Remembering Sir George Martin, 1926-2016: Producer Way Beyond Compare

BY MIKE METTLER – UPDATED JUNE 14, 2016 / ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 10, 2016

Sir George Martin passed away at the age of 90 in Wiltshire, England on March 8, 2016. Best known for his indelible, enduring, and daringly innovative studio work with The Beatles from 1962–70, Martin also produced a wide swath of artists including […]

By |June 14th, 2016|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Remembering Sir George Martin, 1926-2016: Producer Way Beyond Compare

Sweet Sonic Dream Mixes Are Made of Dave Stewart

BY MIKE METTLER — FEBRUARY 10, 2016

He’s a man who’s been everywhere and done it with everyone, and lived to tell the tales. He’s Dave Stewart, the production wizard best known for his indelible partnership with Annie Lennox in the uber-popular ’80s electronic duo Eurythmics. His new memoir, Sweet Dreams Are Made of This – […]

By |February 10th, 2016|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Sweet Sonic Dream Mixes Are Made of Dave Stewart

Dave Edmunds Provides More Than Just a Few Seconds of Pleasure With His All-Instrumental Rags & Classics

BY MIKE METTLER — JULY 15, 2015

Leave it to Dave Edmunds to always want to take things a little bit left of center. “I’ve never liked listening to albums, and I’ve never liked making them,” admits the Welsh-born guitarist and producer known for his modern rockabilly sensibilities (see Rockpile’s Seconds of Pleasure and solo hits like […]

By |July 15th, 2015|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Dave Edmunds Provides More Than Just a Few Seconds of Pleasure With His All-Instrumental Rags & Classics

Graham Parker Squeezes Out Hi-Res Audio Sparks by Adding the Right Amount of Mystery Glue

BY MIKE METTLER — JUNE 12, 2015

Graham Parker has a surefire way of ensuring his longtime backing band The Rumour understands exactly how to execute the arrangements of his new songs: “You have to kick them a lot, very hard!” he says with a devilish laugh. He is, of course, joking (I think). Parker and […]

Deep Purple Drummer Ian Paice Celebrates Late DP Keyboardist Jon Lord’s Legacy as Composer and Rocker

BY MIKE METTLER — OCTOBER 10, 2014

“Souls, having touched, are forever entwined.” It’s a lyric penned by Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan in honor of his dear friend and late bandmate Jon Lord, the original keyboardist for Deep Purple who pioneered merging rock music with classical themes when he composed the material played jointly by […]

Sonic Sorcery, Part 1: A Peek Behind the Audio Curtain at Into the Unknown, by Roto’s Magic Act

BY JAMES ROTONDI — AUGUST 13, 2014

From The SoundBard’s desk: When my good friend James “Roto” Rotondi asked me if he could pen a series of essays about how to get great sound and what comprises great recordings for posting right here on The SoundBard, I immediately said, “Bring it on, brother!” Roto and I go […]

By |August 13th, 2014|Odds & Sods|Comments Off on Sonic Sorcery, Part 1: A Peek Behind the Audio Curtain at Into the Unknown, by Roto’s Magic Act