5. Lee "Scratch" Perry aka the Super Ape aka Pipecock Jackson aka the Upsetter (255 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 votes)http://www.ukfestivalguides.com/App_themes/Main/News_Images/leeperry.jpgCredits: Solo, the Upsetters, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Jah Lion, Susan Cadogan, Prince Jazzbo, Max Romeo, Junior Byles, many more
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:02 (twelve years ago) link
Let's all get stoked! Grab a beer, it the Final Four!
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:11 (twelve years ago) link
Well final three anyway - I think we all know who's going to be #1 by now.....
1. Ark Music Factory (536 points, 18 votes, 4 #1 votes)
Credits: Rebecca Black, anybody else whose mother can afford them
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:13 (twelve years ago) link
4. George Martin (455 points, 16 votes, 2 #1 votes)http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/images/episode/b00mkgzx_640_360.jpgCredits: The Beatles, America, Jeff Beck, Gerry & the Pacemakers
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:13 (twelve years ago) link
so young and dashing
Only #4, eh? I predict that Nigel Godrich is one of the top three, then.
― Turrican, Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:15 (twelve years ago) link
Perry had 355 points, not 255 btw
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:20 (twelve years ago) link
still, a 100 point jump between him and George Martin
3. Timbaland (493 points, 19 votes, 3 #1 votes)http://www.fuse.tv/media/music/polls/timbaland-517x386.jpgCredits: Solo and w/Magoo, Jodeci, Sista, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Nas, Da Brat, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Bubba Sparxxx, Mack 10, Ruff Ryders, Ms. Jade, Justin Timberlake, Brandy, Cee-Lo Green, LL Cool J, many more
this poll rules
― runaway (Matt P), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:21 (twelve years ago) link
conny plank is smokin in that pic btw
― runaway (Matt P), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:22 (twelve years ago) link
nice dn btw
:D
― treeses, help me find my proper place (Pillbox), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:22 (twelve years ago) link
he appears to be taking a hit from an invisible bong
― treeses, help me find my proper place (Pillbox), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:23 (twelve years ago) link
okay so everyone knows what the last two are rite
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:24 (twelve years ago) link
2. Brian Eno (562 points, 20 votes, 3 #1 votes)http://kobason.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/brian-eno.jpgCredits: Solo, John Cale, Talking Heads, Devo, Ultravox, U2, Jane Siberry, James, Coldplay
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:25 (twelve years ago) link
have to say I was a bit disappointed in this - don't get me wrong, he's great and a massive figure in the biz obviously but my favorite things he was involved with tend to be things he did not actually produce (Roxy Music, Bowie Berlin trilogy) and his best production work imho is actually Remain in Light. Most everything post mid-80s has been garbage tho. and I hate U2. so there.
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:26 (twelve years ago) link
honestly at a loss as to who #1 is. If it is Godrich, that is way too high imo
― treeses, help me find my proper place (Pillbox), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:27 (twelve years ago) link
the #1 entry was number one as soon as the second ballot came in, and never moved from the top spot
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:28 (twelve years ago) link
It's Phil.
― Lars and the Lulu Girl (NickB), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:28 (twelve years ago) link
LOL at Eno being higher than Conny Plank... and Visconti!
xpost: Yeah, I like Godrich's productions, but I don't think he deserves to be #1 at all.
― Turrican, Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:28 (twelve years ago) link
drumrolllllllllllll
> Most everything post mid-80s has been garbage
Ah c'mon, the Windows 95 booting-up music is awesome
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:29 (twelve years ago) link
1. Phil Spector (664 points, 26 votes, 1 #1 vote)http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf1goiHZyt1qah2gqo1_r1_500.jpgCredits: The Ronettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love, The Treasures, The Righteous Brothers, Bob B. Sox & the Blue Jeans, The Modern Folk Quartet, Ike & Tina Turner, The Beatles, John Lennon/Yoko Ono, George Harrison, Dion, Leonard Cohen, the Ramones, Starsailorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-0upHlWfQ4
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:29 (twelve years ago) link
oh yeah, duh
― treeses, help me find my proper place (Pillbox), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:29 (twelve years ago) link
Ah, but of course!!
