Mark Eddinger
Encyclopedia
Mark Eddinger is an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, music producer, record company executive, and music and entertainment industry consultant. Eddinger is also involved as an executive and consultant in other business sectors unrelated to the entertainment industry.
. He continued his studies and competed in several young pianists competitions. Although unpopular in the strict classical music circles, Eddinger became interested in rock music and in particular analog synthesizers. While still studying under Ms. Kelly, and later with Sonoma County pianist Norma Brown, he began studying analog synthesizer programming with analog synthesizer pioneer Patrick Gleeson
. In the summer of 1975 while traveling in England with a close friend, he met Peter Bardens
of the band Camel
and producer Alan Tarney
, both of whom he would work with in later years.
and Sadler and Young, recorded with artists including Sam Butera
and Doc Severinson, and worked with producers including Brooks Arthur and George Richey
. The bulk of his recording and production work during this period took place at Las Vegas Recording Studio, a facility owned by Hank Castro, Chips Davis (a pioneer of Live End - Dead End (LEDE) acoustic technology), and Mel and Sheila Godfrey. Eddinger was working at this studio during the time that Las Vegas Recording Studio was being developed into the Live End-Dead End prototype studio, and therefore was one of the first people to produce and record using this acoustic technology.
In Early 1980, Eddinger co-founded Worldwide Entertainment, one of the premier independent promotion companies in the music industry. During his tenure with Worldwide, Eddinger created and directed successful regional promotional campaigns for over 30 artists including Aretha Franklin
, Fleetwood Mac
, Toto
, Van Halen
, David Bowie
, Grateful Dead
, Journey
, AC/DC
and Heart
. The company was sold to WEA in the Fall of 1981, and Eddinger was retained by WEA as a consultant following the sale. He also worked briefly for Warner Bros. Records
in 1982 and for Columbia Records
in 1984. Eddinger moved to New York City late in 1984. Over the past 25 years, Eddinger has served as president of two independent record labels, AudioTone Records from 1986–1988 and InVision Records in 2000. Eddinger has provided consulting services to a wide variety of companies in the music and entertainment industries including Sony Music, BMG
, Warner Bros. Records
, MCA Records
, Warner Chappell Music, ASCAP, and the RIAA, and has been a trusted advisor and consultant to many music industry executives, managers, attorneys and recording artists. He is a voting member of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
, a founding member of Digital Audio Consortium and a member of the Audio Engineering Society
. He has conducted master classes at Berklee College of Music
and the Juilliard School
, and has taught graduate courses and seminars relating to the music industry at Brigham Young University
, UCLA and NYU.
, Celine Dion
, Elton John
, Stevie Wonder
, Peter Gabriel
, Herbie Hancock
, Brian Ferry, and Oasis
. Over the past three decades his programs and samples have resided in keyboards and synthesizers manufactured by companies including New England Digital
(Synclavier II), Moog
, Oberheim
, Kurzweil
, Yamaha
, ARP
, and Roland
. He has also made several contributions to the development of digital audio technology, including authoring algorithms, designing operating systems and consulting for companies including Akai
, HHB Communications, Panasonic
and Microboards.
Eddinger has played on more than 1,000 recordings by artists including Blues Traveler
, Londonbeat
, Butthole Surfers
, Luciano Pavarotti
, Bakers Pink, and Bill Champlin
. Eddinger created original synth sounds, played keyboards and performed live percussion on the Butthole Surfers track "Pepper" from the album "Electric Larryland" which reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1996. He has also performed on several U.S. and World tours with artists including Diana Ross
, Sammy Davis Jr., Cliff Richard
, Chaka Kahn, Be-Bop Deluxe and Nazareth
. He has produced over 35 albums, has written over 1,000 songs, and his music and productions have appeared on soundtracks for films including Silverado, Empire of the Sun
and Celebrity
. For his contributions as a musician, producer, arranger, programmer and industry executive, Eddinger has been the recipient of RIAA Gold and Platinum Awards commemorating the sales of over 50 million albums.
Since the mid 80's, Eddinger has also spent considerable time developing and producing independent artists, many of whom have gone on to have regional or national success, including Sin River (featuring Russell Allen
of Symphony X
), Mobius Strip, Seventh Proof, The Apostle Ensemble,
The Ben Shippee Band, and CA surf band Aloha Radio in the Spring of 2011.
In 2008, Eddinger co-produced the Bill Champlin
CD ¨No Place Left To Fall¨. The record was released by JVC/Victor in Japan on November 5, 2008 along with a companion DVD documentary, was released in Europe by Zinc Music on December 10, 2008 and was released in the U.S. on August 4, 2009.
