oh, I would have loved to play around with that."
Hahaha... [both laughing]
"Well, like I said - They didn't need me, so... You know, it's just... I don't know. Someone told me the other day - I'm
working on the new Leroy Gomez record. And they said; 'Tom, the reason we want you to do it.' I said; 'I don't like
to mix the new stuff, I just don't care for it - unless it's music.' They said; 'Oh no. This is music. But you listen to it
and you tell me what you think.' And (of course) it was all disjoined and it just didn't work together. But now it works
together and I said; 'Why do you want me to do this?' They said; 'We want it to sound like a classic.' And they said; 'You
know... Like 25 years ago I played one of your records and it was incredible. Now I put on this same record 25 years later
and it still sounds incredible!'"
Yeah, I sure know what they mean!
"And I said; 'But that's because I really care about it and I really try to do everything that I physically and mentally
am capable of doing.'"
Have you got a copy of every song you mixed?
"I used to. But I don't anymore. I got rid of a lot of them. I mean, do you realize how many thousands of records I did
- you don't have any idea."
No, that was my next question actually.
"OH my God. In my hay days it was like 37-38 hundred records. That's a lot of records."
NO - That's an awful lot of records!
"And I used to have like 25 of each one. I said; 'I need a warehouse.' Hahaha! [Both laughing] You know, when I
have 25 of the single and 25 copies of the 12", I said; 'I can't take all these records. This is ridiculous!'"
Yeah, so approximately how many records have you mixed?
"Oh, it's way over 4000! And when I say 4000, I'm talking 'bout 4000 different songs. I'm not talking 'bout
4000 short versions, 4000 long versions. I mean, if you wanna add those it goes up a lot. But it's some 4000 songs."
Do you think you had any specific skills or something to get soo good at mixing stuff?
"No! I was going by what my heart told me. Because if I would feel... It's like finding... Like you hear a song and
there's something that absolutely gets your attention. Whether there's a little noise or it's a little melody thing or it's
just... something. Then the idea is to build the song around that thing that makes you wanna buy it or wanna hear it. And
that's what I always looked for."
If we go back to the 12" remixes or mixes. How long did it take back then to make a remix and is there
any difference today?
"HAHAHAHA!!! You're funny. As I said, my whole concept behind the 12" was to be a longer version of the 7". And this
is what I've always said - I didn't make a dance record, I made a record you could dance TO. There's a difference.
In other words, I would really... the single was the most important thing for me. OK?"
Yeah!
"But the single was always all the best elements of the 12". In other words, I would do the 12" first. Then I would say;
'OK now it's time to make a short version' And I would take all the great elements of the things that made the 12"
spectacular and put them in the single version. That's why the single versions were always so good."
OK! So, how long would it usually take...
"OH! It would take... Usually, hmm, 10-11 hours."
OK! And today, is it any difference?
"Oh yeah, well no... You see, like in the old days I always had 'carte blanc' to... If I wanted to change the drums, if
I wanted to add this or add that - I could do whatever I wanted, which I did. But I never said I did it... I mean - Why?! I
mean, I'm only adding one element, but it's still not my record you know. I was paid to fix the record to make it work and
if this is what it needed - that's what I did. And... You know, now when they do it they just take a vocal or whatever and
they just, you know, create their own thing. I think some of it is very clever, very well done. But I also feel that 10
years from now - what is it gonna sound like?!"
Discoguy; I know you have Mixed, Produced and Mastered records. Have you ever been writing?
"Yeah! I always tried to write a couple of songs..."
Anything released?
"Well, No. I did like Grace Jones' 'Atlantic City gambler'. You see, I wrote that - I wrote the words. I use to
like a lot to write the words. I wrote 'Street sense' SalSoul Orchestra - '212 North 12'. I mean, I started writing.
But there was not so much time to do everything. You know, you can't do everything."
No, I understand that. I can't understand how you found time for everything you really did!?
"And - I hated producing."
Oh, you did???
"You know why? Because... I'm not a diplomat. And you know, I would have these arguments with the artist. So I'd said;
'Hey look, I'm here to make you sound good. So why don't you take your f**king ass and go in there and do what you have to
do, because I'm doing what I have to do.'"
Yeah! [laughing]
"And they would like; 'Aaahhh, how could you talk to me like that?!' And I said; 'I'm getting paid to make you sound good,
so get in there and do it!' And I mean, you know, I don't treat them like stars. 'We're all trying to do a job, so if you're
the one that slowing up, you making it hard for me, you making it hard for the engineer, you making it hard for the assistant
engineer...' I mean, you know what I'm saying. And finally I had to say; 'Hey look! Just remember - All this money that
you're wasting because you don't wanna get in there and sing - You are paying for. It's against you, it's not against me.
I'm gonna make my money, you're the one that's not gonna make it.' Boy, obviously they get right in there and sing real
quick."
Hahaha! I understand soo...
