Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s.

Career

Baker began his career at

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

at the age of 14 and later worked as an assistant engineer at

Morgan Studios Morgan Studios (founded as Morgan Sound Studios) was an independent recording studio in Willesden in northwest London. Founded in 1967, the studio was the location for recordings by such notable artists as Jethro Tull, the Kinks, Paul McCartney, ...

. Encouraged by music producer

Gus Dudgeon Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, " Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US N ...

, he soon moved to

Trident Studios Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry. ...

, where he worked with Dudgeon,

Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

and

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

, and

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

, as well as recording artists such as

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

Gasolin' Gasolin' were a Danish rock band from Christianshavn, Copenhagen, formed by Kim Larsen, Franz Beckerlee, and Wili Jønsson in 1969. Their first drummer was the late Bjørn Uglebjerg. He was replaced by Søren Berlev in 1971. At their formatio ...

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

, Santana,

The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B ban ...

, Jet,

Be Bop Deluxe Be-Bop Deluxe were an English rock band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s. History Be-Bop Deluxe Be-Bop Deluxe was founded in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, by singer, guitarist ...

, Free and T. Rex. After co-founding Neptune (Trident's record company), Baker met the rock band

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. He began a working relationship that lasted for five albums (''Queen'', ''Queen II'', ''Sheer Heart Attack'', ''A Night at the Opera'' and ''Jazz'') and a number of awards – including

Grammy 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 pres ...

Awards and the

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for the best hit song, "

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...

". Following his successes with Queen and other artists, Baker signed a multi-album production deal with CBS Music (Columbia Records, Sony Music, Epic Records, etc.). He then proceeded to move to the US and set up the RTB Audio Visual Productions' Offices in New York and Los Angeles. At this time under his new CBS deal RTB produced Journey,

Starcastle Starcastle is an American progressive rock band from Champaign, Illinois, United States. Formed in 1969, the group played many shows under the names Pegasus and Mad John Fever before eventually settling on Starcastle. They inked their first rec ...

, Reggie Knighton (The Grass Roots), Ian Hunter and

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a ...

(The Rolling Stones). Baker, also at this time, committed to produce four albums for

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr ( bass guitar), Elliot Easton ( lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboar ...

after being prompted by Elektra Records to see them perform in a Boston school gymnasium. The albums were certified platinum and The Cars were

-nominated. He was offered the post as the Senior Vice-President of "Artist and Repertoire" (A&R) for Elektra Records as executive and/or producer with recording artists

Lindsey Buckingham Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...

Joe Lynn Turner Joe Lynn Turner (born Joseph Arthur Mark Linquito, August 2, 1951) is an American singer known for his work in the hard rock bands Rainbow, Yngwie J. Malmsteen and Deep Purple. During his career, Turner fronted and played guitar with pop rock ...

Josie Cotton Josie Cotton (born 1956) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for " Johnny Are You Queer?" and "He Could Be the One" from 1982. "Johnny Are You Queer?" was used on the soundtracks to ''Jackass Number Two'' and ''Valley Girl''. "He Co ...

and Dokken as well as continuing with

and

. During his tenure, Elektra signed artists

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

Simply Red Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since t ...

Yello Yello is a Swiss electronic music band, which formed in Zürich in 1979. For most of the band's history, Yello has been a duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank; founding member Carlos Perón left in 1983. Their sound is often charac ...

Peter Schilling Peter Schilling (born Pierre Michael Schilling; 28 January 1956) is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes like aliens, astronauts and catastrophes. He is best-known for his 1983 hit single "Major Tom (Comin ...

, The World and

10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...

. Baker has also worked with artists

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...

, Foreigner, Pilot,

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American Rock music, rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark Mothersbaugh, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Bob) and the Casales (Gerald ...

The Stranglers The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have origin ...

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dram ...

, T'Pau,

Local H Local H is an American rock band originally formed by guitarist and vocalist Scott Lucas, bassist Matt Garcia, drummer Joe Daniels, and lead guitarist John Sparkman in Zion, Illinois in 1990. The members all met in high school in 1987 and foun ...

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen a ...

and

Lewis Furey Lewis Furey, born Lewis Greenblatt (born 7 June 1949) is a Canadian composer, singer, violinist, pianist, actor and director. Career Born in Montreal, Quebec to French and American parents, Furey trained as a classical violinist, and at ag ...

. In 2005, he produced '' One Way Ticket to Hell and Back'' by The Darkness,

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...

