Norbert Putnam

Last updated
Norbert Putnam
Norbert Putnam.png
Putnam in 2014
Background information
Birth nameNorbert Auvin Putnam
Born (1942-08-10) August 10, 1942 (age 81)
Florence, Alabama, United States
Genres Rock, pop, country
Occupation(s) Record producer, musician

Norbert Auvin Putnam (born August 10, 1942) is an American musician, studio owner and record producer who was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019. [1] [2] [3] [4] He got his start as a bass player in the studio house band in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and from there was recruited to move to Nashville in 1965. He became a successful session player on recordings by artists including Roy Orbison, Al Hirt, Henry Mancini, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, J. J. Cale, Tony Joe White, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Michael Card, Ian & Sylvia and Bobby Goldsboro. [1] Putnam published a memoir in 2017 entitled Music Lessons Vol. 1: a Musical Memoir, in which he chronicled recording sessions with Elvis Presley and other artists. [5]

Contents

He became involved with music publishing in his mid-career and in 1971 built Quadraphonic Studios, a popular Nashville recording studio known as simply "Quad" by locals. Quadraphonic's success was in part because of Putnam's interest and experimentation in the technological details of sound recording. He retired from actively playing sessions in the early 1970s to be a producer. In this role, he is credited with broadening Nashville as a recording center by bringing in non-country acts such as Jimmy Buffett, Joan Baez and Dan Fogelberg.

Early life

Putnam's father played in a family band as a young man and when son Norbert was growing up, an upright bass was in the household. [6] In his mid-teens, Putnam played bass in a band in Florence with other teenagers David Briggs and Jerry Carrigan. The boys were too young to drive then and Carrigan's father drove them to engagements. [5] After a couple of years they were hired by Tom Stafford, Rick Hall and Billy Sherrill to make demo recordings for a publishing company. In doing this, they learned how to work as a team to create arrangements for new songs. Putnam and his bandmates later followed Rick Hall to work at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals and served as the rhythm section for hit records by Arthur Alexander, Tommy Roe and The Tams. [7] The success of these recordings drew the attention of the entire recording industry to the previously unknown and out-of-the way studio. [8] Putnam, Carrigan and Briggs were subsequently recruited by prominent music producers to move to Nashville, about 125 miles north. The three musicians left Muscle Shoals simultaneously to pursue separate careers in Nashville . Their replacements in Muscle Shoals became the second generation of the "Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section" nicknamed "The Swampers". [5]

Career

Putnam's career unfolded in three phases. First, he spent twenty years working recording sessions. Next he became an entrepreneur building music publishing companies and recording studios; the third was producing records by other artists. [5] : VI  As a producer, Putnam was responsible for work on Nashville's non-country music output from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. His credits include works that established the popularity of performers such as Jimmy Buffett, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Michael Card, Brewer & Shipley, Pousette Dart Band, Donovan, John Hiatt, J.J. Cale, the Flying Burrito Brothers, John Stewart and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. He partnered with David Briggs in 1969 to build a new studio called Quadrafonic in Nashville's' Music Row area. [5] : 153  Putnam made technical innovations and newer equipment to improve recording quality and is credited with creating a wave of modernization of many Nashville studios. He laid the groundwork for Nashville's widening appeal in attracting pop/rock artists. Putnam was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. His book, Music Lessons Vol. 1: a Musical Memoir, was published in early 2017. [5]

Personal life

After a long career in Nashville, Putnam moved to Florence, Alabama, near his birthplace. In 2015, Putnam and his wife Sheryl purchased a nineteenth-century mansion there known as "Thimbleton" which they sold in 2019. [9]

On the Elvis recording of "Merry Christmas Baby", Putnam is referenced by Elvis, when he calls "Wake up Putt".

