Who Would You Say Was The Best Record Producer Ever

[KevLo]

Hi this is Kev-Lo

This might be a tough question to ask but I just want your input on this.

[heikki]

Hi!

Thom Bell,

Best regards
Heikki

[theboyfromxtown]

Henry [[Hank) Cosby

[ralpht]

Sir George Martin, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

[marv2]

Curtis Mayfield

[timmyfunk]

I'm not going to try and pick the best, but I'll pick my favorites:

George Clinton
George Martin
Norman Whitfield
Bob Thiele [[Gil Scott-Heron)
Allen Toussaint
Malcolm Cecil

[glencro]

WOW, this is possibly the toughest question ever. I think I'll have to get back to this but great question Kevlo

[splanky]

Kevlo, no offense but wouldn't it have been easier to just ask folks to name their favorite producer or producers because you know it's all gonna come down to personal
opinion and tastes. I really don't get "best ---------- ever" threads. I wasn't even gonna respond to this one until Tim's post brought it down to a level that makes sense to me. Nobody is going to agree with everyone else's choice and nothing can be proven
here. I could say Craig Street and I doubt anyone would know who I was talking about.
Incidentally, T Funk, Bob Thiele is a favorite of mine too though not just because of his work with Gil. The man had quite a resume....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor..._by_Bob_Thiele

Legends were made in his studios...

As for George I was talking to a friend recently who pointed out that because he's
still here and well past his prime it's easy to forget how much GC and his crew have
given the world...

[pshark]

I agree it all comes down to personal taste. Now if you want the most successful producers thats another story.
Of course George Clinton is on my list.
Russ Tiltleman
Arif Mardin
Quincy Jones
David Rubinson
Jerry Wexler

[alanh]

Yes, difficult for all the reasons mentioned by others. 'Best' is indeed hard. How can you quantify 'best'. My problem is that I intially thought of Thom Bell, but them realised I should remember Burt Bacharach! Quincy Jones has worked across the decades with all sorts of legends, as well as his own work. Is he the greatest? George Martin's work with The Beatles helped change the musical world. So is it him? And yes, Jerry Wexler doesn't always get mentioned among the big names, but where would we be in appreciating soul, jazz and blues without Jerry and Atlantic. But who would I say is 'best'? I really don't know. They're all 'best' in their own way to me.

[smark21]

You can't name one, but I'll add Daniel Lanois and T-Bone Burnett to the names mentioned above. And I'm surprised no one has mentioned HDH.

[luke]

HDH; Goffin-King def at the top.

[KevLo]

Hi this is Kev-Lo

Hey Splanky does this question really bother you. I don't think its all that bad of a question. Ralpht, heikki, theboyfromxtown and marv2 all did'nt think so either. they responded the way it was ask. And you can't say that nobody is going to agree with everbody else's choices either. No offense to you either but I'm gonna ask a question the way I see fit to it. If it bother's you don't respond to it or just respond the Timmyfunk did.

[ladyvanaye]

Well Kev - the best in my world are:

QUINCY JONES
ARIF MARDIN
JERRY WEXLER
MAURICE WHITE
STEVIE WONDER
HERBIE HANCOCK
GEORGE DUKE
PRINCE
JIMMY JAM/TERRY LEWIS
KENNETH EDMONDS / AND L.A. REID
GAMBLE AND HUFF
SMOKEY ROBINSON
CURTIS MAYFIELD
MARVIN GAYE

[jobeterob]

I'm not terribly educated at "production" but I think I'd say George Martin and Holland Dozier Holland.

[ladyvanaye]

Yes Holland Dozier Holland as well...might I add, Ahmet Ertegun.

[ladyvanaye]

Rod Temperton also.

[ladyvanaye]

George Clinton...Parliament-Funkadelic is a brilliant piece of work.

[robb_k]

Smokey Robinson
Curtis Mayfield
Van McCoy
Holland/Dozier/Holland
Stevenson/Hunter
Mike Hanks
Jerry Ragovoy
Bert Berns
Burt Bachrach
Gamble/Huff
Quincy Jones
Joshie Armstead
Bill Sheppard
Goffin/King
Phil Spector
Bobby Martin
Billy Davis
Robert Bateman
Leo Austell
Carl Davis
Monk Higgins

There were many, many more great ones. Too many to mention, or to pick just one. I guess that my favourite single [[individual) producer would be Smokey Robinson.

[rta5225]

I agree with Ralph, Sir George Martin, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Arif Mardin and Ahmet Ertegun, oh and Phil Spector.

[splanky]

Kevlo, you're right. I apologise.
It won't happen again.
Have a happy new year.

[REDHOT]

These are the one's from back in the day,Holland dozier Holland, Ashford and Simpson,Thom Bell,Gamble AND Huff,Bobby Martin,Burt Bachrach and Hal David,Smokey Robinson,Curtis Mayfield, I think NE-YO is one of the best producers, of today.
Please stay positive

[phil]

I'd say Willie Mitchell and Norman Whitfield

[KevLo]

Hi this is Kev-Lo

No problem Splanky your apology is acepted no hard feelings brother
Happy New Year to you as well.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Burt BacharachSmokey RobinsonGeorge MartinJerry WexlerPhil SpectorJimmy Jam & Terry LewisNorman Whitfield

[daddyacey]

In my view ,there are a lot of those already posted above in addition to

John Hammond
Clive Davis
Mitch Miller

[Penny]

Frank Wilson
Brian Eno
Tony Visconti

Happy New Year Everyone;
Penny

[chidrummer]

Sir George Martin
George Clinton
Tommy Lipuma
Quincy Jones
David Grusin
Arif Mardin
David Rubinson

[pshark]

Kevlo, you're right. I apologise.
It won't happen again.
Have a happy new year.

