Bob Thiele
Encyclopedia
Bob Thiele was an American
record producer
who worked on countless classic jazz albums and record labels.
, whom he met and produced while working for Decca Records
in the 1950s.
He hosted a jazz radio show when he was 14. He also played clarinet and led a band in the New York area. At 17 he founded the Signature Records
label and recorded many jazz greats, including Lester Young
, Errol Garner and, in 1943, Coleman Hawkins
. Signature folded in 1948 and he joined Decca Records
in 1952, running its Coral Records
subsidiary.
He took over as head of Impulse! Records
from 1961-69 after founder Creed Taylor
went to run Verve Records
and signed, and recorded such artists as John Coltrane
, Charles Mingus
, Dizzy Gillespie
, Sonny Rollins
, Archie Shepp
, Albert Ayler
and others. Thiele's most successful hit song was with Louis Armstrong
's "What a Wonderful World
", which he co-wrote with George David Weiss
. According to Thiele's memoir, the recording session for this now-famous song was the scene of a major clash with ABC Records
president Larry Newton, who had to be locked out of the studio after getting into a heated argument with Thiele over the song.
In the late 1960s Thiele was often brought in to produce artists on the company's BluesWay Records
label. He produced the albums that graduated blues giant B.B. King toward the mainstream, including Lucille (1967), Live and Well (1968), and Completely Well (1969), the last biggest seller of King's career to that point. He also produced BluesWay recordings by John Lee Hooker
, T-Bone Walker
, and others.
After seven years with ABC Records, Thiele formed his own company, Flying Dutchman Productions, in 1968. Thiele later formed his own record label, Flying Dutchman Records
, which is now part of Sony Music Entertainment
. He later formed Doctor Jazz Records which evolved into Red Baron Records
. In 1995 he released a memoir titled What a Wonderful World.
Some of the songs Thiele wrote, for example "What a Wonderful World
", are credited to George Douglas or Stanley Clayton. These are pseudonyms Thiele used, made from the names of his uncles, Stanley, Clayton, George, and Douglas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
who worked on countless classic jazz albums and record labels.
Biography
His wife was the singer Teresa BrewerTeresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...
, whom he met and produced while working for Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in the 1950s.
He hosted a jazz radio show when he was 14. He also played clarinet and led a band in the New York area. At 17 he founded the Signature Records
Signature Records
Signature Records was a mid-20th century United States based record label. Noted Signature recording artists included Anita O'Day, Coleman Hawkins, Eddie Lawrence, Ray Anthony, Barbara McNair, Monica Lewis, Dickie Thompson, Jane Harvey, Kay Thompson and Alan Dale. Bob Thiele produced records for...
label and recorded many jazz greats, including Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
, Errol Garner and, in 1943, Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
. Signature folded in 1948 and he joined Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in 1952, running its Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
subsidiary.
He took over as head of Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
from 1961-69 after founder Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor is an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1968. Taylor’s career also included work at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount, Verve, and A&M Records...
went to run Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
and signed, and recorded such artists as John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
, Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, Sonny Rollins
Sonny Rollins
Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
, Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
, Albert Ayler
Albert Ayler
Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering tone—achieved...
and others. Thiele's most successful hit song was with Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
's "What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
", which he co-wrote with George David Weiss
George David Weiss
George David Weiss was an American songwriter and former President of the Songwriters Guild of America.-Career:...
. According to Thiele's memoir, the recording session for this now-famous song was the scene of a major clash with ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
president Larry Newton, who had to be locked out of the studio after getting into a heated argument with Thiele over the song.
In the late 1960s Thiele was often brought in to produce artists on the company's BluesWay Records
Bluesway Records
Bluesway Records was a subsidiary label of ABC-Paramount Records, begun by Bob Thiele in 1966. Artists such as John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rushing, Otis Spann, and T-Bone Walker were among those who signed for the label. Bluesway released B. B. King's 1969 Live and Well and Completely Well...
label. He produced the albums that graduated blues giant B.B. King toward the mainstream, including Lucille (1967), Live and Well (1968), and Completely Well (1969), the last biggest seller of King's career to that point. He also produced BluesWay recordings by John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, T-Bone Walker
T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker was a critically acclaimed American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound. He is the first musician recorded playing blues with the...
, and others.
After seven years with ABC Records, Thiele formed his own company, Flying Dutchman Productions, in 1968. Thiele later formed his own record label, Flying Dutchman Records
Flying Dutchman Records
Flying Dutchman Records was a jazz record label which was owned by veteran music industry executive, producer and songwriter Bob Thiele. Initially distributed by Atlantic Records, it was later distributed by RCA Records which took over the label in 1976...
, which is now part of Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. He later formed Doctor Jazz Records which evolved into Red Baron Records
Red Baron Records
-Artists:*David Murray*Bob Thiele*Teresa Brewer*Steve Marcus*Ali Ryerson*Duke Ellington*John Hicks*Earl Hines*Al Cohn*Billy Strayhorn*Billy Swan*Clark Terry*Jackie Cain*McCoy Tyner*Ruby Braff*Mel Lewis...
. In 1995 he released a memoir titled What a Wonderful World.
Some of the songs Thiele wrote, for example "What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
", are credited to George Douglas or Stanley Clayton. These are pseudonyms Thiele used, made from the names of his uncles, Stanley, Clayton, George, and Douglas.
Discography
- 1967: Thoroughly Modern (ABC)
- 1969: Head Start (as 'Bob Thiele Emergency') (Flying Dutchman RecordsFlying Dutchman RecordsFlying Dutchman Records was a jazz record label which was owned by veteran music industry executive, producer and songwriter Bob Thiele. Initially distributed by Atlantic Records, it was later distributed by RCA Records which took over the label in 1976...
) - 1975: I Saw Pinetop Spit Blood (Flying Dutchman RecordsFlying Dutchman RecordsFlying Dutchman Records was a jazz record label which was owned by veteran music industry executive, producer and songwriter Bob Thiele. Initially distributed by Atlantic Records, it was later distributed by RCA Records which took over the label in 1976...
) - 1984: The Twenties Score Again (Columbia)
- 1990: Sunrise, Sunset (Red Baron)
- 1991: Louis Satchmo (Red Baron)
- 1993: The Lion Hearted (Red Baron)