Bruce Robb | |
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Background information | |
Genres | Rock, R&B, Blues, Alternative Rock, Country Rock, Folk Rock, Classic Rock, Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Record Producer, audio engineer, musician, and music supervisor |
Instruments | Hammond B3, Keys, Vocals |
Years active | 1967–present |
Labels | Chess Records, Argo Records, RCA Records, Mercury Records, Atlantic Records, ABC-Dunhill Records |
Bruce Robb is an American musician, record producer, engineer, and music supervisor. He is most recognized for his time as a member of "The Robbs" during the 1960s, then as a founder of Cherokee Studios in the 1970s; followed by decades of producing, engineering and recording with artists like Mos Def, Macy Gray, Henry Rollins, Steve Vai, The Lemonheads, John Mellencamp, Steve Cropper, Ringo Starr, Etta James, Art Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Del Shannon, and Wilson Pickett amongst others. [1]
By 1969, The Robbs now calling themselves "Cherokee" had settled on a ranch in Chatsworth, California. With the help of friends Roger Nichols and Toby Foster, the band converted their barn into an artist-owned recording studio. Bruce was particularly enthusiastic about the idea because he had always disliked the sterile vibe in the studios of the era. The studio's first clients started with friends like Del Shannon, who brought Jeff Lynne from Electric Light Orchestra to the facility. As word spread about the facility other artists of note - Little Richard, Bob Crewe, Michael McDonald and others - came to the studio to record. Then, Nichols recorded Steely Dan’s "Pretzel Logic," which resulted in the studio, now known as "Cherokee Ranch", earning their first gold record. [2] All the while, Bruce was honing his skills as an engineer and producer under the tutelage of his [ citation needed ] brother Dee.
In ’74, an eviction for running an "illegal home studio" prompted the Robbs to purchase the former MGM Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The clients of Cherokee Studios included David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Bob Dylan, and each one of the Beatles. [3]
An A&R rep named Tom Carolan, who had known the Robb brothers for years at Cherokee, brought them their first major record to produce together with a new alternative band he had scouted for Atlantic Records called The Lemonheads. [4] The album It's a Shame About Ray was a commercial success for Evan Dando. The Robbs also did production work for Buffalo Tom and Lita Ford, and then another gold record for The Lemonheads with Come on Feel the Lemonheads . During pre-production of the all female Japanese pop-punk band Shonen Knife, Dee Robb was diagnosed with cancer. [5] Bruce and Joe completed the album as "The Brothers Robb," and then shifted focus back to their individual careers. After several years of treatment, Dee returned to the studio and the brothers joined one more time for Ronnie Laws’ Everlasting. Although the production charted, their individual producing schedules rarely aligned again. (The partnership ended with Dee's sudden passing in 2008.)
Bruce Robb collaborated with Steve Cropper on a record for John Cougar Mellencamp. [6] They also worked on recordings for Levon Helm (of The Band), [7] [8] Harry Nilsson [9] and Robben Ford [10] while Cropper made Cherokee his permanent home. The production duo also contributed to Justine Bateman’s and Julia Roberts’ singing debut in the film Satisfaction. [11] Cropper's membership in The Blues Brothers fostered creative relationships with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi for their movies, such as Dragnet, [12] The Great Outdoors, and the title track by Fear [12] for Neighbors. They also produced two full-length albums for Cropper [8] as well.
Bruce Robb was uncredited on his first movie soundtrack in the 1970s alongside Flo and Eddie of The Turtles when they produced an original score for a racy Roger Corman produced flick, Dirty Duck. He later also worked with director David Lynch, [13] produced Shelley Duvall and Robin Williams singing showtunes for Robert Altman’s Popeye, and recorded a full orchestra in the scoring of Twins . He has also been credited as a producer alongside music supervisor Evyen Klean, with whom he collaborated for HBO’s Lackawanna Blues . Robb also worked on the Amy Smart vehicle Love N' Dancing , for which he is listed as the music supervisor-producer and soundtrack producer, with other varied music credits (producer, engineer, arranger, mixing, performer, composer) on over 30 original songs recorded for the film's dance choreography. [14]
The sci-fi/horror director and composer John Carpenter first hired Robb to produce the soundtrack for Village of the Damned. "Bruce Robb guided our compositions, molded them, shaped them, and when they came out of the speakers they were transformed into one of the most full, most romantic scores I've ever done," says Carpenter on his official website for the Village soundtrack. [15] Their collaboration on Vampire$ , [16] which won a Saturn Award for Best Music from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, and Ghosts of Mars , [17] for which Robb produced the original heavy metal score performed by Anthrax with Steve Vai, Robin Finck, and Buckethead.
