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What does a producer actually do?

analogue

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Can someone please tell me what it is a producer actually does when working on an artists album? Like what did Quincy Jones do when he worked with Michael on Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.

Thanks
 
The producers from the old days arranged the music, got the musicans together, making sure the engineers are getting the music down right on tape, keeping the singers/bands straight instead of goofing around and wasting expensive studio time, amongst other things. Some contribute musically or give out ideas as well. Without George Martin, The Beatles would have been much different. He really is the 5th Beatle. Some producers write songs like Holland Dozier Holland, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gamble & Huff, Jam & Lewis, LA & Babyface, Giorgio Moroder, Ashford and Simpson, etc. Hip Hop producers are basically beatmakers and/or sample compilers and are different from the traditional producer. Some aren't really producers at all and just take the credit for other people that really do the work like Gene Griffin, Kirk Franklin, or Puffy P. Diddy, lol.
 
Good question.

Other than overseeing the whole process of a songs creation, a music producer will take a song that has been written and decide how best to put it together. A producer can decide what instruments are on a record, what special effects are used, how low or high different sections are in the mix etc.

This is a completey different role to that of an executive producer (ie, when you see something like "Executive Producer: LA Reid" on the back of an album it only means he oversaw the recording process, the likelihood of him making any creative decisions about how the actual music should sound is slim. That role falls to the producer of the individual song).
 
DuranDuran said:
The producers from the old days arranged the music, got the musicans together, making sure the engineers are getting the music down right on tape, keeping the singers/bands straight instead of goofing around and wasting expensive studio time, amongst other things. Some contribute musically or give out ideas as well. Without George Martin, The Beatles would have been much different. He really is the 5th Beatle. Some producers write songs like Holland Dozier Holland, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gamble & Huff, Jam & Lewis, LA & Babyface, Giorgio Moroder, Ashford and Simpson, etc. Hip Hop producers are basically beatmakers and/or sample compilers and are different from the traditional producer. Some aren't really producers at all and just take the credit for other people that really do the work like Gene Griffin, Kirk Franklin, or Puffy P. Diddy, lol.
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I was just about to say DuranDuran ur music wisdom is needed but you beat me to it.LOL
 
the word 'producer' is a fun term, and is used as loosely as the word 'love'. a true producer is the true writer of a song, and the true believer in the song. the one who does everything from write it to back it with money, and makes the skeleton(the actual written song)sound like the full on human being should look, so to speak.

the writer would be whoever came up with the elevator music. the producer would be Michael Jackson, who turned that elevator music into You Are Not Alone.(no. not r kelly, cus he wasn't the one who put his name on the line with the final finished product, on his album, though kelly may have swiped the original material) i would say that MJ is the true definition of a producer, and i'm not saying that just because i am a fan. after all, when q didn't want billie jean, Michael did. that's the belief part of it. when everybody thought thriller was ready, including the name producers and engineer, Michael didn't. when it was released, that was when MJ was the only one who knew it was ready. the producer really is an all encompassing individual whose name is truly on the line, when it comes to a project. that individual is the one some people tend to take credit from, if the project is great, and the one some people tend to blame, if it sucks, although that is the wrong thing to do.

a producer has that knowingness about them. the intuitive nature. they just know what a finished musical product should sound like.
 
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DuranDuran said:
^^^^^^??????????????
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why do you say that? i haven't said anything that isn't true. the producer puts their foot down on everything and has their name on the line on everything.
i said nothing different than what's in wiki, except i applied MJ's name to it. if i had been one of the anonymous contributers to wiki you wouldn't have put those question marks there.
 
vncwilliam said:
why do you say that? i haven't said anything that isn't true. the producer puts their foot down on everything and has their name on the line on everything.
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I didn't understand it, didn't make sense.
 
That's why it didn't make any sense. Anybody can put stuff on Wiki, it's not a good source for information.
 
DuranDuran said:
That's why it didn't make any sense. Anybody can put stuff on Wiki, it's not a good source for information.
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how does it not make sense? i think you are just saying that. what i saw there, what i wrote..that's what producers do. i don't know quite what you are saying. did you even look at the wiki explanation?
 
vncwilliam said:
the word 'producer' is a fun term, and is used as loosely as the word 'love'. a true producer is the true writer of a song, and the true believer in the song. the one who does everything from write it to back it with money, and makes the skeleton(the actual written song)sound like the full on human being should look, so to speak.

