Go here http://www.recordproduction.com/ken-scott.mov
for a video interview with Ken Scott, a producer/engineer that has worked on The Beatles White Album, Bowie's Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, and many others.
It's quite long, but interesting (if you're interested in this sort of thing anyway). The guy's a little bit stuck in the past, and wary of new technology, but that's to be expected.

My Recording Industry Survey class is having a video-conference with him today, should be cool.


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http://www.recordproduction.com/ken-scott.mov

Just making it clicky before Sysiyo or emil do so.



NEXT!

He was ok on Ziggy, but I think he kinda messed up Aladdin Sane a bit.

I really hate the production on Watch That Man for example.

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Thanx for the link!

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He also worked with Devo.



It's all so deliciously wicked...

In reply to:

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I really hate the production on Watch That Man for example.

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He actually mentioned that in the video conference. He was listening to Watch That Man with the vocals way up in the mix, which is a traditional thing to do. He thought it sounded awful, so he put the vocal down in the mix, like it was just another instrument. The A&R person sent the recording back to him, and said he'd have to change it. Ken Scott sent his version of the song, and a version with the vocal louder, and they all agreed on Scott's side.

I'll have more details (pertaining to Bowie) written out here later.

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And Devo?



It's all so deliciously wicked...

I have gone into deatil before so just a brief statment: "Alladdin Sane" is brilliantly produced. A tremendous wall of sound but still light in all its layers, never flat. Amazing guitar sound too. Love it.

And I want to believe
In the madness that calls 'now'

Agreed. Of Scott's production work with Bowie that album is definately the best. The few problems the album has are in the lack of a common musical theme/style, apart from that the album is quite perfect.

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If anybody wants to type in the URL for themselves, here's a non-clickable version of the link Shyster provided.

http://www.recordproduction.com/ken-scott.mov


-Why don't you write a song called 'Vicious'?
-What kind of vicious, Andy?
-You know, like I hit you with a flower.

That's interesting. I think the production of Aladdin Sane is great in general, but no matter how many times I listen to it, the low vocals on "Watch That Man" still sound like a mistake. I'd love to hear a mix with the vocals pushed up a bit so I could see if Ken's actually right...

Yeah, Ken Scott said he was influenced by Phil Spector's Motown "Wall of Sound." Sorry Schizophrenic, he didn't say anything about Devo :P

Now for some Bowie-related bits of information according to Ken Scott:

-He said that Tony DeFries could have been one of the best managers ever. He worked tirelessly to promote Bowie, and portray him in the best way possible. Even when they didn't have any money, DeFries would make sure Bowie was driving around in a limosine so he looked rich, and people would want to find out more about him/think he was important, etc. However, DeFries was taking advantage of Bowie. While most managers would take 15-25% of an artist's net profits (profits after expenses), DeFries was taking a whopping 50% BEFORE expenses. So even when Bowie was becoming successful after the recording of Ziggy Stardust, DeFries was making a lot of money but Bowie wasn't. Bowie was going on expensive tours, and his profits after the 50% DeFries took and after expenses were very small.

-Bowie was not involved in the mixing process, EVER. At least as far as Ken Scott knew him. Even on the new 5.1 remix of Ziggy Stardust, Bowie wanted nothing to do with it. Also, he wanted the original people that worked on it to do the remix. This is not typical. Record companies will usually hire someone with no previous experience on the record to remix into 5.1 in as little time and as cheaply as possible. Bowie didn't want it done like that, so he let Ken Scott do it and take as much time as he needed. I don't know if the new release is out yet or anything, but according to Ken Scott, the setup is mostly as if the band was in front of you, spread out, with Bowie singing basically in the middle. There is ambience and other instruments, noises from behind.

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