Sound Man: A Life Recording Hits with The Rolling Stones, The Who, LedZeppelin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Faces . . .

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Sound Man: A Life Recording Hits with The Rolling Stones, The Who, LedZeppelin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Faces . . . Page 23

by Glyn Johns


  Benmont’s album You Should Be So Lucky and the experience of making it sum up the best and most positive aspects of what I have been doing for the past fifty years. A group of like-minded individuals getting together to play music with and pay tribute to one of their peers without any thought of financial recompense. If it should turn out to be the last record I make, I shall shuffle off this mortal coil with a large grin on my face.

  BENMONT TENCH, ME, AND DON WAS. SESSION FOR YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY AT SUNSET SOUND.

  2014

  In the past few years, the music business has gone through the most tumultuous changes. Most of the independent labels have been absorbed by the majors and the majors in turn have merged with each other. It seems to have gone full circle, with the industry having reverted back to just a handful of corporate labels. Just like it was when I started in 1959.

  Gone are the days of a new artist being signed and nurtured over a period of two or three years, with the record company providing tour support in order to promote record sales. Today, this has turned 180 degrees, with the label taking a percentage of the artist’s earnings on the road, as in most cases record sales alone can no longer justify the investment they have to make.

  Recorded music has been reduced to ones and zeros. The quality of reproduction and delivery has become less and less important to the listener. I wonder where it will all lead to. The business as I know it is seriously under threat, barely surviving on its past glories. Things cannot stand still. Maybe there will be another huge shake-up, with the teenagers of today taking the industry by the scruff of the neck and reinventing it. The next few years will be fascinating to watch. Of course, popular music will survive and it will throw up many more fascinating characters, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain as a business in its present form. I think I may well have had the best of it.

  This all began with me being introduced as an eight-year-old into my local church choir and it having the most positive effect through the physical and emotional pleasure it brought me. Several quirks of fate somehow led to a career in the record business, meeting along the way some of the extraordinary individuals who have played a major role in the development of popular music to the present day.

  If you ever feel a bit low or feel that life has become a little mundane, join a choir. I guarantee that it will lift your spirits. Who knows what it will lead to. Look what happened to me.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My heartfelt thanks to the following for their encouragement, guidance, and support: Sarah Hochman, David Rosenthal, Keryn Kaplan, Bill Flanagan, Glynis Johns, Charley, Abigail and Ethan Johns, and Will Nash.

  And for taking the time and trouble to provide me with photographs or information that I could not recall: Ethan Russell, Gered Mankovitz, Will Nash, Bill Wyman, Henry Diltz, Bernie Leadon, Andrew Oldham, Chris Kimsey, Angela Close, Ryan Adams, Derek Green, Steve Holroyd, Russ Shagbaum.

  And a special thanks to Robert Greenfield and Fred Schruers for their time and invaluable input.

  SELECT DISCOGRAPHY (ALBUMS ONLY)

  Compiled by Andrew Alburn

  1964

  Georgie Fame, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo; engineer, mixing

  1965

  The Rolling Stones, December’s Children (And Everybody’s); engineer, mixing

  The Pretty Things, Get the Picture?; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Out of Our Heads; engineer, mixing

  1966

  The Rolling Stones, Aftermath; engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Got Live If You Want It!; engineer, mixing

  Chris Farlowe, The Art of Chris Farlowe; engineer, mixing

  Small Faces, Small Faces (Decca); engineer, mixing

  Chris Farlowe, 14 Things to Think About; engineer, mixing

  Twice as Much, Own Up; engineer, mixing

  1967

  Small Faces, From the Beginning; engineer, mixing

  Small Faces, Small Faces (Immediate); engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Their Satanic Majesties Request; engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Between the Buttons; engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Flowers; engineer, mixing