In May 2010, Eddinger assumed the role of North American business manager for the U.K. based dance and pop music production company Soulshaker
and its related companies and production teams under the umbrella of Galactic Media. In April 2011, Eddinger accepted the position as Director of North American Operations for Audiofreaks, a London based music company specializing in promotion, management, production, publishing and licensing.
Eddinger attended Santa Rosa Junior College, Fresno State University and Stanford University
.
Early Years
Mark Eddinger was born in Santa Rosa, California on December 11, 1958. He began studying classical piano at the age of 5 under Frances Kelly, a student of classical composer Sergei ProkofievSergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
. He continued his studies and competed in several young pianists competitions. Although unpopular in the strict classical music circles, Eddinger became interested in rock music and in particular analog synthesizers. While still studying under Ms. Kelly, and later with Sonoma County pianist Norma Brown, he began studying analog synthesizer programming with analog synthesizer pioneer Patrick Gleeson
Patrick Gleeson
Patrick Gleeson is a musician, synthesizer pioneer, composer and producer, from California, USA.Gleeson began experimenting with electronic music in the mid-'60s at the San Francisco Tape Music Center using a Buchla synth and other devices....
. In the summer of 1975 while traveling in England with a close friend, he met Peter Bardens
Peter Bardens
Peter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
of the band Camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
and producer Alan Tarney
Alan Tarney
Alan Tarney is an English songwriter, record producer and bass guitarist. He was born in Workington, Cumberland, England, but spent his teenage years in Adelaide, Australia where he met his songwriting and musical partner Trevor Spencer.- Career :Tarney was part of the huge influx of British...
, both of whom he would work with in later years.
Business Activities
While living in Las Vegas in 1977 and again in 1980 and 1981, Eddinger worked primarily as a musician and producer. He performed live with acts including Lola FalanaLola Falana
Lola Falana is an American singer, dancer, and actress of Cuban and African American descent. Falana's father left Cuba to become a welder in the United States, where he met his wife...
and Sadler and Young, recorded with artists including Sam Butera
Sam Butera
Sam Butera was a tenor saxophone player best noted for his collaborations with Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Butera is frequently regarded as a crossover artist who performed with equal ease in both R & B and the post-big band pop style of jazz that permeated the early Vegas nightclub...
and Doc Severinson, and worked with producers including Brooks Arthur and George Richey
George Richey
George Richey, born George Baker Richardson, was an American songwriter and record producer. He was married to country singer Tammy Wynette from 1978 until her death in 1998, they had no children together. He married television producer, Sheila Slaughter in 2001 until his death 2010, they had one...
. The bulk of his recording and production work during this period took place at Las Vegas Recording Studio, a facility owned by Hank Castro, Chips Davis (a pioneer of Live End - Dead End (LEDE) acoustic technology), and Mel and Sheila Godfrey. Eddinger was working at this studio during the time that Las Vegas Recording Studio was being developed into the Live End-Dead End prototype studio, and therefore was one of the first people to produce and record using this acoustic technology.
In Early 1980, Eddinger co-founded Worldwide Entertainment, one of the premier independent promotion companies in the music industry. During his tenure with Worldwide, Eddinger created and directed successful regional promotional campaigns for over 30 artists including Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
, Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, David Bowie
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...
, Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
. The company was sold to WEA in the Fall of 1981, and Eddinger was retained by WEA as a consultant following the sale. He also worked briefly for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in 1982 and for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1984. Eddinger moved to New York City late in 1984. Over the past 25 years, Eddinger has served as president of two independent record labels, AudioTone Records from 1986–1988 and InVision Records in 2000. Eddinger has provided consulting services to a wide variety of companies in the music and entertainment industries including Sony Music, BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, Warner Chappell Music, ASCAP, and the RIAA, and has been a trusted advisor and consultant to many music industry executives, managers, attorneys and recording artists. He is a voting member of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
, a founding member of Digital Audio Consortium and a member of the Audio Engineering Society
Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
. He has conducted master classes at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
and the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, and has taught graduate courses and seminars relating to the music industry at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, UCLA and NYU.
Production, Technology and Live Performance
Eddinger's original synthesizer programs have been used on thousands of recordings by artists including Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, Brian Ferry, and Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
. Over the past three decades his programs and samples have resided in keyboards and synthesizers manufactured by companies including New England Digital
New England Digital
New England Digital Corp. , founded originally in Norwich, Vermont and eventually relocated to White River Junction, Vermont, was best known for its signature product, the Synclavier Synthesizer System, which evolved into the Synclavier Digital Audio System or "Tapeless Studio." The company sold...