the writer would be whoever came up with the elevator music. the producer would be Michael Jackson, who turned that elevator music into You Are Not Alone.(no. not r kelly, cus he wasn't the one who put his name on the line with the final finished product, on his album, though kelly may have swiped the original material) i would say that MJ is the true definition of a producer, and i'm not saying that just because i am a fan. after all, when q didn't want billie jean, Michael did. that's the belief part of it. when everybody thought thriller was ready, including the name producers and engineer, Michael didn't. when it was released, that was when MJ was the only one who knew it was ready. the producer really is an all encompassing individual whose name is truly on the line, when it comes to a project. that individual is the one some people tend to take credit from, if the project is great, and the one some people tend to blame, if it sucks, although that is the wrong thing to do.

a producer has that knowingness about them. the intuitive nature. they just know what a finished musical product should sound like.
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:clapping: I understood your explanation more than anyone's! :D Thanks!
 
mjscarousal said:
lord have mercy... I feel real bad for alot of people on here...
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Um???
DuranDuran's explanation is very simple, but clear & short. That's what i like...
Have a look on the threads name. Does it sound like philosophical guestion?
 
Jan said:
Um???
DuranDuran's explanation is very simple, but clear & short. That's what i like...
Have a look on the threads name. Does it sound like philosophical guestion?
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Im being real polite when I say this... why in the hell would anybody use wikipedia for a source as anything and believe it as credible? What the poster wrote doesnt even make sense. Its not even about philosophical or having a intellectual answer. Duran gave an intelligent and accurate answer on the role of a producer and I know he probably used info from his own knowledge to give an answer and didnt rely on a unreliable source.
 
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no. you're not into being polite, in here. i have met musicians, who spoke to me, while i observed them in the studio. that's where i got my info. and it just so happens that some of the info in the wiki is accurate. i also happened to describe from some things Michael had said, in articles, where he was quoted, that i had read.

some just like to bust up the peace just for the sake of busting up the peace, without even knowing anybody, and be condescending to other people.

one person said they understood it. you say it doesn't make sense. does that make you better than them? i thought this was about contributing, not attacking fellow members, because someone didn't present your kind of explanation.
 
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vncwilliam said:
no. you're not into being polite, in here. i have met musicians, who spoke to me, while i observed them in the studio. that's where i got my info. and it just so happens that some of the info in the wiki is accurate. i also happened to describe from some things Michael had said.

some just like to bust up the peace just for the sake of busting up the peace, without even knowing anybody, and be condescending to other people.

one person said they understood it. you say it doesn't make sense. does that make you better than them? i thought this was about contributing, not attacking fellow members, because someone didn't present your kind of explanation.
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O please.....nobody attacked you. People are just trying to understand the post you made because it doesnt make sense lol and I never replied to you directly once in this entire thread so I dont know why you feel like your being "attacked". Your post was not clear and made no sense whatsoever... If you dont want criticism or posters to challenge your opinion then I suggest you dont come on discussion boards because thats what they are meant for. If you disagree with me and others all you had to do was defend it, really not that big a deal.
 
mjscarousal said:
O please.....nobody attacked you. People are just trying to understand the post you made because it doesnt make sense lol and I never replied to you directly once in this entire thread so I dont know why you feel like your being "attacked". Your post was not clear and made no sense whatsoever... If you dont want criticism or posters to challenge your opinion then I suggest you dont come on discussion boards because thats what they are meant for. If you disagree with me and others all you had to do was defend it, really not that big a deal.
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did you LOOK? not everybody who read my post said it didn't make sense. you act like you're the only one in here. and yes, you are attacking. and you knew who you were referring to, because i was the only one you were referring to. so you didn't use the quote button. so what.

the mods say that it's not what you say, it's how you say it.

usually, a person who begins a post by saying 'i'm trying to be polite' intends to take off the gloves and be rude. certainly is the case, here.
 
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finds the best material for said artist.

is the link between the songwriters and Arrangers and ties it all together as one.

they add and hear parts as a arranger might call for more melody or a certain theme as a writer would do

they bring in the musicians for particular parts. they direct vocals as well.

however what Producers use to do and what they do now are different.

back in the day a Producer did just that and maybe arranged. but today a beat-maker or a cat who just comes up with grooves is called a Producer.

back in the day a Beat-maker was a remixer, not a Producer per se.

it's all about the songs and material that fits said acts voice and talent.

nowadays all these acts share the same writers and producers and you can't tell how much so and so has progressed when compared to so and so.
 
