Tony Visconti | |
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![]() Visconti in 2007 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Anthony Edward Visconti |
Born | New York City, New York, U.S. | April 24, 1944
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Producer, arranger, musician |
Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, guitar, piano, flute, recorder, mandolin |
Years active | 1967–present |
Member of | Holy Holy |
Formerly of | Hype |
Spouse(s) |
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Website | tonyvisconti |
Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) [3] is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's "Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of many hits in collaboration with Marc Bolan. Visconti's lengthiest involvement was with David Bowie: intermittently from the production and arrangement of Bowie's 1968 single "In the Heat of the Morning" / "London Bye Ta-Ta" to his final album Blackstar in 2016, Visconti produced and occasionally performed on many of Bowie's albums. [4] Visconti's work on Blackstar was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and his production of Angelique Kidjo's Djin Djin received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album.
Visconti was born in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of Italian descent. [5] He started to play the ukulele when he was five years old and then learned guitar. He attended New Utrecht High School. [6] Throughout his teenage years Visconti was involved with both a classical brass band (playing tuba) and a traditional orchestra (playing double bass), as well as playing rock-and-roll-oriented guitar, valuable experience that served him well in later years. By the age of 15 he had focused his efforts on playing in local Brooklyn bands. [7]
After leaving school he played guitar in a band called Ricardo & the Latineers in the Catskills; the band also included Artie Butler, later a leading arranger. [7] In 1960 he played his first recording session and over the next few years became one of the leading guitarists in New York nightclubs. He played in lounge acts, including the Ned Harvey Band and the Speedy Garfin Band, before joining a touring version of The Crew-Cuts, where he met his future wife. As Tony and Siegrid, the pair released two singles; the first, "Long Hair," was a regional hit in New York in 1966, but they could not maintain its success. [2]
Visconti then became in-house producer for his publisher, the Richmond Organization. Through this position, in 1968, he met British producer Denny Cordell, who asked him to assist in recordings for successful jazz vocalist Georgie Fame, prompting Visconti to move to London. [2]
One of his first production projects in England was with the British outfit Tyrannosaurus Rex (later to become T. Rex) on their debut album My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968). This began a relationship with T. Rex that would last for their next eight albums and eleven UK Top Ten singles in a row, commencing with "Ride a White Swan" (1970). One of Visconti's greatest successes was Electric Warrior (1971), the album that made T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan a superstar and cemented Visconti's producing prowess.
More early production work included David Bowie's second album (1969) and for the Welsh group The Iveys (later known as Badfinger). He produced several tracks for the Iveys' first LP, Maybe Tomorrow (1969), and Magic Christian Music (1970), released on the Beatles' Apple label.
He produced the first two albums by influential progressive rock band Gentle Giant. Shortly afterwards, Visconti began to work again with Bowie and, along with guitarist Mick Ronson and drummer John Cambridge, formed and toured with the band The Hype, in which he played bass. Although the band name would be very short-lived, most of the line-up persisted and—with Woody Woodmansey replacing Cambridge—would go on to record Bowie's album and single The Man Who Sold the World in 1970. [4] [8] He would further go on to work on Bowie's albums Diamond Dogs (1974), Young Americans (1975), Low (1977), "Heroes" (1977), Lodger (1979), Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980), Heathen (2002), Reality (2003), The Next Day (2013), and his final album, Blackstar (2016). [9]
In late 1970 and early 1971 Visconti produced both the debut and second albums by UK Afrorock pioneers Osibisa. These were 1971’s self titled debut and its follow up Woyaya. Both albums also featured early examples of Roger Dean’s artwork.
Visconti scored the orchestral arrangements for Paul McCartney and Wings' 1973 album Band on the Run . He later produced two albums for the Moody Blues, The Other Side of Life (1986) and Sur La Mer (1988).
In 1990 he produced several tracks on the Moody Blues' Keys of the Kingdom album (1991), Luscious Jackson's Electric Honey , Leisure Noise by Gay Dad, Soul Caddy for Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and Dawn of Ananda for Annie Haslam. In 1997, Visconti produced the debut album of The Stone Roses member John Squire's new band, The Seahorses, entitled Do It Yourself .
He produced and played bass on a handful of tracks from The Dandy Warhols' 2003 album, Welcome to the Monkey House . In 2003 he teamed up with the Finn Brothers (Neil and Tim of Crowded House and Split Enz) to record and produce their second collaborative album, eventually released in 2004. That same year, he produced three songs on the Manic Street Preachers album Lifeblood. In 2005, he collaborated with Copenhagen band Kashmir, whose fifth album, No Balance Palace , featured David Bowie. He has also collaborated as co-writer and producer on an album project by Richard Barone. He worked in Rome and produced the No. 1 UK album by Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors .
His autobiography, Bowie, Bolan and The Brooklyn Boy, co-written with Richard Havers, [10] was published in February 2007 by HarperCollins UK. The book has been translated into French by Jérôme Soligny as Bowie, Bolan et le Gamin de Brooklyn, published by Tournon.
In 2007 and 2008 Visconti was very active in the studio with Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo, producing her Grammy-winning album Djin Djin , which included guest artists Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Joss Stone, Josh Groban, and Carlos Santana. He has also produced two albums at Saint Claire Recording Studio in Lexington, Kentucky: The Bright Lights of America by Pittsburgh punk band Anti-Flag and Alejandro Escovedo's album Real Animal , released in June 2008. He produced the new No. 1 album (in France) by French artist Raphael in Paris and New York. He produced and mixed the Kristeen Young album Music for Strippers, Hookers, and the Odd On-Looker , released in 2009, and arranged the Fall Out Boy album Folie à Deux . 2010 marked the release of Richard Barone's Visconti-produced Glow album, [11] which includes five songs co-written with Barone and a remake of T. Rex's "Girl"; he also played bass, guitar, synth, and Stylophone on the album and performed live in concert with Barone on numerous occasions.
Visconti produced the 2013 David Bowie album The Next Day and remixed and remastered both The Slider anniversary box set and Electric Warrior 40th-anniversary box set by T. Rex. In 2013, he produced Solar Secrets by Capsula. [12]
In 2014 Visconti produced and arranged several tracks on Marc Almond's album The Dancing Marquis . Almond had wanted to work with Visconti since hearing some of Visconti's earliest production work with T-Rex and David Bowie, stating, "It was a dream to work with Tony". [13]
From 2016 to 2022 Visconti was a jury member of the ANCHOR-Award, linked to the Reeperbahn Festival. [14]
In 2018 Visconti produced Evil Spirits for The Damned, their first album in ten years. He also produced, sang, and played recorder on Merrie Land , the second album by The Good, the Bad & the Queen (2018).
In 2019 Visconti produced the song "The Dragon Cries" with Band-Maid vocalists Miku Kobato and Saiki Atsumi. The track was released on Band-Maid's 2019 release Conqueror .
Visconti served as music producer on the 2022 film Moonage Daydream , a documentary about Bowie written, produced, directed, and edited by Brett Morgen. [15] [16]
After divorcing his first wife, Siegrid, Visconti married Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin in 1971; they divorced in 1981. The pair have two children, musicians Jessica Lee Morgan and Morgan Visconti. [17] In 1989 he married his third wife, May Pang; they had two children before they divorced in 2000. [18] Visconti currently lives with his girlfriend of 20 years, musician Kristeen Young. [19]
Visconti played bass on David Bowie's 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World . [20] Since 2015 he has toured the UK, Japan, and the US with the Bowie cover band Holy Holy, playing the album in its entirety and other early Bowie classics, along with the album's original drummer Mick Woodmansey and other well-known musicians, including singer Glenn Gregory and guitarist James Stevenson. The band have followed this up with later shows in which they perform The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album.
In September 2016 Kingston University opened Visconti Studio, a tape-based recording studio in partnership with Visconti, the British Library, and London's Science Museum.
Marc Bolan was an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and poet. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan strongly influenced artists of many genres, including glam rock, punk, post-punk, new wave, indie rock, Britpop and alternative rock. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of T. Rex.
Steve Peregrin Took was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on his own singer-songwriting activities, either as a solo artist or as a frontman for several bands.
Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex, released on 24 September 1971 and their sixth since their 1968 debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band's style, moving away from the folk-oriented sound of the group's previous albums and pioneering a more flamboyant, pop-friendly glam rock style.
The Slider is the seventh studio album by English rock band T. Rex, and the third since abbreviating their name from Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 21 July 1972 by record labels EMI and Reprise. Two number-one singles, "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru", were released to promote the album. Issued at the height of the band's popularity, The Slider received acclaim from critics, reaching number 4 in the UK Albums Chart and number 17 in the US.
"The Prettiest Star" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, originally released on 6 March 1970 through Mercury Records as the follow-up single to "Space Oddity". A love song for his soon-to-be wife Angie, it was recorded in January 1970 at Trident Studios in London and featured Marc Bolan on guitar, who was brought on by producer Tony Visconti. Despite praise from music journalists, the single flopped and failed to chart. Years later, Bowie rerecorded the track for his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. A more glam rock influenced take with lyrics matching themes on the album, Mick Ronson recreated Bolan's guitar part almost note-for-note. The remake was more well-received.
"Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1969 album David Bowie. It was one of the first songs produced by Tony Visconti.
