Producing Hit Records - Book Length

Chris Jones
Mr. Jenkins
Honors English 11
May 2, 2009
Producing Hit Records
For my book length source review I searched long and hard for the right read that would lend the most information to my study. After many a strenuous search, I found Producing Hit Records: Secrets from the Studio. This novel was chalked full of the kind of information I was looking for. To make it simpler, I had questions, and this book had all the answers. As I flipped through the page so methodically, I realized that it was broken down into the different stages of the producing process, with each chapter offering its own insider tips and tricks of the trade relevant to its part. It also addressed other issues such as well known music producers of the times. This was a long list of names with myself only recognizing one, Ben Harper, whom is also an artist himself with his own songs and performances and such, which is apparently how a lot of the top producers are, they make CDs with bands and then they also make their own stuff. After all was read and done I reflected back on my journey and decided the best section was the one on how producers build relationships with artists and find talent to sign to their label.
The process in which a producer tries to get a new artist or old favorite back in the studio is known in the biz as “The Courting Process” (Farinella, pg.85). One thing that is almost always a factor in this is the producer and artists reputation, neither one wants to align themself with riff raft. Producers look for artists with a collection of songs, personality, and attitude and perseverance. Like wise the artist looks for that perfect producer to mold with and usually boils down to a producer saying or not saying something they want to hear or not hear. The key to the ongoing relationship is due to both parties giving what it takes to make the other happy and comfortable. Nowadays with alll the independent producers around the way for them to find an artist is by hopping around live clubs and music scenes to snatch up talent before the big label does. In the end, by that I mean once in the studio, the producer is hired for one thing, to be the boss, to control everthing and make everything is controlled. A positive experience could make a producer’s career happen with one band he happened to make a difference with.

Source: Farinella, David John. Producing Hit Records: Secrets From The Studio. New York: 2006. Print.