― Turrican, Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:30 (twelve years ago) link
pretty much every ballot that was not all hip-hop (or from Tuomas) included Spector somewhere in the rankings, which put him way over the top.
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:30 (twelve years ago) link
best man won imho. I said this on some other thread, but unlike a lot (all?) of the other douchebags on here, Phil never made a bad-sounding record. the worst thing with his name on it is Lennon/Ono's Sometime in NY City, and even there his sound and his style are the best things about it and the only thing that make it worth listening to.
recap:50. Mutt Lange (82 points, 3 votes)49. DJ Quik (83 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote)48. Carl Craig (85 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote)47. Prince Paul (86 points, 4 votes)46. Glyn Johns (87 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote)45. The Dust Brothers (88 points, 5 votes)44. Swizz Beats (89 points, 5 votes)43. David Briggs (91 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)42. TIE Xenomania (94 points, 4 votes) AND Gary Katz (94 points, 4 votes)41. TIE Jimmy Miller (95 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote) AND Norman Whitfield (95 points, 5 votes)40. Marley Marl (96 points, 5 votes)39. Joe Boyd (98 points, 4 votes)38. Todd Rundgren (101 points, 5 votes)37. Geoff Emerick (109 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)36. John Leckie (110 points, 6 votes)35. Prince (115 points, 5 votes)34. Chris Thomas (117 points, 7 votes)33. Pete Rock (118 points, 5 votes)32. Les Paul (122 points, 4 votes, 2 #1 votes)31. Tom Wilson (124 points, 6 votes)30. Thom Bell (131 points, 5 votes)29. Martin Rushent (134 points, 7 votes)28. George Clinton (136 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)27. Jimmy Page (139 points, 5 votes, 1 #1 vote)26. Willie Mitchell (140 points, 6 votes)25. Tom Dowd (141 points, 6 votes)24. Holland/Dozier/Holland (165 points, 7 votes)23. Rick Rubin (168 points, 9 votes)22. The Neptunes (172 points, 7 votes)21. Rudy Van Gelder (176 points, 6 votes, 1 #1 vote)20. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (180 points, 7 votes, 1 #1 vote)19. Teo Macero (207 points, 9 votes)18. Trevor Horn (226 points, 9 votes)17. King Tubby (239 points, 9 votes,3 #1 votes)16. TIE DJ Premier (242 points, 9 votes, 2 #1 votes) AND Tony Visconti (242 points, 10 votes)15. Joe Meek (245 points, 10 votes, 1 #1 vote)14. Martin Hannett (246 points, 10 votes)13. Steve Albini (247 points, 12 votes)12. Brian Wilson (248 points, 11 votes, 1 #1 vote)11. Dr. Dre (254 points, 11 votes, 1 #1 vote)10. Chic Organisation (275 points, 9 votes, 2 #1 votes)9. Giorgio Moroder (278 points, 13 votes)8. The Bomb Squad (287 points, 13 votes, 1 #1 vote)7. Conny Plank (306 points, 13 votes, 1 #1 vote)6. RZA (348 points, 14 votes, 1 #1 vote)5. Lee "Scratch" Perry aka the Super Ape aka Pipecock Jackson aka the Upsetter (355 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 votes)4. George Martin (455 votes, 16 points, 2 #1 votes)3. Timbaland (493 points, 19 votes, 3 #1 votes)2. Brian Eno (562 points, 20 votes, 3 #1 votes)1. Phil Spector (664 points, 26 votes, 1 #1 vote)
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:34 (twelve years ago) link
take comfort Turrican, only two people voted for Nigel Godrich btw, and he was low in their rankings
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:37 (twelve years ago) link
oh thank god
― ballarat organ quartet (electricsound), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:38 (twelve years ago) link
It would have been dishonest of me to leave Spector off my ballot entirely -- though I thought about it -- but I wish he hadn't won.