  Johnny Hallyday, San Francisco EP; engineer

  1968

  The Rolling Stones, Beggars Banquet; engineer, mixing

  Steve Miller Band, Children of the Future; producer, engineer, mixing

  Twice as Much, That’s All; engineer

  The Pentangle, The Pentangle; engineer, mixing

  The Move, Something Else from the Move; engineer, mixing

  Spooky Tooth, It’s All About; engineer, mixing

  Small Faces, Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake; engineer, mixing

  Steve Miller Band, Sailor; producer, engineer, mixing

  Gerry Temple, Burn Up!; engineer

  Procol Harum, Shine On Brightly; engineer, mixing

  The Move, The Move; engineer, mixing

  The Easybeats, Vigil; engineer, mixing

  Traffic, Traffic; engineer, mixing

  Billy Nicholls, Would You Believe; engineer, mixing

  1969

  Steve Miller Band, Brave New World; producer, engineer, mixing

  Family, Family Entertainment; producer, engineer, mixing

  The End, Introspection; engineer, mixing

  The Beatles, Abbey Road; engineer

  Joe Cocker, Joe Cocker!; engineer, mixing

  Johnny Hallyday, Johnny Hallyday; producer, engineer, mixing

  Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin; director of engineering, engineer

  The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed; engineer, mixing

  Steve Miller Band, Your Saving Grace; producer, engineer, mixing

  1970

  Lambert and Nuttycombe, At Home; engineer, producer

  The Rolling Stones, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!; producer, engineer, mixing

  Humble Pie, Humble Pie; producer, engineer, mixing

  Philamore Lincoln, The North Wind Blew South; engineer

  Billy Preston, That’s the Way God Planned It; engineer, mixing

  Leon Russell, Leon Russell; engineer, mixing

  The Beatles, Let It Be; engineer

  Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs & Englishmen; producer, mixing

  Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, On Tour with Eric Clapton; engineer

  The Move, Shazam; engineer, mixing

  The Band, Stage Fright; mixing

  Spooky Tooth, The Last Puff; engineer, mixing

  McGuinness Flint, McGuinness Flint; producer, engineer, mixing

  1971

  Faces, A Nod Is as Good as a Wink . . . to a Blind Horse; producer, engineer, mixing

  Boz Scaggs, Boz Scaggs & Band; producer, engineer, mixing

  Ben Sidran, Feel Your Groove; engineer, liner notes, mixing

  McGuinness Flint, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby; producer, engineer, mixing

  Jesse Ed Davis, Jesse Davis; producer, engineer, mixing

  Leon Russell, Leon Russell and the Shelter People; engineer, mixing

  Boz Scaggs, Moments; producer, engineer, mixing

  Rita Coolidge, Nice Feelin’; engineer

  Humble Pie, Rock On; producer, engineer, mixing

  Graham Nash, Songs for Beginners; mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers; engineer, mixing engineer, mixing

  Spooky Tooth, Tobacco Road; engineer, mixing

  The Who, Who’s Next; producer, engineer, mixing

  1972

  Eagles, Eagles; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main St.; engineer, mixing

  Rita Coolidge, The Lady’s Not for Sale; producer, engineer, mixing

  Neil Young, Harvest; engineer

  Nicky Hopkins, Ry Cooder, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman,
Charlie Watts, Jamming with Edward!; producer, engineer, mixing

  1973

  Chris Jagger, Chris Jagger; mixing

  Eagles, Desperado; producer, engineer, mixing

  Eric Clapton, Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert; engineer

  Faces, Ooh La La; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Who, Quadrophenia; associate producer, engineer

  Rick Grech, The Last Five Years; producer, engineer, mixing

  Paul McCartney and Wings, Red Rose Speedway; engineer

  Gallagher & Lyle, Seeds; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils; co-producer, engineer, mixing

  Gallagher & Lyle, Willie and the Lapdog; producer, engineer, mixing

  1974

  The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, It’ll Shine When It Shines; co-producer, engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll; mixing

  Eagles, On the Border; producer, engineer

  Gallagher & Lyle, The Last Cowboy; producer, engineer, mixing

  Howlin’ Wolf, The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions; engineer

