Remembering Roy Thomas Baker
The acclaimed producer was a master of the eccentric and eclectic
Although by nature, producers are relegated to serve behind the scenes, there have been those who, over the course of rock ‘n’ roll history, had such a decided influence that they become singular stars in their own right.
George Martin, Rick Rubin, Phil Spector, Quincy Jones and Gus Dudgeon come immediately to mind. So too, Roy Thomas Baker, who died on April 12, was one of those particular musical masterminds who made a decided impact on every album that had him overseeing the proceedings from behind the boards. Uniquely gifted, he would steer the sessions with his own unique touch, one that seemed essentially English given his disciplined approach and a visage that might otherwise have befitted that of a hip British barrister.
In fact, his input and technique consistently benefitted the clients that he produced, and in practically every case, took the music far beyond any initial composition. His work on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of the most ingenious and complex offerings in the entirety of rock’s realms, would have been enough to ensure his legacy had he simply stopped there, but in fact, his resume extends well beyond. His list of credits includes some of the most iconic names of the past 50 years, among them, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, The Cars, the Rolling Stones, Nazareth, Santana. Foreigner, The Who, Free, T Rex, Frank Zappa, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N Roses, Journey, Smashing Pumpkins, Simply Red, Yes and Cheap Trick.
Indeed, Baker’s roster could provide decided competition for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in terms of membership and mentions. He worked with Bowie early on when the singer operated under the guise of Arnold Corns. He was at the helm for Free’s breakthrough hit “All Right Now” and he helped propel the status of Cheap Trick courtesy of their album One On One.
VIDEO: Free perform “All Right Now”
Baker’s career got underway at the tender age of 14 when he went to work at London’s Decca Records before getting a gig as an assistant engineer at Morgan Studios and then later at Trident Studios, located in Soho. He had the opportunity to collaborate with any number of major stars during his tenure there — among them, the Stones, The Mothers of Invention, Bowie, Jet, Free and Be Bop Deluxe. While there, he co-founded Neptune Records, Trident’s in-house record label. It was there that he met Queen, working with them over the course of five albums and the recording of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” garnering some 21 Grammy Awards and mention in the Guinness Book of World Records to boot.
Queen drummer Roger Taylor would later remark, “I think he brought a certain amount of discipline and a lot of cynicism and a passion for fattening desserts. He liked his food, Roy. He was very disciplined and very strict in the beginning . . . he would always get it right. The take had to be right.”
In a 1999 interview with Mix magazine, Baker himself said of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” sessions, “They were totally insane, but we enjoyed every minute of it. It was basically a joke, but a successful joke.”
The powers that be took notice and he was eventually offered a multi-artist production deal with CBS Music. After signing with CBS, Baker relocated to the U.S. and made New York and London the centers of his RTB Audio Visual Productions company. Ian Hunter, Journey, Starcastle and Ron Wood were among his initial charges. Nevertheless, he continued to take outside assignments. He was invited to scout out The Cars when they were an unknown entity performing at a Boston high school gymnasium. Notably impressed, he agreed to produce their initial albums for Elektra Records. Their combined efforts culminated in sales that were certified platinum as well as a Grammy nomination.
“Roy taught me a lot about handling band personalities,” the band’s late singer-songwriter Ric Ocasek told writer A.D. Amorosi in 2016. “He was an electronics whiz, a sound guy with a classical background for mic-ing the room’s sound. He got harmony. And he took things in stride. He was a very upbeat, elegant man. Spontaneous, too.”
VIDEO: The Cars “Just What I Needed”
It was hardly surprising then that he was then offered the post of Senior Vice President of Artists and Repertoire for Elektra, allowing him to subsequently signed Metallica, Simply Red, Yello. Peter Schilling and 10,000 Maniacs tot he label.
Still, it was his success as a producer that brought him continued kudos. He produced two of Journey’s best-selling efforts, Infinity and Evolution, and helped bring Foreigner their initial claim to fame courtesy of their top five hit album Head Games. Though little known in the U.S. his oversight of T’Pau’s album Bridge of Spies found the band topping the UK charts while spawning a number of hit singles.
Experimentation and innovation remained a constant throughout Baker’s career, so it was little surprise that he often chose to work with artists that were on the outer fringe. He produced Ozzy Osbourne’s 1988 classic No Rest for the Wicked, as well as Mötley Crüe’s 1981 debut Too Fast for Love, earning him a reputation as a distinctive heavy metal maven. Yet, he also respected those insurgent alternative types as well. His production of Smashing Pumpkins’ Zeitgeist resulted in a top 5 hit album in both the U.S. and the U.K. He also produced the critically acclaimed album Pack Up the Cats for the band Local H. It was reported that the band had been listening to classic rock while its songs were being written and they were drawn to Baker because they envisions a sweeping sound that wasn’t overly polished.
Other notable examples of his insurgent attitude included Devo’s Oh, No! It’s Devo, Slade’s You Boyz Make Big Noize, two albums by the Stranglers — 10 and All Twelve Inches. Notably too, he produced three of the best film soundtracks of the alternative era, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Heavy Metal and Wayne’s World.
Baker’s final album was Yes’ 2014 record Heaven & Hell, a follow-up to an album titled Golden Sessions, which Baker and the band collaborated on decades before but never released, and a collaboration with Yes’ Jon Anderson courtesy of his solo outing 3 Ships.
Roy Thomas Baker died at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona at age 78.
VIDEO: Justin Hawkins remembers Roy Thomas Baker
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