"And I just didn't like it. I said; 'This is crazy. Why would anybody wanna take all this abuse to try, you know, especially
if you constantly have to be a psychiatrist to try to trick them in to do a good job!' And I said; 'I don't like this.' And you
know, Grace Jones is what I got stuck doing first. That's only because, the people who managed her said; 'Oh Tom, we want
you to do it and bla bla bla bla bla...' And I said; 'You know, I can't do this crap. It's too hard to do. And besides that, I
like being unique where like - you give me your mess and I'll straighten it out!' You know, I kind of like that idea - to me
that was easy. You know, I could go through and say; 'Oh, this is what they had in mind and then all of a sudden they start
adding all this other stuff into it.' It's like making a cake or cooking something. You know, it just maybe needed a little
salt and pepper, but then they started adding all these different spices and things - and they completely ruined the taste
of it. So, the idea is to go back and eliminate all the stuff that doesn't work. It's just kind of fun, you know. It's still
a creative challenge. So, I think I like the idea of like wanting to be creative. 'Cause I think, if you feel creative you
wanna be able to have this outlet for it."
Tom also owned his own Disco label called Tom n'Jerry Records, originally distributed through
SalSoul Records. He later moved the company to Casablanca Records
and artists included People's Choice among others.
And yes... There was a Jerry as well, Jerry Moulton - Tom's younger brother, who was the labels promotions man.
In 1979 you released an own 12" single as T.J.M on Casablanca Records.
A song called "I don't need no music"
"Yes!
T.J.M... I guess I know what the "J" stands for now. Thomas Jerome Moulton...
"Yes, that's true."
Have you done any others 12"s by your own name, or is that the only one?
"That was part of my deal with Casablanca, that I had to come out with something with my name on it. And I love that "I
don't need no music" and what was the other side... Oh, I loved that one too. That was..."
"Put yourself in my place".
"Yeah!"
Yes, both sides are really good on that 12". Was that the only one you released?
"Yes!"
Is it you singing? Or is it someone else singing?
"Oh No, no, no, no, no - It's not me. Actually it's... the guy who's singing that is, his name is Ron Tyson - who
is the guy in the Temptations."
Oh - I see. I just wanted to check if it was you...
"No, no, no ,no, no. I wouldn't sing."
Just in the studio when you're alone or?
"On no, In fact I, ehh... I did it one time. I sang in a song, but I only did it because we didn't have the part there
and it was so funny because we used it... It was in a Trammps record."
Which song?
"Party time".
I also know you used to have a "Disco Mix" column in Billboard.
"Yes, I started it."
When did you start it?
"It was in '74."
Tom's first Billboard Disco column was published in the October 26, 1974 issue.
How long did you run it?
"'Till I couldn't take it anymore.
OK - Haha... And that was?
"Well, I did it for a couple of years. It's just too hard to do. You know, when being in the studio all the time and do
the column."
I suppose it was too much work then.
"Ah-ha!"
Have you written for any other magazines?
"No."
The Billboard "Disco Mix" column lived on and was taken over in 1976 by the New York DJ and Sound systems designer,
Barry Lederer, who would run it until 1982.
In my opinion the phrase "A Tom Moulton Mix" stands for high quality and great remixes. But how did Tom come up with
the idea to put this "trademark" on his mixes?
Tom replies; "OK, when I came up with that, I said; 'OK, there's a mix - but then there's 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."
It sure is! I always look out for "A Tom Moulton Mix" in any old record.
"The idea was, that when you see that, you know you gonna get something that sounds incredible and something that's not
gonna be a piece of garbage. I guess my heart and soul went into it. It really did. And that's something money can't buy,
it's something like - either you love it or you don't, you know."
In January 2000, I got a chance to visit Tom in his home in Manhattan, New York. He has his own studio in the apartment and
he had a whole room full of CD's, Gold Discs and other awards he has received. He had over 20000 (!!!) CD's in that room.
I've never seen that many records in one place. When I asked Tom if he would sign a piece of paper with "A Tom Moulton Mix"
for me, he went away for a while and returned with this Special Limited Edition Collectors release of SalSoul's 20'th
Anniversary - A 4 LP Picture disc set, which he signed for me. This is now the most treasured piece in my record
collection.
We also talked a lot about music and mixing. He was even mixing stuff when I was around. That was really something extra...
To get to hear your longtime hero "in action"!
It was really amazing to hear what he could create with the computers and all of the other stuff in his home studio.
And I can tell all of you people out there, that his work still sounds just as great as it always has since he started, over
some 25 years ago...
How did you feel when your remixes became that popular and worked on every dance floor?
"Scary! It was like - I was amazed!"
But it must have felt GREAT in some way?
"No, what made it great was when people would start to like react to your noises. Or when you got to the break or
something and then they start; 'OHHHH!' and... I mean, 'cause I know that's what I felt when I was doing it. And when you
see other people doing it, it was really wonderful."
Yeah, I can understand that. - I really think your mixes kind of set the standard for the 12" remix. How
does it feel to have been so important to DJ's and Disco music and the whole era?
"But I didn't look at it like that. I looked at it more like - white people again - it's white people accepting black
music. It's accepting music for the music and not because it's somebody black. That always bothered me. I mean, music
shouldn't have any colors. I mean, you like it because it's a good record. Who give a damn it you're black, green or yellow?!