  Georgie Fame, Georgie Fame; producer, engineer, mixing

  1975

  Fairport Convention, Rising for the Moon; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Who, The Who by Numbers; producer, engineer, mixing

  1976

  Andy Fairweather Low, Be Bop ’n’ Holla; producer, engineer, mixing

  Fools Gold, Fools Gold; producer, engineer, mixing

  Joan Armatrading, Joan Armatrading; producer, engineer, mixing

  Ron Wood & Ronnie Lane, Mahoney’s Last Stand; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, Black and Blue; engineer

  Buckacre, Morning Comes; producer, engineer, mixing

  1977

  The Bernie Leadon–Michael Georgiades Band, Natural Progressions; producer, engineer, mixing

  Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane, Rough Mix; producer, engineer, mixing

  Joan Armatrading, Show Some Emotion; producer, engineer, mixing

  Eric Clapton, Slowhand; producer, engineer, mixing

  1978

  Eric Clapton, Backless; producer, engineer, mixing

  Craig Nuttycombe, It’s Just a Lifetime; producer, engineer, mixing

  Joan Armatrading, To the Limit; producer, engineer, mixing

  Paul Kennerley and Artists Various, White Mansions; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Who, Who Are You; producer, engineer, mixing

  1979

  Marc Benno, Lost in Austin; producer, engineer, mixing

  Joan Armatrading, Steppin’ Out; producer, engineer, mixing

  Live Wire, Pick It Up; producer, engineer, mixing

  1980

  Lazy Racer, Formula II; producer, engineer, mixing

  Tim Renwick, Tim Renwick; producer, engineer, mixing

  Paul Kennerley and Artists Various, Legend of Jesse James; producer, engineer, mixing

  1981

  Danny Joe Brown, Danny Joe Brown and the Danny Joe Brown Band; producer, engineer, mixing

  Jools Holland, Jools Holland and His Millionaires; producer, engineer, mixing

  Midnight Oil, Place Without a Postcard; producer, engineer, mixing

  Nine Below Zero, Don’t Point Your Finger; producer, engineer, mixing

  Chris de Burgh, Best Moves; producer, engineer, mixing

  1982

  The Clash, Combat Rock; mixing

  The Who, It’s Hard; producer, engineer, mixing

  1983

  Local Boys, Moments of Madness; producer, engineer, mixing

  1984

  Artists Various, A.R.M.S. Concert; producer, engineer, mixing

  Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Albert Lee, No Introduction Necessary; engineer

  Téléphone, Un Autre Monde; producer, engineer, mixing

  1985

  Immaculate Fools, Hearts of Fortune; mixing

  1986

  Téléphone, Le Live; producer, engineer, mixing

  Roaring Boys, Roaring Boys; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Big Dish, Swimmer; producer, engineer, mixing

  New Model Army, The Ghost of Cain; producer, engineer, mixing

  1987

  Joolz, Hex; mixing

  Spooky Tooth, Spooky Tooth; engineer, mixing

  Helen Watson, Blue Slipper; producer, mixing

  Labi Siffre, (Something Inside) So Strong; producer, engineer, mixing

  1988

  John Hiatt, Slow Turning; producer, mixing

  1989

  Nanci Griffith, Storms; producer, mixing

  Green on Red, This Time Around; producer, mixing

  Helen Watson, The Weather Inside; producer, mixing

  1990

  John Hiatt, Stolen Moments; producer, mixing

  Summerhill, West of Here; mixing

  1991

  Del Shannon, The Liberty Years; engineer

  1992

  Energy Orchard, Stop the Machine; producer, engineer, mixing

  Ethan Johns, Independent Years; producer, mixing

  1993

  David Crosby, Thousand Roads; producer, engineer, mixing

  1994

  Crosby, Stills & Nash, After the Storm; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Subdudes, Annunciation; producer, engineer, mixing

