Whos is your favorite current Producer?
- Thread starter Jaxxhits
- Start date
R
RAMI
Guest
Reuben Kincaid.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Actually, apart from the very last album, "Abbey Road", when they specifically asked him to return to the fold, it was the opposite. They kind of took over. John Lennon made the point in 1970 that "George Martin never really produced the last few albums" which, when I first read that {around 1981}, I thought was an odd statement. But in the ensuing years, reading up on the White album where Chris Thomas and "Let it be" where first Glyn Johns, then Phil Spector came in as producer and a number of other people say they moreorless produced themselves, it demonstrates that Martin's role lessened after 'Pepper'. In fact, when the reviews for that album came out and critics were heralding Martin as the 5th Beatle, the band members got very shirty about that. As far as they were concerned, there was never a 5th Beatle. Martin, to his credit has always hated that title and gone out of his way to dismiss it so, in his words "nobody could say I rode on the backs of the Beatles."
I think it was actually Phil Spector who really blasted the hole in the door regarding the role of the producer. He led the charge, while George Martin's role was ultimately more powerful but also alot more gradual. Even guys like Tony Visconti, Joe Boyd and Norman Smith were more independent than Martin was before he started A.I.R.
Wasn't he the manager in "The Partridge family" ?
R
RAMI
Guest
Wasn't he the manager in "The Partridge family" ?
Yes, but I'm pretty sure I saw him behind a console in one episode when they were recording in the studio.
chuckduffy
Well-known member
dude said modern producer. I am with IK - I think Ceelo is the real deal. It's not my bag or something I listen to on a regular basis - but I think he is a seriously talented MoFo.
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chuckduffy
Well-known member
You are kidding right? And a 'swear word song' - you gotta be kidding me. He was charting all over the place for years before that song, AND it's a great tune.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Well...I guess the accounts of what happend 40+ years ago have evolved....depending on who is writting a book at the moment.
You are right about Spector and the Let it Be album.
I just remember reading that during the last couple albums...none of the Beatles really even wanted to be in the studio at the same time...that they would come in individually to lay down tracks.
Without a strong producer to bring it all together...I don't think they would have gotten things done toward the end of their run. So it was Spector and Martin that made the last two albums happen.
rayc
retroreprobate
George Martin produced comedy records. He learned on the job about music production - growing up that publicly would have been traumatic if the public had been aware of good production. As it ended up he became rather good but had good stuff to work with. imagine him in a studio with a bunch of paying amateurs today.
Spector - he learnt before he put his name to it - smart boy - also paid money for good players.
A producer I admired was Roy Thomas Barker - the 1st 4 Queen albums were great - though ANATO did begin the rot for him & them - TOO much or everything & not enough restraint.
These days it really difficult - Nick Lowe doesn't seem to do it with the exuberance he once did.
When I saw stuff like the Metallica movie I began to wonder if a producer is a) different things to different levels of remuneration &/or b) someone employed to give "product" their signature "saleable" sound/sheen. Jeff Lynn spoilt a heap of albums with his sound &, particularly, his backing vocals.
Spector - he learnt before he put his name to it - smart boy - also paid money for good players.
A producer I admired was Roy Thomas Barker - the 1st 4 Queen albums were great - though ANATO did begin the rot for him & them - TOO much or everything & not enough restraint.
These days it really difficult - Nick Lowe doesn't seem to do it with the exuberance he once did.
When I saw stuff like the Metallica movie I began to wonder if a producer is a) different things to different levels of remuneration &/or b) someone employed to give "product" their signature "saleable" sound/sheen. Jeff Lynn spoilt a heap of albums with his sound &, particularly, his backing vocals.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
That's partly true, but even as far back as 1968, a good two years before the break up, in Hunter Davies' authorized biography, he makes some telling comments about how George Martin's role has changed. The things he said then are retrospectively fascinating.
If you ever a chance and the spare time, if you haven't already, Geoff Emerick's autobiog is another insightful read. I was really surprized at how there is this underlying condescension of George Martin throughout.
Well, that was happening as far back as the 'Help' sessions in 1965 and the tensions gathered pace through 'Rubber Soul'. Even in 'Revolver' you have the scenario of McCartney walking out after an argument during the recording of "She said she said" and Harrison having to play bass on it......'Pepper' and 'Mystery tour' were pretty much characterized by a number of solo laying down of tracks and the White album was full of it, partly because they were recording so many songs for it {33 in all, plus those that were demoed}. Martin felt the cracks began appearing in '65 with the recording of "Yesterday". He felt that doing those kind of solo spots weakened the fabric of the group ethic.
But he couldn't hold it together. He wanted the White album to be a single 14 track LP because he felt there was too much rubbish on it but they totally overruled him on that. That's where Lennon's comment about him not really producing their last few albums came in. During the "Let it be" sessions, they brought in Glyn Johns and Martin's role was kind of relegated and in the end he opted out of it all.
Arguably though, they did need a producer. "Let it be" fell to pieces as they rejected Glyn Johns' mixes and was shelved while they recorded "Abbey Road". It came out with Phil Spector's touch, over a year after it was recorded, which in those days was unheard of.
I think that the person that was really at the helm of things getting done was Paul McCartney. He was the one who pushed through 'Pepper', 'Tour', the white album and 'Abbey Road'. But his enthusiasm and drive was both a strength and a weakness because it drove the others nuts and poured petrol on the worsening scene as he came across as bossy and condescending.