Who cares?! It has nothing to do with it. A good record is a good record. And that was my whole idea behind it."
After making soo many mixes - Have you got any unreleased remixes you specially recall, or think it's sad
it wasn't released or something?
"Yeah, there's a couple of them."
Anyone you can mention?
"Yeah, but I can't think of the name of the song... I know the artist but I can't think of the name of the song.
Adrian Gurwitz his name was. He was on... oh, what's that label E.L.O [Electric Light Orchestra] was on -
Jet!"
I guess everybody have something like that, something that's really sad it wasn't released.
"Yeah, and everybody also has a song that they wished they could have mixed... ;-)"
Yeah! Hehehe!
"I thought you'd ask me that."
I was just going to. So, I know you would have loved to mix ABBA's "Dancing Queen", but have you got some
other ones you would have loved to mix?
"Oh yeah! I know you're gonna laugh at one of them."
I really don't think so...
"'Endless road' by the Time Bandits. Oh, I would have given anything to mix that record. Absolutely a song that
always drove me crazy. Another song that always drove me crazy, and it only came out in England in this particular mix, was
by Modern Talking - 'You're my heart, you're my soul'. But this version only came out in England and they added a
little percussion and things to it which really made it sound like more an R'n'B record. It was soo good."
Oh I see. I don't think I ever heard that one...
"I know, most people haven't, you know. And... other 12"s that I didn't do that I love... 'Souvenirs' - Voyage."
Have you got any special memories you can tell about when mixing a specific record? Like something that
happened when you mixed it or some idea you got or something like that?
"Alright - 'Dr. Love' [First Choice]. You know that song?!"
Yep! It's one of my favorites actually.
"Ok, well. I actually had a mild heart attack that night."
OH!
"I was so frustrated because the rhythm, the tempo kept changing. And all I know is I wanted to get back to the part to
create a break that had that 'di-di-di-di-de, di-di-di-di-de', you know like that, with the stings. I mean, that absolutely
drove me crazy. And the drum pattern kept changing. So I had to speed it up, slow it down. Well, I got so frustrated. I
raised my arms and saying; 'Jesus Christ, can't these guys play in tempo for anything?!' And I got these electric shocks up
my arms.
And I sat down and I calmly said; 'OK, let's try to do this again.' And I sat down and I really got scared because I could
sense something that was wrong. I mean, there like - my breathing was off and I could hardly talk. But anyway I said; 'OK,
Let's do this!' So I, we kept doing it piece by piece and I kept speeding up the multitrack machine or slowing it down. And
it was driving me crazy. And finally it was done and I said; 'Can somebody call me a cab or drive me to the Hospital?' So
they drove me to the Hospital and I went to the emergency room, this was like 4:30 in the morning.
They said; 'What's the matter?' and I said; 'Well, I've had these electric shocks in my arms and bla bla bla bla bla...'
I got to see the doctor and the doctor goes; 'Oh my, your heart is beating sporadically.' He said; 'When did this happen?'
And I said; 'About 12 o'clock!' He said; '12 O'CLOCK! It's 4:30!' and he said; 'Where are you coming from?' and I said; 'It's
like 3 blocks away.' He goes; 'You're an Asshole!' That's what the doctor called me. He said; 'What could be more important
than staying alive?' and I go; 'Well, I was mixing this record...' He goes; 'What's mixing a record?' and I was trying to explain
to him and I said; 'Well, I mean, I know something was seriously wrong but I didn't wanna die not finishing this song.' He
thought that was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard of!"
I can understand that. Was that the final mix of "Dr. Love"?
"Yes!"
Because it's really brilliant - You really did a good job there... Even though...
"Ohhh! I thought that was one of the best records I ever did. I LOVE that record."
Yes, it's GREAT!
So, Which is you favorite mix? Which is the one you're most proud of? Is it "Dr. Love"?
"Yes, it's that and 'Love is the message' [MFSB]. And, of course 'Disco Inferno' and 'That's
where the happy people go' [both by Trammps] will always rank up there too..."
These are all brilliant mixes. That's why I actually originally choose the name "Disco Inferno" for my site.
"You know, that was interesting. I have always been a fan of the Trammps. Have you ever heard of the album called
the Legendary zing album?"
Yes.
"OK. That album didn't exist. That was my idea to create an album called 'the Legendary zing album' because it was never
a 'Legendary zing album'. I created it. It didn't exist. And they had already left the label. But then 'Hold back the night'
came out from that album and of course it became a big hit all over the world.
But I would have done the Trammps for nothing. That's how much I love the Trammps. I was trying to get close to the guys who
created the Trammps and the guy at the Studio, the General Manager - Harry Chippets, he was the one that put us together.
Saying, you know; 'Anybody who loves a group like you do should try to mix some of their stuff.' Well, the producers felt
like 'Well hey! We don't need anybody doing our stuff.'
