Gus Dudgeon
Encyclopedia
Angus Boyd Dudgeon most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John
's recordings.
's Olympic Studios
in Baker Street
, London as a tea boy, and eventually was promoted to the position of sound engineer. In this capacity, he worked with The Artwoods
, Bruce Channel
, Davy Graham and Shirley Collins
. Early pop successes included The Zombies
' "She's Not There
" (1964) and John Mayall
's Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966). He helped in the auditions for Tom Jones
and The Rolling Stones
. Finally he became a co-producer on Ten Years After
's debut album
in 1967. Around this time he also produced the Bonzo Dog Band albums The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse
and Tadpoles. Dudgeon produced two highly successful albums for Elkie Brooks
: Pearls and Pearls Two. He is also known for producing David Bowie's
hit single, Space Oddity
(1969).
", on which Dudgeon elaborated on the simple piano tune and added an orchestral arrangement by Paul Buckmaster. The song reached the U.S. top 10, becoming John's first substantial hit. Dudgeon continued to work with John on his next several albums. Dudgeon was sometimes critical of John's work; for instance, in Elizabeth Rosenthal's book His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, Dudgeon called the 1974 "Caribou" album "a piece of crap ... the sound is the worst, the songs are nowhere, the sleeve came out wrong, the lyrics weren't that good, the singing wasn't all there, the playing wasn't great and the production is just plain lousy".
Dudgeon and John, along with Bernie Taupin
and Steve Brown, founded Rocket Records
in 1972. In 1995, Dudgeon remastered much of Elton's catalog. Gus was also responsible for the mixing of the 80-plus member Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
which toured Australia with Elton John in late 1986. The final show of the tour was released as a live album.
, Chris Rea
, Ralph McTell
, Lindisfarne
, Joan Armatrading
, Elkie Brooks
, Fairport Convention
, Sam Gopal Dream, The Sinceros
, The Beach Boys
, Mary Wilson
and Steeleye Span
. In the 1980s he built Sol Studios
.
After his temporary reunion with Elton John, Dudgeon started working with alternative bands such as XTC
, Menswear, and The Frank and Walters
. He managed a band called Slinki Malinki. In 1989 Gus Dudgeon produced the debut solo-album of Thomas Anders
(ex-Modern Talking
). The Guinness Book of Records recognised him as the first person to use sampling. His production of John Kongos
' hit "He's Gonna Step On You Again
" (1971) used a tape loop of African tribal drumming. Gus was also a founder of The Music Producers Guild
.
on 21 July 2002, together with his wife Sheila. He fell asleep driving home after a party, crashing down an embankment at speed and drowning in a ditch.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's recordings.
Early career
Gus Dudgeon was born in Surrey, England. He began work at DeccaDecca 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....
's Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
in Baker Street
Baker Street
Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid the street out in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who lived at a fictional 221B...
, London as a tea boy, and eventually was promoted to the position of sound engineer. In this capacity, he worked with The Artwoods
The Artwoods
The Artwoods were an English rock band who formed in 1963 and were professionally active between 1964 and 1967. They were a popular live attraction, rivalling groups such as the Animals, although, despite releasing a clutch of singles and an album, their record sales never reflected this...
, Bruce Channel
Bruce Channel
Bruce Channel is an American singer, known for his 1962 million selling number one hit, "Hey! Baby".-Career:...
, Davy Graham and Shirley Collins
Shirley Collins
Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
. Early pop successes included The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
' "She's Not There
She's Not There
"She's Not There" is the debut single by the British pop band The Zombies. It reached number twelve in the UK Singles Chart in August 1964, and became a top-ten hit in the United States...
" (1964) and John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
's Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966). He helped in the auditions for Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. Finally he became a co-producer on Ten Years After
Ten Years After
Ten Years After is an English blues-rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, Ten Years After scored eight Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart...
's debut album
Ten Years After (Ten Years After album)
Ten Years After is the debut album by the English rock/blues band Ten Years After. It features Spoonful, a cover that the more famous British blues rock group Cream also covered...
in 1967. Around this time he also produced the Bonzo Dog Band albums The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse
The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse
The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse is the second album by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. By this time the band had changed their name to "The Bonzo Dog Band", dropping out the "Doo-Dah". The American version of this album was retitled Urban Spaceman and added their U.K. hit single "I'm the Urban...
and Tadpoles. Dudgeon produced two highly successful albums for Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
: Pearls and Pearls Two. He is also known for producing David Bowie's
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
hit single, Space Oddity
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a music single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; its title alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, released the previous year. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the failed...
