R.I.P. (Record In Peace), Engineering Great Al Schmitt

Legendary recording engineer, producer, mixer and all around great person Al Schmitt died last week at 91. He was still working at the end of his life. The multiple Grammy winner engineered albums for Bob Dylan, The Jefferson Airplane, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Sam Cooke, and on and on in an illustrious career that began as a child in his uncle Harry's New York City recording studio where he did odd jobs including cable cleaning.
His uncle got him a studio apprentice job after his stint in the Navy and a successful trial by fire in which after three months on the job due to a scheduling error of some sort he ended up being surprised in the studio by Duke Ellington and group who had showed up for a session. Schmitt set up the microphones and successfully recorded four songs.
He moved wes five years later for a job at famed Radio Recorders in Hollywood and thus began his incredible career. In this video AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer shows some of Al's greatest records and talks about his encounter with Al while he mixed Bob Dylan's Sinatra album.
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[@pirotelimsawat8439]

So sad from Thailand, Mr. Al Schmitt is my favorite sound engineer. I do love his works very much.

[@nklzcyn]

I met Al outside Studio A in the Capitol Records building where he was mixing Gregory Porter’s song collection a few years ago. I was in the hallway admiring a photo of Nat Cole when he approached and asked me if I was familiar with Nat’s music. I told him I that had seen Nat perform live on the original Carol Burnett show in in NYC in the 60s when I was just a kid. He smiled and invited me into Studio A to listen to playbacks of some of Gregory Porter’s cuts that he was then mixing. I remember him telling me that Porter’s orchestra had 68 pieces. He said loved mixing for an orchestra. I snapped some selfies with him and we chatted about life and music for several minutes before parting ways. Al was so gracious and down to earth. I am blessed to have met and shared a brief moment in time with a true industry legend.

[@ceejaydeesoozaa]

he engineered one of my fave LPs. al jarreau's look to the rainbow. RIP

[@vinylrules4838]

RIP Al Schmitt. Thanks for the recommendation Mikey. Picked up Henry Mancini's Combo today for 25 cents at my local thrift store.

[@JasonFerguson1283]

Ah man. I just now heard this! What a legend and a happy man!

[@dcrook232323]

Just have to add....A quick look at wiki shows his prowess: "Schmitt recorded & mixed more than 150 Gold and Platinum albums. He won more Grammy Awards(!) than any other engineer or mixer. Al was the first person to win both the Grammy & Latin Grammy for Album of the Year. " Yep, he was pretty good.

[@hifitommy]

hi Michael, hifitommy here. I have been enamored of Al since the early 70s when i was making a friend of mine an 8track (i had a Wollensak recorder and a Concord outboard Dolby unit) of PaulHorn playing some adapted pop tunes, probably some producers bright idea. anyway, all the instruments sounded like themselves and i really liked Paul's playing. i looked at the personnel list and there it said recorded by Al Schmitt. months later, a friend turned me on to Dan Hick and His Hot Licks. again, Al Schmitt, and so it went time after time. spring forward to Diana Krall Live in Paris. Al Schmitt. plus the interaction of Daina and Anthony Wilson was (is) magical. it came as no surprise to find out he engineered Peter Gunn and Hatari by Henry Mancini. i read many years ago about his Duke Ellington experience and bragged about him to friends when recommending his recordings to my friends, many of which i socialize with at the LA/OC Audio Society (i look forward to seeing you in December-that sounds like it could be a song title). for the easter egg, i see it is have been decorated with what may be an early pic of Harry Weisfeld. and a display of your sperm count. at any rate, thank you for the tribute to Al Schmitt whom i WISH i had met, i just didn't try hard enough.

[@grossjamess]

Thanks for the retrospective Michael. I attended a T.H.E. Show event where we had a tour of the amazing Capitol Studios in Hollywood, and who was one of the guests but Al Schmitt! As has been said, he was warm, gracious, hip, and really funny! Was really an honor to sit and chat with him! The book you reference was released that day, and I have a signed copy which I will now cherish even more... RIP sir.

[@dcrook232323]

Great recap MF of the exceptional, tireless AL Schmitt. 👍

[@mubodude]

I remember the Bob Dylan in L.A. story from your 100 best records video. How in the world could you and the producer not get along now? I'd love to hear that story. Who couldn't get along with YOU!? Love all your vids and it's never enough. Thanks for making them.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Read the comments under Chad Kassem’s KOB video. Plenty of Mikey hate there! Lol

[@jengros5025]

I thought for sure you would hold up George Benson's Breezin' album, which is where I frst learned of both Al Schmidt and Tommy LiPuma. Maybe not an important album in "jazz", but certainly significant. Love your channel and video's, I find you to be quite entertaining. Nice tribute here, keep up the great work, be well. Bill Gros

[@analoguecity3454]

You had me giggling at that "Jackson Browne" imitation! You nailed him perfectly! 😆🤣

[@jjquinn2004]

Wonderful, caring video. I’d read his obituary in The NY Times, but your video really brought out Al Schmitt’s character and his works. Thank-you.

