Martin Birch (27 December 19489 August 2020) was a British

music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

and

sound engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

. He became renowned for engineering and producing albums recorded predominantly by British rock bands, including

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...

Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entit ...

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American Rock music, rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla ( ...

, and

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

Biography

Birch was born on 27 December 1948 in

Woking, Surrey Woking ( ) is a town and borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The earliest evidence of human activity is fr ...

. He began his career in music as an

audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

with

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

and

, producing and engineering eleven albums for the latter. In 1980, coming from the "Deep Purple camp", he was called upon by

for '' Heaven and Hell''. The band's previous albums had been self-produced and they were happy to let Birch, who had worked with

Ronnie James Dio Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted and founded numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and H ...

before, produce them. His "bright midrange" on the album is especially noted. He began a long tenure working exclusively with

in 1981, producing and engineering '' Killers'' and retiring from working with other bands for a while. Birch also produced and engineered albums for numerous artists. These included Deep Purple-related projects (

Paice Ashton Lord Paice Ashton Lord was a short-lived British rock band featuring Deep Purple band members Ian Paice and Jon Lord with singer Tony Ashton. The band was formed in 1976, released its only album in 1977 and broke up in 1978. History After Deep Pur ...

Roger Glover Roger David Glover (born 30 November 1945) is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the member of the hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow. As a member of Deep Purple, Glover was inducted into the Rock and R ...

, and

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

), but also encompassed

Wayne County & the Electric Chairs Wayne County & the Electric Chairs were part of the first wave of punk bands from the 1970s. The band was headed by Georgia-born singer Jayne County and became known for their campy, foul-mouthed ballads, glam punk inspired songs and image which ...

. On Fleetwood Mac's album ''

Mystery to Me ''Mystery to Me'' is the eighth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 15 October 1973. This was their last album to feature Bob Weston. Most of the songs were penned by guitarist/singer Bob Welch and keyboardis ...

'' (1973) he is also credited playing

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

. The song "Hard Lovin' Man" from the Deep Purple album ''

Deep Purple in Rock ''Deep Purple in Rock'' is the fourth studio album by Deep Purple, released on 5 June 1970. It was the first studio album recorded by the Mark II line-up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. Work on ''In Rock ...

'' is dedicated to him: "For Martin Birch – catalyst". Birch retired in 1992, after producing Iron Maiden's ''

Fear of the Dark Fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children and, to a varying degree, adults. A fear of the dark does not always concern darkness itself; it can also be a fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness. Some degree ...

'' album. It was the last of the ten records he produced with the group. He appeared in Iron Maiden's music video " Holy Smoke" two years before his retirement. Birch died on 9 August 2020, at age 71. The cause of death was undisclosed. Initial tributes were paid by

David Coverdale David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of Whitesnake, a hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after wh ...

Geezer Butler Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born 17 July 1949) is a English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He has also recorded and performed with Heaven & Hell ...

and

Wendy Dio Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

. Members of Iron Maiden offered a lengthy tribute to Birch on their official website, with Steve Harris,

Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage ...

and

Rod Smallwood Roderick Charles Smallwood (born 17 February 1950) is an English music manager, best known as the co-manager of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. With his business partner, Andy Taylor, whom he met while studying at Trinity College, C ...

reflecting on his personality and his time working with the band.

Selected discography

Source:

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

unless otherwise stated.

Fleetwood Mac

* 1969 – ''

Then Play On ''Then Play On'' is the third studio album by the British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 19 September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan (although he is also listed on two tracks on the earlier co ...

'' (engineer) * 1970 – ''

Kiln House ''Kiln House'' is the fourth studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 18 September 1970 by Reprise Records. This is the first album after the departure of founder Peter Green, and their last album to feature guitaris ...

'' (engineer) * 1972 – ''

Bare Trees ''Bare Trees'' is the sixth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in March 1972. It was their last album to feature Danny Kirwan, who was fired during the album's supporting tour. In the wake of the band's success in ...

'' (engineer) * 1973 – ''

Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1973 – ''

'' (producer, engineer, guitar)

Deep Purple

* 1969 – ''

Concerto for Group and Orchestra ''Concerto for Group and Orchestra'' is a live album by Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in September 1969. It consists of a concerto composed by Jon Lord, ...

