When you look back on pop throughout the last 100 years you see time and again, a great music producer controlling the recordings of a great artist. It might be Phil Spector's innovative "Wall of Sound" technique with The Ronettes. It might be Quincy Jones' guiding hand ushering Michael Jackson to the heights of the "Thriller" album. It might be George Martin's pioneering 4 track recordings with The Beatles. Whoever you pick their role is undeniably crucial.
While most all people agree on the importance of this role, there is sometimes confusion as to what that actual role is. This might be due to the fact that, for different producers, the job has different duties. The basic setup will be the same for almost any of them: sitting at the mixing desk, headphones on, making sure the riffs, beats, vocals and melody are coming in at the right time and at the right pitch, then supervising the mix later on.
In many cases, however, their role goes deeper. Lots of producers end up credited songwriters on albums, working side by side on the actual composition with the artists. Often, they also become like a self-help guru for a beleaguered band, motivating them to keep going through a hard recording. In other cases they may be a go-between for the record company and the artist.
One famous example of how a production team can redirect the sound of an album is Lou Reed's 1972 album "Transformer". Reed had 11 songs written, most of them with simple acoustic arrangements, which he then handed over to producers David Bowie and Mick Ronson. The British glam rock duo laced songs like "Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love" with soaring arrangements relying on strings, piano and backing vocals and one of pop's most beguiling albums was created.
As technology has taken over much of how pop is now written, the role of producer has become yet more crucial. Hip Hop, and its long journey to the mainstream, has had a lot to do with this. In rap, the beat-maker has always been crucial to the composition element of the songs, with the rapper concentrating on the lyrics.
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.
While most all people agree on the importance of this role, there is sometimes confusion as to what that actual role is. This might be due to the fact that, for different producers, the job has different duties. The basic setup will be the same for almost any of them: sitting at the mixing desk, headphones on, making sure the riffs, beats, vocals and melody are coming in at the right time and at the right pitch, then supervising the mix later on.
In many cases, however, their role goes deeper. Lots of producers end up credited songwriters on albums, working side by side on the actual composition with the artists. Often, they also become like a self-help guru for a beleaguered band, motivating them to keep going through a hard recording. In other cases they may be a go-between for the record company and the artist.
One famous example of how a production team can redirect the sound of an album is Lou Reed's 1972 album "Transformer". Reed had 11 songs written, most of them with simple acoustic arrangements, which he then handed over to producers David Bowie and Mick Ronson. The British glam rock duo laced songs like "Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love" with soaring arrangements relying on strings, piano and backing vocals and one of pop's most beguiling albums was created.
As technology has taken over much of how pop is now written, the role of producer has become yet more crucial. Hip Hop, and its long journey to the mainstream, has had a lot to do with this. In rap, the beat-maker has always been crucial to the composition element of the songs, with the rapper concentrating on the lyrics.
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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Learn more about Phoenix music. Stop by PhoenixRecording.com where you can find out all about Dubstep producers in Phoenix, AZ and Los Angeles, CA.
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