Curtis Frasca is an American entrepreneur, real estate investor, record label owner, music publisher, and former multi-platinum award-winning record producer, songwriter, musician, studio owner and recording engineer.

Career

Frasca is a former multi-platinum record producer, songwriter, musician, re-mixer, engineer, and instrumentalist. Frasca's work appears on over 100 million albums sold worldwide

Let Go (Avril Lavigne album) ''Let Go'' is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on June 4, 2002 by Arista Records. For a year after signing a record deal with Arista, Lavigne struggled due to conflicts in musical direction. S ...

These Are Special Times ''These Are Special Times'' is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her first English-language Christmas album. It was first released in Europe on 30 October 1998, by Columbia Records. In the United States, it ...

Ryan Cabrera Ryan Frank Cabrera ( ) (born July 18, 1982) is an American musician. He began his career as a lead singer for the Dallas band Rubix Groove before pursuing his solo career. Following the 2001 release of independent album '' Elm St.'', he released ...

, Stories of a Stranger,

The Cactus Album ''The Cactus Al/Bum'' (also known as ''The Cactus Cee/D'' and ''The Cactus Cas/Ette'' depending on release format) is the debut album by hip hop trio 3rd Bass, released on Def Jam Recordings on November 10, 1989. The album received positive rev ...

The Immaculate Collection ''The Immaculate Collection'' is the first greatest hits album by American singer Madonna, released on November 13, 1990, by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles recorded throughout the 1980s, as well as two brand new tracks, ...

, including those of Avril Lavigne,

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

, 3rd Base,

O.A.R. O.A.R. (short for Of A Revolution) is an American rock band, founded in 1996 in Rockville, Maryland. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershman, saxophonist/guitar ...

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De La Soul,

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...

, Moby.

1980

Growing up in New York, Frasca was drumming at an early age. As a teenager, he was heavily influenced by the punk rock & roll, like

The Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1 ...

, Sex Pistols,

MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

Ramones. His professional career started while still in high school mixing, recording, programming on such influential records as De La Soul "Say No Go",

3rd Bass 3rd Bass was an American hip hop group that was active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Formed by MC Serch, Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich, the group was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip hop acts. Along with Beas ...

"Brooklyn Queens

"The Gas Face", albums produced by Prince Paul (producer), Prince Paul. Other artist's Frasca worked with during this period include

, Big Daddy Kane,

Fine Young Cannibals Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) was a British pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox (both formerly of The Beat), and singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz). Their self-titled 1985 ...

"Good Thing".

1990

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American music executive, producer and author. Mottola is currently the Chairman of Mottola Media Group and was previously the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columb ...

hired Frasca to produce Mariah Carey's "Someday" for her 1991

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...

appearance, that appearance helped Someday reach Billboard's number #1 in the United States after Mariah Cary's appearance. In the early 1990s Frasca worked heavily with hotel owner

Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...

The Empress Hotel (New Jersey), a few of the artists included Madonna, Mariah Carey,

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, Janet Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Cher, Patti LaBelle,

Jeffrey Osborne Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D., with whom he began his musical career in 1970. Biography Earl ...

, Jane Child,

Bananarama Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. T ...

, Spice Girls,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

. Moby requested Frasca mix his major label debut ''

Move Move may refer to: People * Daniil Move (born 1985), a Russian auto racing driver Brands and enterprises * Move (company), an online real estate company * Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer * Daihatsu Move Go ...

'', the album entered the Billboard dance chart at number #1

Move (Moby song) "Move (You Make Me Feel So Good)" is a song by American electronica musician Moby, with a chorus sampling from Loleatta Holloway's 1980 song "Love Sensation". It was first released as the title track on Moby's extended play ''Move'', which w ...

. Remixing

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...

"Lifted by Love

Sophie B. Hawkins "Right Beside You

Tangerine Dream Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese having been the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup ...

Paul Haslinger Paul Haslinger (born 11 December 1962) is an Austrian musician and composer. He lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Life and career Early life Haslinger was born and raised in Linz, Austria. He attended high school at Kollegium Alois ...

amongst many others

Frasca founded Verse Entertainmen

Verse Entertainment featured a private multi-room facility located NYC - Verse Studio was profiled in MIX magazine October 1999 issue. Verse Studios is a combination of Vintage year, vintage gear and digital recording tools featuring a custom Neve 8058 console from the 1970s and SSL 9000J.

2000

In 2001 after attempts to capture Avril Lavigne sound, Arista A&R head Josh Saurbin reached out to the production and writing team of Frasca and Breer Madonna,

Stacie Orrico Stacie Joy Orrico (born March 3, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter and occasional actress. After signing to ForeFront Records, Orrico recorded her first album, '' Genuine'' (2000), which sold 13,000 units in its first week of release. Af ...

) to help, with, the album. Avril Lavigne's debut record '' Let Go'', would go on to sell 22 million albums worldwide and garner 3

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

nominations

2002 Frasca and Sabelle Breer signed

producing and co-writing much of his multi-platinum debut, release ''Take It All Away'' which debut on at #18 the Billboard 200 album charts. The album included the Top 40 Hits, Top 40 "On The Way Down" and "40 Kinds of Sadness". The single "On the Way Down" went double platinum and received an ASCAP Pop Award for most airplay of 200

Frasca wrote "Warm Whispers" with the great, Missy Higgins for her album On A Clear Night. The album entered the charts at number #1. In 2009, Frasca founded Verse Music Group Verse Music Group. Verse Music Group was an entertainment company based in New York City with a focus on music-related intellectual property rights and related assets. Verse owned over 50,000 copyrights through its acquisition of iconic brands and music catalogs, including Salsoul Records, West End Records, Bethlehem Records and Golden Records. Its platform included featured songs by artists Rod Stewart,

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...

, Jennifer Lopez,

John 5 John 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It relates Jesus' healing and teaching in Jerusalem, and begins to evidence the hostility shown him by the Jewish authorities.Plummer, A. (1902)Cambri ...

, Avril Lavigne,

Commodores Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

and

Frasca partnered with (private equity) firm The Wicks Grou

"https://www.wicksgroup.com" Raising $75 million to acquire entertainment intellectual property. 2010 the company officially renamed Verse Music Group

2015, Frasca and partners The Wicks Group sold Verse Music Group to BMG Rights Management. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed

*

3rd Bass * Say No Go" De La Soul * On the Way Down Ryan Cabrera * A Very Special Christmas Celine Dion * Under My Skin Avril Lavigne

Career

1980

1990

2000

References

External links