[@jlcougilljr]

great tribute mike, and the hair looks spiffy too.. the older i get the more these sad passings of our artists and studio legends seem to increase , but it is a true testament and reminder of the musical gifts we've been given.

[@jazzguitarmichael9753]

Thanks for this video, and your music and book recommendations. What an incredible body of work.

[@Mike164365]

Thanks again for you upload!

[@andershammer9307]

Mr. Lucky is one of my all time favorites. As well as some other Henry Mancini records.

[@franciscoop1063]

I bought a copy of Al's Autobiography a couple of years back when you recommended it Michael (it's a great read indeed) - I suspect he would have made sure your video's audio track didn't have an annoying 6o Hertz hum too! 😉

[@GE.1962]

Thanks Mike, great video. RIP Al

[@stankatic8182]

Your best video and a great tribute.

[@alansenzaki4148]

Thanks for posting. Great engineer!..when i buy an album i always check to see who the engineer his. Al was always first rate.

[@cpunter]

Fab Easter Egg! Love your enthusiasm!

[@DocJJohnson]

Great show

[@ecyfoto]

Up the revolution! Nice vid, Michael.

[@ZJ-ne9kn]

I first learned about al schmitt by reading a liner note he did for the astronauts 👍

[@ZanTaylor]

Great talk, as usual.

[@Mash333]

A legend. Never to be topped, the apex of recording engineering.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Way to go, Fremer! Always look forward to seeing Al Schmitt on the credits! Sorry to hear it. He helped Dylan get those last standard albums out at Capitol from what I understand.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Best of Sam Cooke, one of Rolling Stone Top 100.

[@RodrigoAlves-bc8qq]

Wow, what a really Nostradamus momment at the end. Michael saying, "I told you so".

[@SubTroppo]

Bingo; Got one! Late For The Sky. It's on the wall, If it's all reet with Magritte.

[@arrakian]

R.I.P. to a great, Al the Great! 🙏🏾

[@bloodyhell451]

Jezus Mikey. Cool it on the edit effects. I thought the goddam record collection was falling on you for a split second !

[@georgedoughly8682]

After Bathing at Baxter’s is my favorite Jefferson Airplane album!

[@carlfuggiasco7495]

The irony of this tribute to a great recording engineer is the back ground hum......possibly a mike to close to an amp?????

[@mubodude]

91 is a good run. So much knowledge is taken and leaves when these greats pass. You cant just learn it from scratch now. RIP

[@tweakerman]

Another great video👍, did you get the photo's of my turntable, that I made & sent them to you?

[@joemartin6439]

I love the Mr Lucky album and living stereo records

[@zombiepie1918]

O.o what's up with the hum??

[@AnalogPlanet]

Not sure where that hum is from but not in the room

[@lewiswaddo5045]

Sad times

[@robertheckman9813]

Al was one of the greats! I bought the book. My favorite Mancini recording that he did was "The Mancini Touch" check it out.

[@theokidokis]

Is that your stereo humming?

[@JD-lk7im]

Mmm, nice 60 Hz tone.

[@WindomRettes]

Nice haircut, now it's time to hit the road again.

[@brucegelman5582]

Al was a genius and a mensch

[@thomosburn8740]

I use an original black label RCA Mr Lucky' album as a demo record all the time. "March Of The Cue Balls" is so good it makes you hallucinate! Hardly anyone on the Steve Hoffman Forums talks about 'Kisses On The Bottom'. They're all Beatles-mad over there, but for Paul they want "all rock all the time" and when he veers into classical, jazz or electronica the releases are either roundly ignored or grumbled about ("When is he gonna write some new songs???"). Pathetic!

[@WordsRuinMusic]

Your Easter egg is very reminiscent of the video you have from MTV from 1990. But this time no mention of peanut butter. Condolences for your friend. Charles

[@mondoenterprises6710]

You are down with Mancini!

[@fredfungalspore]

Sir you made the comment in your introduction if you care about recordings. You would have paid him justice if you had taken the time to set up your recording without the electoral buzzing during your eulogy.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Art Pepper calls the shots and they follow!

[@brucegelman5582]

WFMU...EAST ORANGE NEW JERSEY.IRWIN CHUSIT THE GREATEST OF ALL D.J.

[@Tubenesser]

Al could have helped Michael to get rid of the hum in this home recording too. #digit

[@mannye]

Don't sell your original pressings... You knew it back in '88.

[@ergloo6660]

Interesting, but the hum is so distracting!!!

[@artyfhartie2269]

I heard he has already recorded three records by The Holy Trinity using the Paradise recording studio analogue gear. God hates digital.

[@robertthurston6858]

What do you mean , Hatari is light weight stuff ? Elephant Baby Walk is extremely fun stuff ,to me anyways and isn't music suppose to be fun ?

[@bradleykay]

At least admit you wish Ronnie Reagan were back on the scene.

[@joemartin6439]

I hate dyna grove records . I have 10 of them