Messages

[ Main Chat | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]

_____________________________________________________

Re: Naive Question

From: Roy
Email:
Remote Name: 66.106.121.104
Date: 23-Oct-2002
Time: 11:17 AM

Comments

Ginny, in the beginning Mick had very little to do with picking those who played on his sessions. That is the job of the producer. One of the things that we discussed in my conversations with Mick was how Nashville producers "over produced" his initial recordings. Of course, this was how it was done in Nashville. One of the reasons behind the "Outlaw" movement was creative control, which gave the artists more of a say in how their records were produced and by whom.

Understand that the "Producer" on a record received a percentage of the record sale which sometimes exceeded the percentage that the artist or the songwriter received. Once an artist became established, the wanted to produce their own records. The powers in Nashville resisted this in a big way. It also was the producers job to select the songs that went on an album. If you go back and look at some of your old LP's you will note that many times the producer included songs that he had written and published on those albums. Because Mickey wouldn't record anything but his own songs, he sometimes included "Public Domain" songs on his albums...as a jab at the Nashville establishment.

On some of his albums Mick did select the back-up musicians...on the last few I think he left much of that chore up to Paula. I know that Sweet Bobby could provide a better answer because he has been so involved in the production end over the past years.

Knowing Neil Diamond's music and how he is involved in the producing of his music, the fact that some of the folks who play on his recordings are the same who played on Mick's...then they must be pretty fair pickers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~