| Roy Thomas Baker | |
|---|---|
Roy Thomas Baker at the Whitfield Street Studios |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | RTB |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Pop, Rock, Power pop, Alternative rock, New Wave, Hard rock, Glam metal, Glam rock |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Labels | Decca, Trident, EMI, Parlophone, Elektra, Hollywood Records, RTB Audio-Visual Productions, Warner Brothers Records |
| Associated acts | Queen, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cars, The Darkness |
| Website | www.roythomasbaker.com |
Roy Thomas Baker (born in Hampstead, London, England) is a multiple award-winning Anglo-American music producer, songwriter, arranger and Recording Academy Governor, who has produced Platinum and Gold certified pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present.[1]
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Baker began his career at Decca Records in England at the age of 14. Encouraged by music producer Gus Dudgeon he soon moved to Trident Studios, where he worked with music producer greats Gus Dudgeon, Tony Visconti, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Frank Zappa as well as recording artist The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Who, Gasolin', Nazareth, Santana, Mothers Of Invention, Be Bop Deluxe, Free and T.Rex.
After co-founding Neptune (Trident's record company), Baker met a band that would eventually be known as Queen. He began a working relationship that lasted for five albums and a number of awards – including a Grammy and The Guinness World Records Prize for the best single, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Following his successes with Queen and other artists Baker signed a multi album production deal with CBS Music (Columbia Records,Sony music,Epic Records etc.). He then proceeded to move to the U.S. and set up offices in New York and Los Angeles. At this time under his new CBS deal RTB produced Journey, Starcastle, Reggie Knighton (The Grass Roots), Ian Hunter and Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones).
Baker, also at this time, committed to produce four albums for The Cars after being prompted by Elektra Records to see them perform in a Boston school gymnasium. The albums were certified platinum and The Cars were Grammy nominated.
He was offered the post as The Senior Vice President of "Artist and Repertoire" (A and R) for Elektra Records as executive and/or producer with recording artists The World, Lindsey Buckingham, Motley Crue, Joe Lynn Turner, Josie Cotton and Dokken as well as continuing with Queen and The Cars. During his tenure as Sr.V.P. Elektra signed artists Metallica, Simply Red, Yello, Peter Schilling, The World and 10,000 Maniacs.
Baker has also worked with artists such as Guns N' Roses, Alice Cooper, Foreigner, Pilot, Ozzy Osbourne, Devo, The Stranglers, Dusty Springfield, T'Pau, Yes, Cheap Trick and Lewis Furey. In 2005 he produced One Way Ticket to Hell and Back by The Darkness, The Smashing Pumpkins' 2007 album, Zeitgeist, The Storm (band) 2008 album "When The Storm Meets The Ground", The Smashing Pumpkins "American Gothic" and One Karma's 2011 album "Life Got In The Way".
In the Spring of 2011, he mixed and performed additional production at The Village Recorder for the forthcoming Maximilian is King Songs to Kill Yourself With album.
Baker lives in Los Angeles, Europe and at his recording compound in Arizona. He is married to entertainment executive and former actress (The Godfather) Tere Baker.
Productions by Roy Thomas Baker: