Producers, Recording Engineers and Studio Wizards: POLL RESULTS

(xx-post)

So yeah, voted for Craig, obviously, as he's done loads of great stuff. The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich is one of my top 10 electronic albums of all time.

Mutt's stuff, especially starting with Pyromania and Heartbeat City and moving into Shania's albums, is almost inhumanly crisp and artificial but it works in such a way (at least to me) that I'll suspend my disbelief and revel in all that sound.

It seems like his goal in refining his craft over the years was to eliminate any possible trace of spontaneity. Not that he ever achieved that completely, but next to his Shania records, Back In Black sounds like a field recording.

Quik is great, very underrated in general but well loved around here

xxp

i need to give that herbie hancock album some love this week .. in the mood for it i think.

It seems like his goal in refining his craft over the years was to eliminate any possible trace of spontaneity. Not that he ever achieved that completely, but next to his Shania records, Back In Black sounds like a field recording.

IIRC, Ric Ocasek once told a story about how one day during the sessions for Heartbeat City, Mutt requested only the services of either Eliot Easton or Ben Orr. They did like 12-15 hours in the studio, upon the completeion of which the musician told Ric that, "(Mutt said) We're starting to get a good sound."

47. Prince Paul (86 points, 4 votes)
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZUdf6cN1uLjrvPazEG3QPweXJh8lT8HKCLLnkWWp21jqIyBaLpwuM-XBC2g
Credits: Big Daddy Kane, Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Queen Latifah, 3rd Bass, solo

IIRC, Ric Ocasek once told a story about how one day during the sessions for Heartbeat City, Mutt requested only the services of either Eliot Easton or Ben Orr. They did like 12-15 hours in the studio, upon the completeion of which the musician told Ric that, "(Mutt said) We're starting to get a good sound."

tbf if I had Mutt Lange's budget this is about how I would spend my studio time too

Nice, my Quik #1 vote got him on the list.

yeah definitely put him over the top. you were not alone tho - I was glad that we got enough ballots to ensure that no one got on the list just because of a single voter.

Yeah 38 ballots aint bad, I was worried for a while there.

46. Glyn Johns (87 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote)
http://www.analogtapesupply.com/img/upload/stones1967_13.jpg
Credits: Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces/Faces/Rod Stewart, Blue Öyster Cult, Midnight Oil, New Model Army, Fairport Convention, Humble Pie

^^^that's Glyn on the right, impossible dude to find good pictures of tbh

I voted Glyn #1. Glad to see he made it onto the poll.

such a babyface!

Glyn far right, white hat, with dead "Eagles" (back cover of Desperado best pic of it I could find)

http://scenicnewengland.net/guitar/band/captured.jpg

45. The Dust Brothers (88 points, 5 votes)
http://s11.allstarpics.net/images/orig/n/d/ndv3obxax8s3ax83.jpg
Credits: Tone Loc, Young MC, Beastie Boys, Beck, uh Hanson, others

Johns was one of my last cuts to get down to 20, based mostly on Who's Next.

imho Johns' specialty was capturing that magic peculiar to drunken englishmen

44. Swizz Beats (89 points, 5 votes)
http://1hiphopucit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/swizz_beats_young_starz.jpg
Credits: the LOX, DMX, Jay-Z, N.O.R.E., Busta Rhymes, Flipmode Squad, Jadakiss, Memphis Bleek, solo, others

no love for Swizzy eh

43. David Briggs (91 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)
http://1in8motorsports.org/wp-content/gallery/friends/David%20Briggs%20-%20Composer%20-%20Singer%20-%20Producer.jpg
Credits: Neil Young, Royal Trux

Also: Spirit.

lol i have 3 votes come up already :DDDDDD The guy who did Ruff Ryders Anthem! The guy who did Heartz of Men! The guy who did Buddy*!

Ironically didn't produce most of Stetsasonic's best work though - who woulda thunk it?

xp Nick Cave too, according to Wikipedia.

oooh right forgot that one. The only Nick Cave album I own and enjoy listening to - sounds amazing

Ironically didn't produce most of Stetsasonic's best work though - who woulda thunk it?

Stetsasonic is really an odd beast - so many dudes! Certainly the biggest, most diverse crew up until Wu-Tang, and unlike Wu-Tang they had a bunch of members producing beats. Paul seems kind of underused/underrepresented in their catalog but he was really young/just coming up.

xp The Royal Trux album, "Thank You" which he produced sounds fuckin' A, great production work on that record.