So anyway, they went to Atlantic - they were signed to Atlantic - and they were gonna come out with a song called 'Hook for
life'. I got in touch with Jerry Greenberg, the head of Atlantic Records and I said; 'I understand you've got the
Trammps now and bla bla bla bla bla...' and I said; 'Can I hear what you're gonna release?' And he said; 'Well, sure!' So he
played me 'Hook for life'. I started shaking my head. He said; 'What's the matter?' and I said; 'Oh, that's not the way the
Trammps should sound. This is crazy. Did they give you any other songs?' And he said; 'Yeah, they gave us two other songs.'
I said; 'OK, can you play those for me?' He said; 'OK!' and he played me the two other songs and I heard 'That's where the
happy people go' and I almost shit in my pants.
I said; 'Jerry, if you let me mix that song - you would wanna release that one!' He goes; 'Really?!' And I said; 'Trust me!
That record will be a classic! That is the Trammps, that to me is a Trammps record.' He said; 'OK! I just tell them you're
gonna do it.'
Well, Ron Baker was the guy who produced it and I'm telling you - he just didn't like the idea. He went; 'Man, I don't
want anybody touching my stuff bla bla bla bla bla...' It was produced by Baker-Harris-Young, I used to see Norman all
the time, Norman Harris, in the studio - he's the one that produced 'Dr. Love' by the way.
And I said to him; 'Norman, I love the Trammps. I wouldn't do anything that gonna, like change them or anything. I only wanna
make it sound where, you know, the label would like it. I'll do it, but I want Baker to approve it when it's done. Can I
tell him that?' I didn't need it, I didn't need to have his approval, but I wanted it. You know, 'cause I didn't think it
was right to take somebody's music and do what you want with it. I mean, that's not right. Anyway, I went in there and mixed
it. I brought it back to Atlantic and Atlantic said; 'Oh, we're rush-releasing this!' And even Baker said; 'It's OK! Do it!
Just let them have it - it's their record. If they wanna mix it - fine.' He told everybody else how great it was but he
wouldn't tell me that. But he loved it!
So anyway, it came out and it became a big hit. After this I got to mix all the Trammps records from that on. But what
happened when we were doing 'Disco Inferno', it's so funny. Earl Young, he's the drummer of the Trammps but also part
of Baker, Harris & Young, he gave me a list, I still wish I had that list as it's so funny... They had like 12 songs. So he
goes; 'OK! Disco Inferno - 3 minutes.' And he started giving me all these titles and the times. And so I said; 'OK Earl - Thanks!'
I said; 'This is a joke.'
I started playing the songs - they were all dreadful. So many of the songs were horrible. And I said; 'Well, we're not using
this one, we're not using that one, I'm not using this at all.' 'Cause they had wanted to get this writer's song on there
and all I cared about was making a great Trammps album. So I got rid of all the other songs. So in other words, 'Disco
Inferno' was supposed to be about 3 minutes long and I said; 'Boy, they're gonna be in for a surprise.'
Hahahaha! [both laughing]
"And of course I made it long. We had a new assistant engineer that night. And we had tape levels, I'm trying to remember
now, it was so long ago and I know I'm gonna screw up on this. It was either 160 or 180 we set the meters at. I'm not sure
of the exact number, I'm not sure. Or was it 160 or 210, I'm not sure, I just don't remember now. It has been so long.
So what happened is, he accidentally set up the lower level. So in other words, each track wasn't up to its full potential.
And I couldn't understand why I couldn't make anything check. I wrote every instrument, I wrote every drum fill, I wrote
every guitar to put some energy into it. We mixed the whole song then I had to go downstairs in the studio and I ended a
Glady's Knight record. They wanted me to edit a single for Glady's Knight so I was doing that when the engineer calls
me back and says; 'Tom, you gotta come back upstairs.' I said; 'Why?' He said; 'I think it was mixed at the wrong level.' He
said; 'Well, just come back and I think we gotta do it over.' I said; 'We have it all on automation.' He said; 'Well, come
back up.'
I got up there and he played the tape and I said; 'It sounds great!' He said; 'No, listen to it.' So we played it up on the
multitrack with the levels up and it was so punchy and exiting. He said; 'Well, let's remix it.' I said; 'F**k them. Look, I
sweated my ass off all night, it's fine! We edit the 12" and the single just the way it sounds now and then we let them sweat
to death when they hear it.' I said; 'I sweated all night, now it's their turn.' And that's how it came out."
Oh, that's just great...
"That's why 'Disco Inferno' just absolutely jumps out at you. Because everything is so over exaggerated because I was
trying to do everything to make it sound like a Trammps record to me. So you see it was again - 'an accident'."
Another excellent accident actually.
"Yeah."
Are there any other Disco remixers whose sound you specially liked? Or some of today's remixers you
specially like?
"Ehm... Good question. Well, see... I just don't particularly like what they do today. They're really re-producing the
record. And what they only ever do is they're only taking like a vocal sample or whatever and then adding their own track
to it. That's not really what I consider remixing. I just call that, you know, re-producing."
Yeah! Me too. But any of the old Disco remixers?
"Who did I like? I like Francois Kevorkian..."
Yeah! Larry Levan?
"Yes, I liked Larry very much!"
How 'bout all the others?
"Yeah. I liked Walter Gibbons. I thought Walter did some incredible things."