'' (engineer) * 1970 – ''

'' (engineer) * 1971 – '' Fireball'' (engineer) * 1972 – ''

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

'' (engineer) * 1972 – '' Made in Japan'' (engineer) * 1973 – ''

Who Do We Think We Are ''Who Do We Think We Are'' is the seventh studio album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1973. It was Deep Purple's last album with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover until 1984’s '' Perfect Strangers''. Musically ...

'' (engineer) * 1974 – ''

Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...

'' (engineer, mixing) * 1974 – ''

Stormbringer Stormbringer is a magic sword featured in a number of fantasy stories by the author Michael Moorcock. It is described as a huge, black sword covered with strange runes, created by the forces of Chaos with its own will. It is wielded by the doo ...

'' (co-producer, engineer, mixing) * 1975 – '' Come Taste the Band'' (co-producer, engineer, mixing) *1976 – ''Made In Europe'' (producer, engineer, mixing) – recorded live in April 1975 * 1977 – '' Last Concert in Japan'' (co-producer, engineer) – recorded live in December 1975

Jon Lord

* 1971 – ''

Gemini Suite After the 1969 classical / rock fusion ''Concerto for Group and Orchestra'', Jon Lord was commissioned to write a follow-up. This was ''Gemini Suite'', five long movements inspired by the members of Deep Purple, and performed live in September 19 ...

'' (engineer) * 1976 – ''Sarabande'' (producer, engineer, remixing)

Bernie Marsden

* 1979 - ''And About Time Too'' (producer, engineer)

Wishbone Ash

* 1970 – ''

Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included ''Wishbone Ash'' (1970), ''Pilgrimage'' (1971), '' Argus'' (1972), ''Wishbone Four'' (1973), ''There's the Rub'' (1974), and '' ...

'' (engineer) * 1971 – ''

Pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

'' (engineer) * 1972 – '' Argus'' (engineer)

Rainbow

* 1975 – ''

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow ''Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow'' (sometimes stylised ''Ritchie Blackmore's R-A-I-N-B-O-W'') is the debut studio album by American/British rock band Rainbow, released in 1975. Recording During studio sessions in Tampa Bay, Florida on 12 December ...

'' (co-producer, engineer, mixing) * 1976 – '' Rising'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1977 – '' On Stage'' (producer, engineer, mixing) – recorded live in 1976 * 1978 – ''

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll ''Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'' is the third studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow (rock band), Rainbow, released in 1978 and the last to feature original lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Background Recording of the album commenced in ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1986 – ''

Finyl Vinyl ''Finyl Vinyl'' is a collection of live recordings and B-sides by the British hard rock band Rainbow (rock band), Rainbow and was released in 1986, after the band had already disbanded in 1984. All the studio tracks had previously been released ...

'' (producer) – collection

Whitesnake

* 1978 – ''

Snakebite A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occu ...

'' (producer) * 1978 – ''

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

'' (producer) * 1979 - ''

Lovehunter ''Lovehunter'' is the second studio album by British band Whitesnake, released in 1979. It charted at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. " Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album reached No. 55 on the UK charts. It was the group's la ...

'' (producer) * 1980 - ''

Ready an' Willing ''Ready an' Willing'' is the third studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in May 1980. It was the group's first album to feature singer David Coverdale and keyboard player Jon Lord's former Deep Purple colleague Ian Paice o ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1980 – '' Live... in the Heart of the City'' (producer, engineer) – recorded live in 1978 and 1980 * 1981 – ''

Come an' Get It ''Come an' Get It'' is the fourth studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released in 1981. It was, at the time, Whitesnake's highest-charting release in the UK, hitting No. 2 and being kept off the top spot by Adam and the Ants' ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1982 – '' Saints & Sinners'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1984 – ''

Slide It In ''Slide It In'' is the sixth studio album by British rock band Whitesnake, released in 1984. It was the first Whitesnake album to be released by Geffen Records in the US, but was remixed for the release. Because of this, two different editions ...

'' (producer)

Black Sabbath

* 1980 – '' Heaven and Hell'' (producer, engineer) * 1981 – '' Mob Rules'' (producer, engineer)

Blue Öyster Cult

* 1980 – ''

Cultösaurus Erectus ''Cultösaurus Erectus'' is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on June 14, 1980. Following an experiment with a more-polished sound on the album ''Mirrors'' (released the previous year), this recordi ...

