Tony Visconti
with Kristeen Young, London 2003
Background information
Born	24 April 1944 (1944-04-24) (age 63)
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, USA
Occupation(s)	Record Producer, Arranger
Instrument(s)	Bass guitar
Years active	1967 – Present
Associated acts	David Bowie T. Rex Moody Blues Kristeen Young Morrissey
Website	http://www.tonyvisconti.com

Anthony Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kristeen Young (born on 18 November 1975) is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter and keyboardist from St. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... “NY” redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... In music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, or using a pick. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Binomial name Tyrannosaurus rex Osborn, 1905 For the rock group Tyrannosaurus Rex, see T. Rex (band). ... The Moody Blues were originally a British rhythm and blues-based band; they later became best known for psychedelic music and early progressive rock. ... Kristeen Young (born on 18 November 1975) is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter and keyboardist from St. ... Steven Patrick Morrissey (born May 22, 1959) is an English singer and songwriter from Davyhulme, near Manchester. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ...

Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of notable performers, including the Moody Blues, as well as T. Rex, Thin Lizzy, Ralph McTell, Sparks, Gentle Giant, Boomtown Rats, Hazel O'Connor, Adam Ant, The Stranglers, Richard Barone, Manic Street Preachers, Kristeen Young and most recently Morrissey. His lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969's album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti has produced and occasionally performed on many of Bowie's albums The Moody Blues were originally a British rhythm and blues-based band; they later became best known for psychedelic music and early progressive rock. ... T. Rex (originally known as Tyrannosaurus Rex, also occasionally spelled T Rex or T-Rex), were an English rock band fronted by Marc Bolan. ... Thin Lizzy are a hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. ... Ralph McTell (born Ralph May in Farnborough, England, 3 December 1944) is an English singer/songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk scene since the 1960s. ... Sparks is an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Boomtown Rats The Boomtown Rats (1975-1985) were a punk rock/new wave group headed by Bob Geldof, who was later known for organizing charity rock concerts such as Band Aid (intended to help famine victims in Ethiopia), Live Aid, Live 8, and Hands Across America (intended to help... Hazel OConnor (born 16 May 1955 in Coventry, England) is a British singer and actress. ... For similar terms like Adam Adamant, Atom Ant, adamant, adamantium, etc, see Adamant (disambiguation). ... The Stranglers are an English rock music group, formed on September 11, 1974 in Guildford, Surrey. ... Richard Barone is a musician, formerly the vocalist and leader in the New Jersey band The Bongos. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Kristeen Young (born on 18 November 1975) is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter and keyboardist from St. ... Steven Patrick Morrissey (born May 22, 1959) is an English singer and songwriter from Davyhulme, near Manchester. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Space Oddity is an album by rock musician David Bowie, released 1969. ... Reality is an album by David Bowie, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music). ...

Early life

Visconti was born in Brooklyn, New York, and his father, a music enthusiast, taught Visconti to play the ukulele when he was five years old. He attended New Utrecht High School. 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 'n' roll-oriented guitar. Such a versatile range of musical styles was finally abandoned by the age of 15, when he focussed his efforts on a rock band named Ricardo and the Latineers. For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... The ukulele (Hawaiian: , IPA pronunciation: ; Anglicised pronunciation usually IPA: ), sometimes spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or uke, is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four strings or four courses of strings. ... New Useless High School is a coeducational public high school in Brooklyn, New York City, serving approximately 3250 pupils. ... A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ... The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched of brass instruments. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ...

During the next few years of his life, he was involved with a number of soft-rock and lounge acts, playing both the bass and electric guitar. With his then-wife Siegrid, he attempted a career as pop duo Tony and Siegrid. Under this name, their first single "Long Hair" was a minor regional hit in New York City in late 1966, peaking at #33 on local top 40 station WMCA. [1] However, this was to be the peak level of success for the duo, as no further singles charted.

After this failure to become a commercially successful pop singer, Visconti became in-house producer for his publisher, the Richmond Organization.

