Tommy Johnson--Most Recorded Tubist

[jimself]

I heard that there is a discussion about who is the MOST RECORDED TUBA PLAYER and want to weigh in on it. The lack of information and the mis-information on this topic is really amazing.

TOMMY JOHNSON IS ABSOLUTELY THE CHAMPION.

NO ONE ELSE EVEN COMES CLOSE!!

Tommy started recording in the Hollywood Studios right out of college and has had a long and busy career. He has recorded many THOUSANDS of movie scores, television shows, records, jingles, cartoons, theme park music, video games--you name it. And he has recorded music almost every day for over 40 years. There were many times when he would work double and triple sessions 7 days a week. He has done almost all of the Academy Awards Shows in those years and he has recorded with many of the greatest composers and artists from film to symphony and opera to jazz and rock. And during that long career he has been and remains the busiest tuba player in the studios.

NO symphony player, even considering archieval concert recordings, can equal his record. NO European Radio Orchestra can equal it. NO sampled synthesizer tuba can equal it. NO chamber group with dozens of CDs can equal it.

There is probably not a human alive who has not heard music where Tommy was the tuba player--that means BILLIONS of listeners.

I doubt if anyone will EVER equal his numbers again. He is a unique man of his time, the recording business during his career and, of course, his enormous talent.

Jim Self

[CJ Krause]

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[Scott Sutherland]

The lack of information and the mis-information on this topic is really amazing.

TOMMY JOHNSON IS ABSOLUTELY THE CHAMPION.

Thanks, Jim. That really needed to be said by an authority on the subject.

[JB]

There is nothing more to say.

But yet you were strangely compelled to say more, hmmm...

Funny, I thought the same thing; scrolled down, and saw someone else had pointed this oddity out.

(It is a little like the old duffers who hold on to that last note just a little extra long 'til the rest of the band stops playing just to be heard...)

[Tom Holtz]

Back in my Arizona State days, Tommy Johnson came to the School of Music and did a masterclass, and talked a great deal about life in the studio. He brought with him, on tape, a sampling of some of the scores recorded with him playing tuba. Mind you, this was in the late '80s, and he's been busy ever since then. We looked on from copies of the parts that he had played in the studio as he cranked up the stereo. The idea of sight-reading this stuff right onto a master tape absolutely blew us away.

He played some of the passages from "Jaws" (John Williams) used during one of the shark attack scenes, where he and the horns dominated the score. He played several clips from the "Silverado" soundtrack (Bruce Broughton?) , including one called "Ezra's Death" that was a mish-mash of 16ths and 32nds under triplet beams. Try knocking THAT back on the first try. Everything, even the stuff we'd never heard of and would never hear of again, sounded like a million bucks.

The big winner was a commercial spot for BankAmeriCard which was sort of cartoony music, and the tuba was the solo instrument the entire time. I remember him saying he walked into the studio for the session, and had a hard time finding his seat because he was looking at the stands in the back row, and the tuba stand was up front next to the podium. He saw the part, which included a goofy run to a high G three lines up, and was a bit concerned because he'd only brought his CC tuba...

One take. Thirty seconds. Thanks, Tommy.

[tubacdk]

it should also be said that Mr. Johnson is one of the friendliest and most generous people you will ever meet. Indeed, he is the champion in many ways.

[JB]

Back in my Arizona State days, Tommy Johnson came to the School of Music and did a masterclass, ...

And later, in the evening of that same day played a killer recital -- including the Bach double violin concerto as a duet with Mr P.

Impressive.

Still have that copy of the BankAmeriCard somewhere...


.

[Billy M.]

Tommy started recording in the Hollywood Studios right out of college and has had a long and busy career. He has recorded many THOUSANDS of movie scores, television shows, records, jingles, cartoons, theme park music, video games--you name it. And he has recorded music almost every day for over 40 years. There were many times when he would work double and triple sessions 7 days a week. He has done almost all of the Academy Awards Shows in those years and he has recorded with many of the greatest composers and artists from film to symphony and opera to jazz and rock. And during that long career he has been and remains the busiest tuba player in the studios.

Jim Self

Ok, Jim. I stand corrected.

[CJ Krause]

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