2.4 Producer Series – Alan Parsons

Music aside for one moment, the interesting thing with Alan Parsons (especially for the iconic albums he’s worked on) is his role / job description – engineer (not producer). He was undoubtedly at the right place at the right time, just wearing the wrong hat and this has almost certainly cost him dearly (which is a great pity), although he has a world-class reputation and is still ‘going’ strong, in his 60s.

So, take a look at these links and jot down a few more invaluable production / recording techniques:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Parsons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon

http://bartoszmusic.uniblogs.org/category/fm-favourite-music/

And just before you get going on the making of “Dark Side of the Moon”, take a look at ARU’s own “Aspects” Alumni magazine, featuring an article on Pink Floyd playing at Cambridge School of Arts in their student days (here) – a gig “in what is now Ruskin room 208″.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtj8she1mgg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Q2O-Rrbkk&feature=related

Producer Series 2.3 – Phil Spector

Phil Spector was one colourful character who created a  ‘brand’ in production terms, labelled his “Wall of Sound”.

Enjoy the links which cast a little light on the man behind the myth:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8993130

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_of_Sound

http://www.answers.com/topic/phil-spector?cat=entertainment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ov3ZcJ9UbU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoHclWVc7b4&feature=PlayList&p=8C8756CB458EC276&playnext=1&index=5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Qpo1Y3NGY

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/4KkMSkmx7sM" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /

Producer Series 2.2 – Arif Mardin

Okay chaps, a great link – an interview with Arif Mardin talking about his role as a producer:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5061890

The first two links that follow  are actually about David Gamson, the keyboard player with Scritti Polliti (a producer in his own right). Mardin produced Scritti’s “Cupid and Psyche ‘85″ album and I’m sure some of his production magic rubbed off on Gamson, especially on their follow up album “Provision” which they produced themselves.

http://www.uaudio.com/webzine/2004/september/text/content3.html

http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_bedroom_control_room/

Okay, now the remaining links are all about Mardin.

http://bibbly-o-tek.com/category/producers/arif-mardin/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arif_Mardin

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5061890

http://www.dosswerks.com/scc/articles.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul04/articles/arifmardin.htm?print=yes

http://www.lightmillennium.org/summer_fall_01/mdede_arifmardin.html

http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/mardin.htm