Production

Visconti's big break came with a chance meeting with British producer Denny Cordell in 1968 while he was still working as Richmond's in-house producer. Cordell asked him to assist in recordings for successful jazz vocalist Georgie Fame. Visconti moved to London - in a move that would soon become permanent. He was to live there for most of the next 30 years and it would prove to be the city in which his career would finally flourish. Denny Cordell (*1943 in Buenos Aires, Argentine, † February 18, 1995 in Dublin, Ireland) was a British record producer and horseracer. ... Georgie Fame is a British R&B singer whose real name is Clive Powell. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

One of his first production projects in England with was the Welsh group The Iveys (later known as Badfinger). He produced several tracks for the band's first LP Maybe Tomorrow, released on The Beatles' Apple label. The title track from this album was released as a single and reached #67 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1968. More early production work on the album Prophets, Seers & Sages – The Angels of the Ages for the British outfit T-Rex was to be of critical importance in kick-starting his influential career. It was to begin a relationship with T-Rex that would last for their next seven albums, and through this Visconti would also strike up a friendship with David Bowie. One of Visconti's greatest successes was "Electric Warrior", the album that made T. Rex frontman and mastermind Marc Bolan a superstar and cemented Visconti's producing credentials. Initially, Visconti and Bowie, along with guitarist Mick Ronson and drummer John Cambridge, formed and toured with the band Hype in which he played bass. Although the band name would be very short-lived, the line-up persisted and would go on to record the seminal album and single "The Man Who Sold the World" in 1970. He would further go on to work on the albums Diamond Dogs (1974), Young Americans (1975), "Heroes" (1977), Low (1977), Lodger (1979) and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980). Image File history File links Man_who_sold. ... Badfinger were a rock/pop band formed in Swansea, Wales in 1965, and one of the earliest representatives of the power pop genre. ... Maybe Tomorrow was the first album by The Iveys (who later called themselves Badfinger). ... Prophets, Seers & Sages – The Angels of the Ages is the second album by Tyrannosaurus Rex, comprising Marc Bolan (vocals, guitar) and Steve Peregrin Took (bongos, African drums, kazoo, pixiephone, Chinese gong). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, or using a pick. ... The Man Who Sold the World is a song by David Bowie. ... Diamond Dogs is a concept album by David Bowie, originally released by RCA in 1974. ... Young Americans is an album by David Bowie released in 1975. ... Heroes (the quote marks are part of the title) is an album by David Bowie, released in 1977. ... Low is a 1977 album by David Bowie, widely regarded as one of his most influential releases. ... Lodger is a 1979 album by David Bowie. ... Original LP back cover Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) is an album by David Bowie, released in September 1980 by RCA Records. ...

Visconti would produce two full albums for the Moody Blues, "The Other Side of Life" (1986), and "Sur La Mer" (1988). In 1987, Visconti, together with Moodies' lead vocalist Justin Hayward, supplied incidental music for the BBC2 science fiction series Star Cops. The Moody Blues were originally a British rhythm and blues-based band; they later became best known for psychedelic music and early progressive rock. ... The Other Side of Life is a 1986 album by rock band, The Moody Blues. ... Sur La Mer is an album released by The Moody Blues in 1988. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Star Cops was a science fiction television series shown on BBC2 in 1987. ...

In the 1980s Tony completed the Exegesis Programme Large Group Awareness Training course (as, incidentally, did Justin Hayward). Tony acted as an assistant trainer on some of the subsequent courses, and for a time lived with Kim Coe, one of the Exegesis Group Leaders, in Harley House, Euston Road, London. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

