Who are some of your favorite record producers, in any music genre, all-time?

[bluzman61]

These would be the top dogs in the studios or of the controls of a live recording. There have been many great producers over the years and some of them were/are also great musicians, as well. Here are some of my favorites - 1) Sir George Martin, the architect of the Beatles, he helped shape and guide the four lads in the studio. And helped them produce some of the best pop/rock music ever created. What he was able to achieve with the Beatles was simply magical. 2) Jimmy Page, he produced ALL of the Led Zeppelin recordings, and did a masterful job in guiding and shaping their music. He's also been painstakingly remastering all of these recordings. A great guitarist and musician AND a great producer, as well. 3) Phil Spector, the infamous one, his record producing was always an EVENT, and always fantastic and magical to listen to. His "Wall Of Sound" technique will never be rivaled, IMO. It's a shame that his genius also caused him to go nuts, when he murdered his then girlfriend. A true musical genius, but unfortunately highly mentally unstable, as well. Here are a few of my favorites, who are some of yours?

 

[Dekster]

Berry Gordy maybe just because he was the heart of motown. While not the greatest, I would say Prince was pretty noteworthy as a producer as well.

 

[bluzman61]

I'd like to add Phil and Leonard Chess to this thread. They were the founders and architects of first Checker Records, which evolved into Chess Records, quite possibly THE best blues record label we've seen. They had complete control in the studio, and helped shape the music of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Etta James, and many other great blues musicians. They did fantastic work and were able to bring out the absolute best of those musicians they worked with.

 

[bluzman61]

Berry Gordy maybe just because he was the heart of motown. While not the greatest, I would say Prince was pretty noteworthy as a producer as well.

Two great picks. And I agree that Prince WAS a wonderful producer. I've read that he played something like 24 different instruments on his self-produced debut album! I'll check on that number.

 

[bluzman61]

Berry Gordy maybe just because he was the heart of motown. While not the greatest, I would say Prince was pretty noteworthy as a producer as well.

Two great picks. And I agree that Prince WAS a wonderful producer. I've read that he played something like 24 different instruments on his self-produced debut album! I'll check on that number.

He played an amazing 27 different instruments on his debut album, titled, "For You". Wow!

 

[007]

I don't mean to derail your thread, because it's a good topic, but I have to post this video. I'm an audiophile and have been into high end stereos for some time, and I can NOT STAND MODERN POP MUSIC, and this video I'm posting below explains much of how it is...



But as an example of the type of music I like, and as example that there IS, PLENTY, of GOOD music still out there, it's just not being played by the "main stream"... this you will NOT hear on the "radio" or pushed by the big music cabal...

 

[Dekster]

Berry Gordy maybe just because he was the heart of motown. While not the greatest, I would say Prince was pretty noteworthy as a producer as well.

Two great picks. And I agree that Prince WAS a wonderful producer. I've read that he played something like 24 different instruments on his self-produced debut album! I'll check on that number.

He played an amazing 27 different instruments on his debut album, titled, "For You". Wow!

Yeah I saw somewhere when he died it would take musicians a hell of a lot of time trying to figure out how exactly he managed some of the stuff he did because he would lock himself in and just play with tracks and instruments for hours upon hours just to get the exact sounds he wanted and then nobody could play them right live.

 

[007]

Did you know that Elvis Presley, in his last days, was really becoming reclusive, and he didn't want to go to a studio to record, so he had the studio come to Graceland and set up in his "jungle room." The first song he started with in the "jungle room sessions" was "Hurt"... one of the last songs he ever recorded... a man that was pretty much used up by then, drugged out taking enough drugs to drop an elephant, but his voice never failed him...

 

[bluzman61]

Did you know that Elvis Presley, in his last days, was really becoming reclusive, and he didn't want to go to a studio to record, so he had the studio come to Graceland and set up in his "jungle room." The first song he started with in the "jungle room sessions" was "Hurt"... one of the last songs he ever recorded... a man that was pretty much used up by then, drugged out taking enough drugs to drop an elephant, but his voice never failed him...

Yep. I own the two-CD collection of the music he recorded in the "jungle room". There's some great music on this, and his recording of "Hurt" is just fantastic for the power and "hurt" in his voice. Thanks for bringing up these recordings.

 

[toobfreak]

Ken Scott

Alan Parsons

 

[bluzman61]

Ken Scott

Alan Parsons

I somehow forgot about Alan Parsons. A VERY fine producer! Thanks for mentioning him.

 

[007]

Did you know that Elvis Presley, in his last days, was really becoming reclusive, and he didn't want to go to a studio to record, so he had the studio come to Graceland and set up in his "jungle room." The first song he started with in the "jungle room sessions" was "Hurt"... one of the last songs he ever recorded... a man that was pretty much used up by then, drugged out taking enough drugs to drop an elephant, but his voice never failed him...

Yep. I own the two-CD collection of the music he recorded in the "jungle room". There's some great music on this, and his recording of "Hurt" is just fantastic for the power and "hurt" in his voice. Thanks for bringing up these recordings.

I've never been to Graceland but it's on the punch list. I'd be in awe. Elvis is the King of rock and roll. He broke the ice, he shattered the barriers, he did it all, and he could have been even bigger had that Col Parker PRICK, his agent, who was an illegal alien and wouldn't book Elvis overseas because he was afraid they'd never let him back in the US. But Elvis was horrendously strung out on drugs... poor man... gave his all... all he ever knew how to do was entertain... sad.

 

[the other mike]

Jimmy Page, Sharon Osbourne , Madonna, and Brian Slagel;

Metal Blade Records - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Synthaholic]

Gus Dudgeon is definitely one.

 

[bluzman61]

Gus Dudgeon is definitely one.

Thanks for mentioning him! He produced all of the classic Elton John albums from the 1970's. He was able to help Elton and his band mates get the best possible sound they COULD get in the studio.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

The following are from the country music field.

John Rich
Paul Worley
Jay DeMarcus
James Stroud
Dann Huff

God bless you and them always!!!

Holly

 

[Synthaholic]

Gus Dudgeon is definitely one.

Thanks for mentioning him! He produced all of the classic Elton John albums from the 1970's. He was able to help Elton and his band mates get the best possible sound they COULD get in the studio.

I always liked his unconventional drum miking. Some times successful, sometimes not. But it gave Nigel Olsen a unique snare drum sound (even if it was mixed too loudly many times).

 

[Synthaholic]

Wally Badarou is another favorite, most closely associated with the British pop/funk group Level 42.

Daniel Lanois - Probably best known for producing Peter Gabriel's 'So' megahit album, but has produced many artists: U2, Dylan, Eno, Willie Nelson, Neil Young.

 

[bluzman61]

Wally Badarou is another favorite, most closely associated with the British pop/funk group Level 42.

Daniel Lanois - Probably best known for producing Peter Gabriel's 'So' megahit album, but has produced many artists: U2, Dylan, Eno, Willie Nelson, Neil Young.

Thanks for mentioning Daniel Lanois. He's a VERY fine producer. I love the work he did with U2 in the 1980's, particularly on the albums The Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire. I also absolutely love the work he did on Dylan's Time Out Of Mind album and the work he did on Neil Young's funnily AND punnily (OK, I made that word word up!) titled Le Noise album/CD. I own the CD, it's one of my favorites in Neil's vast catalog of music.