Bill Schnee

William S. "Bill" Schnee is an American musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Schnee has been nominated 11 times for the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy Award and worked on a multitude of other Grammy nominated and awarded albums. He has won 2 Grammys, an Emmy for Outstanding Sound for a Television Special, and a Dove Award. In a 45 + year career of very diverse artists, Schnee has received over 135 gold and platinum records and has recorded/mixed over 50 top twenty singles.[1]

Bill Schnee
Born July 4, 1947
Phoenix, Arizona
Occupation(s) Recording Engineer, Producer
Associated acts Steely Dan, Chicago, Ringo Starr, Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Dire Straits, Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, The Pointer Sisters, Mark Knopfler, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, Boz Scaggs, Joe Sample, Thelma Houston, Huey Lewis and The News, Pablo Cruise

Early Life

Bill Schnee was born on July 4, 1947 in Phoenix, Arizona where he lived until he was 13. At that time, his family moved to California. Early musical training was in trumpet, saxophone and piano. In 1964, his senior year at Glendora High School, Schnee started a band, The LA Teens, writing songs and playing organ. Immediately after graduation, The LA Teens were signed to Decca Records. When their single releases had little success, the band was dropped, however, they were immediately signed by Mike Curb to work with producer/engineer Richie Podolor. While learning his craft, Bill attended California State Polytechnic University, majoring in Business. Bill then started law school at Loyola University, but took a leave of absence in the second semester to continue playing and recording music. Three years after being produced by Podolor, Schnee's big break came when he was hired to engineer in Podolor’s studio. On Bill's third day, Podolor put him in to record two tracks and some overdubs for Three Dog Night. Schnee never returned to law school.[2]

Career

Bill was instrumental in launching Sheffield Lab Records and the modern era direct to disc audiophile recordings, when in 1975 he produced the Thelma Houston and Pressure Cooker album, I've Got the Music In Me. These audiophile albums were recorded in real time directly to the phonograph record cutting lathe. Bill went on to produce several more of the direct to disc albums, including James Newton Howard and Friends, The Drum Record, and The Track Record.[3]

Schnee has recorded and mixed with a wide variety of artists that include Steely Dan, Chicago, Ringo (with all the Beatles), Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Dire Straits, Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, The Pointer Sisters, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton, The Jacksons, Mark Knopfler, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, George Benson, Bette Midler, and Amy Grant. As a producer, Schnee has worked with Boz Scaggs, Joe Sample, Thelma Houston, Kiki Dee, and launched the careers of Huey Lewis and The News and Pablo Cruise. Schnee has also mixed the bulk of the Japanese mega-star K. Oda’s albums.[4]

Awards

Bill Schnee has been nominated eleven times in the category of Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, winning twice [5]

Grammy Awards

Emmy Award

Dove Award

Recording Studio

In 1981, Schnee opened Schnee Studio in North Hollywood. Bill and his fellow engineers built all of the equipment for the studio, including the discrete recording console and custom tube microphone preamps. The studio has a extensive collection of vintage tube microphones.[8]

Selected Works

Over the course of his career, Bill Schnee has worked on over 600 albums[9][10]

*Grammy Nominated for Best Engineered Album - Non Classical

Bill Schnee 2


Scores for Movies/Television

References

  1. ↑ "Bill Schnee". Bravura Records. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Clark, Rick. "Mixing, Recording, and Producing Techniques of the Pros: Insights on ...Insights on Recording Audio for Music, Film, TV, and Games, 2nd ed". Google Books. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. ↑ p.1912. "Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Artists". Discogs. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Grammy Winning Engineer Bill Schnee Talks To Computer Audiophile, Part 1". Computer Audiophile. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Past Nominees/Winners". Emmy Awards. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Past Winners". Dove Awards.
  8. ↑ "History". Bravura Records. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Bill Schnee". Discogs. Retrieved 29 April 2015.