Yeah! Did you use to know those guys or?
"Yes!"
Because, unfortunately most of them are not around these days.
"Well, Francois is alive, but the other two are dead."
Yes, that's sad. It would have been interesting to hear their work today.
Discoguy; Did you like Disco music during that era?
"OH Yes, very much! 'Cause it was music."
I guessed so, because by all you great mixes, you can really feel that you loved the music.
"Oh yes! That's why I did it, that's why I got involved with it."
What kind of music do you personally prefer? Is it still Disco, or what do you prefer to 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'n'B - traditional R'n'B. 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' and I go; 'What music?'"
Hahaha! Yeah!
"I liked it when it was first starting, stuff like 'Now that we found love' [Heavy D. & the Boyz]. I thought that
was an incredible rap record. Of course it was a big hit too, but I mean, I thought that was amazing."
Did you ever get to meet some of the artists you mixed?
"Yeah! Most of them."
Have you got any special comments on any of them? If they had some special thoughts about how things would
be done or, anything at all? Something fun that happened when you mixed some of their stuff or something like that?
"Em... I'm trying to think... Well, Andrea True... You remember the song "More more more"?
Yes!
"Well, I don't know if I can say that. No, I'm sure I can't say that. Who else... I'm just trying to think of what, like
some of them said. I mean, a couple of them were there when I was doing it and if I said; 'You know, you already got your
version - this is my version.' And they didn't quite understand what I was doing."
Did they like the result?
"Oh yes, of course! If it became a hit they REALLY liked it." ;-)
Hahaha! Yeah! Do you still have any contact with any of these old Disco acts?
"Not really."
It seemed like all "Disco people", like yourself, just disappeared when "Disco died" in the early 80's...
What have you've been up to since then? I know you lately have been updating (remastering) some old SalSoul
classics...
"I remix a lot of old stuff, old stuff of the late 50's and 60's. I love doing that."
Are you doing that all the time? I mean, have you been active all the time since "Disco died"?
"All the time! Yep! 'Cause I got into it because I really liked it, but most people treat that like garbage, so I really
got fed up with that."
Among all new CD releases Tom have worked on I have to mention at least one; the brilliant the Original SalSoul Classics
double CD! It's compiled, produced and also digitally remixed by Tom and it really includes all the best SalSoul classics.
Tunes like; "Dr. Love" - First Choice, "Hit and run" and "Love sensation" - Loleatta Holloway,
"I got my mind made up" - Instant Funk, "Runaway" - SalSoul Orch. feat. Loleatta Holloway,
"Moment of my life" and "Ain't no mountain high enough" - Inner Life, "Ten percent" - Double
Exposure and "Ooh I love it (Love break)" - SalSoul Orchestra, together with a bunch of other of SalSoul's
finest Disco moments.
"Is it very much remastering these days?
"No, it's lots of remixing and I do a lot of things."
OK, please tell me...
"I've been doing a lot of the stuff that used to be on a label called Laurie. Eh... I mixed 'A Whiter shade of
pale' in stereo for that box set that came out in England with Procol Harum. Ehhh... Oh God. There's just so much of
this stuff... I've been mixing a lot of oldies for the first time in stereo, I did Donna & the Bellmonts - they were big
over here. God, there's so much stuff. Well most of the stuff that came out on Artec and Jamie. I don't know
if you ever heard of Barbara Mason?"
Yes.
"Well, I've been mixing her stuff - her early stuff. Lot of the early Philadelphia things I've been doing now. Mixing
Duane Eddie... But I mean, stuff that goes back to, you know, when I was younger and I really like help preserving
that stuff."
I just come to think of another favorite of mine that you mixed - "Jam-jam-jam - All night long" by
People's Choice.
"Oh yes! Yeah!"
I gotta ask you; Was that one ever available on 12".
"Yes!"
Was it in a longer mix or?
"No, it was the same."
Because, I really LOVE that song!
"Yes, so did I. I did all the People's Choice records. In fact I'm working on an album right now, their very first album
that came out on PhillySoul I'm working on now."
During spring/summer of 2000 Tom is mastering a record many Disco lovers like myself has been waiting for - the Larry
Levan Live @ the Paradise Garage album!
This is really the ultimate party records for EVERY Garage, Levan or Disco fan. This is a double CD set which comes in a
"glow in the dark" sleeve. Besides the two CD's with great music there's also a booklet with information, pictures and a
lot more about the Paradise Garage, Larry Levan, the music and the New York nightlife and club scene. This is a
co-production between Strut Records in the UK and the legendary revived West End Records in the US. And to
get the best out of the original tapes, Strut and West End brought in Tom to master everything, which is a guarantee for
the greatest sound available.
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Download the FREE basic RealPlayer...
CLICK to hear A Tom Moulton mix...