I've been a victim of your petty attacks many times.
Its getting old.

[theboyfromxtown]

I second pshark's comment.

[tsull1]

My favorites in order

1. Thom Bell
2. Gamble & Huff
3. HDH
4. George Martin
5. Brian Wilson [[Beach Boys)

... many other great ones out there, of course. These are my favorites.

[timmyfunk]

Kevlo, no offense but wouldn't it have been easier to just ask folks to name their favorite producer or producers because you know it's all gonna come down to personal
opinion and tastes. I really don't get "best ---------- ever" threads. I wasn't even gonna respond to this one until Tim's post brought it down to a level that makes sense to me. Nobody is going to agree with everyone else's choice and nothing can be proven
here. I could say Craig Street and I doubt anyone would know who I was talking about.
Incidentally, T Funk, Bob Thiele is a favorite of mine too though not just because of his work with Gil. The man had quite a resume....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor..._by_Bob_Thiele

Legends were made in his studios...

As for George I was talking to a friend recently who pointed out that because he's
still here and well past his prime it's easy to forget how much GC and his crew have
given the world...

I guess Thiele's work with Gil will always resonate the most with me.
That greasy mix that the P-Funk records have will always get under my skin. Never cared for that really clean sound that defines most of Q's productions. I still have mad respect for Q though.

[pshark]

Oh wow, nobody mentioned Charles Stepney.
Tim, Q's production on the Bros Johnson "Look Out For #1"
is a masterpiece imo.5

[soulster]

There are too many to narrow down to one. My list is gonna read like the who's who of the rock era, and I know I left a ton of great ones out, but here goes:

George Martin
Brian Holland-Lamond Dosier-Eddie Holland
Joe Wissert
Lou Adler
Phil Ramone
Jerry Fuller
Luther Dixon
Gary Katz
Burt Bachrach/Hal David
Dave Grusin
Norman Whitfield
Don Davis
Charles Stepney
Richard Carpenter
The Isley Brothers [[Chris Jasper)
Dennis Lambert/Brian Potter
Freddie Perren
Tommy LiPuma
Marvin Yancey/Chuck Jackson
Gus Dugeon
Felton Jarvis
Skip Scarborough
Hugh Padgham
Allen Jones
Bob Ezrin
Bernard Edwards
Nile Rodgers
Jimmy Miller
Quincy Jones
Eddie Kramer
Eddy Oxford
Thom Bell
Van McCoy
Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Peter Asher
Mickie Most
Roy Thomas Baker
Mick Jones
Leiber & Stoller
Arif Mardin
Jerry Wexler
Billy Davis
Maurice White
James Anthony Carmichael
Robert John "Mutt" Langue
The Bomb Squad
James William Guercio
Rick Rubin
Richard Perry
Narada Michael Walden
George Clinton
Ted Templeman
Bill Szymzick
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison
Phil Spector
Brian Wilson
Curtis Mayfield
Butch Vig
Barry White
Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte
David Cavanaugh
Tony Visconti
Michael Masser
Nick Ashford & Valarie Simpson
Harry Wayne Casey & Richard Finch
James Brown
Roberta Flack/Rubina Flake
Prince/Christopher/Jamie Starr
Rick James
Marvin Gaye
Teena Marie
Andrew Loog Oldham
General Johnson
Eugene Record
Issac Hayes
Jim Stewart
Steve Cropper

Are your heads spinning yet?

[timmyfunk]

Oh wow, nobody mentioned Charles Stepney.
Tim, Q's production on the Bros Johnson "Look Out For #1"
is a masterpiece imo.5

Hence my continued respect for Q. I can listen to anything he produced before 1979.

[jillfoster]

I like Lambert/Potter, Tony Macaulay, Greenaway/Cook, Van McCoy.

[soulster]

Tony Macaulay, Greenaway/Cook, .

Good ones!

How about Stock, Aitken, & Waterman? I know some people think of their productions as teenybopper crap, but in the 80s, they were platinum!

[smark21]

Good ones!

How about Stock, Aitken, & Waterman? I know some people think of their productions as teenybopper crap, but in the 80s, they were platinum!

Just because it sells well doesn't mean it's good.

[jillfoster]

Just because it sells well doesn't mean it's good.

True, but in SAW's case, it did mean it was good. Well crafted songs, infectious hooks, slick production. And the cases where they had a good vocalist behind the song [[Like Rick Astley, Donna Summer, or Pete Burns) the songs turned out wonderful. they took what could have been cold, dull electronica, and gave it a much more organic edge.

[soulster]

Just because it sells well doesn't mean it's good.

Your opinion. Whether or not one likes the style or genre of music one produced means nothing. What they all did, they did well.

I just created a huge list of producers I thought created fine, enjoyable, and time-tested recordings. If you disagree with any of my picks, that's your right. But, don't think that you are right.

[timmyfunk]

Good ones!

How about Stock, Aitken, & Waterman? I know some people think of their productions as teenybopper crap, but in the 80s, they were platinum!

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.

[soulster]

They did some good work for Donna Summer. Forget that one?

[timmyfunk]

They did some good work for Donna Summer. Forget that one?

It don't even compare with anything that she recorded for Casablanca. After she left that label, the memorable tracks were far and few between.

[soulster]

It don't even compare with anything that she recorded for Casablanca. After she left that label, the memorable tracks were far and few between.

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.

[tolan]

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!

[144man]

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".

[timmyfunk]

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.

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.

[soulster]

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".

I'm not really sure exactly how the duties broke down. But i'll bet Eddie did a lot of the work.

[soulster]

You couldn't find one person walking the earth now that remembers one song from the SAW period.

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!

"She Works Hard For The Money" was decent, but it definitely failed to bring her back into the limelight long term.

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.

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.

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.

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".

[smark21]

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.

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.