Some producers of rap & hip-hop feel the need to paste themselves all over a track (Lil' John/ P. Diddy) or dance the hell out of a video (P.Diddy again). I wish most of them would just stick to behind the scenes stuff :(
 
I've also heard horror stories about how some producers will give themselves co-writing credit for a song even though they had nothing to do with the creative process of writing a song. If that's true then i think that's very wrong. Taking part of the credit for someone elses work is just ass. If the producer contributed to the songwriting process then by all means give he/she a co-writing credit but if they didn't then they shouldn't get credit
 
analogue said:
I've also heard horror stories about how some producers will give themselves co-writing credit for a song even though they had nothing to do with the creative process of writing a song. If that's true then i think that's very wrong. Taking part of the credit for someone elses work is just ass. If the producer contributed to the songwriting process then by all means give he/she a co-writing credit but if they didn't then they shouldn't get credit
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Some people write songs under fake names for legal reasons, like to get around a contract or just to remain unknown. Paul McCartney has songs under the name Percy Thrillington. John Lennon has some under Dr. Winston O' Boogie. Prince has used many names like Christopher, Joey Coco, Jamie Starr, Camille, Alexander Nevermind, etc. Other songwriters have added people's name that have nothing to do with the song, so that the person can get royalties. Some have added relatives' or friend's names, even pets. People have taken credit from other writers like Colonel Parker wouldn't let Elvis record anything unless the songwriter added Elvis' name to the credit or give Elvis the publishing rights. Elvis didn't really like this setup, because he couldn't record some songs that he liked because the writer wouldn't agree to giving his or her songs away. But Elvis was basically working for Parker, when it's supposed to be the other way around, so Elvis didn't have much of a say in his career. Label heads, managers, and others have also taken credit for songs and had nothing to do with them.
 
DuranDuran said:
Some people write songs under fake names for legal reasons, like to get around a contract or just to remain unknown. Paul McCartney has songs under the name Percy Thrillington. John Lennon has some under Dr. Winston O' Boogie. Prince has used many names like Christopher, Joey Coco, Jamie Starr, Camille, Alexander Nevermind, etc. Other songwriters have added people's name that have nothing to do with the song, so that the person can get royalties. Some have added relatives' or friend's names, even pets. People have taken credit from other writers like Colonel Parker wouldn't let Elvis record anything unless the songwriter added Elvis' name to the credit or give Elvis the publishing rights. Elvis didn't really like this setup, because he couldn't record some songs that he liked because the writer wouldn't agree to giving his or her songs away. But Elvis was basically working for Parker, when it's supposed to be the other way around, so Elvis didn't have much of a say in his career. Label heads, managers, and others have also taken credit for songs and had nothing to do with them.
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yeah..that certainly helped muddy the waters on what the term songwriter and the term producer means..
 
analogue said:
I've also heard horror stories about how some producers will give themselves co-writing credit for a song even though they had nothing to do with the creative process of writing a song. If that's true then i think that's very wrong. Taking part of the credit for someone elses work is just ass. If the producer contributed to the songwriting process then by all means give he/she a co-writing credit but if they didn't then they shouldn't get credit
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they get Publishing that way. there is more money in a publishing credit. Producers get there fee upfront and maybe a cut,but if they don't have any songs on a Project then there upfrotn cut is all they will see.

the music industry doesn't operate like you think. it is a system within a system.

on "thriller" QuincyJones told james ingram if he wanted PYT on the album that he had to give him a co writing credit. having a Publishing credit means you always get a check from said album.

writing on a album in the publishing is where the real money is, however these record companys don't care about who wrote what or how it got there, bottom line it is all about the hit or hits.

it's a cold, calculating dirty business.
 
thrillerchild said:
Some producers of rap & hip-hop feel the need to paste themselves all over a track (Lil' John/ P. Diddy) or dance the hell out of a video (P.Diddy again). I wish most of them would just stick to behind the scenes stuff :(
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they want to be artists and since they have studio ghost producers then they are selling themselves as such.

they can't stand back because they gotta sell the product that there Slave Owner has placed on them to sell. alot of those acts they work with aren't gonna break even.

Puffy has sold himself as a solo artist for nearly 20 years now.

Lil Jon is as known as whom he works with,etc..

when you called out Puffy i thought you were related to suge Knight Laughter!!!!!!!! anyway nothing new.
 
mistermaxxx said:
they want to be artists and since they have studio ghost producers then they are selling themselves as such.

they can't stand back because they gotta sell the product that there Slave Owner has placed on them to sell. alot of those acts they work with aren't gonna break even.

Puffy has sold himself as a solo artist for nearly 20 years now.

Lil Jon is as known as whom he works with,etc..

when you called out Puffy i thought you were related to suge Knight Laughter!!!!!!!! anyway nothing new.
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Couldnt be more wrong. I think "Shoog" is an ass! He was partiacally responsible for pac's death.
 
mistermaxxx said:
on "thriller" QuincyJones told james ingram if he wanted PYT on the album that he had to give him a co writing credit. having a Publishing credit means you always get a check from said album.
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If Quincy said that he wanted a co-writing credit on P.Y.T then why didn't he tell Michael that if Michael wanted his songs (Billie Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startin Somethin and The Girl Is Mine) on Thriller MJ would have to give Q co-writing credit on those songs.

Then again Thriller was Michael's project so my guess if that MJ had the final say
 
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