I don't need no music
T.J.M
I'll be holding on
Al Downing
More more more
Andrea True Connection
Peace Pipe
B.T. Express
Instant replay
Dan Hartman
Don't stop me, I like it
David Christie
Touch and go
Ecstacy, Passion and Pain
This will be a night to remember
Eddie Holman
Double crossed
First Choice
Dr. Love
First Choice
Rio de Janeiro
Gary Criss
Love sensation
Loleatta Holloway
All night man
Loose Change
This is it
Melba Moore
I love New York
Metropolis
Love is the message
MFSB
T.S.O.P
MFSB feat. Three Degrees
Moonboots
O.R.S
Make me believe in you
Patti Jo
Jam, jam, jam (All night long)
People's Choice
Sinner man
Sarah Dash
Disco Inferno
Trammps
CLICK to hear some related songs...
Dancing queen
ABBA
Voulez-vous
ABBA
CLICK G-clef for a small medley...
Click to buy from
Disc 1:
Keep On Truckin - Eddie Kendricks
I'll Be Holding on - Al Downing
Peace Pipe - B.T. Express
Dream World - Don Downing
Make Me Believe in You - Patti Jo
Needing You - Clara Lewis
Free Man - South Shore Commission
You’ve Got the Power - Camouflage
Disc 2:
More More More - Andrea True Connection
Feel the Need in Me - Detroit Emeralds
Moonboots - Orlando Riva Sound
Love Is The Message - MFSB
Won’t You Try - Udell
La Vie En Rose - Grace Jones
Moonlight Loving - Isaac Hayes
Lip Service - The Lovers
Click to buy from
Tell Me What You Want - Jimmy Ruffin
Dreaming A Dream - Crown Heights Affair
Touch And Go - Ecstacy, Passion & Pain
Sugar Pie Guy - The Joneses
Foot Stompin' Music - Hamilton Bohannon
Free Man - South Shore Commission
My Baby's Got E.S.P. - Four Below Zero
You Little Trustmaker - The Tymes
Rock Me Again & Again (6 Times) - Lyn Collins (The Female Preacher)
Let Me Lay My Funk On You - Poison
I'll Be Holding On - Al Downing
Dream World - Don Downing
To Each His Own - Faith Hope & Charity
Makes You Blind - The Glitter Band
Date With The Rain - Eddie Kendricks
It's Just Begun - The Jimmy Castor Bunch
Girls - Moments And Whatnauts
The Player - First Choice
Peace Pipe - B.T. Express
Hold Back The Night - The Trammps
Click to buy from
Let's Start The Dance - Hamilton Bohannon
Somebody's Gotta Go (Sho Ain't Me) - Mike & Bill
Overnight Sensation - Jerry Knight
If My Friends Could See Me Now - Linda Clifford
When The Fuel Runs Out - Executive Suite
Think Before You Stop - Notations
Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart - The Trammps
I Caught Your Act - The Hues Corporation
Happiness Is Just Around The Bend - The Main Ingredient
Every Beat Of My Heart - Crown Heights Affair
There'll Come A Time, There'll Come A Day - Basic Black And Pearl
Smarty Pants - First Choice
This Will Be A Night To Remember - Eddie Holman
Down To Love Town - The Originals
Mainline - Black Ivory
The Bottle - Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson
Ten Percent - Double Exposure
(Sending Out An) S.O.S. - Retta Young
Remote Control - The Reddings
Love Insurance - Front Page
Click to buy from
Disc 1:
the Bottle - Joe Bataan
Dr. Love - First Choice
Hit and run - Loleatta Holloway
My love is free - Double Exposure
Love thang - First Choice
I got my mind made up - Instant Funk
Runaway - SalSoul Orch. feat. Loleatta Holloway
Checking you out - Aurra
Moment of my life - Inner Life
Just as long as I got you - Love Commitee
Disc 2:
Ten percent - Double Exposure
Love sensation - Loleatta Holloway
Let no man put asunder - First Choice
Call me - Skyy
Dreamin - Loleatta Holloway
Ooh I love it "Love break" - SalSoul Orchestra
the Beat goes on - Ripple
Ain't no mountain high enough - Inner Life
This will be a night to remember - Eddie Holman
Magic bird of fire - SalSoul Orchestra
Click to buy from
Disc 1:
Tangerine - Salsoul Orchestra
Moonboots - ORS
Funtown U.S.A. - Rafael Cameron
Let Me Party With You - Bunny Sigler
No Stoppin' That Rockin' - Instant Funk
War Dance - Kebekelectrik
Double Crossed - First Choice
Law & Order - Love Committee
I Love NY - Metropolis
Disc 2:
Spring Rain - Bebu Silvetti
Rio De Janeiro - Gary Criss
Rapper Dapper Snapper - Edwin Birdsong
Let's Celebrate - Skyy
Catch Me On The Rebound - Loleatta Holloway
The Greatest Show On Earth - Metropolis
Newsy Neighbors - Double Exposure
Jingo - Candido
Dancing Into The Stars - Logg
Mellow Lovin' - Judy Cheeks
Click to buy from
Penguin At The Big Apple/Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart
Pray All You Sinners
Sixty Minute Man
Scruboard
Tom's Song
Rubber Band
Hold Back The Night
Penguin At The Big Apple
Click to buy from
Body Contact Contract
Starvin'
I Feel Like I've Been Livin' (On the Dark Side of the Moon)
Disco Inferno
Don't Burn No Bridges
You Touch My Hot Line
Click to buy from
Zing Went The Strings If My Heart
Pray All You Sinners
Hold Back The Night
Love Epidemic
Where Do We Go From Here
Trusting Heart
Trammps Disco Theme
Hooked For Life
That's Where The Happy People Go
Soul Searchin' Time
Ninety-Nine And A Half
Disco Party
Disco Inferno
I Feel Like I've Been Livin' (On The Dark Side Of The Moon)
Body Contact Contract
The Night The Lights Went Out
Seasons For Grls
Soul Bones
Click to buy from
Disc 1:
Armed and Extremely Dangerous
Smarty Pants
Newsy Neighbors
This Is the House (Where Love Died)
Love and Happiness
Player
Gotta Get Away (From You Baby)
Dr. Love [12" Mix]
Love Thang
Double Cross [12" Mix]
Breakaway
Hold Your Horses [12" Mix]
Disc 2:
Love Thang
Let No Man Put Asunder
Dr. Love
Medley: Let Me Down Easy/Good Morning Midnight/Great Expectations
Happy Love Affair
Sittin' Pretty
I Can Show You
Indian Giver
Gamble on Love
Jimmy D.