― Martyr McFly (WmC), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:47 (twelve years ago) link
I'm really really gutted Terry Brown didn't get more love.
― Turrican, Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:49 (twelve years ago) link
xp Tubby was my #1 too. Kinda wish he'd beaten Perry but they're both amazing.
Thanks Shakey and everyone else. This poll was great. I'm checking out like half the names here.
(Though I wish Villalobos had made it.)
― Captain Ahab, Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:58 (twelve years ago) link
Hey, thanks Shakey for an excellent poll idea and great results! I had Plank as my #1. Love how the guy could handle spare or chromed or bouncy or bliss or blistering with equal aplomb.
― Mike Love's Jagger (Spectrist), Thursday, 20 October 2011 23:58 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks for a fun poll, Shakey. Had a higher number of "no way, TOO LOW" moments than usual. Here's my ballot --
1. Lee Perry 2. Brian Eno 3. Teo Macero 4. Tom Dowd 5. Rudy Van Gelder 6. Les Paul 7. Geoff Emerick 8. Frank Zappa 9. David Axelrod 10. Gary Kellgren 11. Leslie Kong 12. Thom Bell 13. Phil Spector 14. The Bomb Squad 15. George Martin 16. Owen Bradley 17. Steve Albini 18. Brian Wilson 19. Chris Thomas 20. Conny Plank
― Martyr McFly (WmC), Friday, 21 October 2011 00:00 (twelve years ago) link
Great poll, Shakey.
My ballot:
1. Glyn Johns2. The Bomb Squad3. Teo Macero4. Phil Spector5. Lee "Scratch" Perry6. Prince Paul7. Rudy Van Gelder8. Holland/Dozier/Holland9. Geoff Emerick10. Norman Whitfield11. Tom Wilson12. Jimmy Page13. King Tubby14. Jimmy Miller15. Chris Thomas16. Isaac Hayes/David Porter17. Shel Talmy18. Steve Albini19. George Martin20. Giovanni Bonadrini
The only ones of mine that I'm bummed missed the top 50 are Hayes/Porter.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 21 October 2011 00:30 (twelve years ago) link
I can't talk too much b/c I did mot vote in this, but kinda bummed that Alan Moulder didn't make the cut
― treeses, help me find my proper place (Pillbox), Friday, 21 October 2011 00:47 (twelve years ago) link
>
unlike a lot (all?) of the other douchebags on here, Phil never made a bad-sounding record
Paul McC would beg to differ, but I'll defend even his still-controversal alterations to Let It Be. Your comment upthread that "Rudy Van Gelder's style of production was relatively unobtrusive - the idea was just to capture the live performance as well as possible, so it becomes all about clarity: mic placement, room dynamics, etc." made me immediately think of Phil Spector. That was how everyone used to make records. Phil Spector changed that, and destroyed the notion that a studio was only for getting a clean recording of a live performance onto tape. Instead, he ushered in the idea of records as a separate artform from live performance. Suddenly, any sounds you could create, by any means, were encouraged, even if they required added effects that couldn't be replicated live. Added reverberation, double-tracked vocals, slowing or speeding up the tape, or layering all manner of instruments were often considered fakery before Spector arrived on the scene, but he turned them into a part of the producer's art.
George Martin, Brian Wilson, and the wizards at Motown quickly picked up on his ideas and built upon them. Most of us know the story of how the Beatles were turned down by Decca after they were auditioned in 1962, but doesn't it seem quaint in 2011 that a record company would decide who to sign based only on how they sound live? It is unimaginable today that most popular music acts would be able to play something live that sounds just like a modern pop record. But it was equally unimaginable even in 1966 that a live rock band would be able to recreate the sounds on their records, at least if those records were Revolver or Pet Sounds. But just four years earlier, bands weren't allowed that freedom, which is why Decca thought the best way to determine what Beatles records might sound like was to hear them play live, which unfortunately for Decca meant what they heard on that fateful day wouldn't be able to sound anywhere near as good as most of the Beatles records we know and love.