Bruce Robb first gained exposure in the music industry as a member of The Robbs. The 1960s folk rock band was composed of brothers Dee Robb (lead vocals, guitar), Joe Robb (sax, vocals), Bruce Robb (Hammond B3, vocals) and "cousin" Craig "Robb" Krampf (drums, vocals). After some regional touring success, The Robbs were discovered by Dick Clark while performing at his Teen World's Fair at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. [18] [19] Clark invited the band to guest on his hit music television show, Where The Action Is . Fan reaction to The Robb's first TV appearance resulted in the band extending their stay to become series regulars for the final year of the series in 1967. During that same year, the band became one of the three house bands (with The Doors and The Chambers Brothers) at The Whisky on Sunset. The daily TV exposure catapulted the band to a brief celebrity period with heavy coverage in the major teen magazines alongside major groups like The Beatles, The Monkees, and The Kinks. Over the course of their performing years, The Robbs were recorded on Chess, Argo, RCA, Mercury, Atlantic and ABC/Dunhill record labels, and toured with major acts like Jerry Lee Lewis, The Byrds, The Turtles, Buffalo Springfield, and The Beach Boys. The Robbs released a total of two full-length albums and a number of singles with mostly "bubbling under" appearances on the charts. The band never officially "broke up," but rather got distracted by the spontaneous success of their own studio during the production of their third album (never released). [20]
In 1968, the new arts festival conceived by Milwaukee's then-mayor Henry W. Maier was in the final planning stages, with music noticeably absent. At the urging of business leaders who wanted to attract the youth, the Mayor's office was prompted to contact a Wisconsin native band for help. With a TV show and heavy touring schedule at the time, The Robbs were one of the most successful bands to come from the Milwaukee area. They agreed to headline and produce a music counterpart to the event. But, The Robbs insisted on expanding the city's vision from small concerts on plywood staging at the lakefront, to a giant circus big top with professional sound and lighting and a 3,000-seat capacity. Beginning July 20, Summerfest’s inaugural eight-day concert series stole the spotlight with sold-out daily matinee and evening performances. The Robbs, who were the backup band for other acts throughout the run, were joined onstage by: Ronnie Dove, Freddie Cannon, The Esquires, The New Colony Six, Eric and Errol, The Lemon Pipers, The Next Five, The Destinations, The Messengers, The Picture and The Wet Wild and Away Dancers. Teenage pandemonium far surpassed the conservative city's expectations requiring additional security, but ultimately drawing the highest attendance of all the events of Summerfest. [21] [22] [23]
The success of the music series attracted many major artists from The Doors, The Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan, to Sting, Metallica, and Prince. After years of planning for Summerfest, the last minute music event launched what has grown to become "The World's Largest Music Festival" (certified by Guinness World Records in 1999) attracting up to 1 million people today.
Quarter 2 Three Records is Robb's indie record label. Artists include: blues and classic R&B artist Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, hip hop group JustMATTER, and new artists in development. Recent label releases include: "Out of the Wilderness" by Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise and the original soundtrack for the motion picture "Love N' Dancing" by Various Artists. [24]
In addition to record production, Bruce Robb Productions focuses on original music production and music supervision services for the film, television and commercial industries. Robb's production company handled all of the music department tasks for the Amy Smart dance movie "Love N' Dancing" which was released in 2009. [25] BRP delivered over 30 original songs created for specific dance choreography, with Robb as the lead music producer/composer/supervisor for the film's original score and soundtrack.
