Suzanne Vega

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- The Truth About Producers And Artists -

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Subj: The Truth about Producers and Artists
Date: 96-07-28 17:30:45 EDT
From: Unique212@aol.com
Sender: owner-undertow@law.emory.edu
To: undertow@serv4.law.emory.edu

Hi folks,

I found this on the Vin Scelsa [Radio] Show Digest, and thought that I'd post it to Undertow for everyone's bemusement.

Begin Forwarded Text (written by Scone86@aol.com):
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Ever notice how many women singers have their albums produced by their husbands?
Rosanne Cash-John Leventhal
Suzanne Vega-Mitchell Froom
Kristy MacColl- Steve Lillywhite
Sam Phillips-T-Bone Burnett
Marti Jones-Don Dixon
No longer married:
Joni Mitchell-Larry Klein
Carlene Carter-Nick Lowe
I'll bet there are more...I'm not counting instances where "Svengali-like" husbands "discovered" their wives, and made stars out of them, e.g.:
Cher-Sonny
Ronnie-Phil Spector
Patty Scialfa-Bruce (I'm assuming he produced her album)

I can't think of any instance where wives produced albums for their husbands; in fact the only woman producer I can think of is Linda Ronstadt, who worked for David Lindley and Jimmy Webb (hey, does Jimmy Webb have a webb site? Nevermind). I guess Bonnie Raitt has done some production work, but aren't there any others? Hmm, did Tom Waits' wife work with him on recent stuff?
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End Forwarded Text

Subj: The Truth about Producers and Artists -Reply
Date: 96-07-29 10:55:01 EDT
From: rossc@slf.org
Sender: owner-undertow@law.emory.edu
To: undertow@serv4.law.emory.edu

Oh yes, the list of producers or managers or arranger/bandleaders that have a relationship with a chanteuse is long indeed. Whether it's of the svengali type is not always easy to find, I'm sure. A lot of it may simply be "on-the-job romance."

I think it's a great book idea!

I know there's...

Pat Benatar - her guitar dude hubby
Mariah Carey -her music-biz husband

Being a good little office-worker, I can't bring myself to think of more but I'll bet this is an archetypal kind of relationship going wayyyy... back.

Charlie Ross
rossc@slf.org

Subj: Re: The Truth about Producers and Artists -Reply"
Date: 96-07-29 11:56:04 EDT
From: EricS10332@aol.com
Sender: owner-undertow@law.emory.edu
To: rossc@slf.org, undertow@serv4.law.emory.edu

and one more to the list,

Jonatha Brooke and hubby/producer/jazz pianist Alain Mallet

Subj: [Fwd: Re: The Truth about Producers and Artists]
Date: 96-07-29 21:15:32 EDT
From: arel@pc.jaring.my
Sender: owner-undertow@law.emory.edu
To: undertow@serv4.law.emory.edu

Hi!

> I can't think of any instance where wives produced albums for their
> husbands

Angela Winbush, R&B producer-singer, produced husband Ron Isley's album and some tracks on the new The Isley Brothers CD.

Khairyl

Subj: Re: The Truth about Producers and Artists
Date: 96-07-30 05:05:50 EDT
From: michael@memex.co.uk (Michael Sellar)
Sender: owner-undertow@law.emory.edu
To: undertow@serv4.law.emory.edu

(Here goes my first posting...)

The business of husbands (usually) producing their wives' albums immediately made me think of Edie Brickell (& husband Paul Simon). Her first 2 albums I've almost played to death, but her recent 3rd - 'Picture Perfect Morning' - was produced by (new?) husband Paul Simon, and is possibly the most disappointing album I've ever bought (given my expectations). It was such a big departure for her, even to the inclusion of (big) Barry White on some backing vocals (if you can call it that). Aaaarrrggghh!

I've no doubt readers of this are at least partly-familiar with Edie Brickell - personally I tend to see her debut album and that of Suzanne Vega in pretty much the same acoustic, pared-down style.

Cheers,
Mike.

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