Ethan Johns: My Favorite Producer
Heather and I have really been enjoying a new album by a guy named Ray LaMontagne. It is typical of my favorite kind of music these days. Powerful, moody lyrics coupled with simple rhythmic acoustic guitar, sparse drums and the occasional electric guitar highlight. We stumbled across this album as it was being played in the background of Borders Books in Birmingham. I asked the clerk who was playing and he showed me the album cover. Being the nerd that I am, I pulled out my Palm Pilot and recorded the artist and album title (I keep lists of music, movies, and books that I am interested in). Of course I am way to cheap to actually buy the album from Borders, and I probably still would not have it if it were not for Heather ordering from Amazon.co.uk.
So I was listening to the songs and going through the liner notes. I came across the name of the producer, Ethan Johns. "That sounds familiar", I thought to myself. I have to make a confession here. I do not know the producers of most of my favorite music. I really have no excuse for this. If someone were to ask me what my ideal job would be, I would answer "music producer". And yet, I don't even know which producers I like. Very, very sad...
So I did a little research into who exactly this Ethan Johns guy is and it turns out that he has worked with some of my favorite most artists of the past few years. Here is a rundown of artists whose albums I own and love that he has worked on (in semi chronological order):
Wallflowers
Counting Crows
Ryan Adams
Jayhawks
Kings of Leon (perhaps I don't love these guys, but I like them and I own one of their albums)
and now Ray LaMontagne
Ethan Johns is represented more than any other producer in a list of my favorite albums, and yet I had no idea who he was until last week. Now that I know who he is, I just have to figure out how to get him to produce my next album.
JE
4 Comments:
You could always do something like offer him "two points and ten pints." He gets free beer, and if the album does really well, he gets something out of it.
It's win-win, I think.
by the way - that ethan johns - he might sound familiar because his dad is Glyn Johns.... he worked with a few small bands like - Led Zep, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, The Who, Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading.... to name but a few.
mmmmm... I was looking for him to produce my album as well! The only problem is that I'm a french singing gal!! ... anyway, have you found him yet!!??
Just read that Ethan Johns has been busy in London producing Neil Finn's new record - which is apparently now "done". Word is the album features Neil's old Crowded House bandmate Nick Seymour on bass, and Johnny Marr (presumably adding some lead guitar...)
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