"Black Country Rock" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World. The song was recorded in May 1970, with sessions taking place at Trident and Advision Studios in London. The lineup featured Bowie on lead vocals, guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist/producer Tony Visconti, drummer Mick Woodmansey and Ralph Mace on Moog synthesiser. The track was mostly composed by Ronson and Visconti, who developed it using a basic song sketch from Bowie. Labelled under the working title "Black Country Rock", Bowie used the title to write the lyrics towards the end of the sessions, resulting in a repeated two-line verse and chorus. A blues rock and hard rock number, Bowie imitates T. Rex's Marc Bolan in his vocal performance.
T. Rex is a 1970 album by Marc Bolan's band T. Rex, the first under that name and the fifth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1968. It was released on 18 December by record labels Fly and Reprise. The album continued the shift begun by its predecessor from the band's previous folk style to a minimal rock sound, with an even balance of electric and acoustic material.
Tanx is a 1973 album by rock band T. Rex, the eighth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1968, and the fourth under the moniker T. Rex. It was released on 16 March by record label EMI. Tanx was a musical departure from previous works: still containing tracks in the vein of The Slider, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan showed his interest for soul music, funk and gospel. Female backing singers appeared on a few tracks. New instruments such as mellotron were used, played by producer Tony Visconti, allowing the T. Rex sound to evolve.
Richard Barone is an American rock musician who first gained attention as frontman for the Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and record producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, SXSW, and New York's Central Park. He teaches the course “Music + Revolution” at The New School's School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, has served on the Board of Governors of The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), serves on the Advisory Board of Anthology Film Archives, and hosts the "Folk Radio" show on WBAI New York.
"Ride a White Swan" is a song by English band T. Rex. It was released as a stand-alone single on 9 October 1970 by record label Fly, and was the first single credited under the band's new, shorter name. Like all of the band's songs, it was written by the group's singer, guitarist and founder Marc Bolan. The song was included on the US version of the 1970 album, T. Rex.
Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow is an album by English rock band T. Rex, the ninth since Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut LP. It was released in March 1974 on the T.Rex record label, distributed by EMI. It was the first and only album to be released under the moniker "Marc Bolan & T. Rex".
Fly Records is a British independent record label, established in 1970 by the independent music publisher David Platz, and initially managed by Malcolm Jones from the offices of Essex Music in London.
Paul Cartledge is an English record producer specializing in media based projects including advertising, television, film, radio and digital.
T. Rex were an English rock band formed in London in 1967 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan, who was their leader, frontman and only consistent member. Though initially associated with the psychedelic folk genre, Bolan began to change the band's style towards electric rock in 1969, and shortened their name to T. Rex the following year. This development culminated in 1970 with their first hit single "Ride a White Swan", and the group soon became pioneers of the glam rock movement.
"Teenage Dream" is a 1974 single by Marc Bolan and T. Rex, appeared also on the album Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow.
"Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" is a song by English musician David Bowie released on 17 November 2014 as the lead single from the 2014 compilation album Nothing Has Changed. Co-produced by Bowie and longtime collaborator Tony Visconti, the song originated after the two saw bandleader and composer Maria Schneider perform with her orchestra in May 2014. They began collaborating on Bowie's first major project since The Next Day (2013). Following workshop sessions in mid-June, the track was recorded officially at Avatar Studios in New York on 24 July 2014, with contributions from Schneider's orchestra.
Blackstar is the 26th and final studio album by the English musician David Bowie. Released on 8 January 2016, Bowie's 69th birthday, the album was recorded in secret in New York City with his longtime co-producer Tony Visconti and a group of local jazz musicians: Donny McCaslin, Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre and Mark Guiliana. The album contains re-recorded versions of two songs, "Sue " and "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore", both of which were originally released in 2014.
"Let Me Sleep Beside You" is a song written and recorded by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was recorded on 1 September 1967 at Advision Studios in London and marked the beginning of Bowie's working relationship with producer Tony Visconti, which would last for the rest of Bowie's career. A departure from the pop and music hall-influenced material of Bowie's 1967 self-titled debut album and other singles for Deram Records, the song displays a more rock-oriented sound with a cello arrangement from Visconti. The impressionist lyrics also depart from Bowie's prior works, describing love using the act of sleeping together rather than through emotional attachment. The song was rejected by Deram for release as a single, purportedly due to the risqué title. It remained unreleased until 1970's The World of David Bowie compilation.
"King of the Rumbling Spires" is a single by Tyrannosaurus Rex, released in July 1969. It featured the duo of Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrine Took and was written by Bolan. It was a minor chart hit, the first by the group to contain electric guitar instead of acoustic, and was Took's last appearance with the duo on record.