I have kind of a love-hate relationship with it - there's some great tune on Thank You but often I find the "lead bass"-style of playing used throughout to be kind of distracting

42. TIE
Xenomania (94 points, 4 votes)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Sa9SPINujks/SOSDlmt7QkI/AAAAAAAAASc/R7SfnSZscmk/s400/higgins.jpg
Credits: Girls Aloud, Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes, others

AND
Gary Katz (94 points, 4 votes)
http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50510_48230230484_7309048_n.jpg
Credits: STEELY DAN, Diana Ross, 10cc, Joe Cocker, Thomas Jefferson Kaye

I had never heard of Xenomania before this poll fwiw

love how varied this list is already! voted for Quik and Katz

41. TIE
Jimmy Miller (95 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)
http://www.studiowner.com/images/jimmymiller569w_465.jpg
Credits: the Rolling Stones, Primal Scream, the Plasmatics, Motorhead

AND
Norman Whitfield (95 points, 5 votes)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Normanwhitfield.jpg
Credits: Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Rose Royce, Gladys Knight & The Pips

glad my #1 c2 vote got him on the list at least.

^^two I missed. Jimmy Miller also did Traffic.

Xpost

yeah but nobody likes Traffic

... do they?

Alex in nyc loves Low Spark, but Miller didn't do that one.

was glad to see Whitfield get a nod, I love that psych-Motown stuff

imho Johns' specialty was capturing that magic peculiar to drunken englishmen

He captured the magic of the drunkest Englishman, Keith Moon. No one but Johns had the slightest clue how to mic/record Moon's kit.

tbf England seemed rife with rich, drunk purveyors of the blooze in the 70s. "Drunk Englishmen" is one of my iTunes playlists.

i like traffic

40. Marley Marl (96 points, 5 votes)
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drp000/p019/p01923wq87l.jpg
Credits: House Producer for the Juice Crew (Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, MC Shan, and Masta Ace), Eric B & Rakim, LL Cool J, King Tee, Lords of the Underground, others

awesome!

Marley Marl is legendary. Some strong showings so far. I had Katz at #3, those Dan records are the epitome of perfect production/sound imo.

shit i think i forgot marley

me and Spottie voted for him, I forget who else

39. Joe Boyd (98 points, 4 votes)
http://images.publicradio.org/content/2007/04/13/20070413_joe_boyd_2.jpg
Credits: Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band

^^^no decent pictures of this guy anywhere afaict

I missed seeing the Boyd/Hitchcock show the other week due a scheduling screwup. Still kicking myself.

his White Bicycles book is very entertaining

Shakey, got a full list of the voting for posting or linking?

