Producers, Recording Engineers and Studio Wizards: POLL RESULTS

38. Todd Rundgren (101 points, 5 votes)
http://www.sweetslyrics.com/images/img_gal/14100_Todd+Rundgren.jpg
Credits: Solo, Sparks, New York Dolls, Badfinger, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, Meatloaf, Patti Smith, XTC, the Tubes, Cheap Trick, 12 Rods, Psychedelic Furs, others

think I'll get up to 35 and then call it a day

Rundgren was on my semi-short list.

37. Geoff Emerick (109 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/9736789.jpg
Credits: The Beatles, Paul McCartney & Wings, Elvis Costello, Badfinger, Ultravox, others

no good pictures of this guy either

Rundgren seems like a huge asshole from the few firsthand accounts I've heard

i love that like every single entry on this list is someone it'd be worth listening to a whole box set of stuff they've done

http://www.yoursdaily.com/var/yoursdaily/storage/images/media/images/culture_media/music/beatles/george_martin_geoff_emerick/64716-1-eng-GB/george_martin_geoff_emerick.jpg

Georgie 'n' Jeffy

36. John Leckie (110 points, 6 votes)
http://www.sjpdodgy.co.uk/John%20Leckie%20Abbey%20Road.jpg
Credits: The Fall, XTC & Dukes of Stratosphear, the Stone Roses, the Verve, Radiohead, Syd Barrett, Paul McCartney, The Adverts, Simple Minds, others

One of Mael bros. said they knew whenever Rundgren was enjoying himself in the studio because that's when he went around with drumsticks in his nostrils.

last for the day

35. Prince (115 points, 5 votes)
http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Entertainment/images-7/prince-purple-rain.jpg
Credits: Solo, the Time, the Family, Sheila E, Vanity, Apolonia 6, others

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)

prince too low imo

So far, only 5 i voted for (Glyn Johns, David Briggs, Joe Boyd, Todd Rundgren, and Geoff Emerick. I strongly considered Jimmy Miller and Prince, the latter obviously deserved a vote, but I knew they'd get plenty of love from others here.

Joe Boyd also produced REM's Fables of the Reconstruction and Pink Floyd's "Arnold Layne" which was recorded before they got a record contract - Syd Barrett wanted to keep him on to produce their upcoming albums and singles, and likely would have had they been signed to a label other than EMI which insisted on using their own staff producers, just as they had with the Beatles a few years earlier.

And speaking of Nick Drake's producer, I must give a nod to his arranger Robert Kirby, a college student who had no arranging experience whatsoever and had never stepped foot in a recording studio before providing the astonishing string, woodwind, and brass scores for Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter. He went on to arrange for Elton John and other big names, but is still remembered best for his work on the first two ND albums. I didn't vote for him since I don't think that arrangers were eligible - if so, I'd have to include Nelson Riddle, Don Costas, and a bunch of others from the 1950s onward.

Oops, 6 i voted for - the five I listed above plus Norman Whitfield

>> Jimmy Miller also did Traffic.

> yeah but nobody likes Traffic

... do they?

Didn't vote for Jimmy Miller but probably should have, in part because of Traffic's first three albums as well as Blind Faith and Spencer Davis Group. I bought my first keyboard in part because Steve Winwood endorsed it. I was really into his stuff when I was in high school & university

Really wish I'd voted for Prince.

i shoulda voted. leckie way too low

shit shit shit went out of my way to nominate Erik Jacobsen and even posted a sample clip and then forgot to vote for him. Doubt he'd have made the cut even with my vote though. Shame....

I voted for Marley Marl, CC, Swizz Beatz, Prince. Should have voted for Whitfield, but I forgot about him! I've never even heard of these guys:

46. Glyn Johns (87 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote)
43. David Briggs (91 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)
41. TIE Jimmy Miller (95 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)
39. Joe Boyd (98 points, 4 votes)
37. Geoff Emerick (109 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote)
36. John Leckie (110 points, 6 votes)

...I guess because they're all "rock" producers.

Unfortunately, all too many "rock" fans don't know these rock producers either....

Floyd did go back to Boyd for "See Emily Play", so I guess they would have kept with him had Syd (and Jenner etc) continued to be part of Floyd.

"See Emily Play", and the whole of their first LP, were produced by EMI staff producer Norman Smith.

