by Steve Bussey
GeoSynchronous Records
I recently had the opportunity to speak with two famous record producers in the music business, Tom Dowd and Phil Ramone. (I use the word "record" here to include all formats, vinyl, compact disc, cassette or what ever else the future may hold.) Tom has produced records for 50 years for artists such as Eric Clapton (including "Layla"), Aretha Franklin, The Allman Brothers, and many others. Phil Ramone has produced dozens of artists, including Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Estefan, and Billy Joel.
What exactly is a producer? He or she is the person responsible for the recording process of making a record. This includes selecting the right songs for the artist, arranging the songs, deciding on the instrumentation to be used, hiring musicians, filing union reports, etc. The producer directs the action in the studio, is in charge of the session, and is responsible for making the best record possible. Sometimes the producer may delegate some of this work to an assistant. There may also be an executive producer who performs some of the associated business tasks, such was the case with the "Bong Water Taffy" CD where Scott Melton and myself were the executive producers and Jan Hrkach was the producer.
Obviously, the producer can radically affect the sound (and success) of a record, so the artist has to pick one carefully. Usually a producer is selected based on his prior work and personal raport with the artist. Producers specialize in specific styles of music, and once they have a hit, artists who like that record may hire the producer for their next project. Tom told me that his specialties are rock, pop, and R&B. He said he can produce an act with a Latin flavor to it, but if someone wanted a true Latin album he would refer it to someone else.
Phil Ramone has a reputation for technical innovations in his work, including the first use of fiber optics for real time recording from different locations thousands of miles apart for Frank Sinatra's "Duets" record. I asked Phil if such sophisticated techniques really made better records. He said he did not know if it was a better record, but "Duets" would not have been possible any other way. The logistics of booking studio time and coordinating the schedules of Sinatra, Ramone, and the other guest singers were too difficult to overcome by traditional methods.
Who needs a record producer? Every recording artist needs one. Sometimes the artist may act as producer, as guitarist Mike Pachelli did on his GeoSynchronous Records release "Tube Driven". Pachelli is currently in the studio recording his next album, tentatively titled "Practice What You Preach". This time he hired Tampa Bay's producer Dave Modisette. Pachelli explains that he wanted an extra opinion on things, and that Modisette has been very valuable in getting a good sound and suggesting ways to improve the songs. Although Pachelli has a very strong vision of his music, he wanted additional input from someone he trusted.
Now that you know what a producer is, start looking at your favorite albums to see who produced it. You may see the same names showing up time and again!
About the author: Steve Bussey is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and is currently the owner and general manager of GeoSynchronous Records (http://www.pan.com/geosync, Listening Line 800 235 9193, ask for a free catalog), an indie label handling artists such as Les Dudek, Mike Pachelli, Bong Water Taffy, and Big Red & The Bus. Prior to this, Steve earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Acoustics from Georgia Tech, designed sound equipment and guitar amps for Fender, and supervised design of communication systems for the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.