Phil Spector 664
Brian Eno 562
Timbaland 493
George Martin 455
Lee Perry 355
RZA 348
Conny Plank 306
The Bomb Squad 287
Giorgio Moroder 278
Chic Organisation 275
Dr. Dre 254
Brian Wilson 248
Steve Albini 247
Martin Hannett 246
Joe Meek 245
Tony Visconti 242
DJ Premier 242
King Tubby 239
Trevor Horn 226
Teo Macero 207
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis 180
rudy van gelder 176
The Neptunes 172
Rick Rubin 168
Holland/Dozier/Holland 165
Tom Dowd 141
Willie Mitchell 140
Jimmy Page 139
George Clinton 136
Martin Rushent 134
Thom Bell 131
Tom Wilson 124
Les Paul 122
Pete Rock 118
Chris Thomas 117
Prince 115
John Leckie 110
Geoff Emerick 109
Todd Rundgren 101
Joe Boyd 98
Marley Marl 96
Norman Whitfield 95
Jimmy Miller 95
Gary Katz 94
Xenomania 94
David Briggs 91
swizz beatz 89
The Dust Brothers 88
Glyn Johns 87
Prince Paul 86
Carl Craig 85
DJ Quik 83
mutt lange 82
Allen Toussaint 82
The Dream 77
Bloodshy & Avant 76
Kanye West 74
Daft Punk 73
Stephen Hague 71
Arthur Baker 70
Gamble and Huff 69
Shel Talmy 68
Max Martin 68
Mike Thorne 68
George "Shadow" Morton 67
Sam Phillips 67
Juan Atkins 65
Neptunes 64
Frankie Knuckles/Def Mix 63
Geoff Barrow 62
David Axelrod 62
Mannie Fresh 61
Lindsey Buckingham 59
Dr. Luke 58
Kate Bush 57
Danja 57
Nigel Godrich 53
John Cale 53
Eddie Kramer 52
Ricardo Villalobos 52
Basic Channel 51
Dave Fridmann 51
Andy Johns 50
Just Blaze 47
sly stone 46
Smokey Robinson 44
Norman Smith 43
Organized Noize 42
Creed Taylor 42
Jack Endino 41
Arthur Russell 41
Richard D. James 40
Daniel Lanois 40
Patrick Cowley 40
R. Kelly 40
Kevin Shields 39
Frank Zappa 38
The DFA 36
quincy jones 36
Jason Pierce 36
Larry Levan 36
Adrian Sherwood 36
Large Professor 35
Cosimo Matassa 33
derrick may 33
Nick Lowe 33
Masters at Work 33
Louis Barron 33
J Dilla 33
Babyface 33
Boris Blank 33
Phil Elverum 33
Mike Chapman 31
Steven Stapleton 30
Yasutaka Nakata 30
Tommy Wright III 30
Alan Lomax 30
Ted Templeman 30
Madlib 30
Leiber/Stoller 28
Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley 28
Don Zientara 27
Wiley 27
Andy Wallace 27
Shep Pettibone 27
Dj Skrew 27
Bumps Blackwell 25
Noon 25
Wolfgang Voight 25
Roger Moutenot 25
Easy Mo Bee 25
Terry Melcher 25
Pole (aka Stefan Betke) 25
Jean-Pierre Massiera 24
ewan pearson 24
Frank Wilson 24
KLC 24
Michael B. Tretow 24
The Beatnuts 23
Maciej Cieślak 23
Chaz Jankel 23
Psycho Les 23
Carl Davis 23
dave jerden 23
James Brown 23
Roy Thomas Baker 23
Chris Desjardins 23
Burt Bacharach & Hal David 23
Meshell Ndegeocello 22
Trent Reznor 22
Chris Blackwell 22
Andrew Loog Oldham 22
Tricky 21
Huey P. Meaux 21
Nesuhi Ertegun 21
Kurt Graupner 21
Hugh Jones 21
Gary Kellgren 21
Ant Banks 21
Jerry Wexler 20
Autechre 20
Leslie Kong 20
Rick Jarrard 20
tom middleton 20
Burnt Friedman 20
Dallas Austin 20
Diamond D 20
stock-aitken-waterman 20
Patrick Adams 19
Hugh Padgham 19
Thomas Dolby 19
Greg Kurstin 19
Richie Hawtin 19
Roopek (aka Roope Kinnunen) 19
Al Schmitt 19
Butch Vig 19
Teddy Riley 19
Sasu Ripatti 19
Harvey Fuqua 19
Wharton Tiers 18
Rod Stewart 18
Don Fleming 18
kevin saunderson 18
Chips Moman 18
Dennis Bovell 18
Mitch Easter 18
Stuart Price 17
stargate 17
rob playford 17
Mad Professor 17
Paul Savage 16
Phil Ek 16
Mitchell Froom 16
RedOne 16
Steve Lillywhite 16
Jeremy Harding 16
DJ Toomp 16
Steve Gurley 15
Dave Hassinger 15
Tony Visconti 15
Dan Lissvik 15
Isaac Hayes/David Porter 15
Owen Bradley 15
rodney jerkins 14
Frank Davis 14
Arif Mardin 14
maurizio 14
Chinn-Chapman 13
cajmere 13
Norman Petty 13
?uestlove 13
Jon Brion 13
Flood 13
Ben Liebrand 13
Daz Dillinger 13
Ryan Leslie 13
rich harrison 13
Vince Clarke 12
Joe Gibbs 12
Todd Edwards 12
Cowboy Jack Clement 12
Bangladesh 12
Da Beatminerz 12
E-Swift 12
Jim O'Rourke 12
she'kspere 12
Terror Danjah 11
Lil' Jon 11
4 Hero 11
Dangermouse 11
Giovanni Bonadrini 11
Sly and Robbie 11
lyndsey buckingham 11
Klaus Schulze 11

Tony Visconti seems to be there twice! So I guess he didn't tie with DJ Premier after all

hmmm you're right, that's weird

Allen Touissant just missed the cut! Injustice!

Toussaint, I mean

xxxpost
As is Lindsey Buckingham.

Before the results were even posted, I started to think there oughta be a follow-up poll excluding every name that made the top 50. I mean, every record producer ever is kind of too huge to be narrowed down to one canonical list, which only becomes more obvious when you see some of the names that fell short here.

Very cool poll, though. Thanks for doing this, Shakey.

