Short Synopsis
Sound Man provides a firsthand glimpse into the art of making music and reveals how the industry—like musicians themselves—has changed since those freewheeling first years of rock and roll.

Full Synopsis
Born just outside London in 1942, Glyn Johns was sixteen years old at the dawn of rock and roll. His big break as a producer came on the Steve Miller Band's debut album, Children of the Future, and he went on to engineer or produce iconic albums for the best in the business including Abbey Road with the Beatles. Even more impressive, Johns was perhaps the only person on a given day in the studio who was entirely sober, and so he is one of the most reliable and clear-eyed insiders to tell these stories today.

In this entertaining and observant memoir, Johns takes us on a tour of his world during the heady years of the sixties. He remembers helping to get the Steve Miller Band released from jail shortly after their arrival in London, he recalls his impressions of John and Yoko during the Let It Be sessions, and he recounts running into Bob Dylan at JFK and being asked to work on a collaborative album with him, the Stones, and the Beatles, which never came to pass. Johns was there during some of the most iconic moments in rock history, including the Stones' first European tour, and the Beatles' final performance on the roof of their Savile Row recording studio.

"Simon Vance...paints an almost aristocratic portrait of the producer, at once eloquent and grandiose---not unlike the music Johns produced, which he imbued with a quality that still resonates with music listeners today." ---AudioFile

"Simon Vance's brisk, upbeat narration is a good fit for these casual tales." ---Library Journal Audio Review

"Fans of the era will enjoy both the anecdotes and the technical descriptions of life behind the recording console." ---Publishers Weekly

"A matter-of-fact memoir by the renowned record producer." ---Kirkus

"Johns' account of a long and productive career is an entertaining slice of rock history." ---Booklist