Steve Lyon (producer)

Last updated
Steve Lyon
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • Mix Engineer
WorksSteve Lyon production discography
Years active1984–present
Labels Church Studios, Mute Records
Website steve-lyon.com

Steve Lyon is a British record producer, recording and mixing engineer known for his work with Depeche Mode and The Cure. [1]

Contents

Career

After earning a technical degree, Lyon began working on film set at the National Film and Television School, before transitioning to the music industry as an assistant to producer Glyn Johns during the production of Scottish band Big Dish's 1984 album, Swimmer. [2]

He later worked at Townhouse Studios and The Manor Studio before being recommended by Jon Jacobs to join AIR Studios, founded by Sir George Martin.[ citation needed ] There, he assisted on sessions for Sir Paul McCartney's projects, including tracks later featured Flowers in the Dirt and Flaming Pie Collections and later on Mc Cartney's single Once upon a Long Ago. [3]

Depeche Mode

Early 90's, while working as a freelance at Church Studios, Lyon was offered to work for Depeche Mode with producer Flood and Alan Wilder on the band's album Violator (1990). [4] Lyon joined the team working on Depeche Mode’s album ' Violator (1990) [4] alongside Flood and band member Alan Wilder. [5]

He contributed to mixing tracks such as "Clean", "Halo", and "Policy of Truth", and co-produced B-sides and remixes. He also worked on Death's Door for the film Until the end of the World by Wim Wenders, and supported the World Violation Tour setup with Alan Wilder and recording a number of live shows for Mute Records. [6]

Lyon later collaborated with Alan Wilder on the Nitzer Ebb's album Ebbhead (1991) and on Recoil's projects: Bloodline (1992) then Unsound Methods (1997).[ citation needed ]

He rejoined Depeche Mode on Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993), contributing to studio sessions in Madrid in a private villa, and recording studios in Hamburg and London. An extensive period followed of programming and sequencing over two months with Alan Wilder in London's Olympic Studios and at Wilder's home studio. [5] Further work with Depeche Mode included co-production of recordings of the Devotional Tour Live and a remix of Condemnation. [6]

The Cure and later work

Lyon’s work with Depeche Mode caught the attention of Robert Smith from The Cure, who enlisted him to co-produce the 1996 album Wild Mood Swings, [7] including the hit singles The 13th, Gone and Mint Car, recorded in the stately home of St Catherine's Court (Bath, England). Also completed in this period with The Cure was a version of the David Bowie anthem Young Americans on 104.9: an XFM compilation album, which can also be found on The Cure's compilation album Join the dots: B-side and rarities (2004) [1]

In 1996 he worked for Siouxsie Sioux's second band the Creatures and produced six songs for the album Anima Animus which was released in 1999. [8]

From late 90's, Lyon has also worked with artists such as Paradise Lost ( Host -1999), [9] Sohodolls (''No Regrets'', 2006), [10] Reamonn(''Tuesday''), [11] Laura Pausini ( Primavera in Anticipio) [3] – which won Best Female Pop Vocal Album at Latin Grammy Award in 2009) and Eros Ramazzotti ( Battito Infinito } in 2022.

In the 2000s and 2010s, he developed projects in Italy, including work with Subsonica and 99 Posse, and launched his own Panic Button Studios in South West London.[ citation needed ]

In 2024, Lyon produced the album "Hangover" for Bloom, the supergroup formed by italian singer Giusi Ferreri. [12]

He also participated in masterclasses Rimini in Musica, [13] and Midem 2024, [14] and was a jury member at Sanremo Rock in 2020. [15] and Una voce per San Marino, [16] selecting Italian artists for Eurovision in 2021.

He received the "Man with the Golden Ear" award at the 2024 Soundedit Festival in Poland. [17]

Selected works

As record producer or co-producer

Albums and singles as recording and/or mixing engineer

Awards and nominations

References

  1. 1 2 Price, Simon (2023-11-09). Curepedia: An immersive and beautifully designed A-Z biography of The Cure. Orion. p. 695. ISBN   978-1-4746-1934-9.
  2. "«Hors-Série Spécial DEPECHE MODE» de la revue «ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE»". ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE (in French). p. 107. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  3. 1 2 "Steve Lyon Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More ..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  4. 1 2 May, Kevin; McElroy, David (2022-09-29). "Steve Lyon (UK) engineer on Violator at the Church Studios in London". Halo: The Story Behind Depeche Mode's Classic Album Violator (1st ed.). London: Grosvenor House Publishing (published 2022). pp. 113–143. ISBN   978-1-80381-302-8.
  5. 1 2 Malins, Steve (1999). Depeche Mode: the biography (1st ed.). London: Andre Deutsch. p. 228. ISBN   9780233994253.
  6. 1 2 Miller, Jonathan (2009-11-05). Stripped: Depeche Mode. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-026-7.
  7. Apter, Jeff (2009-11-05). Never Enough: The Story of The Cure. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-024-3.
  8. "Rock Legends [Siouxsie and Budgie interview]". MCM . March 1999.
  9. "Reviews - For records released on June 7, 1999". Music Week . May 29, 1999. p. 22. ProQuest   232196939. Strong production values from Steve Lyon, responsible for recording The Cure and The Creatures among others, the record works surprisingly well, cliches notwithstanding.
  10. "Glam rock with a hint of burlesque". The Western Morning News; Plymouth (UK). Oct 5, 2007. p. 3. ProQuest   335040169.
  11. Williamson, Nigel (Sep 30, 2000). "Global music pulse". Billboard. p. 53. ProQuest   227149830.
  12. "Musica: arriva in radio "Mai Più", il nuovo singolo di Bloom, la band di Giusy Ferreri". www.primapaginanews.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  13. Buzzacchi, Dario (2023-08-31). "STEVE LYON - LASCIA STARE I TREND - INTERVISTA". WU (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  14. Crétal, Léa (2024-01-09). "MIDEM+ 2024 : De La Soul, Baxter Dury, French 79... réunis à Cannes - TSUGI" (in French). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  15. Rock, Sanremo (2020-09-03). "Steve Lyon tra gli " Stellati Internazionali" della giuria 33^ 2020 - Sanremo Rock" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  16. "🇸🇲 First jurors revealed for Una Voce Per San Marino". That Eurovision Site. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  17. Rédaction, La (2024-11-04). "Le Soundedit Festival célèbre les producteurs de musique". Rolling Stone (in French). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  18. "Calle 13 Leads List of 2009 Latin Grammy Nominations". BMI.com. 2009-10-01. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  19. Colombo, Lorenzo (2016-05-02). "Steve Lyon, storico collaboratore dei Depeche Mode al Fim di Erba". Erbanotizie (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  20. "Steve Lyon". soundedit.pl. Retrieved 2024-11-23.