Atlas Bookstore Excerpt:
Finding Your Perfect Match 
in the Studio

Copy Hit songwriter, session drummer 
and successful producer, Richard James Burgess, offers a witty anecdotal portrait 
of the recording industry - revealing from 
the inside the art - and the business of 
music and record production. His book, 
"The Art of Music Production" opens up 
what is normally a closed studio, for 
a glimpse at the wide variety of 
production styles:

Most people I meet outside of the music business have little or no idea what a record producer actually does. Even within the business the level of understanding of what they do and exactly how they do it is quite hazy.

Record producers have varying degrees of creative control over the material being recorded and wildly varying degrees of control over the performance of the artist. The exact amount of that control is related to the style of the individual; the types of acts that he or she works with and the level of expertise and status of the artist.

The All-Singing-All-Dancing-King-Of-The-Heap: 
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Walter Afanasieff, L.A. Reid & Babyface 

These guys could easily be artists in their own right. They will most likely write the songs, play the instruments, sing the demos and may even engineer and program the computers in the bargain.

They are blessed with a natural, diverse musical talent, a rock solid sense of direction and their songs, arrangements, orchestrations, sounds and vocal stylings are instantly recognizable even though they themselves may be unfamiliar. That's not to say their records are 'samey', just that they have an identity that shines through no matter what.

They're not a good choice for a band that writes its own material and intends to play everything on the record, but they're perfect for the solo artist who either does not write, needs a co-writer or is short of hit singles. Their names carry a huge amount of clout at radio since in their care an unknown artist can get exposure that would normally be available only to an established artist.

Artists who will choose the All-Singing-All-Dancing producer usually falls into one of two categories: either the all-time great singers who do not write their own singles but can deliver someone else's song; or the puppets often not even from the music business - ranging from established soap stars to good looking young boys...

Faithful sidekick 
I wouldn't dare give an example of a producer who fits this mold. Most prefer to think of themselves as Collaborators, which is another category entirely.

No one ever want to own up to this stereotype. Almost invariably credited as a co-producer, this category of producer usually gets started as an engineer, programmer, musician or co-writer. They often connect with one particular artist early in their career. If that artist goes 'mega' the faithful sidekick, having become a seemingly indispensable asset, is in line for a promotion.

This type of producer is not a good choice for the artist who doesn't have a strong sense of vision and direction. He is the perfect choice for the confident, independent minded, self- directed artist who needs a right-hand person and someone to bounce ideas off. He will take care of the jobs that the artist doesn't want to deal with or doesn't have the expertise to handle; in particular the administrative, engineering and technical aspects of the production process.

In the case of the musician co-producer, the attraction for the artist may be his more formal understanding of music and the help with arrangements, songwriting or rehearsing the band. Mostly these relationships become long-standing, very tight and extremely lucrative.

Collaborator:
Jerry Harrison 

I would say that the vast majority of producers not only fall into this category but would happily characterize themselves as falling into this category. Collaborative producers often come from bands themselves; rarely an ex-lead singer, most likely a drummer or bass player. They have most likely always enjoyed collaborative situations and they bring that band-member-mentality to their productions. They usually prefer to steer the band towards a unanimous decision and use their casting vote sparingly. The collaborator's hallmark is flexibility and a willingness to see the value in other people's ideas.

This relationship is ideal for the musically secure artist who nonetheless would like to have a seasoned ear, someone to bounce ideas off and a different, sometimes even opposing, point of view.

The collaborative producer will steer the band away from time wasting situations and recommend methods and approaches that are proven to work for the particular genre in which the band is working.

Merlin The Magician: 
Brian Eno, Rick Rubin

Merlin is often an intangible force in the proceedings. Merlin can garner great loyalty from the artist and record company even though he may spend most of his time on the tennis court, the phone, in meetings or wherever else producers go when liberated from the studio. In a way he acts like a hands-on A&R consultant, coming in with an objective/subjective view frequently referred to as 'fresh ears'.

If Merlin does decide to spend some time in the studio the direction he gives can range from the very specific and detailed to the vague and philosophical.

Merlin is undoubtedly the hardest producer-type to aspire to. It would be unusual for Merlin to be directly responsible for a great deal of the specific musical and technical content of the record. His is a high concept role, more to do with the overall direction and energy of the album, and the other intangibles that drive an artist's career forward. Merlin has to be able to identify talent and harness it. He is usually charismatic, powerful and extremely successful. A natural leader with an ability to see the "big picture" and not get bogged down in the details.

For the producer who spends his waking hours head down over a hot console, the mere suggestion of the existence of these mystical free-spirits can be alternately frustrating, infuriating and awe inspiring.

(c) 2001 Richard James Burgess