Click this photo to enlarge and better identify these legendary producers from the 1960s and 1970s.
If you come here on a regular basis I bet you, like me, have spent an inordinate amount of time looking through album credits. You probably retain the full names of producers better than you do those of old flames, and that’s pretty sad considering how few old flames a typical Townsperson has to his or her name.
What occurred to me, recently, was how few of these producers I can tell by sight. I’ve collected photos of 13 legendary rock ‘n roll producers from the 1960s and 1970s. Without use of photo-identifying apps and with us limiting ourselves to one guess per post (so someone who’s met half of these guys, like professional studio cat cherguevara, doesn’t bogart the thread), how many of these producers can we identify?
To get a better look at each producer, click on the image in this post for a larger version to appear in a separate window.
Good luck!
Let’s get the ball rolling
#3 – I’m pretty sure that’s Mutt Lange.
Correct.
#5 – my money’s on Mickie Most.
#13 is Glyn Johns
Hard to see on my phone but I think…
6. Alan parsons.
7. Norman smith.
10 moroder.
12 roy Thomas baker.
Yes, I think so, too.
You may collect your winnings!
Certainly!
You also had difficulty seeing the warning about someone like you not bogarting the thread:)
No problem!
It was my realization that I had no idea what Roy Thomas Baker looked like that set me on this mission.
Don’t put a cookie in front of a dog if you don’t want him to eat it! Sorry ’bout that.
Seriously, no problem. I am hopeful that you’ve run across some of these folks and might have some good tales to share. You always seem to have run-ins with cool producers, no?
I have met none of these guys.
I thought #12 was Tommy Wildfire Rich!
Disappointed to learn that it is not…
#4 – Jack Nitzsche
Good one! Neil Young’s new book has a few stories where Jack is involved in some hijinks!
In the 80s some good friends lived in Barnes, London, just down the road from Olympic Studios where Johns did so much great work. We would sit opposite the building & muse on all the music made there. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Who, Ozark Mountain Daredevils (none of us are perfect !). Never saw anyone we knew but it seemed like time well spent.
Maybe we did see the “Ozarks”, we would not have known.
I’ll remember to include the Ozarks when we do the faceless bands edition of this contest.
Isn’t the first one Jimmy Miller?
#7 – Shel Talmy, perhaps?
Bingo!
No, but you’re on the right island.
Yes, possibly the only person on earth who modeled his Look after Phil Spector. The following photo is a little more representative:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hj4neqKqbSw/SfHpBgVNlfI/AAAAAAAAAyY/N2tG-Z-aeUc/s400/jacknitzsche.jpg
A few hints for those producers left on the board:
#2 specialized in dark, scary concept albums.
#7 started what #2 pretty much finished.
#8 produced 2 of the greatest space-related songs of the ’70s.
#9 the artist responsible for the first of #8’s space-related productions played a role in making producer #9 known to people like us.
#11 produced a series of failed records by a band whose career was saved by the artist referred to in the clue for #9.
We knew #2 is Bob Ezrin. We were just keeping you waiting.
#8 – Gus Dudgeon – Couldn’t remember his name, so I cracked open some vinyl and did a little research.
It’s about time…
Yes!
I needed the Mod’s hint. #11 is Guy Stevens.
Nice, may the remaining chips fall!
#7 – cher correctly answered Norman Smith.
#9 is the last chip to fall and damn it I’ve seen this picture before
Ok, I mean OK ! I needed the hint again but that damned #9 is Conny Plank.
That’s right, loosehandlebars! Stay tuned for a future feature on faceless record executives.