Craig Leon

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Craig Leon

Craig Leon
Background information
Born (1952-01-07)7 January 1952
Genres Classical, Modern, Folk, Pop
Occupations Composer, arranger, producer
Years active 1966–present
Labels Decca, DGG, Sony, EMI, VIrgin, Takoma, Enigma, Aparte/Atlas, Warner Music
Associated acts The Ramones,Blondie,Luciano Pavarotti,Joshua Bell,Andreas Scholl,James Galway,Cassell Webb
Website Official site

Craig Leon (born 7 January 1952) is an American born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many recording artists including The Ramones and Blondie. Active in pop music production from 1974–1998, Leon has focused on classical composition, orchestration, arrangement and recording from 1998 to the present.His work appears on many classical recordings with artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Andreas Scholl, Sir James Galway, Joshua Bell, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Leon has recently turned to work combining audio and visual imagery. Recently he has completed work as a producer and musical director/composer of the PBS broadcast "Quest beyond The Stars" which commenced broadcasting in June 2012 and the Discovery Network broadcast "Orbit:Journey to the Moon" which was viewed on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing. He is also the audio producer and musical director of the PBS broadcast "Bell’aria: Live ".

In 2011 Leon completed the Sony Classical recording of "Midwinter's Eve: Music For Christmas" featuring his orchestrations and arrangements of Christmas music performed by The London Chamber Orchestra conducted by Christopher Warren-Green.

In 2012 he also completed writing, production and arrangement work on the new album by noted Irish folk artist Méav which was released in September 2013 on Atlas Realisations through Warner Music in Ireland and reached number 3 on the Irish national pop album charts. Worldwide releases to follow in 2014.

In 2013 "Nommos" an avant-garde electric album that was originally released on Takoma Records in 1981 was reissued as a vinyl only limited edition paving the way for the full release of both early electronic works written by Leon, "Nommos" and "Visiting", in early 2014.

Career

Craig Leon was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. After opening his own recording studio in Miami, Florida, In 1973, he moved to New York when he was hired as assistant to producer Richard Gottehrer at Sire Records. There he was responsible for the discovery and early development of the Ramones and Talking Heads amongst other artists. In New York, Leon also produced recordings by Blondie, Richard Hell, Suicide and many other artists connected with the burgeoning New York scene. Leon has produced over 150 LP's & CD's of alternative pop music over the years.

In 1981, Leon produced his own first recorded work, “Nommos” that was released on John Fahey’s Takoma Records later that year. This was followed by “Visiting” in 1982 recorded for Enigma Records. After relocating to the UK in late 1983, Leon continued producing pop and alternative recordings and also wrote and recorded “Klub Anima” for the Kosh Dance Theatre piece. In 1998, Leon produced the comeback No Exit by Blondie.

Since 1998, Leon had been exclusively producing, orchestrating and recording classical projects including an arrangement and orchestration including work with Luciano Pavarotti, Andreas Scholl and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Elysium, the Vienna RSO, the London Symphony Orchestra, Joshua Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and Sir James Galway.

Classical Records produced, composed or arranged by Craig Leon

  • Various Aritsts- "Quest Beyond The Stars" Original Soundtrack- Atlas Realisations/Warner Music
  • The London Chamber Orchestra /Christopher Warren Green- Craig Leon: Midwinter's Eve: Music For Christmas- Sony Classical
  • Joshua Bell/Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra -Romance of the Violin-Sony BMG
  • Sir James Galway/London Symphony Orchestra-Wings of Song Deutsche Grammophon
  • Charles Griffes (arr. Craig Leon)-Roman Sketches op. 7 /Erich Korngold-Symphonic Serenade op. 65-London Symphony Orchestra cond. S, Pittau-ASV/Universal
  • Andreas Scholl and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra-Wayfaring Stranger-Decca
  • Ophelié Gaillard and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra-Dreams Aparte/Harmonia Mundi
  • Elysium- Decca
  • Various Artists- Cinema Italiano- Decca
  • Natasha Marsh/London Symphony Orchestra-Amour-EMI Classics
  • Julia Thornton-Harpistry-EMI Classics
  • Isobel Cooper(Izzy)-Decca
  • Isobel Cooper(Izzy)-Ascolta- EMI Classics
  • Isobel Cooper(Izzy)-New Dawn- EMI Classics

