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John Hammond on Record: An Autobiography

by John S. Hammond , Irving Townsend

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 23 ratings · 4 reviews

Penguin 1981

Paperback , 432 pages

Published February 26th 1981 by Penguin Books (first published January 1st 1977)

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Oct 28, 2014 bfred rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this autobiography by legendary music business producer/A&R John Hammond. The book jacket describes him as “The greatest ear for talent in American musical history. Among his discoveries: Billie Holiday. Count Basie. Teddy Wilson. Bob Dylan. Aretha Franklin. Bruce Springsteen.” Indeed, Hammond—who wrote this book in 1979, about 10 years before his death—had an impressive string of successes in the business. But the most impressive thing about him is the humility he maintaine I really enjoyed this autobiography by legendary music business producer/A&R John Hammond. The book jacket describes him as “The greatest ear for talent in American musical history. Among his discoveries: Billie Holiday. Count Basie. Teddy Wilson. Bob Dylan. Aretha Franklin. Bruce Springsteen.” Indeed, Hammond—who wrote this book in 1979, about 10 years before his death—had an impressive string of successes in the business. But the most impressive thing about him is the humility he maintained throughout a life that most would consider glamorous.

As a member of the insanely rich Vanderbilt family, Hammond was raised in a mansion on Manhattan’s upper east side. He bucked family tradition by gravitating towards the jazz clubs of Harlem, gaining access that allowed him to write about the scene for UK publications. His reputation as a journalist led to him booking musicians for labels, and his career as a producer grew from there. His role as a producer really seemed to be about getting interesting combinations of talented musicians in a room together, which was an especially valuable skill in the jazz age. Since his early career took place during the Great Depression, when recording budgets were low, Hammond would sometimes have to pay the down-on-their-luck musicians out of his own pocket—a small price to pay to bring wonderful music to life.

Hammond also details his lifelong commitment to equality and support of the civil rights movement, including covering the Scottsboro Boys trial for The Nation, backing the first integrated nightclub in downtown NYC, and becoming a longtime board member of the NAACP (and eventually its vice president). He even tells an entertaining story about beating up Louis Armstrong’s abusive white manager after hearing him call his client the n-word. But what’s most touching is hearing about the subtle ways that Hammond’s life choices changed the attitudes of his aristocratic parents.

Hammond clearly had an ear for talent, spotting Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin seemingly out of the blue (Bruce Springsteen literally walked into his office after hearing he was the guy who discovered Bob Dylan). That said, the records he actually produced with these artists failed to break through, and it wasn’t until they worked with other producers that they found success. But Hammond was a jazz man through and through, so really, his later discoveries in other genres seemed like cherries on top of an already impressive career. It’s hard not to admire Hammond, and reading his autobiography is an entertaining journey through the music business and the evolving culture of 20th century America. ...more

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Apr 24, 2014 Chris Morris rated it 4 of 5 stars

I almost didn't read this book, as there's a newer biography by Dunstan Prial that I wanted to read. I saw it in Chapters a few years ago, passed on it temporarily, only to find out when I went back for it that it's out print and hard to find!
I found this in Brian's Record Option (actually, I asked for it. If you're from Kingston you'll know how hard it is to 'find' anything). I only had a cursory knowledge of Hammond's career: Dylan, Springsteen, SRV, Holiday, and a big jazz career going way b ...more

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Apr 07, 2012 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the best books ever written about how the music recording industry worked in its heyday. Hammond not only crossed paths with giants of the business, but also lived a life rooted in great values and dedication.

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Jul 08, 2008 Michael Fitzgerald rated it 3 of 5 stars

Much better than the later bio by Dunstan Priall, which is basically superfluous.

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