Bob Clearmountain

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Bob Clearmountain
Bob clearmountain (cropped).jpg
Clearmountain in 2017
Born (1953-01-15) January 15, 1953 (age 71)
Occupation(s) Music engineer, audio mixer, producer
Years active1977–present
Spouse Betty Bennett
Awards

Bob Clearmountain (born January 15, 1953 with the last name "Chiaramonte", [1] literally 'bright or clear mountain' in Italian) is an American [2] record producer.

Contents

Described by Sound on Sound magazine as having "his name on more hit records than anyone else in the history of popular music", [2] he is well known for his work with major acts, including Bruce Springsteen (notably Born in the U.S.A.), [3] The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Pretenders, and Bryan Adams. He has mixed some of the most iconic live shows in music history, including Live Aid, The Concert for New York for 9/11, and most recently, the Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts at Wembley Stadium and The Forum. Records he mixed have won eight Grammys. His most recent nomination was for Best Immersive Audio Album, "The Savior". He has also been nominated for five Emmy Awards, winning two for Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary Special and 25th Anniversary Rock-n-Roll Concert.

Biography

As a teenager, Clearmountain had many friends who were musicians or aspirants. He loved music, and played bass guitar in a bar band, but felt he did not want to rely on these capricious beings for his career. [4] Always more interested in the technical side, Clearmountain had a makeshift studio at home equipped with a two-track reel-to-reel tape recorder, some microphones and a talkback. He also loved to make tape recordings of the band's concerts. According to an interview with Sound on Sound, Clearmountain was immediately attracted when he entered a professional recording studio for the first time. [4]

His band had been making a demo recording at Mediasound Studios on 57th Street in New York. Determined to make a career in the technical side of the music business, he visited frequently and pestered the studio for a job. He was eventually hired as a gofer. [4] Clearmountain claims that after making about two deliveries, he found staff at the office had been looking for him they had apparently been expecting him to be working on a recording session, as an assistant engineer. The star-struck new assistant engineer found that his first session was with Duke Ellington. [4]

According to Clearmountain, he was hired as Chief Engineer at the Power Station recording studio as they were opening in around 1977, and had a say in designing the recording studios and choosing the equipment as a rock music studio. [4]

Clearmountain also played bass on the Dead Boys' first album, Young, Loud and Snotty , before Jeff Magnum rejoined the group.

Personal life

Clearmountain is married to Apogee Electronics CEO Betty Bennett. [5]

Selection of work as producer

Selection of work as live mixer/engineer

DateConcertLocation
November 3, 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Barclays Center, Brookyn, New York
November 5, 2022Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California
September 27, 2022 Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert Kia Forum Los Angeles, California
September 3, 2022 Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins Tribute ConcertWembley Stadium London, UK
December 12, 2012 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief -Madison Square Garden, New York City
March 15, 1999 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction CeremonyWaldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City
August 12-14, 1994 Woodstock 94 Winston Farm, Saugerties New York
May 5th, 1990A Tribute to John Lennon The Pier Head, Liverpool
August 24, 1989 The Who - TommyUniversal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, California
June 11, 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute ConcertWembley Stadium London, UK
July 13, 1985 Live Aid John F. Kennedy Stadium Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

List of Grammy Awards & nominations

YearWorkRoleAward/Nomination
2023"Live At The Piano" Cory HenryProducer/Engineer/MixerNominee - Best Alternative Jazz Album
2019"The Savior" A Bad ThinkMixerNominee - Best Immersive Audio Album
2011"Paraíso Express" Alejandro Sanz MixerWinner Latin Grammy - Best Male Pop Vocal Album
2011"Paraíso Express" Alejandro SanzMixerWinner - Best Latin Pop Album
2006"Seeger Sessions" Bruce Springsteen MixerWinner - Best Traditional Folk Album
2005"Avalon" Roxy MusicMixerNominee - Best Surround Sound Album
1998"Firecracker" Lisa LoebMixerNominee - Best Engineered Album - Non Classical
1997"Blue Moon Swamp" John FogertyMixerNominee - Best Engineered Album - Non Classical
1994"Rhythm, Country And Blue" Various ArtistsMixerNominee - Best Engineered Album - Non Classical
1992"Storyville" Robbie RobertsonMixerNominee - Best Engineered Album - Non Classical

