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Long-term production relationships

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Posted on April 20, 2010 @ 07:51 PM most recent comment at December 22, 2010 @ 12:45 PM

With Amy Winehouse reportedly back working with Producer Mark Ronson after a fall out. What are the benefits and pitfalls of working with the same producer throughout an artists career?

Comments (8)

posted almost 2 years ago by markrose

Its a comfort Zone for both the artist and producer and helps maximise much work already 'under the bridge' so to speak with previous projects together. Therefore I always believe if both agree to continue to work together they should do so. It makes any previous development work worthwhile and of value to both parties.
Rather than have both artist and producer start afresh and create a new working relationship it means a continued relationship makes life easier all round and might provide exceptional material and work for the record/project in a smaller timeframe.

posted almost 2 years ago by teepee

My experience has been that many labels tend to follow the flavour of the month when choosing producers and this often undermines the wishes of artists that do not yet have the "clout" to argue. I have on many occasions done the ground work of artist development only to see someone else reap the benefits later on.

However, this is one area where the developments of recent times are changing the landscape. The producer is finding him (or her) self as a much more integral part of the project and therefore in a position to request an agreement that recognises their contribution. I try to make this a commitment to at least the next album or a compensation buy out. It isn't easy though.

Out of interest - I find that jazz artists are much more likely to stick to a producer.

posted almost 2 years ago by krakovic

In my opinion it can be very beneficial for an artist to continue to work with the same producer or engineer (if they worked together well in the first place that is). It makes communication so much easier, and makes the artist feel comfortable to do what he or she wants to do and know that the person they are working with understands what the want and get it to tape/HDD right, which in turn can lead to great performances, which is the most important thing anyway.
The only pitfall I can see is that this makes it easy to fall into a groove and not try anything new / work too safely.

posted almost 2 years ago by gonzolagonda

Repeat bookings are always (well, almost always!) welcome, it's a rare thing to be able to keep relationships going in such a transient industry! If a relationship goes sour, it's usually pretty obvious that collaboration will cease. However, my old mate Bernard Butler has successfully got back together with both David McAlmont and Brett Anderson after fairly major public fall-outs, and has even made the peace with producer Ed Buller, so anything's clearly possible! I think it's probably a sensible move on the part of Amy and Ronson, as they are both best known for their collaborative efforts with each other.

posted almost 2 years ago by phil harding

One of the toughest things for a producer or production team to do is to keep 'alive' relationships with artists / managers and record labels. As other people have said here, if there is a fallout then time can often heal the otherwise unresolvable relationship but the main point I wanted to make was that not enough producers and studio workers spend enough time networking after the sessions and records are out and that takes time, energy and dedication to the cause. As opposed to remaining locked away in our studios, which is the easiest excuse in the world for not going to gigs, launches and conferences, 'I'm too busy'. Or is it too lazy?

posted almost 2 years ago by teepee

I think Phil's point is a good one but perhaps highlights another problem facing producers and engineers today. Any time I have for networking tends to get dedicated to pursuing the next project rather than continuing the attention towards the last one. Actually this is one of the better arguments for having a manager who can do the initial legwork.The point though is that I believe all of us on the production side function better and contribute more effectively if we are able to spend more time with creative people in a creative environment. I find it increasingly more difficult to get enthusiastic about dealing with the business yet this seems to be demanding more and more of my time.Mixing business with creative relationships is not good either and often leads to a parting of the ways

posted over 1 year ago by Tamerk

I think it also depends on what the artist wishes to achieve. For example, Amy Winehouse has a particular style & Ronson knows how to do that inside out, whereas someone like Bjork works with different people on every album as she constantly seeks to reinvent herself everytime. But as teepee says, this only applies to artists who have enough control over their careers to make that choice, as a record label is much more likely to play it safe and stick to what worked last time, particularly if the previous work was a commercial success.

posted about 1 year ago by sailingsound

The problem with working with the same producer throughout your career, is that the Artist will never really progress. Duran Duran have worked with many producers, including Mark Ronson & they are a band where their albums sound different.

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Long-term production relationships

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