This time I have to agree with the people. That SAW stuff was pure crap of lowest order. Highly forgettable and has the shelf life of 2% milk.
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They did some good work for Donna Summer. Forget that one?
All of her Oasis/Casablanca albums were produced by Moroder/Belotte. Well, SAW are no contest for Moroder/Belotte, but c'mon, she did a lot of fine work for Geffen. Just because they weren't all hit albums doesn't mean they were of any less quality. I like the album she did with Quincy Jones, and the one-off she did the next year for Polygram as a contract settlement, "She Works Hard For The Money", was a powerhouse. It was on the Mercury label, but should have been issued on Geffen. As you know, Casablanca artists were moved to Mercury when that company was absorbed by Polygram in 1983. She signed with Geffen in 1980.
Not for the first time I find myself agreeing with Tsull1 choices....... Thom Bell, Gamble & Huff, Holland, Dozier and Holland.
You have impeccable taste Sir! :cool:
I'll go for Holland - Dozier - Holland.
Can anyone clarify if Eddie Holland was involved in production?
The labels just say "Produced by Holland-Dozier".
You couldn't find one person walking the earth now that remembers one song from the SAW period. Nothing but post-disco drek. "She Works Hard For The Money" was decent, but it definitely failed to bring her back into the limelight long term. Comparing her post-Casablanca work to her in her prime isn't even night and day. More like day and a tri-state area blackout.
Nonsense! She only did one album with the team. The hit single was "This Time I Know It's For Real", and aside from DS fans, most people who were teens or in their twenties at the time will remember the song. If you recall, the album put her back on the charts and back in the press. Man, I know the music is generic, and nothing but the production team's trademarked sound, but Summer is the one voice that made whole difference. Go back and listen to the song. It's great!
I think you have a short memory. That was a huge album, and it was critically acclaimed. It really got her back into the limelight, and even brought her to a new audience because of MTV, and her videos constant rotation on it. I'm still sick of hearing "Unconditional Love", the single she did with Musical Youth.Quote:
"She Works Hard For The Money" was decent, but it definitely failed to bring her back into the limelight long term.
Now, what I didn't like was her first album after she signed with Geffen "The Wanderer". That was crap. But, it worked because it was in line with the changing musical climate. I'll bet you don't even like her album with the Quincy Jones team.Quote:
Comparing her post-Casablanca work to her in her prime isn't even night and day. More like day and a tri-state area blackout.
Silly! Maybe it's just the sound of the 80s music that turns you off. I don't like a lot of it. A ,ot of it was pure garbage to me. But, Summer's vocal somehow almost always transcended the musical backing or production....except "The Wanderer". :)
Thanks to the phenomenon of being "Rick-roll", SAW's "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley lives on in the culture.
SAW produced some catchy pop songs back in the late 80's. They could be very cheesy, but they were entertaining. But they haven't aged well and the cheese factor prevents them, IMO, from putting them on a list of Greatest Producers. Perhaps they would fit on a list of 80's Producers who produced big hits, but the music they came out with doesn't stand the time all that well, except as cheesy camp best suited to play at high school reunions for those who graduated in the latter half of the 80's.
[QUOTE=soulster;26583]Nonsense! She only did one album with the team. The hit single was "This Time I Know It's For Real", and aside from DS fans, most people who were teens or in their twenties at the time will remember the song. If you recall, the album put her back on the charts and back in the press. Man, I know the music is generic, and nothing but the production team's trademarked sound, but Summer is the one voice that made whole difference. Go back and listen to the song. It's great!
This Time I Know It's for Real is one of SAW's best, thanks to Donna Summer's vocal. She more than rose to the occasion with that SAW album. SAW also got Banarama to really belt on the hits they produced for them. And they gave Kylie Minougue her start as a pop tart.
I dont care much for the SAW either but they made some catchy tunes. Now best producers that list can read like a bible but the ones who do it for me are HDH, Quincy Jones, Frank Wilson, Mickie Most and all of his MGM productions, and Norman Whitfield. I have to say a special mention goes to Brian Wilson he took his love of Phil Spector and made things tolerable to listen to. I like a Spector production but when its overblown its waaaaaaaaaayyy overblown like River Deep Mountain High by Tina Turner I cannot listen to that record its too bombastic. Thank god the Supremes and the Four Tops brought real life to that arrangement.
Spector makes it sound like he is the god of the wall of sound and his instruments are more important and the wall should kill the singer. Tina sounds like she is tired and wants to get it over with.
My delicate sensibilities prevent from revisiting such unimpressive material. You might as well hit the agree to disagree button, because we ain't gonna see eye to eye on this one. Total disco drek.
On the contrary, I have a fantastic memory for meaningful music. That album bought her an extra 15 minutes at best. The wave created by that record certainly didn't extend to the next record.
There's tons of 80's music that I like, but DS's output during this time ain't one of them.
What a patently ridiculous statement. Anyone who is over 35 certainly remembers many of their songs, and certain ones have passed over into "dance classic" status:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJv5qLsLYoo
For me, I would go with Quincy Jones who's work has transcended so many years, genres, and artists [[from Leslie Gore to Michael Jackon).
