Tom Wilson

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"Tom Wilson was a great guy. He had vision, you know? And he really stood by us ... I remember the first thing that we recorded was 'Any Way the Wind Blows,' and that was okay. Then we did 'Who Are the Brain Police?' and I saw him through the glass and he was on the phone immediately to New York going, 'I don't know!' Trying to break it to 'em easy, I guess."

Frank Zappa


Tom Wilson with Bob Dylan

Thomas Blanchard Wilson Jr.

Born: 1931, Waco, Texas

Died: September 6, 1978, Los Angeles


Graduated from Harvard in 1954 and set up his own jazz record label, Transition, in 1955. Worked as a radio producer in the late 1950's. Became A&R director for Savoy Records in the early 1960's before working as a producer for Columbia Records in 1963 - producing early recordings by Bob Dylan. He added a rythm section to Simon and Garfunkel's accoustic "The Sounds of Silence." and released it as a single. It went to number one and Wilson left Columbia and went to MGM/Verve where he would work with The Velvet Underground.

David Anderle was a talent scout in LA and he persuded Wilson to come from New York to see The Mothers. Wilson liked what he saw and signed them up to Verve Records.


He was one of the founding owners, with Chris Stone and Gary Kellgren (Wilson's Engineer), of the Record Plant recording studio in New York.


Tom Wilson is credited as Producer on:

Freak Out!

Absolutely Free

We're Only In It For The Money

He appeared in Uncle Meat & Video From Hell.