  Jackopierce, Bringing on the Weather; mixing

  Bruce Cockburn, Dart to the Heart; mixing

  1995

  Joe Satriani, Joe Satriani; producer, mixing

  Belly, King; producer, mixing

  1996

  The Beatles, Anthology 3; engineer

  Eric Clapton, Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies; producer, engineer

  Artists Various, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus; engineer, mixing

  1997

  Warm Jets, Future Signs; mixing

  1998

  Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Struttin’ Our Stuff; mixing

  Linda Ronstadt, We Ran; producer, mixing

  1999

  Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Anyway the Wind Blows; mixing

  Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt, Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions; producer, engineer, mixing

  The Pretenders & Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield, Lucinda Williams & David Crosby, Return of the Grievous Angel; producer, engineer, mixing

  2002

  John Hiatt and Artists Various, Disney’s The Country Bears; musical direction

  2005

  Bruce Cockburn, Speechless; mixing

  2006

  Andy Fairweather Low, Sweet Soulful Music; producer, engineer, mixing

  2008

  The Clash, Live at Shea Stadium; engineer

  Ian McLagan & the Bump Band, Never Say Never; mastering, mixing

  2011

  Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire; producer, engineer, mixing

  Ben Waters, Boogie 4 Stu: A Tribute to Ian Stewart; mixing

  2012

  The Rolling Stones, Charlie Is My Darling: Ireland 1965; engineer

  The Staves, Dead & Born & Grown & Live; co-producer, engineer, mixing

  The Rolling Stones, GRRR!; mixing

  Band of Horses, Mirage Rock; producer, engineer, mixing

  Ethan Johns, If Not Now Then When?; mixing

  2013

  Aaron Neville, My True Story; mixing

  Patty Griffin, Silver Bell; mixing

  2014

  Benmont Tench, You Should Be So Lucky; producer, engineer, mixing

  INDEX

  The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. The link provided will take you to the beginning of that print page. You may need to scroll forward from that loc
ation to find the corresponding reference on your e-reader.

  Page numbers in italics refer to photos.

  Abbey Road (Beatles), 132, 134, 143

  “Across the Universe,” 142

  Adams, Ryan, 280–84, 281

  Albert Hall (London), 132–33, 261

  “All Day and All of the Night,” 46

  Allman, Duane, 145, 153–54

  Allman Brothers, 135, 153

  Alpert, Herb, 266

  A&M Records and Studios. See also Moss, Jerry

  Anderle, David, 146, 147, 148, 150–51, 159, 192, 218

  artist-friendly atmosphere, 70, 266–67

  Green, Derek, 224–27, 231, 241, 242

  Kaye, Chuck, 225, 230–31

  London studio plan, 266–67

  publishing companies, 224, 230

  sale of, 151

  Somer, Abe, 74, 146, 225, 267

  Anderle, David, 144–47, 146, 148, 150–51, 159, 192, 218

  “April Fool,” 235–36

  Arden, Don, 65–68

  Arlon, Deke, 197

  Armatrading, Joan, 230–32

  ARMS (Action Research into Multiple Sclerosis) concerts, 258, 260–65, 265

  Around the Beatles (TV show), 22–23

  Ashes & Fire (Adams), 280–84, 281

  Astley, Ted, 234

  Asylum Records, 189, 198, 200

  Atlantic Records, 168–69, 200

  The Band, 71, 155, 163

  Band of Horses, 282, 283

  Barrere, Paul, 270

  Basing Street Studios, 70–71

  The Beatles. See also Harrison, George; Lennon, John; McCartney, Paul

  Apple Electronics, 126

  Around the Beatles TV special, 22–23

  under Klein’s management, 130, 141–42, 143

  live-audience album project, 120–30, 120

  under Martin’s management, 123, 127, 140, 143

  Ono, Yoko, 122–23, 124, 125

  Savile Row sessions, 126–27, 129, 130, 138, 139–41

  Starr, Ringo, 123, 125, 184

  The Beatles recordings

  Abbey Road, 132, 134, 143

 

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