One thing i've noticed, is that in some cases, the Arranger/Conductor for an artist can govern their "sound" as much as a producer.... such as Bill Shepherd with the early Bee Gees stuff, and Ivor Raymonde with Dusty.
what else would you call it when you say "you won't find one person walking on the earth" in regards to people remembering these songs. It was ridiculous. If you had said "You won't find a large amount of people who remember these songs" I was said you were wrong, but not ridiculous. But anyway.... What's your guys' opnions on Biddu? I like him.
Also very true for greats like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. The sound on their albums was due to their arranger--Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, etc.--not the producer. The producer's role for their albums was more behind the scenes and taking care of business not imposing a studio sound on them.
I love many arranger/conductors every bit as much as some producers. Tony Hatch is another one that is incredibly talented. Ivor Raymonde walks on water for me, his work is so unnmistakeable, even on songs he did with other artists besides Dusty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0U88...eature=related
Jill foster
Ivor Raymonde worked extensively with producer Joe Meek too.....but was uncredited. I only found out myself when he passed.
I got to know of his work via Dusty and here is a wonderful picture of him with the Springfields from Spectropop. I hope it is Ok to post this link
http://www.spectropop.com/gallery/v/...1a3e57f895f7f4
OK, then. Find somebody. So no, it wasn't a ridiculous statement. You could people of any generation that could swear by DS period with Casablanca. You couldn't find one person on the street that could name you any hits after 1980. Most people would have to be reminded of "She Works Hard For The Money".
Not necessarily. There have been many albums released in the past that didn't initially get a lot of recognition. But then over time, for whatever reason, that same album grew in influence and was eventually reevaluated. Being a P-Funkateer, I can tell you first hand that many P-Funk initially received negative reviews. Now those same albums are being recognized for their innovation and creativity.
Hello all ..
SAW and their cheesy disco/pop seemed to dominate the UK charts in the late '80s but they were also responsible for a very clever JAMES BROWN/J.Bs/MACEO AND THE MACKS pastiche called "Roadblock" .. here is the tune ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF28Z_lr3t4
Roger
S-A-W's "All the Way" for the England World Cup Team was a better record than their footballing performances deserved!
I've always thought of Richard Perry as one of the great producers.
You know, every fag in this country over the age of 40 that went to a club knows "She Works Hard For the Money", and every other hit Donna Summer had. "This Time I Know It's for Real" is well remembered by all those who are into dance music, but the same people might not know any hits by that coked up freak George Clinton. it depends on who you associate with.
Jill, thank you for the reply. I am new here and I was a bit startled by the use of the term "fag." I have a 21 year old daughter who is, like you, a lesbian. I also have a gay brother and my sales manager is a gay man. I don't like prejudice or bigotry in any of its forms or manifestations. I needed to question the use of the word just to find out what kind of place this is. I believe music can bring us all together and I have always believed that.
Penny
"This Time I Know its For Real" is considered a Gay classic but production wise her next single with them "loves about To change My heart" is a superiour production achievment..I play to guys in their early 20s and they know "This Time" and dance to it so the song has survived in culture..the other outstanding SAW tune that fills a dancefloor is Kylies "Better The Devil You Know" ...not the best producers of all time no but people certainly remember their songs
...The best produced SAW song is Princess "Say Im Your Number One" that is a masterpiece
I think the production on Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music is outstanding.."These Foolish things" has wonderful piano,clicks and handclaps..a slight reggea guitar against an utterly brilliant vocal from Ferry..and as for Roxy Music can i get any better than "Same Old Scene""Angel Eyes" or "Dance Away" all exellent production values.
Abba created masterpieces in their final years from the almost Opera ending of "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room" with its soft chiming clock and ghostly vocals..The spoken middle verse of "The Winner Takes it All"..supreme production from Benny and Bjorn to the etheral "The Visitors" with its crashing orchestra interludes..to the abstract "The Day Before You Came" which showed how cutting edge production wise Abba were at the end..
Blondies apocalyptic "Atomic" is a piece of genius..the rising vocal cresendo,,another atmospheric track is Bronski Beats "Smalltown Boy"..that sounded like nothing on the radio at the time,,haunting
Princes "When Doves Cry" is a masterpiece of studio work..
Bill Withers "Aint No Sunshine: and "Use Me: stand out..
Brilliant production on two of the biggest LPs of the 70s Meatloafs "bat out of Hell" is epic..Fleetwwod Macs
"Rumours" is superb..the doom of "The Chain" and "Gold Dust Woman"
Not my favourite but outstanding production is Bonnie Tylers "Total Eclipse of The Heart " tender and raucious at the same time..
Hall and Oates singles had impeccable production - Arthur Bakers work on "Out Of Touch"..brilliant
Miami Sound Machine never got the credit they deserved for Glorias tender ballards..everytime I play "Conga" the dancefloor goes wild..
recreating the Motown production sound with brilliance - Culture Clubs "Church Of The Poisened Mind" and ABC 'When Smokey Sings"
Billy joels tribute to the four Seasons "The Longest Time"- sublime 80s production
the list is endless I could go on and on...
..how could I forget Sly and Robbies work with Grace Jones..now thats production beyond par...
Gary Wright's two big hits, "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive" have a really excellent and at the time, very "futuristic" sounding production. It's what I imagined music of today might sound like, but alas... the optimism of my youth was dashed on the rocks. [[Btw... Norris, I'm getting messages your private mailbox is at it's limit.)