Yes, Les Paul is generally credited with inventing multitracking and overdubbing. He began overdubbing using disc cutters in 1934. His first commercial recordings using this technique came out in 1948. His first record featuring vocals by his wife Mary Ford was "Cryin'" in June of 1950. It's unclear to me whether the harmonies were done by her or backup singers. Later that year Patti Page had a hit with "The Tennessee Waltz" accompanying herself. So one of those two records was the first example of someone overdubbing their own harmonies. Bing Crosby gave Les Paul one of the first Ampex tape recorders made in 1949, and he immediately mounted a second recording head on it and began using the "sound on sound" technique to make his. "multiples". He invented the eight track in 1953, and claims he walked into Ampex with the idea, they laughed at him, then stole the idea, patenting it the next day. RR
> I may have said this before but several people have > claimed to have invented multi-tracking and I'll bet > every single one of them used it to "put on some kind > of harmony". > > Anyway, my own personal favorite is the idea that > multi-tracking was invented by a person who's name we > have all heard for another invention: Les Paul. > > Lamadoo > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > << i'm sure i have mentioned this before, wasn't > > joni one of the first to > > overlay her own voice for the harmonies? i don't > > recall anyone else doing it > > at the time joni was. >>