Contemporary Records produced or co-produced by Craig Leon

  • The Ramones - Ramones 1st -Sire
  • Blondie - Blondie Chrysalis
  • Suicide - Suicide 1st -Red Star
  • Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation EP-Stiff(UK)
  • Various Artists - Live at CBGB-Atlantic
  • Martha Velez & The Wailers - Escape From Babylon -Phonogram
  • Chilliwack - Rockerbox -Sire
  • Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band - MCA
  • Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band - Meanwhile... Back in the States - MCA
  • DMZ—Bomp
  • The Weirdoes - Life of Crime -Bomp
  • The Zeros- Wimp -Bomp
  • Sir Douglas Quintet- Border Wave -Chrysalis
  • Sir Douglas Quintet - Live -Chrysalis
  • Rodney Crowell- What Will The Neighbours Think - Warner Bros.
  • Moon Martin- Escape From Domination - Capitol
  • Moon Martin- Shots From A Cold Nightmare - Capitol
  • Guy Clark- "Heartbroke" (single)- Warner Brothers
  • Dwight Twilley-Arista
  • The Roches- Keep On Doing - Warner Bros
  • The Fabulous Thunderbirds-“Tex” Soundtrack - Disney
  • The Bangles- Bangles-IRS
  • 45 Grave- Sleep In Safety - Enigma
  • The Fibonnaccis- Tumour EP - Enigma
  • Berlin-Pleasure Victim-remix - Geffen
  • Berlin-Sex-12” remix-Geffen
  • The Beat Farmers-Van Go-MCA
  • Jeffrey Lee Pierce- Wildweed—Statik
  • Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Flamingo -EP-Statik
  • The Sound-Live-Mix
  • Flesh for Lulu- Blue Sisters Swing EP-Statik
  • Flesh for Lulu- Big Fun City -Statik
  • Doctor and the Medics- Laughing at The Pieces -IRS
  • Doctor and the Medics - Spirit in the Sky -IRS
  • The Pogues- "Haunted" -Sid & Nancy Soundtrack -MCA
  • The Men They Couldn’t Hang- Ghosts of Cable Street -MCA
  • Andy Pawlak- Secrets --Fontana
  • The Go Betweens- Tallulah -Beggars Banquet-
  • Spy vs Spy - Trash the Planet - WEA
  • Craig Leon Meets Sheena and the Rockets-Alfa(Japan)
  • Gamine- Dream Boy -Barclay(France)
  • The Primitives- Lovely -RCA
  • The Adult Net- Honey Tangle -Phonogram
  • Intastella-MCA
  • The Chameleons- Script of The Bridge -Statik
  • The Sound-Live -Statik
  • The Records- Crashes -Atlantic
  • The Records - Teenarama - Remix-Atlantic
  • John Trubee- "Blind Man’s Penis" 45-Enigma
  • Brave Combo- Four Dots -EP-Four Dots
  • Shawn Phillips-Live -RCA
  • Mark Owen- Green Man –BMG
  • Mark Owen- "Child" - single –BMG
  • Mark Owen- "Clementine" - single- BMG
  • Cowboy Junkies-Miles From Home = string arrangements -Geffen
  • Martin Phillipps and the Chills- Sunburnt --Flying Nun
  • Cobalt 60 (Front 242)- Elemental CD-Edel
  • Psyched Up Janis-Swell -Metronome
  • Angel Corpus Christi-Candy-12 in.Remix-Almo
  • Angel Corpus Christi-White Courtesy Phone- Almo
  • Eugneius- Mary, Queen of Scots –Atlantic
  • Giorgia Fumanti- From My Heart - EMI
  • Kid Creole and the Coconuts- -KC PLAYS K2C-Sony(Japan)
  • Front 242-Up Evil- -PIAS/Epic
  • The Fall- Code Selfish -Phonogram
  • The Fall -Shiftwork -Phonogram
  • The Fall -Extricate -Phonogram
  • New F.A.D.S.-Body Exit Mind—P.I.A.S./Elektra
  • Jesus Jones - Liquidizer -EMI
  • Shonen Knife-Get the Knife- -Virign
  • Phillip Boa-Helios -Polydor(Germany)
  • Phillip Boa-Boaphenia -Polydor(Germany)
  • Blondie- No Exit –BMG
  • Blondie- "Maria" - BMG
  • The Cesarians - Cesarians 1 - Imprint
  • Steve Hogarth - Ice Cream Genius (1997) - Poison Apple
  • Bell'aria-"Little Italy"- EMI
  • The Thought - The Thought - MCA
  • Beat Farmers - Van Go - Curb/MCA
  • Méav - The Calling - Atlas Realisations/Warner

Records performed by Craig Leon

  • Craig Leon- Nommos- Takoma
  • Craig Leon- Visiting- Arbitor/Enigma
  • Craig Leon- Klub Anima Sound Track-Psi
  • Cassell Webb- Llano-Virgin Venture
  • Cassell Webb- Thief of Sadness- Virgin Venture
  • Cassell Webb- Songs of a Stranger- Virgin Venture
  • Cassell Webb-Conversation At Dawn- Virgin Venture
  • Cassell Webb- House of Dreams- China

References

1. Massey, Howard. Behind the Glass (Top Record Producers Tell How They Craft the Hits), Miller Freeman, 2000. ISBN 0-87930-614-9
2. Heylin, Clinton. From The Velvets to the Voidoids, Penguin, 1993. ISBN 0-14-017970-4
3. International Who’s Who in Classical Music 2005, Routledge, 2005. ISBN 9781857432954

Further reading

Massey, Howard. Behind the Glass(Top Record Producers Tell How They Craft the Hits), Miller Freeman, 2000. ISBN 0-87930-614-9
Heylin, Clinton. From The Velvets to the Voidoids, Penguin, 1993. ISBN 0-14-017970-4
True, Everett. Hey Ho Let’s Go (The Story of the Ramones), Omnibus, 2002. ISBN 0-7119-9108-1

External links

Craig Leon Official Website (http://www.craigleon.com)

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