A&R Studio Design + Construction is a firm specializing in professional studio builds for the entertainment, broadcast and recording industries. A&R is: acoustic architect George Augspurger, former News Corp./Fox Studio's Project Manager John ANDerson and Robb. [24] [26]
Artist | Album | Credits |
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Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise | Out of the Wilderness | Producer/Engineer/Mixing/Hammond B3 |
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise | Still Lovin’ You | Producer/Engineer/Mixing/Hammond B3 |
David Jaurequi | Fox Bat Strategy: A Tribute to Dave Jaurequi | Engineer/Mixing |
Donovan | Lady of the Stars | Producer, engineer, organ |
Shelby Lynne | Just Because I'm a Woman The Songs of Dolly Parton | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Shelby Lynne | Identity Crisis | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Shelby Lynne | Definitive Collection | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Various Artists | Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three | Engineer |
The Lemonheads | Come on Feel the Lemonheads | Producer/Engineer/Mixing/B3 |
The Lemonheads | It's a Shame About Ray & Collector Edition | Producer/Engineer/Mixing/B3 |
Cher | Heart of Stone | Engineer |
Cher | Chronicles | Engineer |
Ronnie Laws | Everlasting | Producer/Engineer/Mixing/B3 |
Selena | Dreaming of You | Engineer/Mixing |
Rickie Lee Jones | Flying Cowboys | Engineer |
John Cougar Mellencamp | Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
John Cougar Mellencamp | The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
John Cougar Mellencamp | Nothin' Matters and What If It Did | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Dr. John | Mos’ Scocious: Anthology | Engineer/Mixing |
Burton Cummings | Dream of a Child | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Burton Cummings | Woman Love | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Burton Cummings | Sweet Sweet | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Burton Cummings | Heart | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Burton Cummings | Collection | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Buffalo Tom | Big Red Letter Day | Producer/Engineer/Mixing/B3 |
Soul Asylum | Grave Dancers Union | Engineer/Mixing |
Warpipes | Holes in the Heavens | Engineer |
Flo & Eddie | Best of Flo & Eddie | Engineer/Mixing/B3/Piano/BG vocals |
Barbra Streisand | The Broadway Album | Engineer |
Barry Manilow | Manilow | Engineer/Mixing |
Steve Cropper | Playing My Thang | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Steve Cropper | Night After Night | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Ringo Starr | Stop and Smell the Roses | Engineer/Mixing |
Levon Helm | Levon Helm 1978 | Engineer/Mixing |
Levon Helm | Levon Helm 1982 | Engineer/Mixing |
Harry Nilsson | Flash Harry | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Billy Vera & the Beaters | The Best of Billy Vera & The Beaters | Engineer/Mixing |
Billy Vera & the Beaters | By Request | Engineer/Mixing |
Etta James | Deep in the Night | Engineer/Mixing |
Art Garfunkel | Watermark | Engineer/Mixing |
Jean-Luc Ponty | Mystical Adventures | Engineer |
Tower of Power | We Came To Play | Engineer |
Robben Ford | The Inside Story | Engineer/Mixing |
Bob Crewe | Motivation | Engineer/Mixing |
Livingston Taylor | Man's Best Friend | Engineer/Mixing |
Maria Muldaur | Open Your Eyes | Engineer/Mixing |
Nazareth | Malice in Wonderland | Engineer/Mixing |
Jewel | First Studio Recording | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
The Robbs | The Robbs | B3, Piano, Background Vocals |
The Robbs | Cherokee | B3, Piano, Background Vocals |
Film/TV | Credits |
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Love N' Dancing | Music Supervisor Producer/Engineer/5.1 Mixing Composer/Arranger/Contractor B3/synthesizer/Wurlitzer/Piano/vibes/percussion/ BG vocals Over 30 orig. custom songs |
