Interview with Mitch Miller, January 21, 1999

Interview Summary

Miller talks about the early years of music recording as a business. He discusses payoffs to musicians and other questionable business practices. He suggests some of these practices were based on race. Miller talks about the changing and development of recording technology and how it affected the music recording business. Miller talks about his first recording studio production. He says Bob Fine worked as engineer and the recording was made directly to a disc. Miller says women working in recording studios was uncommon because men held an advantage in employment. Miller talks about his interest in various styles of music such as rhythm and blues and jazz. He laments that white artists "ripped off" Black artists by mimicking their music. Miller talks about supporting the development of technology, although he expresses skepticism of multi-tracking and compact disc technology. Miller talks about various techniques he observed engineers use in recording music.

Interview Keyword

Clooney, Rosemary. Page, Patti Damone, Vic Mathis, Johnny Laine, Frankie, 1913-2007 Wexler, Jerry Madonna, 1958- Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971. Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974. Smith, Bessie, 1894-1937. Beatles. Boone, Pat. Berry, Chuck. Rolling Stones. Charles, Ray, 1930-2004.

Interview LC Subject

Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. Racism Sound--Recording and reproducing Sound--Recording and reproducing--History Sound recording industry Sound recording industry--History Sound recordings Music History of science and technology Fine, Robert Columbia Records, Inc. Racism African Americans Record labels

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.