The history of pop music presents many examples of a great, pioneering music producer advancing its innovations. Take the example of George Martin, who crafted 10 of the 11 Beatles albums, or the example of Quincy Jones, deliberately handpicked by Michael Jackson to bring his "Thriller" album to new heights. Then there is Phil Spector, whose famous "Wall of Sound" laid out the blueprint for the modern pop record.
Yet, for many people, the actual role of producer is unclear. This might be because the job they do will vary from artist to artist and album to album. In some cases they will be the guy in the control room with the headset, making sure everything is happening as it should, when it should and, later, mixing it all together.
Often, however, they become much more than that. They become co-writers of tunes and architects of albums. They become coaches of the band and de facto managers, budgeting, scheduling and negotiating in the band's favor.
In 1972, when Lou Reed decided to follow up his coldly received solo debut with something of greater impact, he recruited British glam rock stars David Bowie and Mick Ronson to produce his next LP "Transformer". Many of the proposed tracks were simple acoustic pieces. The British duo, however, breathed life into them with sparkling, vibrant string and choral arrangements, bringing the album to new levels.
In the modern era of Hip Hop and Dubstep, with technology and recording techniques so central to how songs are written, the role of production has become even more important. This can mainly be traced to the influence of Hip Hop, where songwriting duties are generally split between two people. These are the rapper who pens and performs the lyrics, and the beat-maker who composes or arranges the melody and beat.
Rap relies upon sampling, a tradition which can be traced back to the blues staple of re arranging music made by other artists. Here the role of the producer is to slice up riffs, beats and music written by others and rearrange them into a new, distinct song. On his 1992 debut album "The Chronic", Dr. Dre hired session musicians to replay and reinterpret old P-Funk riffs which he laced with modern drum beats. Now, with the popularity of Dubstep, producers are now incorporating these modern sounds into new songs.
For many of today's pop acts, particularly those who come through the ranks of TV talent shows like "The X-Factor", the music producer is the pivotal element in the success of their output. Of course the singers are the stars. Yet the producers are the ones working behind the scenes to ensure that all the components are in place to allow them to shine.
Yet, for many people, the actual role of producer is unclear. This might be because the job they do will vary from artist to artist and album to album. In some cases they will be the guy in the control room with the headset, making sure everything is happening as it should, when it should and, later, mixing it all together.
Often, however, they become much more than that. They become co-writers of tunes and architects of albums. They become coaches of the band and de facto managers, budgeting, scheduling and negotiating in the band's favor.
In 1972, when Lou Reed decided to follow up his coldly received solo debut with something of greater impact, he recruited British glam rock stars David Bowie and Mick Ronson to produce his next LP "Transformer". Many of the proposed tracks were simple acoustic pieces. The British duo, however, breathed life into them with sparkling, vibrant string and choral arrangements, bringing the album to new levels.
In the modern era of Hip Hop and Dubstep, with technology and recording techniques so central to how songs are written, the role of production has become even more important. This can mainly be traced to the influence of Hip Hop, where songwriting duties are generally split between two people. These are the rapper who pens and performs the lyrics, and the beat-maker who composes or arranges the melody and beat.
Rap relies upon sampling, a tradition which can be traced back to the blues staple of re arranging music made by other artists. Here the role of the producer is to slice up riffs, beats and music written by others and rearrange them into a new, distinct song. On his 1992 debut album "The Chronic", Dr. Dre hired session musicians to replay and reinterpret old P-Funk riffs which he laced with modern drum beats. Now, with the popularity of Dubstep, producers are now incorporating these modern sounds into new songs.
For many of today's pop acts, particularly those who come through the ranks of TV talent shows like "The X-Factor", the music producer is the pivotal element in the success of their output. Of course the singers are the stars. Yet the producers are the ones working behind the scenes to ensure that all the components are in place to allow them to shine.
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