Neptunes *and* The Neptunes?

man I went through this list multiple times (pretty much after every ballot came in) to check for duplicates/vote splitting and I STILL fucked this up arggh

I guess the Neptunes would have placed a bit higher then... Lindsey Buckingham still wouldn't have made the cut tho

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/sites/tampabay.com.blogs.the-buzz-florida-politics/files/images/typepad-legacy-files/88533.recount.jpg

female producers i would have considered voting for: anjali dutt, jessica corcoran

Damn, knew I shoulda checked ILM's status on Wednesday rather than risk missing the live results rollout! Oh well, here's my pedestrian ballot:

1.George Martin
2.Rudy Van Gelder
3.Jimmy Page
4.Norman Whitfield
5.Jimmy Miller
6.Giorgio Moroder
7.George Clinton
8.Todd Rundgren
9.Tom Dowd
10.Nesuhi Ertegun
11.The Bomb Squad
12.Brian Eno
13.Holland/Dozier/Holland
14.Jack Endino
15.Tom Wilson
16.Frank Zappa
17.Steve Albini
18.Rick Rubin
19.Martin Rushent
20.Eddie Kramer

I probably wouldn't have voted at all had Shakey Mo not lamented the mere trickle of ballots as deadline approached. My main criteria for inclusion was simply that I loved these guys' sound; that's the rationale behind maybe 15 of these choices; George Martin, Eno, Ertegun and the two Toms have extramusical reasons for inclusion. And a final thanks to Shakey Mo for his time & effort (more than he could've expected obv)

Has anybody lobbied for Mike Chapman?

I didn't vote but would probably have thrown Chapman a vote for Parallel Lines and Eat to the Beat alone

(and I don't really listen to much glam rock and appreciate that Chinnichap became a byword for canned and formulaic but that is a pretty amazingly SHINY sound right there)

anyway I am glad to see Plank do well and have a few new names to check out as a result of this poll and people's ballots

so yeah, thanks Shakey!

maurizio and Basic Channel the same thing, yes?

still wouldn't make it into the top 50 though

So, hold on, absolutely nobody voted for Holger Czukay?

and I don't really listen to much glam rock and appreciate that Chinnichap became a byword for canned and formulaic but that is a pretty amazingly SHINY sound right there

Mike Leander!!!!!!!

alan moulder-0. my 19 year old me weeps. dave fridmann gets 51 points. not that i voted but that guy is the worst.

Fucking hate Fridmann's sound these days.

yeah fridmann would've gotten a lot of 'anti' votes if that had been part of the poll

I actually considered Mike Leander!

Also....

Neptunes *and* The Neptunes?

― V79, Friday, October 21, 2011 2:32 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

man I went through this list multiple times (pretty much after every ballot came in) to check for duplicates/vote splitting and I STILL fucked this up arggh

I guess the Neptunes would have placed a bit higher then... Lindsey Buckingham still wouldn't have made the cut tho

― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, October 21, 2011 2:48 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark

Wait a min, whuzziss?

Lindsey Buckingham 59
lyndsey buckingham 11

RECOUNT!

(aah he still wouldn't have placed, but now I feel guilty because his presence on my ballot would have catapulted him into the top 50)

jeez, gary usher didn't even get a mention

I strongly considered him. Byrds, Dick Dale, some Beach Boys-related

> yeah fridmann would've gotten a lot of 'anti' votes if that had been part of the poll

― some dude, Sunday, October 23, 2011 6:17 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

My off-the-dome 'anti' top 3:

3. Jeff Lynne
2. Joe Thomas
1. Walter Afanasieff, who repeatedly employs every cliched production frill imagineable in failed attempts to build emotion as a song progresses (thundering snare hits! weepy bowed orchestral strings! raising the key and slowing down just before the last verse!) for the likes of Celion Dion, Michael Bolton, and Mariah Carey.

3. Jeff Lynne

waaaaaht dude those ELO records sound amazing

True, but I hate the ELO sheen he put on other peoples records -- Edmunds, Harrison, Wilburys.

yeah not gonna argue about that

I like how lush Lynne's production can be, but can we lose that synthetic sheen that drapes everything, all the buzzy synths, etc.? It's like the finished product was processed through a volume compressor before being pressed to disc. Agreed that aesthetic worked for ELO (although even there it was needlessly gimmicky - did "I Can't Get It Out Of My Head" really need the vocals processed through a wah-wah pedal?), but it's all wrong for his '80s-and-beyond production for others.

Yeah, Lynne's the only guy whose "overproduction" I've ever complained about

Pretty good Glyn Johns interview on Michael Shelley's show on WFMU this past Saturday: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/58051

Killer Lynne productions playlist here:

http://open.spotify.com/user/kfxmannen/playlist/7hRT2CIT29A3HcwmMkDkNO

Thanks for the link to the Glyn interview, WilliamC! I've been meaning to pick up his autobio.