The Story of Hudson Hawk | Engineer, Bruce Willis & Robert Kraft piano interview |
Masters of Horror: John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns | Music Supervisor Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Lackawanna Blues | Producer/Engineer/Mixing Arranger/Contractor B3/Wurlitzer Orig. prods. w/Mos Def, Macy Gray, Robert Bradley |
Just Friends | Producer/Engineer/Mixing "Into Your Arms" (The Lemonheads) |
Punch-Drunk Love | Producer/Engineer/Mixing |
Run Ronnie Run! | Producer/Engineer/Mixing "Ass Kickin’ Fat Kid" theme song w/Scott Ian (Anthrax) & Samantha Maloney (Hole) |
Ghosts of Mars | Music Supervisor Producer/Engineer/5.1 Mixing Fender Rhodes Carpenter's score w/Anthrax, Steve Vai, Buckethead, Elliot Easton, Robin Finck |
The Other Sister | Engineer/Mixing "Mrs. Robinson" (The Lemonheads) |
Don Juan DeMarco | Engineer/Mixing Orig. prods. w/Selena, Sol de Mexico (incls. Sp. vers. Bryan Adam's theme) |
John Carpenter's Vampires | Music Supervisor Producer/Engineer/5.1 Mixing Arranger/Contractor B3/percussion Carpenter's score w/Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, Jeff Baxter |
The Experts | Engineer/5.1 Mixing "Back in the USSR" remake |
Twins | Engineer/5.1 Mixing Orig. score prod w/composer Randy Edelman |
The Great Outdoors | Engineer/5.1 Mixing "Land of a Thousand Dances" remake w/ Wilson Pickett & The Elwood Blues Revue "Hot Fun in the Summertime" remake w/The Elwood Blues Revue & Sam Moore |
Satisfaction | Engineer/Mixing Orig. soundtrack w/Justine Bateman, Julia Roberts, Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn & James Burton |
Innerspace | Producer/Engineer/Mixing "Twistin’ the Night Away" w/Rod Stewart end titles theme |
Dragnet | Engineer, Mixing "Just the Facts" theme & other songs w/Dan Akroyd |
Melanie | Producer/Engineer/Mixing "You Saved My Soul" theme & other songs w/Burton Cummings |
Neighbors | Producer/Engineer/Mixing End title theme w/Fear (Belushi's pick, but rejected) |
Popeye | Producer/Engineer/Mixing Orig. Harry Nilsson songs w/Shelley Duvall, Robin Williams |
Down and Dirty Duck | Engineer, Mixing B3, Wurlitzer, piano, BG vocals Orig. soundtrack w/Flo & Eddie (The Turtles) |
Charmed | Engineer/Mixing Orig. theme song w/Liz Phair & Angelo Badalamenti |
Crime Story | Producer/Engineer/Mixing Series theme song remake of "Runaway" w/Del Shannon |
The Nutcracker: A Fantasy on Ice | Engineer/Mixing Lorne Greene's narration |
The George Burns Special | Live Broadcast Engineer/Mixer |
Juliana Hatfield is an American musician and singer-songwriter from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies, Some Girls, and The Lemonheads. She also fronted her own band, The Juliana Hatfield Three, along with bassist Dean Fisher and drummer Todd Philips, which was active in the mid-1990s and again in the mid-2010s. It was with the Juliana Hatfield Three that she produced her best-charting work, including the critically acclaimed albums Become What You Are (1993) and Whatever, My Love (2015) and the singles "My Sister" (1993) and "Spin the Bottle" (1994).
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an independent/college rock band in the late 1980s, the Lemonheads' popularity with a mass audience grew in 1992 with the major label album It's a Shame about Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers. This was followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles. Then Lemonheads were active until 1997 before going on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons 2, in February 2019.
Car Button Cloth is the seventh studio album by the Lemonheads, and the last under their contract with Atlantic Records. The band, as it were, consisted mostly of Dando himself playing many instruments, including his usual guitars and lead vocals, and Patrick Murphy on drums, along with a series of session musicians and producer Bryce Goggin filling in on other instruments. Following the recording of the album, Bill Gibson, who had played bass on several tracks, joined the band for the supporting tour along with Dando and Murphy.
Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson, OC, is a Canadian musician, songwriter, film composer, producer, actor, and author. Robertson is best known for his work as lead guitarist and songwriter for The Band, and for his career as a solo recording artist.
Steven Lee Cropper, sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor. He also acted as the producer of many of these records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 39th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, while he has won two Grammy Awards from his seven nominations.
Catwalk is a Canadian musical drama series that ran for 49 episodes on the YTV network from 1992 until 1994. The series' first season aired in syndication in the United States, while the second season aired on MTV.
Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician and frontman of the Lemonheads. He has also embarked on a solo career and collaborated on songs with various artists. In December 2015 Dando was inducted into the Boston Music Awards Hall of Fame.
It's a Shame About Ray is the fifth album by American alternative rock band the Lemonheads, released on June 2, 1992. The album was produced by the Robb Brothers. At the time of principal recording, the band consisted of Evan Dando, Juliana Hatfield and David Ryan (drums). Though not originally on the album, the band's cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" was added to the album in later pressings after it had become a major worldwide radio hit, and it features a later lineup of the band with Nic Dalton on bass.
Madman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1971 through DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence as a popular music artist. The album contains nine tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise was an American band from Detroit, Michigan. The group was a collaboration between Robert Bradley, a blind street singer, and three rock musicians.
Come on Feel the Lemonheads is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band the Lemonheads. It was released on October 12, 1993. Produced by The Robb Brothers, the band lineup consisted of Evan Dando, Nic Dalton and David Ryan (drums), along with former bassist Juliana Hatfield singing backing vocals on several tracks. The album was written by Dando and his songwriting partner Tom Morgan. Following the success of their prior album, It's a Shame About Ray, the band had attracted considerable media attention as alternative rock darlings, and some big-name guest musicians appeared on the album as well, including the Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle and funk musician Rick James. The song "Into Your Arms", a cover version of a song written and recorded previously by Dalton's former band, became the Lemonheads' biggest charting hit.
Cherokee Studios is a recording facility in Hollywood, California, founded in 1972. Cherokee's owner and manager is Bruce Robb. In his autobiography, Beatles producer George Martin dubbed Cherokee Studios the best studio in America.
Neighbors is a 1981 American black comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Berger. It was released through Columbia Pictures, was directed by John G. Avildsen, and starred John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cathy Moriarty, and Kathryn Walker. The film takes liberties with Berger's story and features a more upbeat ending. The screenplay of the film is officially credited to Larry Gelbart, although it was extensively rewritten to Gelbart's public disapproval. Released two and a half months before Belushi's death, the film marks his last film performance.
"Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, Bookends (1968). The song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Records. Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it is famous for its association with the 1967 film The Graduate. The song was written by Paul Simon, who pitched it to director Mike Nichols alongside Art Garfunkel after Nichols rejected two other songs intended for the film. The Graduate's soundtrack album uses two short versions of "Mrs. Robinson"; a full version was later included on Bookends. The song was additionally released on the Mrs. Robinson EP in 1968, which also included three other songs from the film: "April Come She Will", "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", and "The Sound of Silence".
The Robbs were an American 1960s pop and rock band from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They are best known for being the house band on Dick Clark's mid-1960s show Where The Action Is. They are also known for placing the most singles on Billboard magazine's "Bubbling Under" chart without ever once crossing over into the Billboard Hot 100.
David Wayne Perkins is an American rock and R&B guitarist, singer, songwriter and session musician.
Barry Edward Beckett was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which performed with numerous notable artists on their studio albums and helped define the "Muscle Shoals sound".
Hollywood Be Thy Name is a live album by New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. It was produced by producer Bob Ezrin. The recording venue, Willie Purple's Niteclub, was in reality Cherokee Recording Studios with a live audience.
Vampires is a soundtrack by John Carpenter for the 1998 film of the same name. It was released in 1998 through Milan Records.
Ghosts of Mars is a soundtrack by John Carpenter for the film of the same name. It was released in 2001 through Varèse Sarabande.