But who cares ? The music was fab !
I think there's alot of truth in that, both positively and negatively.
I read a book about 10 years ago about record producers. The geezer writing the book listed 6 different kinds of producer. So it's really difficult using the catch all term 'producer' because there isn't really a unified definition. It's easy to know exactly what's meant say, by 'engineer' or 'tape op'. Even being a hands on kind of producer doesn't help in terms of definition because the hands could be on in an engineering sense or playing an instrument sense or in an ideas sense. And a producer that's collared the sound in one genre may be totally useless in another.
chuckduffy
Well-known member
Wow - history is funny. I read so many completely different stories. That Phil was completely in absentia for the entirety of Let It Be. So much so that John took out a full page ad in the NYT imploring him to return to work. He took the mixes after the fact and tarted them up. Paul was livid. Didn't even want the album released.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Absolutely. Glyn Johns & George Martin started it in early '69. Atmosphere awful. George leaves band. Martin dropped out. Johns mixed it. Band hated it {though Johns said they were OK with it and Lennon was for letting it out. He called it "the shitty version"}. It was shelved. Abbey Road was done. Band broke up {well, Lennon left the band}. Lennon brought in Spector after he'd left the band. He then tarted it up. Made tracks presentable. It was released in April 1970. Martin and McCartney said they had no idea it was being worked on. McCartney has always hated what was done to "The long and winding road". Long story short !
IK Obi
New member
Nope. I remember Ceelo in the late 90s. Ever heard of Outkast? Goodie Mob? Carlos Santana? Lauren Hill? Busta Rhymes? Pussycat Dolls? Gnarls Barkley?
I've been studying him and his songs since 99. I've always paid attention to the credits on albums and I remember being in Jr High coming across my favorite song on Super Natural and realizing he was the key to the soul in that song. His recent single is another great song, but he's been making great music through 3 decades now. He really is one of my favorite producers/songwriters.
rayc
retroreprobate
McCartney may have hated what was done to TL&WRoad but I hated TL&WRoad in & of itself! It said all there was to say about McCartney's lean on the Beatles. He was MOR personified - good reason to break up really. Hey fellas, wanna make Yesterday Mk CCCVIX?
Yep, we need to insist on a better job description for the role particularly since it seems to have devolved into a career that varies from site managing a recording session to co-rcreating & arranging "with the band" to someone mixing a toast on top of a borrowed rhythm track in the smart phone.
The Wrong & Blinding Toad?
Yep, we need to insist on a better job description for the role particularly since it seems to have devolved into a career that varies from site managing a recording session to co-rcreating & arranging "with the band" to someone mixing a toast on top of a borrowed rhythm track in the smart phone.
The Wrong & Blinding Toad?
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yeah...but Lennon was also running out of stuff to "rebel" about....
...and IMO, his music was getting just as old.Not to mention...when Lennon put out his last album, Double Fantasy, it was just a lot of MOR stuff too....and George's and Ringo's too. (I like all their music...so I'm not being negative about any one of them.)
I mean...that's what all Beatles did for most of their carreer....so I don't get why McCartney gets all the credit/blame for it.
CrowsofFritz
Flamingo!
Maybe because he's still living and making music. Some psychological thing.
Legolas1971
New member
Contrary to what some may think...producers are not some necessary evil, forced on willingness artists, who are there to screw up the sound of the artist.
Most producers are specifically sought after. That is the case with many big name artists who certainly could demand whatever they want.
It's only when a record company picks up a young/new band or artist who is rough around the edges and has NO clue of what to do in a studio or how to get from the first track to the final mix, that they will assign a producer to work with them where maybe the band/artist has no choice in picking.
These days you have a lot of people who like to say they are a "producer"...you get that often on the R&B/Rap side of the house. Everyone is a producer.
There are also producers who have been in the biz for many years as true producers, and who obviously make a living off it, and who have extensive client lists of artists who asked for them specifically because of their production style and ability to pull something special out of a recording project.
Off the top of my head...T-Bone Burnett, Daniel Lanois, Alan Parsons, Butch Vig....
Miroslav....you nailed it. Alot of bands or artists seek out particular
producers to achieve a certain sound they have. Good producers
are master communicators, understand in-depth the recording and
mixing processes and are musicians themselves. New bands that
are controlled by their label or that don't have a clue about recording
are going to get a producer whether they like it or not. Also, sometimes
even well established bands want a producer to organize their process
of making a record. The producer can keep the band on task and on schedule.
The moral here is: producers are not always the big bad wolf out to
"change" the band or their sound......
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yeah...but people have been on the Lennon VS McCartney thing a long time...even while all four were still alive.
I like all the Beatles, and I think each had talent and contributed to the greater sum that was "The Beatles".
That said, as much as people slam McCartney for being MOR or writing "silly little love songs"...etc....
..he IMO, rose above all that better than the other three, and certainly better than John, who was locked away baking bread for 10 years, or some such thing...
...and took a lot of time/effort to get back out and play on his own.It was no secret that he was very nervous about flying solo regardless of how much Yoko stroked his ego, which was silly , as I think John was a very competent musician with and without the Beatles.
Anyway...I don't mean for this to turn into a "Who's your favorite Beatle?" thing.