The sea change in attitude occurred during that very short timeframe, because Phil Spector showed with his "wall of sound" records what was possible when the studio became an instrument, and opened the floodgates for bands and the their producers to explore that newfound creativity. Which makes him the most significant record producer ever. Not the best IMO (he was near the middle of my ballot), but still the most significant.
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Friday, 21 October 2011 00:48 (twelve years ago) link
fun poll! will have to catch up on the rollout since i just showed up and saw the results, but here's my ballot:
Jimmy PageTimbalandBrian EnoPrinceWillie MitchellDJ PremierGary KatzJam/LewisTrent ReznorDr. LukeR. KellyDJ QuikDon FlemingEddie KramerMitchell FroomMannie FreshNile Rodgers/Bernard EdwardsJon BrionSteve AlbiniAndy Johns
― some dude, Friday, 21 October 2011 01:10 (twelve years ago) link
My admittedly rockist ballot:
1 Brian Wilson2. George Martin3. Tom Dowd4. Joe Boyd5. Andy Wallace6. Terry Melcher7. Eddie Kramer8. Glyn Johns9. Andy Johns10. Smokey Robinson11. Rick Jarrard12. Phil Spector13. Tom Wilson14. Les Paul15. Smokey Robinson16. Shel Talmy17. Todd Rundgren18. David Briggs19. Norman Smith20. Norman Whitfield
My most difficult pick was Terry Melcher, who I placed high largely on the strength of his production on the seminal early Byrds records, whose chimelike sound reverberates through folk-rock, power-pop, and alt-rock to this day. But many of his later productions (including a late-period Byrds album) totally sucked.
Still kicking myself for not placing a vote for Erik Jacobsen or Elliot Mazer, both of whom remain criminally underappreciated.
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Friday, 21 October 2011 01:17 (twelve years ago) link
oops, #15 was Babyface; Smokey only gets one vote like everyone else....
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Friday, 21 October 2011 01:19 (twelve years ago) link
didn't vote because a) i missed it and b) i'm not really qualified to comment
in theory i guess i would have had willie mitchell, holland/dozier/holland and especially RVG higher?
v. interesting poll! thanks shakey
― mookieproof, Friday, 21 October 2011 01:22 (twelve years ago) link
So w respect to Shakey Mo, who did yeoman's work w this, this poll was disappointing to me -- and I think most of it just comes down to there being too few ballots. Admittedly, I had a hard time with this and ended up submitting a ballot with less than twenty votes because as many records as I love by Chris Thomas, I'm not about to hail him as some kind of genius.
But for me it wasn't the "too low" moments -- it was the "wait, this dude? all the way up here?" moments and placings of guys (ie, Clinton, who I love, mind) who aren't really producers. For me, these polls shouldn't be about debating the qualifications of these dudes but their merits. So, a bit of a bummer.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 21 October 2011 01:40 (twelve years ago) link
yeah well I dunno what I could've done to get more ballots in - I tried to keep the nominations thread on the front page for a couple weeks. in the end we got 39 (including mine) which is slightly above average for polls
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 21 October 2011 02:00 (twelve years ago) link
honestly don't know why you wouldn't consider Clinton a producer. he was behind the mixing desk on a lot of records.
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 21 October 2011 02:01 (twelve years ago) link
yeah 40ish is a great total, i duno if the result would have looked much different if there were 80 voters
― some dude, Friday, 21 October 2011 02:02 (twelve years ago) link
xp Among many, many other things, it was Clinton who transformed "Maggot Brain" from a guitar solo into a piece for solo guitar.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 21 October 2011 02:06 (twelve years ago) link
Any comments on Thom Bell's placement versus Gamble and Huff's non-placement?
