| Jimmy Miller | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 23, 1942 Brooklyn, New York City |
| Died | October 22, 1994 (aged 52) Denver, Colorado |
James "Jimmy" Miller (23 March 1942 - 22 October 1994) was a Brooklyn, New York-born record producer and musician who produced dozens of albums between the mid-1960s and early 1990s, including landmark recordings for Blind Faith, Traffic, the Plasmatics, Motorhead, The World Bank and Primal Scream.[1] He was perhaps best known for his lengthy association with the Rolling Stones, for whom he produced a string of singles and albums that all rank among the most critically and financially successful works of the band's career: Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972) and Goats Head Soup (1973).
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Prior to working with the Rolling Stones, Miller rose to fame by producing successful releases for The Spencer Davis Group including their breakthrough hit "Gimme Some Lovin'" and the follow-up smash "I'm A Man," which Miller co-wrote with the band's singer-keyboardist, Steve Winwood.
Miller later co-produced (with Delaney Bramlett) the hit Delaney & Bonnie album On Tour with Eric Clapton, recorded live at Croydon, United Kingdom, on 7 December 1969. MIller went on to work with the Clapton/Winwood supergroup Blind Faith, Delany & Bonnie keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, Kracker, the Plasmatics, Motörhead and the UK band Nirvana. In addition to his production work for yet another Winwood band, Traffic, Miller also contributed the lyrics to the Traffic song "Medicated Goo."
A drummer himself, Miller was known for the distinctive drum sound that characterized his productions, especially his work with the Rolling Stones, on whose recordings he occasionally played percussion parts such as the famous opening cowbell on "Honky Tonk Women" and the full drum kit on "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Happy," "Tumbling Dice" and "Shine a Light."
The lyric "I sang my song to Mr Jimmy" in the Rolling Stones' song "You Can't Always Get What You Want," often misinterpreted as an allusion to famed guitarist Jimi Hendrix, refers to Jimmy Miller. The rest of the line says, "and he said one word to me and that was dead"; at this time the Stones and Miller used "dead" to refer to something they really liked, so when Mick sang the original song idea to Miller, his response was "dead"! Jimmy had been receiving only 1% point for payment and most other producers at the time were getting 3% points. He gave Mick an ultimatum and the took him up on it. Indeed the song seems to be written to and about him. It seems to be their reply to his asking for a raise.
Steve Winwood gave Miller credit for playing the percussive piano parts in some of Traffic's live shows, particularly those documented on the compilation album, The Last Traffic Jam.
Miller went on to work with Primal Scream on their breakthrough album Screamadelica and William Topley's band The Blessing (Miller appears on their DVD Sugar Train during the song "Soul Love"). In the 1980s, Miller produced some acts including Johnny Thunders [1], Matrix and Jo Jo Laine (wife of Denny Lane, on "Moody Blues & Wings"). In 1990 he Co-Produced (along with Phil Greene) "What's in A Name" for Florida band Walk the Chalk.
Among Miller's last productions were three tracks on the 1992 Wedding Present project, Hit Parade 2. Jimmy also produced four tracks on The World Banks "In Debt Interview" which featured artists such as Billy Preston and Bobby Keys, a rare musical sideline from author Hunter S. Thompson. Jimmy traveled to Woody Creek, Colorado in 1994 to meet with Hunter S. Thompson for a memorable weekend in May shortly before he passed on. He died in October 1994.
Miller's father, Bill, was a Las Vegas entertainment director and the man who booked Elvis Presley into the International Hotel for his 1969 return to live performance.
Jimmy Miller had a daughter, rock singer Deena Miller, with Gayle Shepherd, a member of the singing group the Shepherd Sisters. Miller and his second wife, Geri, had a son, Michael (who died at the age of 33). He had a stepson, Steven, a news photographer living in Connecticut. His second wife Geri died of breast cancer in 1991, three years before Jimmy Miller's own death in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 52, from liver failure.[2]
Judith Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times who spent time in jail for not revealing her sources in the infamous Plame-Wilson CIA affair, was Jimmy Miller's half-sister.
| Year | Artist | Album details |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Rolling Stones | Beggars Banquet |
| 1969 | Traffic | Last Exit |
| 1969 | Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed |
| 1969 | Blind Faith | Blind Faith |
| 1970 | Ginger Baker's Air Force | Ginger Baker's Air Force |
| 1971 | Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers |
| 1972 | Rolling Stones | Exile on Main Street |
| 1972 | Kracker | La Familia |
| 1973 | Rolling Stones | Goats Head Soup |
| 1973 | Kracker | Kracker Brand |
| 1979 | Motorhead | Overkill |
| 1979 | Motorhead | Bomber |
| 1991 | Primal Scream | Screamadelica |