Related Research Articles

Alabama has played a central role in the development of both blues and country music. Appalachian folk music, fiddle music, gospel, spirituals, and polka have had local scenes in parts of Alabama. The Tuskegee Institute's School of Music, especially the Tuskegee Choir, is an internationally renowned institution. There are three major modern orchestras, the Mobile Symphony, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra; the last is the oldest continuously operating professional orchestra in the state, giving its first performance in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Fogelberg</span> American singer (1951–2007)

Daniel Grayling Fogelberg was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is primarily known for his 1980s soft rock hits, including "Longer" (1980), "Same Old Lang Syne" (1981), and "Leader of the Band" (1982).

<i>Home Free</i> (Dan Fogelberg album) 1972 studio album by Dan Fogelberg

Home Free is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1972. Upon its original release, Home Free had lukewarm success, but following a later reissue, it was certified platinum by the RIAA for certified sales of 1,000,000 copies.

<i>Phoenix</i> (Dan Fogelberg album) 1979 studio album by Dan Fogelberg

Phoenix is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1979. It was produced primarily by Fogelberg and Norbert Putnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie McCoy</span> American musician

Charlie McCoy, is an American harmonica virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist in country music. He is best known for his harmonica solos on iconic recordings such as Candy Man, He Stopped Loving Her Today, I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool, and others. He was a member of the progressive country rock bands Area Code 615 and Barefoot Jerry. After recording with Bob Dylan in New York, McCoy is credited for unknowingly influencing Dylan to decide to come to Nashville to record the critically acclaimed 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde".

<i>Elvis Country (Im 10,000 Years Old)</i> 1971 studio album by Elvis Presley

Elvis Country is the 13th studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records in January 1971. Recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, it reached number 12 on the Billboard 200. It peaked at number six in the United Kingdom, selling over one million copies worldwide. It was certified Gold on December 1, 1977, by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>He Touched Me</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Elvis Presley

He Touched Me is the 17th studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in April 1972. A contemporary gospel music album, it earned him his second of three Grammy Awards. The album was his third and final studio gospel album, and the most contemporary of the three. He Touched Me was certified Gold on March 27, 1992 and Platinum on July 15, 1999 by the RIAA.

Area Code 615 was an American progressive country rock band from Nashville, active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, taking their name from the telephone area code, which at the time covered all of Central and Eastern Tennessee. The band was made up of session musicians, recording only two albums before resuming normal session work. Several of the members were backing musicians for Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde and Nashville Skyline albums plus recordings by Billy Swan and The Monkees. They also backed Linda Ronstadt on her Silk Purse album.

The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is a group of American session musicians based in the northern Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. One of the most prominent American studio house bands from the 1960s to the 1980s, these musicians, individually or as a group, have been associated with more than 500 recordings, including 75 gold and platinum hits. They were masters at creating a southern combination of R&B, soul and country music known as the "Muscle Shoals sound" to back up black artists, who were often in disbelief to learn that the studio musicians were white. Over the years from 1962 to 1969, there have been two successive groups under the name "Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section" and the common factor in the two was an association with Rick Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muscle Shoals Sound Studio</span> Recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is an American recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama, formed in 1969 by four session musicians known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They had left nearby FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to create their own recording facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FAME Studios</span> Historic site in Muscle Shoals, Alabama

FAME Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording locations of the American music industry, FAME has produced many hit records and was instrumental in what came to be known as the Muscle Shoals sound. It was started in the 1950s by Rick Hall, known as the Founder of Muscle Shoals Music. The studio, owned by Hall until his death in 2018, is still actively operating. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on December 15, 1997, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The 2013 award-winning documentary Muscle Shoals features Rick Hall, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and the Muscle Shoals sound originally popularized by FAME.

David Paul Briggs is an American keyboardist, record producer, arranger, composer, and studio owner. Briggs is one of an elite core of Nashville studio musicians known as "the Nashville Cats" and has been featured in a major exhibition by the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. He played his first recording session at the age of 14 and has gone on to add keyboards to a plethora of pop, rock, and country artists, as well as recording hundreds of corporate commercials.

