Rodger Bain

Last updated

Rodger Bain (born 1945) is a British record producer, known for producing albums by heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Budgie and Judas Priest in the 1970s. [1] He is mainly associated as the staff producer at Vertigo Records in the early to mid 1970s. [2]

Career

He was the producer of Black Sabbath's first three albums, Budgie's first two albums, Judas Priest's first album, Rocka Rolla , and Wild Turkey's debut album Battle Hymn. Bain dominated the production of Priest's first album and made decisions that the band did not agree with, [3] such as leaving fan favourites such as "Tyrant", "Genocide", and "The Ripper", off the album. He also cut the song "Caviar and Meths" from a 10-minute song down to a two-minute instrumental.

He also produced the Judas Priest album Hero, Hero (an album not authorised by the band who, in their split with Gull Records, had had to concede the original recordings of their first albums to them, although they retained the rights to the songs), which contained remixed versions of the tracks on Rocka Rolla . Both of these Judas Priest albums received a great deal of criticism. On Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album, Bain played the Jew's harp on the track "Sleeping Village". [4] In the Last Supper DVD, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler describes Bain positively, and claims that he let them record their first album live which was, and still is, an uncommon method of recording, when other producers had refused. This is also how he is said[ by whom? ] to have produced other albums he worked on. Bain subsequently went on to work with Barclay James Harvest, producing their first two albums for Polydor  : Everyone Is Everybody Else (1974) and Barclay James Harvest Live. Although he reportedly did not get on with the band, the albums are highly regarded. [5] AllMusic noted that Bain seemingly left the music industry in the mid-1970s. [2]

However in 1981, Bain briefly returned and formed his own record label called Blue Chip/Cygnet Records and signed bands such as The Kicks, releasing their single "If Looks Could Kill" in 1982.

Related Research Articles

Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots. It is described by AllMusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music.

<i>Budgie</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Budgie

Budgie is the debut album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie. It was released on July 30, 1971, through MCA Records. The US version on Kapp Records includes "Crash Course in Brain Surgery", originally released as a single and covered by Metallica on their 1987 EP The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited. "Homicidal Suicidal" has also been covered by the Seattle grunge band Soundgarden. Canadian band Thrush Hermit covered "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman" on the album All Technology Aside, included on the 2010 The Complete Recordings box set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budgie (band)</span> Welsh rock band

Budgie were a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff. The band formed in 1967, and the following year recorded a demo; in 1971, their first album, produced by Rodger Bain, was released by MCA. The band, a classic power trio with the occasional keyboard player, released ten albums, with MCA, A&M, and RCA, between 1971 and 1982, attracting a fair number of fans and achieving modest commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judas Priest</span> British heavy metal band

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when their sixth studio album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Halford</span> British heavy metal singer

Robert John Arthur Halford is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has been noted for his powerful and wide ranging operatic vocal style and trademark leather-and-studs image, both of which have become iconic in heavy metal. He has also been involved with several side projects, including Fight, Two, and Halford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Tipton</span> English guitarist

Glenn Raymond Tipton is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is the second longest-serving member of the band, after bassist and co-founder Ian Hill. Tipton and Hill are the only two members of the band who have appeared on every studio album.

<i>Sad Wings of Destiny</i> 1976 studio album by Judas Priest

Sad Wings of Destiny is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 26 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it such as "Victim of Changes" and "The Ripper" have since become live standards. It was the band's only album to feature drummer Alan Moore.

<i>Rocka Rolla</i> 1974 studio album by Judas Priest

Rocka Rolla is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 6 September 1974 by Gull Records. It was produced by Rodger Bain, who had made a name for himself as the producer of Black Sabbath's first three albums. It is the only album to feature drummer John Hinch.

<i>Sin After Sin</i> 1977 studio album by Judas Priest

Sin After Sin is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 8 April 1977 by Columbia Records. Produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, it was the band's major label debut, their first album for the label, and their only album to feature drummer Simon Phillips, a studio musician who replaced original drummer Alan Moore for the recording sessions.

John Frederick Hinch was a British drummer from Lichfield, Staffordshire. From 1973 to 1975, he was the drummer in an early line-up of heavy metal band Judas Priest. Hinch was a jazz-rock styled drummer with a very compact style.

Christopher Andrew Tsangarides was a British record producer, sound engineer, and mixer of Greek Cypriot origin. He was best known for his work with many heavy metal artists, including Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Helloween, Anvil, Angra, Anthem, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Tygers of Pan Tang.

<i>Hero, Hero</i> 1981 compilation album by Judas Priest

Hero, Hero is a compilation album of early Judas Priest recordings, released in between British Steel (1980) and Point of Entry (1981) by Gull Records. It consists of all ten tracks from the Rocka Rolla album, six tracks from the Sad Wings of Destiny album, and an alternate version of "Diamonds And Rust". The tracks from Rocka Rolla and "Diamonds And Rust" were remixed by Rodger Bain in 1981. The tracks from Sad Wings of Destiny were not remixed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burke Shelley</span> Welsh bassist and singer (1950–2022)

John Burke Shelley was a Welsh musician, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist of the early heavy metal band Budgie.

"Victim of Changes" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, featured on their 1976 studio album Sad Wings of Destiny. Adrien Begrand, writing for PopMatters, claimed the song changed the course of metal history. Vocalist Rob Halford's performance is considered one of his finest ever. The guitar work is noted as well; Bob Gendron praised the song's "landslide riffs" in the Chicago Tribune. The song has come to be regarded as one of the band's classics, and Martin Popoff listed it at No. 17 in his "Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time".

<i>Everyone Is Everybody Else</i> 1974 studio album by Barclay James Harvest

Everyone Is Everybody Else is the fifth studio album by British Rock Band Barclay James Harvest released in June 1974. This was their first album for the Polydor label after they had parted company with EMI.

<i>The Best of Judas Priest</i> 1978 greatest hits album by Judas Priest

The Best of Judas Priest is a compilation album featuring select songs from English heavy metal band Judas Priest's first two albums, Rocka Rolla (1974) and Sad Wings of Destiny (1976).

Vic Coppersmith-Heaven is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his production work with the Jam.

<i>The Complete Albums Collection</i> (Judas Priest box set) 2012 box set by Judas Priest

The Complete Albums Collection is a compilation box set album collection by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 12 June 2012 by Legacy Recordings. The Complete Albums Collection contains 17 Judas Priest albums,.

"Run of the Mill" is a ballad by English heavy metal band Judas Priest from their debut album Rocka Rolla. The song was the first written by guitarist K. K. Downing, soon after vocalist Rob Halford joined the band. Downing wrote it, in part, to display Halford's unique vocal range.

References

  1. "Rodger Bain - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Rodger Bain | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  3. Judas Priest Info Pages – Rocka Rolla Archived 2007-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Wells, David (2009). "Black Sabbath (1970)". Black Sabbath (CD Booklet). Black Sabbath. Sanctuary Records Group.
  5. "Barclay James Harvest Album Portfolio". Bjharvest.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2020.