In the Studio with Michael Jackson

by Bruce Swedien

Overview

(Book). No one was closer to Michael Jackson at the height of his creative powers than Bruce Swedien, the five-time Grammy winner who, with Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, formed the trio responsible for the sound of Jackson's records records that topped the charts and shook the world. Friend, co-creator, and colleague, Bruce Swedien was a seasoned recording engineer plucked from a job at legendary Universal Audio in Chicago when he began working with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones on the soundtrack to The Wiz , and he was the master technician who gave the records their sound as the trio progressed to Jackson's greatest triumphs, Off the Wall and the iconic, history-making Thriller , which revolutionized music and video and fixed Jackson in culture as the King of Pop. In the Studio with Michael Jackson is the chronicle of those times, when everything was about the music, the magic, and the amazing talent of a man who changed the face of pop music and culture forever. In his laid-back style, Bruce Swedien offers anecdotes about being part of Quincy Jones' extended "family" and reveals the technical details of creating Michael Jackson's biggest-selling albums, as well as Bad , Dangerous , and HIStory . Including over 100 photos, In the Studio with Michael Jackson provides an insider's look that will thrill anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of hit making and the history of some of America's most influential music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423464952
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2009
Pages:	194
Sales rank:	235,407
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Bruce Swedien is the world-renowned producer and recording engineer best known for his extensive work with Quincy Jones, including the legendary 1980s recordings of Michael Jackson. Swedien is a five-time Grammy winner and has received a total of 13 Grammy nominations.

Table of Contents

Editor's Note Rusty Cutchin ix

Foreword: Svensk Quincy Jones xi

Preface Rod Temperton xiii

Introduction: Bruce Swedien Through my Eyes Tom Bäet;hler xv

Prologue Trond Braaten xix

Chapter 1 Recording Michael Jackson, Album by Album 1

The Albums 1

In the Studio with Michael Jackson 2

Meeting Quincy Jones 2

Meeting Rod Temperton 4

Michael Jackson 5

How I Met Michael Jackson 6

Recording Michael's Albums 7

Working with Michael Jackson 9

The Wiz 12

Off the Wall 18

Thriller 24

Victory 39

Bad 41

Dangerous 48

HIStory 53

Invincible 60

Studios Used for the Recording of Michael's Albums 62

My Recollection of Working with Michael Jackson on HIStory Chuck Wild 63

Christmas with Michael During the HIStory Album Bea Anderson-Swedien 64

Funky Tabla Roberta Swedien 64

The HIStory Playback Session-for the Label Bigwigs! Bea Anderson-Swedien 67

Chapter 2 The Future of Music is in Good Hands 69

Russ Ragsdale 70

Phil O'Keefe 73

Martin Kantola 75

Keith Henderson 78

Arjan "Boosh" Boes 80

Ashish Machanda 83

Peter Wade Keusch 85

Chapter 3 More on Bruce Swedien 89

Looking Back 25 Years: The Bruce Swedien Interview Bonzai 89

Bruce Swedien, the Mentor: A Dutchman Reflects Han 95

Bruce Swedien, the Engineer: Press Clipping, 1957 96

John Jennings, Royer Labs 96

Art Noxon, Acoustic Sciences Corporation 101

Chapter 4 More About the Recording Process 103

Room Light Levels During the Recording and Mixing Process 104

I Like to Think of My Stereo Field as a "Sonic Sculpture" 105

The Acusonic Recording Process 106

Tape Machines and Multitracking 107

A Case Full of Monster Cable Goes with Me Everywhere110

Microphones Are the Holy Grail 111

Recording Vocals 118

Recording and Mixing Drums, Vocals, and Other Sound Sources 124

Large-Scale Mixers 126

Speakers, Amplifiers, and Volume Levels in the Control Room 128

Monitor Speaker Settings 129

Outboard Equipment 132

My Favorite Reverbs for My Work with Michael: A Little Reverb HIStory 138

A Beautiful Nymph Named Echo Appears in Greek Mythology 139

Electronic Reverb Settings 140

Bernie Grundman: Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood and Tokyo 143

Influences 147

Discography 155

Honors and Awards 175

Index 179

About the Author 189