Tom Trefethen

In the mid-'70s, engineer, songwriter, and musician Tom Trefethen began a lengthy association with soft rock band Ambrosia, engineering their first three albums. The origins of this partnership can be traced to the early '60s when Trefethen and future Ambrosia bassist Joe Puerta struck up a friendship, learning guitar and writing songs together. While in high school, Trefethen played with another Ambrosia founding member, Christopher North, in the psych-rock outfit Blue Toad Flax. Along with Burleigh Drummond and David Pack, North and Puerta formed Ambrosia in 1971. Although it took the group a few years to score a record deal, their debut album -- produced by Alan Parsons and engineered by Trefethen -- was a Top 30 hit upon its release in 1975. Trefethen received industry recognition for his work when the record was nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Recording. Before the end of 1976, he engineered two more recordings that became Grammy nominees for his contributions, Take Me Back by gospel singer Andraé Crouch and Ambrosia's second effort, Somewhere I've Never Traveled. Also during this time, he worked on Parsons' debut effort, Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Crouch's Take Me Back was the first in a string of contemporary Christian albums Trefethen would engineer. Glow in the Dark by Chuck Girard, Welcome to Paradise by Randy Stonehill, and For Him Who Has Ears to Hear by Keith Green are all considered important releases in the development of the CCM genre. Trefethen's work with Ambrosia continued until the release of Life Beyond L.A. in 1978. After the album was released, he focused his attention on releasing his own album, which he had finished recording in 1977. He soon hooked up with Michael Nesmith's Pacific Arts label and engineered Nesmith's album...