Jerry Kirby Carrigan was an American drummer and record producer. Early in his career he was a member of the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and later worked as a session musician in Nashville for over three decades. His style of drumming with a loose, deep-sounding snare drum melded country music with an R&B feel and helped develop a Nashville sound known as "Countrypolitan". His drumming is heard on many recordings which have become classics, some listed below. He recorded with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Stevens, Kenny Rogers, George Jones and many others. He recorded with non-country artists as well, including Henry Mancini, Al Hirt, Johnny Mathis, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In 2009 he was inducted into the "Nashville Cats", a cadre of top recording musicians chosen by the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2010 he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Carrigan was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019.

Donald Ray Fritts was an American session musician and songwriter. A recording artist in his own right, he was Kris Kristofferson's keyboardist for over forty years. In 2008, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Hall</span> American record producer

Roe Erister "Rick" Hall was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who became known as the owner of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. As the "Father of Muscle Shoals Music", he was influential in recording and promoting both country and soul music, and in helping develop the careers of such musicians as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Duane Allman and Etta James.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Hughes (singer)</span> American former rhythm and blues singer (born 1938)

Jimmy J. Hughes is an American former rhythm and blues singer, whose biggest successes in the mid-1960s, notably his hit "Steal Away", were important in the early development of the Muscle Shoals music industry.

Quad Studios Nashville was a four-studio recording facility established as Quadrafonic Sound Studio in 1971 on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, US. The studio was the location of numerous notable recording sessions, including Neil Young's Harvest, Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville", Joan Baez' "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and Dobie Gray's "Drift Away". The studio's location has been the home of Sienna Recording Studios since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum</span> Hall of Fame and Museum in Tennessee , United States

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (MHOF) in Nashville honors all musicians regardless of genre or instrument. The MHOF timeline starts with the beginning of recorded music and inductees are nominated by current members of the American Federation of Musicians and by other music industry professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Ogdin</span> American musician

Robert Ford Ogdin is a Nashville-based recording session pianist. He is best known as a member of Elvis Presley's TCB band. He performed on 20 of Presley's recordings and accompanied him on 45 live shows until Presley's death in 1977. Ogdin's piano playing was synchronized with archival footage of Presley's vocal performance on "Unchained Melody" in the 2022 motion picture, Elvis directed by Baz Luhrman. Ogdin's experiences during the Presley tours have been chronicled in a four-part series of video interviews by Billy Stallings.

"Steal Away" is a 1964 R&B hit and Top 40 crossover song written and recorded by Jimmy Hughes. It was the first single recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly, Neil (11 September 2013). "For Ol' Times Sake: An Interview with Norbert Putnam About Elvis". PopMatters .
  2. ↑ Rick Clark."Norbert Putnam." Archived 2007-12-19 at the Wayback Machine MixOnline.com. 1 November 2000. Accessed 1 October 2007.
  3. ↑ Dan Daley. "Producer: Norbert Putnam – The Other Side Of Nashville." SoundOnSound.com. September 2003. Accessed 1 October 2007.
  4. ↑ Robert McFarland, Jr. "Norbert Putnam." Archived 2008-02-17 at the Wayback Machine Delta Business Journal. November 2004. Accessed 1 October 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Putnam, Norbert (2017). Music lessons : a musical memoir. Vol. 1. Nashville: Thimbleton House Media. ISBN   978-1-61850-090-8.
  6. ↑ Del Fiorentino, Dan (July 11, 2013). "NAMM Oral History Program/Norbert Putnam Interview/2013". namm.org. National Association of Music Merchants. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Nashville Musician Interview: Norbert Putnam". Yumpu.com. The Nashville Musician: The Official Quarterly Journal of the Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257. July 1, 2011. p. 15. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ Lewis, Randy (January 2, 2018). "Rick Hall, the father of the Muscle Shoals sound, dies at 85". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  9. ↑ Schwartz, Seth (September 24, 2021). "An Alabama Couple Returns to Hometown Splendor". Vol. 278, no. 72. The Wall Street Journal. p. M–1 (Mansion).
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.