By the end of the 1980s, Visconti's consistent involvement with top artists had diminished, but despite this he continued to work with many newly formed outfits. In 1990 he produced and wrote the arrangements for the debut album from NYC band Electric Angels. He produced several tracks on the Moodies "Keys of the Kingdom" album (1991), the 'Electric Honey' album for Luscious Jackson, Leisure Noise by Gay Dad, Soul Caddy for Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Dawn of Ananda for Annie Haslam and Moonchild for Debbie Gibson. In 1997 Visconti produced the debut album of former Stone Roses member John Squire's new band, The Seahorses. The album, Do It Yourself was a moderate success. In the 2000s Visconti renewed his association with David Bowie, producing the albums Heathen in 2002, and Reality in 2003. These two albums hark back to his Berlin production work with Bowie and for many contain the best of Bowie's later work. A list of the best known albums with which he has been associated is available from his official website. Electric Angels were a glam rock band featuring singer Shane, guitarist Ryan Roxie, bassist/songwriter Jonathan Daniel, and drummer John Schubert. ... Keys Of The Kingdom is an album released by the rock band The Moody Blues in 1991. ... Luscious Jackson is an all-woman band formed in 1991 in New York City named for a basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers (Lucious Brown Luke Jackson). ... The Walking Man logo designed by Peter Saville for the cover of Leisure Noise Gay Dad were one of the last UK Brit rock bands to be launched in the late 1990s. ... Soul Caddy is the third studio album by the American band Cherry Poppin Daddies, released in 2000. ... Cherry Poppin Daddies Cherry Poppin Daddies is an American band formed in 1989 in Eugene, Oregon. ... Annie Haslam (born in 1944, in Bolton, Lancashire) is an English progressive rock vocalist and songwriter. ... Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer who was, along with Tiffany in the late 1980s, a very popular teen idol who appeared on the cover of teen magazines such as Tiger Beat multiple times. ... The classic line-up at the time of Spike Island The Stone Roses were one of the most influential bands to come out of Britain during the late 1980s and early 90s. ... John Squire (born John Thomas Squire on 24th November, 1962) is an English songwriter, guitarist and artist. ... The Seahorses were an English band, best known as the post-Stone Roses project of guitarist John Squire. ... Do it Yourself is the debut album by short-lived English band The Seahorses, the group formed by ex-Stone Roses guitarist John Squire. ... Heathen is an album by the British singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 2002. ... Reality is an album by David Bowie, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music). ...

Since the end of his marriage to Siegrid, Visconti married and divorced a further two times. From 1971 to 1981 he was married to Mary Hopkin, and they had two children, Morgan and Jessica. For a time in the mid-80s lived with Kim Coe, one of the Exegesis Programme Group Leaders, in Harley House, Euston Road, London. He was then married to May Pang from 1989 to 2000, with whom he also had two children, Sebastian and Lara. Mary Hopkin Mary Hopkin (May 3, 1950 - July 1, 2007) is a Welsh pop singer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

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 the forthcoming new album project by Richard Barone. He worked in Rome on the 2006 Morrissey album Ringleader of the Tormentors. His autobiography, "Bowie, Bolan and The Brooklyn Boy", was published in February 2007 by Harper Collins UK. It is going to be relased in hardback in the United States in Fall 2007. ^[1] For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ... Kashmir is a Danish rock band consisting of Kasper Eistrup (vocals and lead guitar); Mads Tunebjerg (bass); Asger Techau (drums) and Henrik Lindstrand (keyboards and guitar). ... No Balance Palace is the fifth album by the danish band Kashmir. ... Richard Barone is a musician, formerly the vocalist and leader in the New Jersey band The Bongos. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... Ringleader of the Tormentors is the title of Morrisseys most recent album, which debuted at number one in the UK album charts and number twenty-seven in the US. Billboard magazine described the album as showcasing a thicker, more rock-driven sound[1]; Morrissey attributes this change in sound...

After time off from producing for much of 2007, Visconti is back at work firstly with Pittsburg punk band Anti-Flag and later with Liverpudlians The Zutons. These mark the first recordings since Visconti moved out of his studio at Looking Glass, preferring not to be tied down by the traditional studio which he sees as becoming more a thing of the past.^[2] The first project will take place in Lexington, KY and the latter at Allaire Studios in upstate New York. Anti-Flag is an American political punk band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, consisting of four members: Justin Sane (lead guitar, lead vocals), Chris #2 (bass, vocals), Chris Head (backup guitar, backup vocals), and Pat Thetic (drums). ... The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. ...

Literature

• Tony Visconti - The Autobiography: Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy, Harper Collins, 2007, ISBN-10 0007229445, ISBN-13 978-0007229444

References

See also

• List of record producers
• Tony Visconti produced albums

This is a list of record producers: Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A Mark Abramson producer for Judy Collins, Love, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. ... Pages in category Tony Visconti produced albums There are 29 pages in this section of this category. ...

External links

• Tony Visconti's official website
• Tony Visconti's MySpace