Jon Landau

Last updated

Jon Landau
Born (1947-05-14) May 14, 1947 (age 76)
New York City, United States
Occupation(s)Record producer, music critic
Spouse(s) Janet Maslin
Barbara Downey
Children2

Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) [1] is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen in all three capacities. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, [2] and received that institution's Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2020. [3]

Contents

Early life

Born in New York City, Landau grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and then in Queens before his family moved to the Boston suburb of Lexington, Massachusetts when he was 12. [4] He attended Lexington High School and then Brandeis University, where he earned a degree in history with honors. [5]

Aligning himself with the growing underground culture of late-1960s Boston, Landau carved out a niche while writing for the music magazine Crawdaddy . A failed performer yet a passionate, devoted fan, Landau championed the straightforward rock and roll that he loved, and wrote scathing reviews of what he saw as the overblown, pretentious San Francisco scene. [6]

As a critic, Landau wrote for Rolling Stone from its first issue and for other publications. In Volume 1, Number 1 of Rolling Stone, published on November 9, 1967, [7] Landau compared Jimi Hendrix and his debut album, Are You Experienced , to Eric Clapton and Cream's debut album, Fresh Cream (both released months before, and both Hendrix and Cream having made huge American splashes as live performers that summer). The next few issues saw Landau staking out more traditional R&B and soul territory with profiles of Aretha Franklin, [8] and Sam and Dave, [9] plus a posthumous Otis Redding appreciation.

Bruce Springsteen connection

Landau's 1974 article in The Real Paper , [1] wherein he claimed, "I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen!," is credited by Nick Hornby [10] with fostering Springsteen's popularity. Landau was then hired by Springsteen, and is cited as co-producer on Springsteen studio records from 1975's Born to Run through 1992's Human Touch and Lucky Town . Landau is considered to have influenced Springsteen artistically [11] as well as professionally.

In January 2024, it was announced that a film based on the making of Springsteen's 1982 album Nebraska was being made with Springsteen and Landau involved along with Scott Cooper serving as the director and writer. [12] The film, which will be titled Deliver Me from Nowhere and will be based on the 2023 book written by Warren Zanes, will be produced by former Netflix FIlms chairman Scott Stuber for A24. Actor Jeremy Allen White is being considered for the role of Springsteen [13] and Jeremy Strong is in talks to play Landau. [14]

Other music projects

Other artists that Landau has managed or produced include MC5, Livingston Taylor, Jackson Browne, Natalie Merchant, Alejandro Escovedo, [15] Train, [16] and Shania Twain.

Landau has been responsible for the liner notes for The Atlantic Albums Collection by Aretha Franklin (2015), Soul Manifesto: 1964-1970 by Otis Redding (2015), and The Complete Atlantic Albums Collection by Wilson Pickett (2017).

Personal life

Landau was once married to The New York Times film critic (and later book reviewer) Janet Maslin. He later married Barbara Downey, a former Rolling Stone editor. They have two children, Kate, also an artist manager, and Charles. Landau and his wife own an art collection that includes work by Titian, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Donatello, Ghiberti, Géricault, Delacroix, and Corot. He also owns one of the largest private collections of Courbet. With the exception of his family and his work, the collection, featuring Italian painting and sculpture of the 13th through 17th centuries and mid-19th-century French romantic realist painting, is reportedly Jon's greatest interest in life. [17]

In 2011, Landau had a growth in his brain surgically removed. The surgery resulted in the loss of sight in one eye. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Clapton</span> English guitarist, singer, and songwriter (born 1945)

Eric Patrick Clapton is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. He ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". In 2023, Rolling Stone named Clapton the 35th best guitarist of all time. He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream (band)</span> 1960s British rock supergroup

Cream were a British rock band formed in London in 1966. The group consisted of bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. Bruce was the primary songwriter and vocalist, although Clapton and Baker contributed to songs. Formed by members of previously successful bands, they are widely considered the first supergroup. Cream were highly regarded for the instrumental proficiency of each of their members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</span> Music museum in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures and personnel who have influenced its development.

<i>Born in the U.S.A.</i> 1984 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded with the E Street Band and producers Chuck Plotkin and Jon Landau over the course of several years, while Springsteen was also working on his previously released album, Nebraska (1982). It features tighter songs with a brighter, more pop-influenced sound than Springsteen's previous albums, and prominent synthesizer, while its lyrics explore themes of working-class struggles, disillusionment, patriotism, and personal relationships. The cover features a photograph of Springsteen from behind, taken by Annie Leibovitz; it has since become one of the musician's most iconic images.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Bruce</span> Scottish musician (1943–2014)

John Symon Asher Bruce was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of rock band Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played with several bands.

<i>Darkness on the Edge of Town</i> 1978 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded after a series of legal disputes between Springsteen and his former manager Mike Appel, during sessions in New York City with the E Street Band from June 1977 to March 1978. Springsteen and Jon Landau co-produced, with assistance from bandmate Steven Van Zandt.

<i>Born to Run</i> 1975 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Born to Run is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Springsteen co-produced the album with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau. The album was recorded in New York and designed to break him into the mainstream following the relative commercial failures of his first two albums. Springsteen sought to emulate Phil Spector's dense, crisp, and energetic yet difficult to achieve Wall of Sound production, leading to prolonged and grueling sessions with the E Street Band lasting from January 1974 to July 1975. The band and producers spent six months alone on the title track, "Born to Run".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny B. Goode</span> 1958 single by Chuck Berry

"Johnny B. Goode" is a song by American musician Chuck Berry, written and sung by Berry in 1958. Released as a single in 1958, it peaked at number two on the Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its pre-Hot 100 chart. The song remains a staple of rock music.

Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is seen as responses to the perceived excesses of the dominant psychedelic and the developing progressive rock. Because roots music (Americana) is often used to mean folk and world musical forms, roots rock is sometimes used in a broad sense to describe any rock music that incorporates elements of this music. In the 1980s, roots rock enjoyed a revival in response to trends in punk rock, new wave, and heavy metal music.

"Thunder Road" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It is the opening track on his breakthrough album Born to Run. While never released as a single, "Thunder Road" is nevertheless considered one of Springsteen's greatest songs and one of the top rock songs in history. It is ranked number 111 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine of Your Love</span> Song first recorded by Cream in 1967

"Sunshine of Your Love" is a 1967 song by the British rock band Cream. With elements of hard rock and psychedelia, it is one of Cream's best known and most popular songs. Cream bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce based it on a distinctive bass riff he developed after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Guitarist Eric Clapton and lyricist Pete Brown later contributed to the song and drummer Ginger Baker plays a distinctive tom-tom drum rhythm.

Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Marsh</span> American music critic

Dave Marsh is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on rock music. He is also a committee member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dirty Mac</span> 1968 supergroup

The Dirty Mac was John Lennon's temporary supergroup organised in December 1968 that featured Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell and himself. The band assembled for a one-off performance on the Rolling Stones' TV special titled The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The Dirty Mac played Lennon's Beatles composition "Yer Blues" and "Whole Lotta Yoko", an extended blues improvisation in which they were joined by Lennon's then-girlfriend Yoko Ono and violinist Ivry Gitlis. The TV special, which included appearances by the Rolling Stones, the Who and Jethro Tull, among others, did not air as originally planned and was not released officially until October 1996.

<i>The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus</i> (album) 1996 album

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is the fifth release of the Rolling Stones music by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. Released in 1996, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a live album that captures the taping of their ill-fated 1968 TV special, which was not broadcast until almost three decades later.

David Sancious is an American musician. He was an early member of Bruce Springsteen's backing group, the E Street Band, and contributed to the first three Springsteen albums, and again on Human Touch (1992), Tracks (1998), and Western Stars (2019). Sancious is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known as a keyboard player and guitarist. He left the E Street Band in 1974 to form his own band, Tone, and released several albums. He subsequently became a popular session and touring musician, most notably for Stanley Clarke, Narada Michael Walden, Zucchero Fornaciari, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Jack Bruce, and Sting among many others. In 2014, Sancious was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Bell (singer)</span> American soul singer and songwriter

William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably best known for his debut single, 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water"; 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".

<i>Rolling Stone</i><span class="nowrap" style="padding-left:0.1em;"></span>s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time List of greatest songs of all time

"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in a special issue of the magazine, issue number 963, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2010, Rolling Stone published a revised edition, drawing on the original and a later survey of songs released up until the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low Cut Connie</span> Musical artist

Low Cut Connie is an American rock and roll band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Low Cut Connie has become the alter ego for frontman, pianist, and songwriter Adam Weiner, who has been the band's only constant member since its formation. Beginning as an impromptu recording session in 2010, Low Cut Connie gradually evolved into a vehicle for Weiner's songwriting and his onstage persona. The band has earned praise for its high-energy live performances, which Los Angeles Weekly described as "unmatched in all of rock right now." NPR Music described Weiner as “masterfully fluent in the foundational languages of Western pop.” Low Cut Connie has also gained notoriety for attracting high-profile endorsements such as a surprise inclusion on Barack Obama’s Spotify Summer Playlist in 2015, and a personal association with Elton John, who has called the band one of his favorites. Drummer/bassist Jarae Lewis joined in 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 Landau, Jon (May 22, 1974). "Growing Young With Rock and Roll". The Real Paper via TheBoots.net. Archived from the original on February 2, 2003. Retrieved October 23, 2012. Writing ahead of a weekly newspaper's May 22, 1974 publication date: "I'm 27 today...."
  2. ↑ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee | Future Rock Legends". Futurerocklegends.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Jon Landau | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". Rockhall.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. ↑ Strauss, Valerie (November 11, 2014). "The education of Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen's legendary manager". The Washington Post.
  5. ↑ Metcalf, Stephen (May 2005). "Faux Americana: Why I still love Bruce Springsteen". Slate.
  6. ↑ Kurutz, Steve. "Artist Biography - Jon Landau". AllMusic. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Hendrix and Clapton, p. 18.
  8. ↑ Rolling Stone, 1967.11.23, vol. 1, no.2, "Aretha," p. 16
  9. ↑ Rolling Stone, 1968.01.20, vol. 1, no. 4.
  10. ↑ Hornby, Nick (May 21, 2004). "Rock of Ages". The New York Times . Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  11. ↑ Metcalf, Stephen. "Faux Americana: Why I still love Bruce Springsteen". Slate . Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Developing Nebraska Feature Film: Report". consequence.net. January 13, 2024. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ Fleming Jr., Mike (March 26, 2024). "Scott Stuber Sets First Post-Netflix Film: Bruce Springsteen & 'Nebraska'; Scott Cooper Directing, Jeremy Allen White Circling Along With A24; Ellen Goldsmith-Vein & Eric Robinson Producing: The Dish". Deadline . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ Malkin, Marc (May 8, 2024). "Jeremy Strong in Talks to Play Bruce Springsteen's Manager Jon Landau in 'Nebraska' Movie Starring Jeremy Allen White (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Reuters Review of Escovedo's new album Real Animal". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Jon Landau | HuffPost". Huffpost.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  17. ↑ ArtNews, "Barbara and Jon Landau," 2022.
  18. ↑ Remnick, David. The New Yorker, "We Are Alive," July 30, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.