Do Me Again
Click to buy from
Sexy
Cheaper to Keep Her
Back Stabbers
K-Jee
Family Affair
Freddie's Dead
Love Is the Message
Love Has No Time or Place
Human Machine
Layin Low
MFSB
Love Is the Message [12" Version]
Click to buy from
Send in the Clowns
What I Did for Love
Tomorrow
Vie en Rose
Sorry
That's the Trouble
I Need a Man
Click to buy from
Disc 1:
Bourgie bourgie - Ashford & Simpson
It's music - Damon Harris
At midnight - T-Connection
Put your body in it - Stephanie Mills
Dreaming a dream - Crown Heights Affair
By the way you dance (I never knew it was you) - Bunny Sigler
Right in the socket - Shalamar
Take me home - Cher
Pick me up, I'll dance - Melba Moore
Get on the funk train - Munich Machine
Here we go again - People's Choice
Disc 2:
...continued - People's...
Bad moutin' - Motown Sounds
Let yourself go - Supremes
Angel in my pocket - Change
Smack dab in the middle - Janice McClain
Sun... Sun... Sun... - Jakki
Trinidad - John Gibbs & the US Steel Band
My first mistake - Chi-Lites
Erucu - Jermaine Jackson
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Let's talk 'bout SalSoul... You have remastered many old SalSoul classics...
"Well, I still work for them."
Oh - You do!?
"Yes!
Cool! So, when talking about SalSoul... You told me earlier about when you mixed "Dr.Love" in '77. But then
SalSoul had Shep Pettibone remix it in '82.
"Yes, which was dreadful...
Yeah. That was actually my next question - What did you think about that?
"Well, I don't know Shep... I had signed an exclusive deal with Casablanca so I couldn't work for SalSoul any more. And I
know when Shep wanted to do it, somebody said to me; 'Won't you get offended?' I said; 'No, I wish him all the luck in the
world.' 'Cause I know it would be a nightmare for him to do."
Because I love your mix of it and I don't like Shep's mix of it as much. But how did that make you feel when
somebody told you - he is going to remix this or when you heard the result?
"It didn't bother me, I just said; 'Boy, these guys really like punishing themselves.' 'Cause I know how difficult it is.
I knew that they were gonna try to add things - they wanted to be able to have synther code on there and things like that.
In the days I was mixing we were just starting to do that, but I still didn't - I still used the real musicians. I didn't
use anything like that. So there was no synther code on it anyway."
From SalSoul we got into talking about one of the hot shot writers/producers of the label - Vince Montana Jr.. I had
mentioned once for Chris [a mutual friend of Tom and myself - Discoguy] that I had got this mail from Vince telling me [this
is exactly what he wrote]; "By the way - Tom Moulton DID NOT INVENT THE 12" VINYL IT WAS KEN CAYRE AND STAFF AT SALSOUL
RECORDS TOM TAKES A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THINGS THAT HE DIDN'T DO EXAMPLE : HE DID NOT MIX ANY OF MY EIGHT ALBUMS ON
SALSOUL!!!
Tom was very baffled and surprised by Vince's comments and said; "I never take credit for anything that I don't do. I've
never done that. And, if you listen to Vince you would think that Gamble & Huff kept stealing from him. Look at this, it has
been so many times where I have tried to help out Vince and I just don't understand him.
But at SalSoul... He got mad at me when I produced the album the... Oh, what the hell was it called now - "Street
sense". And I was only asked to do it because Vince was being so difficult with SalSoul. He was giving SalSoul such a
hard time. And then I remixed the Christmas album, he knows that."
OK. Maybe he was just mad at you for something like that...
"You know, Vince can not say someone else does anything good. I wish I could understand him, I just don't. I just try and
try and try, but I just don't understand him, so... 'Cause he didn't tell you that his album Close encounter of the
third kind - this is after he starts mixing his own records 'A Vince Montana Mix'. I mean, that's about as close to
copying me as anybody can. And then he begs me to mix his album because Atlantic rejected it. He called me the day before
Christmas and begged me. I said; 'Vince, I can't do this.' He said; 'You're a shit!' and then; 'Oh Tom, I'm sorry and bla bla
bla bla bla...' I mean, I couldn't believe it - no one else could either.