Marley Marl was number 7 on my ballot

34. Chris Thomas (117 points, 7 votes)
http://s.dsimg.com/image/A-150-31213-1105374800.jpg
Credits: Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pulp, The Pretenders, Sex Pistols, INXS

Slightly to my embarrassment, Razorlight's 'In The Morning' was where I first noticed Chris Thomas's craft. Aw hell, I'd like it anyway, but there's a beautiful clarity to it that really shines among the other indie stuff of my acquaintance.

Thomas was one of a handful of entries I was previously unaware of. He also did Cale's Paris 1919 (which I mistakenly omitted above), big points for that one imho

First of mine to place, his work on NMTB alone is enough to justify his placing.

The first time I noticed his name was on INXS's Kick, but then he surfaced on a lot of older albums as my tastes deepened. He didn't make my 20, but the man does good work.

33. Pete Rock (118 points, 5 votes)
http://i.fanpix.net/images/orig/n/w/nwj9ts41mpj44j1.jpg
Credits: Solo and w/CL Smooth, every rapper and rap group ever

First of my votes to place, a little surprised he's not higher.

just becuz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRJC47y1G-8

Glad to see Thomas make it -- I won't say "too low" or anything like that, #34 seems about right. Great work on the early Pretenders records and Bollocks -- he seemed to understand that Punk Rock and Rock and Roll were different animals that shared some language in common, but maybe not quite as much as conventional wisdom had it.

32. Les Paul (122 points, 4 votes, 2 #1 votes)
http://pulmyears.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/les_paul_01.jpg
Credits: INVENTED MULTITRACK RECORDING

just look at that lovable goofus

Thomas' work on Stranded is his high-water mark for me.

Pete Rock above Marley Marl?

my other two votes (apart from MM) so far are Gary Katz and Norman Whitfield. great list so far

fuck. I shouldn't post drunk.

31. Tom Wilson (124 points, 6 votes)
http://www.streamingoldies.com/content-images/SOP/TomWilson08.jpg
Credits: Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, Simon & Garfunkel

... produced Sun Ra too!

Musicians he worked with not always too complimentary about ol' Tom tho. Accusation that his attention was apt to wander if a pretty girl walked in the room.

Sun Ra production is just that Batman thing, right...?

No, "Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra" too, I think? 1961? It was Wilson's idea to record him.

He's on the cover of "We're Only In It For the Money" too

xp Yep, Wilson produced Futuristic Sounds and Sun Song, as well as Cecil Taylor's epochal debut Jazz Advance in 1956(!)

hmm yeah the Batman thing is somebody else apparently

Cecil Taylor debut is news to me, that's pretty nuts

30. Thom Bell (131 points, 5 votes)
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/TSOP%20Thom%20Bell1a1.jpg
Credits: The Delfonics, The Stylistics, The Spinners, Billy Paul, others

Was going to vote for Thom Bell, but I had a total brainfart and left him off.

29. Martin Rushent (134 points, 7 votes)
http://media.soundonsound.com/sos/jul10/images/ClassicTracks_02.jpg
Credits: Human League, the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks

thank god Thom Bell made it. but still, TOO LOW!!

Ned posted this story on the RIP, but it's worth repeating here:

So the story goes: (as told by him) . . .New York 78/79 can’t remember. he was over there working, he went out with a mate of his to a club to see this guy called ”Grandmaster Flash”

Apparently he was doing this thing where he mixed records together live. My dad was blown away by it. He said ‘I �got home and and wanted to do something like that’. Ny 1980 he was cutting up tape together and did ”Love and Dancing” just like he saw Flash do with vinyl.

Years later, i’m working at a club in Reading as a sound man. Mr Flash was booked to play. He came down early before doors to check the turntables. I was stood with him pulling leads in and out, making sure everything working.

I turned to him and said, ”My dad’s a massive fan of yours” without lifting his head and looking at me he said ”cool”, he was not that bothered. i said ”Yeah, you inspired him to do this remix record” again. �Head down, pulling leads in and out. ”Cool man,’ he said, ‘he in a band?” ”No no, he’s a record producer”. ”Ahh, cool, what’s his names?”

”Martin Rushent”.

He stopped pulling in the leads, looked up at me and said”your dad’s Martin fucking Rushent???!!”

I told him the story about New York. He was shocked and excited to hear that he had inspired ”Love and Dancing”.

I finished telling the story and he said, very calm, ‘‘get that nigga on the phone now’‘.

They talked for about ten minuets complimenting each other. as he handed the phone back to me, he said ”cool guy, you’r a lucky kid”.

yes. i am. thanks dad. for everything.”