(1969).
Elton John years
Dudgeon left Decca and founded his own company. In 1970, Dudgeon began working with Elton John. The first song which they worked together on was "Your SongYour Song
"Your Song" is a ballad composed and performed by English musician Elton John with lyrics by his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin. It appeared on John's self-titled second album in 1970....
", on which Dudgeon elaborated on the simple piano tune and added an orchestral arrangement by Paul Buckmaster. The song reached the U.S. top 10, becoming John's first substantial hit. Dudgeon continued to work with John on his next several albums. Dudgeon was sometimes critical of John's work; for instance, in Elizabeth Rosenthal's book His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, Dudgeon called the 1974 "Caribou" album "a piece of crap ... the sound is the worst, the songs are nowhere, the sleeve came out wrong, the lyrics weren't that good, the singing wasn't all there, the playing wasn't great and the production is just plain lousy".
Dudgeon and John, along with Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
and Steve Brown, founded Rocket Records
Rocket Records
The Rocket Record Company was a record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others, in 1972. The name is from the hit, "Rocket Man"...
in 1972. In 1995, Dudgeon remastered much of Elton's catalog. Gus was also responsible for the mixing of the 80-plus member Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
which toured Australia with Elton John in late 1986. The final show of the tour was released as a live album.
Other work
Dudgeon and John parted company, although they re-united in the 1980s to produce three more albums together. Dudgeon worked with a variety of other acts, including AudienceAudience (band)
Audience is a cult British art rock band which existed between 1969 and 1972, and reformed in 2004.The original band consisted of Howard Werth on nylon-strung electric acoustic guitar and vocals, Keith Gemmell on tenor...
, Chris Rea
Chris Rea
Chris Rea is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing. The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally...
, Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s....
, Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne (band)
Lindisfarne were a British folk/rock group from Newcastle upon Tyne established in 1970 and fronted by singer/songwriter Alan Hull. Their music combined a strong sense of yearning with an even stronger sense of fun...
, Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
, Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
, Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
, Sam Gopal Dream, The Sinceros
The Sinceros
The Sinceros were a new wave, power pop band from London, England, who recorded two albums for Epic Records, The Sound of Sunbathing and Pet Rock . Both albums were released worldwide and achieved moderate commercial success...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson may refer to:* Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx , British poet, widow of former British prime minister, Harold Wilson* Mary Wilson , American singer, member of The Supremes...
and Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
. In the 1980s he built Sol Studios
Sol Studios
Sol Studios is a recording studio located in Cookham, Berkshire, England. It was built in the early 1980s by Gus Dudgeon who subsequently sold it to Led Zeppelin guitarist and record producer Jimmy Page....
.
After his temporary reunion with Elton John, Dudgeon started working with alternative bands such as XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, Menswear, and The Frank and Walters
The Frank and Walters
The Frank and Walters are an alternative rock band from Cork city in Ireland. The band was founded in 1990 by Paul Linehan , his brother Niall Linehan , who was replaced by Kevin Pedreschi in 2004, and Ashley Keating . They took the band name in honour of two eccentric Cork characters...
. He managed a band called Slinki Malinki. In 1989 Gus Dudgeon produced the debut solo-album of Thomas Anders
Thomas Anders
Thomas Anders is a German singer, composer and record producer. Anders was the lead singer of Germany's popular pop-duo Modern Talking in 1984–1987 and in 1998–2003.-Early years:...
(ex-Modern Talking
Modern Talking
Modern Talking was a German dance pop duo consisting of Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen. Their music has often been classified as Europop. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching the top 5 in many countries...
). The Guinness Book of Records recognised him as the first person to use sampling. His production of John Kongos
John Kongos
John Kongos is a singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single, "He's Gonna Step On You Again".-Career:...
' hit "He's Gonna Step On You Again
He's Gonna Step On You Again
"He's Gonna Step On You Again" was a hit single, co-written by Christos Demetriou and performed by John Kongos in 1971.It is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song to have used a sample, however, according to the sleeve note of the CD reissue of the Kongos album, it is...
" (1971) used a tape loop of African tribal drumming. Gus was also a founder of The Music Producers Guild
The Music Producers Guild
The Music Producers Guild promotes and represents all individuals in the music production and recording professions. It is a professional organisation that embodies collective and individual creative contributions to the production and recording of all genres of music and media related...
.
Death
Dudgeon died in a car accident near ReadingReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
on 21 July 2002, together with his wife Sheila. He fell asleep driving home after a party, crashing down an embankment at speed and drowning in a ditch.