Top 5: Knob-twiddlers (Music Producers Extraordinaire)

Washington Times ^ | 7/4/08

[Recovering_Democrat]

At their best - or, if you prefer, their pushiest — producers often are de facto composers.

1. George Martin — How do you turn a scruffy quartet of Liverpudlians into the most innovative act in rock history? Hook 'em up with the classically inclined yet progressive-minded Mr. Martin.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Hard to find a name here that doesn't belong. I especially like Jeff Lynne of ELO getting recognized.

[I-ambush]

What about Jimmy Page, whose work as musician and composer may have gone unnoticed without his prowess as producer of the Led Zeppelin sound?

[Jokelahoma]

Tough to limit to five. These five are good, although I'd replace number five with Alan Parsons, whose signature sound made Pink Floyd.

[Lx]

I thought John Paul Jones was the producer/arranger for Zep. Not to discount Page, he is still awesome.

[Gay State Conservative]

Even though he's a worthless dirtbag you've gotta admit that Phil Spector did some mighty fine stuff in the day.

[Clemenza]

I always like the "brown sound" Rick Rubin gave to Danzig, Slayer's "South of Heaven", and the Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill."

Liked Sandy Pearlman's work with Blue Oyster Cult, which is unfortunately attributed to Bruce Dickinson, thanks to a certain SNL skit. Pearlman screwed up the Clash's sound on "Give 'Em Enough Rope", however.

[Clemenza]

I LOVED the orchestration on Phil's work. The best illustration of Phil's production and arrangements is at the link below:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mA1DtlRCaV8

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I think the civilized world could have done without any one of them. But that’s just me.

[Libertarian444]

Mutt Lange
Rick Rubin
Glyn Johns
Brian Wilson
Bob Johnston

[Starboard]

Have to consider Bob Rock for his work with Metallica and Motley Crue and others. Even if you're not a fan, those bands had many high impact albums.

Also Mutt Lange for work with Def Leppard, AC/DC, Foreigner and Shania Twain.

[Gay State Conservative]

When "He's A Rebel" was a smash hit ('62?...'63?) I despised it.Today I recognize it as being about the finest piece of pre-British Invasion music ever made.

The guy was a genius.

[Clemenza]

"He's A Rebel" was featured to great effect in the cult classic "Scorpio Rising." Lots of music from 61-64 seemed like throwaway merde at the time, in hindsight you really appreciate the songwriting and production pre-stereo.

Spector continued using mono because he believed that it hid many of the errors made by the musicians.

[Clemenza]

Mutt Lange’s best work was on “Back in Black.” He also has fine taste in women.

[Captain Beyond]

Where is Mutt Lang, Tom Allom, Sandy Pearlman, & Bob Rock?

[ArmstedFragg]

Jeffy Lynne did a lot of Roy Orbison’s stuff. I think one of this best efforts was the post-mortem release of Orbison’s “I drove all night”. Roy had cut a scratch track for the composer one day on his way home, and it sat unused until after his death. Lynne managed to hit the exact feel of Roy’s earlier stuff, with a little twist in the hook that makes it special.

[LRS]

Ok, I'll put a vote in for Shel Talmy. Not the greatest, but he was there for some history, and to do some innovations, and produced some hits, notably for the Kinks and the Who, among others...

[ArmstedFragg]

He was the same worthless dirtbag back in the day. I worked in top 40 radio in the 60’s, and Spector stories were a running theme even back then. The poor SOB who put up with him all those years, his engineer Larry Levine, passed on recently.

Interestingly, Hal Blaine, who was the drummer for the “Wrecking Crew” has a daughter who was Spector’s assistant. She’s since left him, prompting him to sue her, and now runs a blog called “mcontrolblogs”.

http://mcontrolblogs.blogspot.com

She has some amazing “Phil” stories to tell, and she’s writing a book at the moment.

Most of the “Wall of Sound” was the result of cramming a whole lot of musicians into a tiny little studio and just letting all that sound bounce around and interact. Most of the really great Motown stuff used the same technique sort of inadvertently ‘cause they worked in the basement at Gordy’s house.

[ArmstedFragg]

A lot of that was Jack Nitzsche’s work.

[PzLdr]

The late Terry Melcher [Doris Day’s son], who produced te early Byrds’ LPs.

[PzLdr]

Buddy Holly [and Norman Petty]