― timellison, Friday, 21 October 2011 02:41 (twelve years ago) link
Gamble & Huff got a couple votes, they were just outside the top 50
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 21 October 2011 03:07 (twelve years ago) link
Well, again -- this isn't a criticism of you, Shakey. More a frustration and maybe a realization that there are fewer producers I really admire than I thought.
I think part of it is that I tend to subscribe to the producer-as-auteur theory -- folks with unique visions (and in that sense, Clinton would have counted obviously). But even there, I felt like great auteurs need to have registered some kind of larger, meaningful impact -- so a guy like Mutt Lange (whose music I largely detest) would at least qualify while someone like Manfred Eicher--who pioneered a gorgeous sound at ECM--wouldn't because I'm not really convinced changing the face of European jazz is all that big of a deal.
There's also a matter of intent. Despite worshipping his stuff w Miles, I didn't even vote for Teo Macero bc even tho he did some wild things with fx and tapes on those late-60s/70s records (panning switchboxes, putting melodies over different backing tracks, etc.), I've never been totally convinced he knew what he was doing with those things and that his far more important impact was providing shape and form to those pieces (forget "In a Silent Way"'s A-B-A edit; check Bob Belden's notes on the assembly of "Pharaoh's Dance" for evidence of how he would seamlessly loop two improvised bars in the middle of a 19 minute piece to add tension -- one or two got left off on the box set by accident). In retrospect, I probably should have voted for him -- but it might have been close. Fun fact: according to Wikipedia, Teo produced "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer!
Also, I've never felt that being associated with a lot of good records in and of itself makes a great producer. That's why, for me, Trevor Horn or Martin Hannett belong very high in this poll where, say, a Rudy Van Gelder or Chris Thomas might not, despite overseeing more great records.
Bottom line: most of these guys were just very capable craftsmen -- and generally you don't buy records because for their capable craftsmanship. You don't say, "Holy shit, this was produced by CHRIS FUCKING THOMAS. Honey, empty out your wallet -- I simply MUST have it." Unless, say, you're an engineer.
In that sense maybe I was always going to be frustrated by this poll.
Anyway, apologies for the screed. Carry on.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 21 October 2011 03:46 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks, SMC. My confused ballot:
1. David Briggs (Neil Young) – 402. Tom Wilson (Velvets, Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Mothers of Invention, Nico) – 363. George Martin (Beatles) – 334. Thom Bell (Spinners, Delfonics, Stylistics) – 305. Phil Spector (various) – 276. Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo) – 257. Gary Katz (Steely Dan) – 248. Burt Bacharach & Hal David (Dionne Warwick, B.J. Thomas) – 239. George Shadow Morton (Shangri-Las, New York Dolls) – 2210. Todd Rundgren (Todd Rundgren, New York Dolls) – 2111. Brian Wilson (Beach Boys, Spring) – 2012. Al Schmitt (Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, Jackson Browne) – 1913. Rod Stewart (Rod Stewart, Faces) – 1814. Joe Boyd (Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, R.E.M.) – 1715. Sly Stone (Sly & the Family Stone, Great Society, Beau Brummels) – 1616. Mike Thorne (Wire) – 1517. Dr. Dre (Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent) – 1418. Norman Petty (Buddy Holly) – 1319. Timbaland (Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Timbaland & Magoo) – 1220. Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, New Order) – 11
I guess I'm one of the people who artificially propped up the likes of David Briggs and Gary Katz. I have no idea what either one ever contributed to the art of record production, if anything; I just happen to love Neil Young and Steely Dan. Gamble & Huff slipped my mind--I would have voted for them somewhere in there.
― clemenza, Friday, 21 October 2011 03:53 (twelve years ago) link