AES New York 2018 Presenter or Author
Tony Bongiovi
Primary Affiliation: Bongiovi Acoustics
At the age of seventeen, while conducting experiments with equipment in his Raritan, New Jersey home, Tony Bongiovi discovered the secret to duplicating the well-guarded audio formula for the Motown Sound. After contacting Motown, his abilities so impressed Motown President Barry Gordy that Tony was flown between New Jersey and Detroit on a regular basis to engineer records for Motown greats such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, and other leading artists.
In 1968, Tony was recruited by New York studio Record Plant, where he was able to implement his acoustic design talents to improve the studio. The Tony Bongiovi “sound”, which became the sound of rock radio in the late 60’s can be heard on the records he engineered for Record Plant artists such as Vanilla Fudge, Dr. John, John McLaughlin and Jimi Hendrix.
Tony was hired by Media Sound, in 1970. Tony quickly became the most sought-after engineer and record producer on the staff, and was, without a doubt, a major factor in Media’s ability to attract its world-class clientele. Some of the artists Tony produced while at Media Sound included Jimi Hendrix, Gloria Gaynor, The Isley Brothers, The Ramones, and Talking Heads.
In 1977, Tony Bongiovi, with business partners, designed and founded Power Station studios. Located in an old Con Edison power generation station. The facility was originally intended as a private production center from which Tony could create. However, instantaneously the studio became a huge commercial success due to Tony’s now legendary acoustical design, providing rooms designed specifically for multi-track recording boasting a “live” sound.
Session List
Oct 17:
SC01: If I Can do it, You Can do it: Tony Bongiovi’s Career at Motown, the Power Station, and Beyond (Presenter)