So Long, Jack Douglas

I just read about the passing of Jack Douglas, a legendary producer and a friend to many in the audio business. So much of the music that we grew up came from under Jack’s watchful eye, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Double Fantasy,” Aerosmith’s “Rocks” and “Toys in the Attic,” Cheap Trick’s debut album and “Live At the Budokan”, Patti Smith’s “Radio Ethiopia,” and many others.

As an engineer, Jack worked on recordings by Miles Davis, the Who, the New York Dolls, Alice Cooper, Joe Walsh’s James Gang, Mountain, among many others. He also worked on John Lennon’s “Imagine” album, which led to his work on “Double Fantasy.”

I didn’t spend much time with him, but I always enjoyed Jack’s stories we we did get together. The one about Yoko’s stomach noises being louder than her voice after a sushi dinner is a favorite. Jack and John were laughing so hard that they had to sit on the floor underneath the console so she wouldn’t see (he told the story much better.)

My best memory is sitting next to him at an SSL-hosted dinner at NAMM where he told me stories about how much “Donny” Trump loved Aerosmith, but how much they hated him, going so far as to not allow him back stage at their Madison Square Garden concerts. This was many years before our current president entered politics. Can’t image what that would be like now.

Later after dinner that night, he and I walked back together from downtown Disney to the Hilton Hotel (about 15 minutes), where the stories came fast and furious. During that time he was Jack the man, rather than Jack Douglas the super producer, and I felt a real connection, which unfortunately never had a followup.

I’d see him at the Wednesday audio lunch from time to time (see the above image) when he was in town and we’d talk for a bit, but there were always so many people around asking for his ear (which he graciously gave) that we couldn’t speak for long.

I never got to work with Jack but I have a number of friends that did. They always told me how much of a mentor he was, and how he was able to put everyone in the session at ease so they could do their best work. They always would speak of him with their highest respect.

When someone of Jack’s stature passes, the best way we can honor them is to listen to what they left behind. Jack Douglas fortunately left us with so much great music that we’ll be enjoying it for quite a while. As good as that might be, it still doesn’t erase the pain of his loss.

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