List of Emmy Awards & nominations

YearWorkRoleAward/Nomination
2023Taylor Hawkins Tribute ConcertMixerNominee - Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special
2021Bruce Springsteen's Letter To You - Apple TVMixerNominee - Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special
2015The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special - NBCMixerWinner - Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special
2010The 25th Anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert - HBOMixerWinner - Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special
2001Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - HBOMixerNominee - Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special
1993MTV Unplugged - MTVMixerNominee - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special

List of KCRW/Apogee Sessions Recorded and Mixed by Bob Clearmountain

About Apogee Studio: Apogee is a rare place where both music and music products are created, right here in Santa Monica. Part recording studio, product development lab, and high fidelity music venue, Apogee Studio is the child of music industry power couple Betty Bennett and Bob Clearmountain. The soulful digital audio technology at the heart of home and pro studios worldwide is produced by Apogee Electronics, a company founded and run by Bennett for over 38 years. Songs that have ascended to our worldwide music consciousness have one audio engineer in common more than almost any other, the legendary music mixer Bob Clearmountain. If you're lucky enough to get on the guest list with up to 180 other music fans for a show at Apogee, personally mixed by Bob and hosted by Betty and KCRW, it's an intimate experience you'll never forget.

Alabama ShakesJenny LewisPreservation Hall Jazz Band
AutomaticJim JamesQuadron
Avett BrothersJohn LegendQueens of the Stone Age
Band of HorsesJohnny MarrRegina Spector
BeckJose JamesRhye
Belle & SebastianJP, Chrissie and the Fairground BoysRobert Glasper
Bloc Partyk.d. langRodrigo y Gabriela
ChromeoKelisRosanne Cash
Cold War KidsKiller MikeRyan Adams
CommonKT TunstallSay She She
Conor OberstLeon BridgesShelby Lynne
Courtney BarnettLittle DragonSilversun Pickups
Dan AuerbachLocal NativesSofi Tukker
David GrayLord HuronSpoon
Death Cab for CutieLudovico EinaudiSt. Vincent
Divine FitsM. WardSturgill Simpson
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic ZerosManu ChaoTeddy Thompson
Fitz and the TantrumsMayor HawthorneThe Airborne Toxic Event
FoalsMeshell NdegeocelloThe Cinematic Orchestra
Franz FerdinandMetricThe Kills
Future IslandsMGMTThe Olms
Gary Clark, JrMiguelThe Shins
Gary NumanMiike SnowThe War on Drugs
Glen HansardMobyThe xx
Grizzly BearNatalia Lafourcadethenewno2
Hiatus KaiyoteNathaniel Rateliff and the Night SweatsTinariwen
InterpolNeal FrancisTom Jones
Jake BuggNick WaterhouseToro y Moi
James BlakeNorah JonesTV on the Radio
Janelle MonaePete YornVampire Weekend
Killer MikeWarWas and Damian “JR Gong” Marley
Natalia LafourcadeNeil FrancisWilco

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References

  1. "Don Was & Bob Clearmountain: Getting It Right". 2 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 Lockwood, Dave (June 1, 1999). "Bob Clearmountain: Master Mixer". Sound on Sound . Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  3. ""This is what Bruce calls his primal scrub": Bob Clearmountain talks mixing and tweaking Springsteen's Born In The USA guitars". 9 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Master Mixer Bob Clearmountain". Sound on Sound, June 1999
  5. Droney, Maureen (March 1, 2004). "Bob Clearmountain". Bob Clearmountain | Mixonline.com. www.mixonline.com. Retrieved August 13, 2016.

See also