Record Producer

Tom Stolaski · Post by **Tom Stolaski** » 19 Jul 2010 3:22 pm

A friend of mine is recording a few cuts in Nashville for a CD that he plans to give away at shows. He is paying for the session himself. He does not have a record deal. He wants to have a lot of Pedal Steel on the cuts. Not a lot of solos, but in the backround, padding like an organ player. This Producer is giving him a hard time, trying to talk my friend into using a keyboard instead of Steel. What does this guy have to gain by doing this? Maybe some of you big time Nashville guys can explain......

Fish · Post by **Fish** » 19 Jul 2010 4:32 pm

All together now: "Fire the producer!"

But seriously folks....

An artist shouldn't enter the studio with a producer without some sort of shared musical vision, otherwise the results will be far from what the artist is seeking.

If the artist hears something like "Rainy Day Woman" by Waylon Jennings (one of my favorite all-time steel guitar tracks by Moon), more power to you. Get in the room with a great steel player and don't look back.

Or one can go another route and favor steel guitar on the track while adding keyboards, electric guitar, fiddle, mandolin, etc. to balance out the arrangements.

Mutual respect is the key. But in the end, the artist who is bank-rolling the sessions should have a lot to say about how the record will sound -- before stepping into the studio with the producer.

Tommy White · Post by **Tommy White** » 19 Jul 2010 4:45 pm

"Fire the producer". Immediately. Any questions?

Jack Harper · Post by **Jack Harper** » 19 Jul 2010 4:53 pm

take this to gene breeden over by earnest tubb record shop at music valley and tell him what the budget will allow and what he has in mind for the finished project sound.
gauranteed results before the first note is plucked.
if gene has an idea to share, think it over.
he has been there and done that and steel is king.
gene breeden studios
this is not a paid political announcement
and
it has not been approved by gaylord or anybody else!

country.............

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 20 Jul 2010 5:50 am

What Fish said...

When I look at entering into an agreement to produce someone, I try to get inside their head as best I can with respect to their vision for the music. After doing that, if I see a potential for a positive working relationship, and a fair amount of general mutual agreement upon that vision, then we dive in. If I don't really "get it", the I tell the artist that maybe I'm not the man for the job, and we part hopefully as friends.

I have always thought that a wise producer should listen and weigh everything. He may not initially agree, and in the end may not go along with it, but whatever the idea or concept, it may be valid and deserving of consideration. I think a lot of times an idea gets dismissed out of hand simply because it wasn't the producer's idea to begin with.

Many of my finest moments in the studio were the result of somebody else's idea, not mine. I am just thankful that I usually have the good sense to listen and evaluate.

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 20 Jul 2010 10:08 am

yup, fire the guy. There are any number of independent producers in Nashville, good ones. Even some forum members-John Macy for instance.

Michael Robertson · Post by **Michael Robertson** » 20 Jul 2010 10:41 am

Tommy White wrote:"Fire the producer". Immediately. Any questions?

Ditto