Rockmasters

Record Production.

The most frequent question on this subject is…’what is a record producer?’  After 45 years, the best answer I have is this. A record producer is the same as a film director.  A movie director chooses his script, finds his actors and oversees the making of a film. A record producer does exactly the same, with sound. He/she is also one part politician, one part musician ( if you’re lucky) and one part nanny. The ‘politician ‘part keeps the artists happy and a band’s warring factions at bay. The ‘nanny’ side wipes the artist’s nose and boosts their egos when necessary. The ‘musicians’ bit? Well, thats a little more complicated. Music education, rock schools; its all out there.You can even take a degree in Music IT, music tech, and of course popular music. This may make you feel fine, and somehow qualified. Qualified for what? Do you have ears or don’t you? Would you have picked Duffy’s latest song, or agreed with Gary Barlow that using two old Paul Simon songs to create Take Thats current single was the right way? Are you aware of your music history, and thus the stregth of a great song? If the answer is truthfully yes, then who needs a bloody degree? I never had one, and still managed to achieve 52 hit singles and 25 gold and platinum albums.

LESSON ONE.

You do not have to be a musician to be a record producer. Yes, I know, it helps, but some have been notoriously unmusical, like Mickie Most . His strength however, was being able to pick a hit song in embryo form. That takes a certain talent and self belief, but it applies today as it did then. The musician/producer is streets ahead  in terms of direct musical input, but will flounder in artistic integrity unless he/she also has the ability to pick potential hits, and that means being ‘commercial’ regardless of your preferred music genre.

So, you want to be a record producer? First thing is to find what you think is the ‘next big thing’, and put your time and money where your mouth is. I have re-designed rockmasters to  be able to talk directly to all those interested in production, so watch this space for the next episode of how to become a record producer.

Mike Hurst

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