'' (producer, engineer) * 1981 – ''

Fire of Unknown Origin ''Fire of Unknown Origin'' is the eighth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on June 22, 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch. The album, which included the Top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" (#1 on Billboard's A ...

'' (producer, engineer)

Iron Maiden

* 1981 – '' Killers'' (producer, engineer) * 1982 – '' The Number of the Beast'' (producer, engineer) * 1983 – ''

Piece of Mind ''Piece of Mind'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 16 May 1983 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the first album to feature drummer Ni ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1984 – ''

Powerslave ''Powerslave'' is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 3 September 1984 through EMI Records in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in North America. It was re-released by Sanctuary and Columbia ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1985 – ''

Live After Death ''Live After Death'' is a live album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, originally released in October 1985 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US (it was re-released by Sanctuary/Columbia Records in the US in 200 ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1986 – '' Somewhere in Time'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1988 – ''

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son ''Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'' is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 11 April 1988 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Like '' The Number of the ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1989 – Maiden England (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1990 – ''

No Prayer for the Dying ''No Prayer for the Dying'' is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is their first album to feature Janick Gers on guitar, who replaced Adrian Smith. Smith left the band during the pre-production phase, unhappy ...

'' (producer, engineer, mixing) * 1992 – ''

'' (producer, engineer, mixing)

Other artists

* 1969 –

– '' Beck-Ola'' (engineer) * 1970 – Peter Green – '' The End of the Game'' (engineer) * 1970 –

The Groundhogs Groundhogs are an English blues and rock band founded in late 1963, that toured extensively in the 1960s, achieved prominence in the early 1970s, and continued sporadically into the 21st century. Tony McPhee (guitar and vocals) is the sole c ...

– ''

Thank Christ for the Bomb ''Thank Christ for the Bomb'' is the third studio album recorded by The Groundhogs, originally released by Liberty Records in 1970. It was engineered by Martin Birch, who had previously worked on albums by Deep Purple, Jeff Beck, Fleetwood ...

'' (engineer) * 1971 – Stackridge – '' Stackridge'' (engineer) * 1971 –

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group is noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists and rock music. It was founded by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob ...

and

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

– ''Hooker 'N' Heat'' (Mixdown Engineer) – recorded in 1970 * 1971 –

Skid Row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...

– ''

34 Hours ''34 Hours'' is a 1971 album by Irish blues-rock band Skid Row. It was the band's second album, and takes its title from the fact that it was recorded in 34 hours. Track listing ;Side I #"Night of the Warm Witch" (Brendan "Brush" Shiels, Gary ...

'' (engineer) * 1971 –

Toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...

– ''

'' (engineer) * 1971 –

Faces The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...

– ''

Long Player The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...

'' (engineer) * 1972 –

Silverhead Silverhead were a British glam rock band formed in early 1972, fronted by the singer/actor Michael Des Barres. The other members of the band were: Robbie Blunt (guitar), Rod Rook Davies (guitar, percussion, vocals), Nigel Harrison (bass guitar ...

– ''Silverhead'' (producer) * 1972 – Toad – ''Tomorrow Blue'' (engineer) * 1972 –

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

– ''Flash'' (engineer) * 1972 – Nick Pickett – ''Silversleeves'' (engineer) * 1973 –

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...

– ''

Grinding Stone Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, for grinding wheat or other grains. They are sometimes referred to as grindstones or grinding stones. Millstones come in pairs: a convex stationary base known as the ''bedstone'' and ...

'' (producer, engineer) * 1978 –

– ''Storm The Gates Of Heaven'' (producer) * 1978 –

– '' Elements'' (producer) * 1979 –

Cozy Powell Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...

– ''

Over the Top Over the top may refer to: Music * "Over the Top", a 2017 song by Hey! Say! JUMP * ''Over the Top'' (Cozy Powell album), 1979 album by British drummer Cozy Powell * ''Over the Top'' (Infinite album), 2011 album by South Korean band Infinite * ...

'' (producer) * 1982 –

Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenke ...

– '' Assault Attack'' (producer, engineer)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Martin 1948 births 2020 deaths English audio engineers English record producers People from Woking Place of death missing