Timeless Sound Bites: 11 Insights from Bruce Swedien
When a true legend speaks, people listen – especially when what he’s talking about is…listening.
Now you’re talking: L-R: Top Row: Francesca Smith, APRS; Maureen Droney, Sr. Executive Director, The Recording Academy P&E Wing; Phil Dudderidge, Chairman, Focusrite Audio Engineering, Ltd; Mike Clink, Producer/Engineer. Bottom Row: Chuck Ainlay, Producer/Engineer; Bruce Swedien, Engineer. Photo by Mike Coppola.
An intimate crowd gathered at NYC’s Jungle City Studios shared in a unique moment when the iconic GRAMMY-winning engineer Bruce Swedien was presented with the APRS Sound Fellowship. The coveted award came to Swedien at “The Mix”, an event held by The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing and the UK’s Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS) that took place during the 135th AES, and was sponsored by AKG, GC Pro, iZotope, JBL Professional, Lavry, Lexicon, Record Plant and SPARS.
The audio elite in attendance that evening included a veritable who’s who of top producers, engineers, studio owners, and other sonic masterminds. Everyone got an earful from Swedien, and considering his kind and straightforward nature, would have happily taken as much wisdom, insights, and stories as he was willing to give. Owing to Swedien’s incredible experiences in the studio, every word he had to say during the awards ceremony was worth soaking in.
A five-time GRAMMY winner, Swedien recorded, mixed and assisted in producing Michael Jackson’s earth-changing Thriller, and just a partial list of his recording/mixing credits includes Count Basie, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Mick Jagger, Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand, Lena Horne and Donna Summer.
Swedien alternatively riffed at random, and dispensed specific nuggets of wisdom as requested by the crowd. All of it was priceless.
Here follows the top Swedienisms from the evening – unadorned, and all of them worth holding onto for future reference:
“Music is the only true magic in life.”
“Once you have the analog sound in the stereo field, it will stay there. Then you can mess with it all you want. It doesn’t work the other way around.”
“You can’t teach what we do. You either have it, or you don’t.”
“The enjoyment of music will add years to your life.”
“Music first. It’s not about anything but the music.”
On Thriller: “It does sound good.”
“Turn out the lights. Total darkness, and listen to the mix of Thriller.”
“Michael (Jackson) was the ultimate artist. I don’t think we’ll ever see an artist like that again.”
“I was in the right place at the right time, and I was able to deliver the goods.”
“Don’t take it too seriously – its entertainment. Nothing more.”
“Remember one thing: Its kick ass, not kiss ass.”
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