' 2007 album, ''

Zeitgeist In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a ''Zeitgeist'' () ("spirit of the age") is an invisible agent, force or Daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history. Now, the term is usually associated with Georg W. ...

'', The Storm's 2008 album ''When the Storm Meets the Ground'',

' ''

American Gothic ''American Gothic'' is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the American Gothic House, ''American Gothic'' House in Eldon, Iowa, along with "the kind of ...

'' and One Karma's 2011 album ''Life Got in the Way''. He also produced

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talent ...

's 2014 album '' Heaven & Earth'', 35 years after his previous experience with the band, working on sessions in Paris that did not lead to an album.

Discography

Productions by Roy Thomas Baker: *

Arnold Corns Arnold Corns was a band, formed by David Bowie in 1971, the name of which was inspired by the Pink Floyd song "Arnold Layne". History This was one of Bowie’s side projects and something of a dry run for '' Ziggy Stardust''. The band was fo ...

: "Man in the Middle" (1971 – released 1985) * Free: '' Fire and Water'' (1970) *

: ''

'' (engineer) (1971) *Nazareth: ''

Exercises Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic s ...

'' (1972) *

: ''

Gasolin' 3 ''Gasolin' 3'' was the third album from Danish rock band Gasolin', released in November 1973. It was the band's first album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. ''Gasolin' 3'' was recorded in Rosenberg Studio in Copenhagen with Freddy Hansson as so ...

'' (1973) *

: ''

Stakkels Jim ''Stakkels Jim'' (aka ''Gas 4'') is a studio album by Gasolin' and was released in November 1974. It was the second album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. The raw rock of '' Gasolin' 3'' would on this record be replaced by a more polished and ...

'' (in English: "Poor Jim") (1974) *

: ''

'' (1973) (Credited as Roy Baker) *Queen: ''

Queen II ''Queen II'' is the second studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 8 March 1974 by EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. It was recorded at Trident Studios and Langham 1 Studios, London, in August 1973 wi ...

'' (1974) *

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

: ''

Hall of the Mountain Grill ''Hall of the Mountain Grill'' is the fourth studio album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 1974. It is regarded by many critics as a career highlight. Overview The group's fourth studio album, it was the first by a new line-up that inc ...

'' (1974) *

Robert Calvert Robert Newton Calvert (9 March 1945 – 14 August 1988) was a South African- British writer, poet, and musician. He is principally known for his role as lyricist, performance poet and lead vocalist of the space rock band Hawkwind. Early lif ...

: ''

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters ''Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters'' is a 1974 satirical concept album by Robert Calvert, the former frontman of British space-rock band Hawkwind. It consists of a mixture of songs and comic spoken interludes. The concept was based on t ...

'' (1974) *

Man A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...

: '' Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics'' (1974) * The Trammps: ‘’ The Legendary Zing Album’’ (1975) *Queen: ''

Sheer Heart Attack ''Sheer Heart Attack'' is the third studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 8 November 1974 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Digressing from the progressive themes featured on ...

'' (1974) *Queen: '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975) * Jet: ''Jet'' (1975) * Be-Bop Deluxe: ''

Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years ...

'' (1975) *Gasolin': ''

Gas 5 ''Gas 5'' was Gasolin's fifth album in five years and was released in October 1975. From the humble beginnings of their debut album they had developed into a confident arena rock band with this release. In hindsight, ''Gas 5'' may be considered t ...

'' (1975) *

: ''The Humours Of'' (1976) * Pilot: ''Morin Heights'' (1976) * Ian Hunter: '' Overnight Angels (1976) *Gasolin': ''

Efter endnu en dag ''Efter endnu en dag'' ("After Another Day" in English) is the sixth studio album by Gasolin' and was released in November 1976. It was the last Gasolin' album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. In ''Efter endnu en dag'' the bombastic rock of ' ...

'' (1976) *

: ''

Fountains of Light Fountains of Light is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Starcastle. It was their first of two albums to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker, of Queen renown. Production While driving to Le Studio on icy mountain roads, the b ...

'' (1977) *

Citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

(1977) *

It Begins Again ''It Begins Again'' is the tenth studio album recorded by Dusty Springfield and the ninth released. Recorded during the middle of 1977, ''It Begins Again'' was her first completed and released album since '' Cameo'' five years earlier. Two of ...

'' (1978) *

: ''

'' (1978) *Queen: ''

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

'' (1978) * Journey: ''

Infinity Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol . Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions am ...

'' (1978) * Journey: ''

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

'' (1979) *

: ''Paris Sessions'' aka '' Golden Age Sessions'' (1979; unreleased) *

Ron Wood Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...

: ''

Gimme Some Neck ''Gimme Some Neck'' is the third solo album by English musician Ronnie Wood, released in 1979. It was a minor hit and his best performance on the US charts to date, peaking at number 45 on ''Billboard'' during a 13-week chart run. The album artw ...

'' (1979) *The Cars: ''

Candy-O ''Candy-O'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Cars, released on June 13, 1979 by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned two singles, " Let's Go" (number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and " It's ...

'' (1979) * Foreigner: '' Head Games'' (1979) *

: ''

Flush the Fashion ''Flush the Fashion'' is the fifth solo studio album by American singer Alice Cooper, released on April 28, 1980 by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles with producer Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with ...

'' (1980) *The Cars: ''

Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined i ...

'' (1980) *The Cars: ''

Shake It Up Shake It Up may refer to: * ''Shake It Up'' (Boney James & Rick Braun album), 2000 * ''Shake It Up'' (The Cars album), 1981 ** "Shake It Up" (The Cars song), the title song * "Shake It Up" (Divine song), 1983 * "Shake It Up" (Koda Kumi song), ...

'' (1981) * Heavy Metal: "Motion Picture Soundtrack" (1982) *

: '' One on One'' (1982) *

: ''

Oh, No! It's Devo ''Oh, No! It's Devo'' is the fifth studio album by American new wave band Devo, released on October 21, 1982 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded over a period of four months, between May and September 1982, at Cherokee Studios in ...

'' (1982) *Fast Times at Ridgemont High: '' Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (1982) *

: '' Too Fast for Love'' (1982) *

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...

: "Espionage" (1983) *

: '' Rescue You'' (1985) *

Jon Anderson John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...

: '' 3 Ships'' (1985) * American Anthem: "Motion Picture Soundtrack" (1986) * T'Pau: '' Bridge of Spies'' (titled ''T'Pau'' in the US) (1987) *

Slade Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...

: '' You Boyz Make Big Noize'' (1987) *

: '' No Rest for the Wicked'' (1988) *

: '' 10'' (1989) * Chris de Burgh: '' Spark to a Flame'' (1990) * Shy: ''Misspent Youth'' (1990) *

Dangerous Toys Dangerous Toys is an American, Austin, Texas-based rock band, with often humorous lyrics. Founded in 1987, Dangerous Toys released four full-length albums and one live album before unofficially disbanding at the turn of the millennium. The band ...

: '' Hellacious Acres'' (1991) *The Stranglers: ''All Twelve Inches'' (1992) *''

Wayne's World "Wayne's World" was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series ''Saturday Night Live''. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" (1987) on the CBC Television series '' It's Only Rock & Roll'', as the main charact ...

'': '' Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (1992) *

: '' Pack Up the Cats'' (1998) *

Caroline's Spine Caroline's Spine is an alternative rock band based in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's touring schedule in the mid-1990s landed them a record deal with Hollywood Records. They have released several studio albums and shared billings with such band ...

: " Attention Please" (1999) * The Darkness: '' One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back'' (2005) *

: ''

'' (2007) *

Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, ...

: "Motion Picture Soundtrack" (2007) * The Storm: ''Where The Storm Meets The Ground'' (2008) *

: ''

'' (2008) *

Jimmy Chamberlin James Joseph Chamberlin (born June 10, 1964) is an American drummer and record producer. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Following the 2000 breakup of the band, Chamberlin joined Pumpkins fro ...

's This: "Great Civilization" (2010) *Maximilian Is King: Featuring Arthur Lynn and Nick Fowler "Songs To Kill Yourself With" (2012) *

: '' Heaven & Earth'' (2014)

References

External links

*
Roy Thomas Baker – Flixster Movie Profile.
*
Roy Thomas Baker (RTB)'s Linked (IN) Professional Profile.
– interview with Baker
Mix interview with Roy Thomas Baker by Rick Clark, April 1, 1999.Mix interview with Roy Thomas Baker by Paul Tingen, March 1, 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Roy Thomas 1946 births Living people English record producers People from Hampstead English songwriters English audio engineers English music arrangers Musicians from London English expatriates in the United States

Career

Discography

See also

References

External links