A master of music
Tony Visconti has been described as one of the most important producers in the history of rock. Here are just a few of the classic musical moments Visconti helped to create. “Get It On (Bang A Gong)” and “Cosmic Dancer” by T. Rex are true cornerstones of rock and roll. David Bowie’s “Young Americans,” “Heroes” and “The Man Who Sold The World” are masterpieces. The Moody Blues’ “Your Wildest Dreams” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” are indelibly etched into our collective memory. And there are so many more.
The week of 12 February 2017 has become a milestone in Tony’s life: On Sunday night, 12 February, at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Tony received two Grammys for David Bowie’s Blackstar as Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Best Alternative Music Album. Visconti as co-producer and co-mixer. On Thursday night, 16 February, Tony received three MPG Awards in London for Outstanding Contribution to UK Music, International Producer of the Year and as producer on the UK Album of the Year for Blackstar.
In October of 2016, Lazarus-The Original Broadway Cast album, was released and features three more David Bowie songs “No Plan,” “Killing A Little Time,” and “When I Met You” all co-produced by Tony and David.
Earlier in 2016, Tony co-produced the final David Bowie album entitled Blackstar (★ ) The debut single, “Blackstar (★ ),” is also the theme for the British television crime series The Last Panthers. Tony has also co-produced a new album for Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/artist Esperanza Spalding entitled Emily’s D+Evolution. Tony is currently engaged in producing and arranging new music by Daphne Guinness, Noah Johnson and Kristeen Young.
Versatile on TV
Previously, Visconti starred in featured roles on two television series:
HBO’s Sonic Highways, an American documentary mini-series directed by Dave Grohl and written by Mark Monroe, and the aforementioned Sky Arts’ first and second season of the talent show Guitar Star. Sonic Highways featured Visconti in the New York City episode, which climaxed with the Foo Fighters playing “The River”. Visconti wrote the string arrangement and conducted a 25-piece string section comprised of gifted Southern California teenage musicians. Sky Arts’ Guitar Star featured Tony Visconti first a a guest taking the 4 semi-finalists into Abbey Road and producing a song with each one of them and, in the recently-completed second season, as one of the three mentors appearing regularly.
Versatile Visconti
His autobiography, Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy (Harper Collins UK) is an evocative, brilliant overview of Visconti’s life, musical beginnings, adventures in London with David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Thin Lizzy and Paul McCartney and so much more. In 2016, Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy had its second printing.
The versatile Visconti has also produced, mixed/and/or arranged albums by U2, Paul McCartney and Wings, Thin Lizzy, Angelique Kidjo, Luscious Jackson, The Strawbs, Fall Out Boy, Alejandro Escovedo, Gentle Giant, Mercury Rev, Sparks, Badfinger, The Moody Blues, The Alarm, Kristeen Young and D-Generation.
Grammy-winning producer, arranger, musician, mixer, exemplary collaborator–Visconti is all of these. He is also among the greatest and most genuine musical souls of our industry.
Anyone who hears analogue for the first time thinks, ‘Why don't we record like this anymore'? The sound is unmistakably better.’ The Visconti Studio is dedicated to traditional values used in the modern world of recording technology. The old and the new, together, is as good as it gets.
Tony Visconti