And I said; 'Vince, I'll do it on two conditions...' He said; 'What's that?' I said; 'You are not there and if you say one
word to me other then Hello or Goodbye - I'm leaving!' And he did, and no one would believe it. Well I ended up mixing it,
then they accepted it."
I see - I just wanted to ask you about that, but now when you have told me the story yourself I guess we
can drop the subject. But I was kind of surprised when Vince told me that in that mail...
"See, you got to remember something - Vince is like a lot of the other guys down there. Vince was a really good musician, he
still is, and these guys used to play on everything. I mean EVERYTHING! And I'm talking about like in the early 60's too.
I don't know if you was aware of that..."
No, not exactly.
"But I mean like all that early Jamie's stuff, the Artic stuff. It was like Baker, Harris & Young - the same thing with
those guys. Those three guys played on everything. All, like the early Barbara Mason, Vulcano. I mean - God - I can name
song after song after song and of course, you know, they didn't get really famous until they started playing with Gamble &
Huff. But these guys, I mean, I have known these guys for years and Vince was also part of that of that whole group. But for
some reason, Vince was white, and Vince always felt like the black, 'cause Gamble & Huff made it real big, he felt like the
black guys was stealing his talent. But he was one part of all. I mean, it's like me saying; 'I did it all!' All that's
bullshit - I didn't do it all. I had somebody helping me too. It was the studio, it was the conditions, it was the song you
were working on. I mean, it's a combination of things. And that's why I always felt I was part of that family because of
that."
Now I've just got a couple of more questions. Starting with: What's your BEST memory during your years in
the music business?
"Oh - I think being in Philadelphia in the studio with all my friends..."
Gamble & Huff, or?
"Those are not my friends. I don't think they're anybody's friends."
No??? OK!?
"They're not very well-liked, so... No, with people like the studio manager, who's dead now, his name was Harry
Chippets he was the general manager at Sigma. And you know, some of the musicians like; Norman Harris - the
guitar player, Don Renaldo who was the contractor for the strings. I mean, all these people are dead. But it was...
It was like a family. And that was one of my most... I think that my most memorable time in the studio, was there."
Did you live in Philadelphia then?
"No, I lived in New York all the time."
So you traveled a lot then?!
"Aha. Yeah!"
OK, Finally... Is there anything else you can think of that you wanna tell me, or the people that will read
this page about you?
"The only thing that comes to mind is that so many people want music back and they keeps... Each time I hear a new song
it seems that it's more and more, you know, real instruments involved. So, I'm finding that to be so now, because people
seems to want it and that I really like."
Terrific. I'm very very happy to have got this opportunity to talk to you and I'm very VERY happy you have
taken your time with me. It has been a real pleasure speaking to you...
"I will thank you - it has been a pleasure talking to you."
OK Tom, I won't disturb you any longer.
"Oh - not! You're not disturbing me, I really enjoyed it!"
Yeah! Me too. I'm really looking forward to speak to you again.
"Same here!"
Thanks a lot!
"Thank you!"
Bye!
"Bye bye!"
In a ceremony in September 20, 2004 in New York, Tom was finally given full recognition for his successful career when he
was the first Remixer voted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, along with the Tom Moulton remixed track "Love Is
the Message" by MFSB.
Artists inducted were Donna Summer, Bee Gees and Barry White,
while Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte were credited as
producers.
DJ inductees were David Mancuso, Larry Levan and Tee Scott.
In the same ceremony, Henry Stone of T.K. Disco fame received
a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for his work throughout the years, an award WestEnd's Mel Cheren
received in the 2005 Awards.
In April of 2006 Tom FINALLY gets an "own" compilation named after him! The compilation is called A Tom Moulton Mix
and of course it only include a very few of the more than 4000 songs that have got "A Tom Moulton Mix" attached to them.
Tom has approved to this compilation but he let UK's SoulJazz label choose the tracks. As he tells me; "The reason
was there are so many songs to choose from and I thought someone objective might be able to look at it differently than me."
In this CD you'll find some of his best works and hard-to-find gems. Just check out the track list, where you find all-time
classics from acts like Andrea True Connection, Grace Jones and Patti Jo. Not to mention songs like:
"Love is the message", "Free Man", "I'll Be Holding On" and "Dream World".
All the tracks comes in their full-length "A Tom Moulton Mix" versions, many are promo only versions or even unreleased versions.
You definitely need this CD, as these tracks are just as legendary as the man mixing them!!!
Tom Moulton is really a great guy. We had many laughs during this 1 and a half hour interview and I really had a great time
speaking to him. We have all heard his famous mixes and he was the one who set the standard for the classic Disco mix. He is
still working as hard as ever, even though he's not that much in the spotlight any longer - but his work will be -
FOREVER!
Tom Moulton
you really ARE
the MASTER of the DISCO mix !
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