Butcher Bros.
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The Butcher Bros. are an American production team made up of brothers Phil and Joe Nicolo, originally based out of Philadelphia. Together and individually, the brothers have produced albums for a wide variety of bands, including Urge Overkill, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Amy Grant, Cypress Hill, Nine Inch Nails, Dog Eat Dog and Luscious Jackson
The brothers began their music careers as teenagers, fixing speakers and rewiring amplifiers at a local drive-in movie theater. After earning a B.S. in Science from Temple University, Phil returned to Philadelphia and the brothers founded the Studio 4 recording studio. Using the name "Butcher Bros.", a reference to their father's trade, they quickly established themselves in many genres of music production. Sometimes they would work together and other times, individually.
Phil Nicolo's early credits include the Hooters, Nighthawks and Willie Nile. While working with those bands, he was also working with Kris Kross, Teddy Pendergrass and Taj Mahal. Joe completed mixes of Billy Joel's "River of Dreams",3 Cypress Hill albums,Schoolly D, Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, the Rolling Stones' "Love Is Strong", Aerosmith's "Falling In Love" and James Taylor's "A Little More Time" and Phil co-produced and mixed Sting's "When We Danced.".
In 1989, Joe Nicolo and Chris Schwartz, founded Ruffhouse Records. Over the next decade, the label sold over 100 million units through Sony distribution. The label would release albums from Lauryn Hill, the Fugees, Cypress Hill, Kris Kross and Wyclef Jean and accounted for 12 of Columbia Records' 39 Grammy nominations in 1990. To accommodate a busy production schedule, the brothers renovated a warehouse in Conshohocken, PA and converted it into studios, digital editing rooms and offices. In 1993, Phil founded MasterVoice, a mastering lab.
In 2002 Joe joined forces with Merv Griffin and RKO Pictures as Executive Producer of the film "Shade" - a movie that can be best described as being a cross between 'The Sting' and 'Pulp Fiction'. The movie stars Jamie Foxx, Gabriel Byrne, Thandie Newton, Sylvester Stallone and Melanie Griffith. Joe also serves as music supervisor on the film and will be overseeing the music on several other RKO films in the future. In April 2003 Joe Nicolo was honored by the Philadelphia Chapter of NARAS (The Grammys) by being awarded The Heroes Award as recognition of his outstanding work and contributions to the U.S. music industry on both a national and local level. In 2004 Joe entered into a production and distribution deal with Light-year/Warner Bros. Warners is currently distributing (for Joe's company Judgment Entertainment) a DVD series on funny cars and dragsters, "Jailbait", "Laura Smiles, as well as the Judgment Picture "Shade". Joe is also producing several new movie releases: Return to Sleep away Camp,Southern Gothic and Tooth N Nail-both directed by Mark Young, and One Part Sugar starring Danny DiVito, Justin Long, and Dylan Walsh
