![]() "I learned microphone technique by experimenting with Count Basie, with Woody Herman, Duke Ellington Stan Kenton," Swedien explained of his time at Universal. After Putnam relocated to Los Angeles at the behest of Frank Sinatra to open United Western Recorders, Swedien took over in Chicago. Soon Swedien was overseeing the facility's studio B. Putnam told them that if their son ever moved to Chicago he'd give him a job at his Universal Recording Studios. That a teenage Swedien was destined to work in recording studios was so obvious to his parents in post-war Minneapolis that when visiting Chicago in the mid-1950s, they sought out one of their son's idols, the recording pioneer Bill Putnam. ![]() Such inventiveness expanded the potential of the studio and was learned through countless hours in windowless rooms focusing solely on vibrations and frequencies. The combined effect, Swedien wrote in his book "Recording Michael Jackson," tricked the ear into perceiving depth of field. Swedien then layered the tracks to create a Jackson choir. Robinson capture the specific thump that propels the song.įor Jackson’s backing vocals on songs from "Thriller," Swedien suggested that the singer record a pair of similar takes a few inches from the microphone, step two paces back to record another take and then record another as Jackson moved his mouth and voice across the microphone to create a kind of stereo pan. Made of unvarnished, unpainted wood, it helped drummer J.R. To record drums on Jackson's “Rock with You,” for example, the engineer built a heavy-duty drum platform that was braced and counter-braced about a foot above the ground. That was the sonic genius of Bruce Swedien." ![]() In his Instagram statement, Jones heaped praise on Swedien's way in the studio during the "Thriller" sessions: "I have always said it’s no accident that more than four decades later no matter where I go in the world, in every club, like clockwork at the witching hour you hear 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It,' 'Wanna Be Starting Something,' & 'Thriller'. The engineer recalled being astounded by Jackson's talent, as well as his eagerness to experiment. When Jones accepted the job making Jackson's 1979 debut solo album, "Off the Wall," Swedien was part of the package. I’m going to miss your presence every single day.The two took separate paths in the early 1970s - Jones moved to Paris - but reconnected in 1975 to collaborate on albums for the Brothers Johnson, George Benson and Lesley Gore. Jones paid tribute to Swedien in an Instagram post, writing: “I have always said it’s no accident that more than four decades later no matter where I go in the world, in every club, like clockwork at the witching hour you hear “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Starting Something,” & “Thriller.” That was the sonic genius of Bruce Swedien, & to this day I can hear artists trying to replicate him. He also won in the same category for Jones’ albums “Back on the Block” and “Q’s Jook Joint.”īeyond Jones and Jackson, Swedien worked with the likes of Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Natalie Cole, Mick Jagger, David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. In 1962, Swedien worked on Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” which brought him recognition.Īt Universal, Swedien met Quincy Jones, and the two mixed the soundtrack for “The Wiz” together before beginning work on Michael Jackson’s 1979 debut album, “Off the Wall.” Swedien went on to collaborate with Jones on three more albums for Jackson, recording and mixing “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Dangerous.” Swedien won Grammys in the best engineered album, non-classical category for all three albums in 1984, 19, respectively. By his 21st birthday, Swedien was a professional audio engineer, working first for RCA Victor and then under Bill Putnam at Universal Recording Corporation. His parents were both classically-trained musicians, leading Swedien to develop a passion for music and recording at an early age. Swedien was born on Apin Minneapolis, Minn. He had a long life full of love, great music, big boats and a beautiful marriage. A legend in the music industry for over 65 years and 5-time Grammy winner, he was known for his work with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and many more. Swedien’s daughter, musician Roberta Swedien, shared the news via Facebook, writing: “My dad, Bruce Swedien, passed away peacefully last night, November 16th. ![]() Bruce Swedien, a five-time Grammy-winning audio engineer best known for his work on several Michael Jackson albums, died on Monday night. ![]()
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