(Synclavier II), Moog
Moog Music
Moog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...
, Oberheim
Oberheim
Oberheim Electronics is an American company, founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim , which manufactured audio synthesizers and a variety of other electronic musical instruments.-Oberheim Electronics:...
, Kurzweil
Kurzweil Music Systems
Kurzweil Music Systems is a company that produces electronic musical instruments for professionals and home users. Founded in 1982 by Raymond Kurzweil, a developer of reading machines for the blind, the company made use of many of the technologies originally designed for reading machines and...
, Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
, ARP
ARP Instruments, Inc.
ARP Instruments, Inc. was an American manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, founded by Alan Robert Pearlman in 1969. Best known for its line of synthesizers that emerged in the early 1970s, ARP closed its doors in 1981 due to financial difficulties...
, and Roland
Roland
Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, Roland was military governor of the Breton March, with responsibility for defending the frontier of Francia against the Bretons...
. He has also made several contributions to the development of digital audio technology, including authoring algorithms, designing operating systems and consulting for companies including Akai
Akai
Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
, HHB Communications, Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
and Microboards.
Eddinger has played on more than 1,000 recordings by artists including Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock...
, Londonbeat
Londonbeat
Londonbeat was originally a UK and American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.-History:Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M " which subsequently became a modest success in the...
, Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Bakers Pink, and Bill Champlin
Bill Champlin
William Bradford "Bill" Champlin is an American singer, guitarist, keyboard player, arranger, producer, and songwriter. His performance work is principally associated with the bands Chicago and the Sons of Champlin...
. Eddinger created original synth sounds, played keyboards and performed live percussion on the Butthole Surfers track "Pepper" from the album "Electric Larryland" which reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1996. He has also performed on several U.S. and World tours with artists including Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Sammy Davis Jr., Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Chaka Kahn, Be-Bop Deluxe and Nazareth
Nazareth (band)
Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
. He has produced over 35 albums, has written over 1,000 songs, and his music and productions have appeared on soundtracks for films including Silverado, Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel by J. G. Ballard which was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Like Ballard's earlier short story, "The Dead Time" , it is essentially fiction but draws extensively on Ballard's experiences in World War II...
and Celebrity
Celebrity (film)
Celebrity is a 1998 comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot:...
. For his contributions as a musician, producer, arranger, programmer and industry executive, Eddinger has been the recipient of RIAA Gold and Platinum Awards commemorating the sales of over 50 million albums.
Since the mid 80's, Eddinger has also spent considerable time developing and producing independent artists, many of whom have gone on to have regional or national success, including Sin River (featuring Russell Allen
Russell Allen
Russell Allen is the singer of the American progressive metal band Symphony X.-Biography:Before working with a rock band, he was a jouster at a Medieval Times Dinner Theater. He was introduced to the band Symphony X by former singer Rod Tyler...
of Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
), Mobius Strip, Seventh Proof, The Apostle Ensemble,
The Ben Shippee Band, and CA surf band Aloha Radio in the Spring of 2011.
2000 to Present
Over the past few years, Eddinger has played an active role in the creation, analysis and "re-tooling" of numerous digital music and digital media distribution models. During this time he has consulted for major and independent labels, music publishers, motion picture companies, digital and physical content distributors, attorneys, government agencies, and public and private companies. Eddinger is also known for his expertise in worldwide licensing and has been responsible for licensing numerous recordings that have been marketed in the U.S. and in over 50 other countries.In 2008, Eddinger co-produced the Bill Champlin
Bill Champlin
William Bradford "Bill" Champlin is an American singer, guitarist, keyboard player, arranger, producer, and songwriter. His performance work is principally associated with the bands Chicago and the Sons of Champlin...
CD ¨No Place Left To Fall¨. The record was released by JVC/Victor in Japan on November 5, 2008 along with a companion DVD documentary, was released in Europe by Zinc Music on December 10, 2008 and was released in the U.S. on August 4, 2009.
In May 2010, Eddinger assumed the role of North American business manager for the U.K. based dance and pop music production company Soulshaker
Soulshaker
Soulshaker is a Dance, Club, and Pop music production company based in the UK. In addition to creating their own productions, they write, produce, mix, and remix tracks for a number of major and independent labels in the UK, Europe, and North America....
and its related companies and production teams under the umbrella of Galactic Media. In April 2011, Eddinger accepted the position as Director of North American Operations for Audiofreaks, a London based music company specializing in promotion, management, production, publishing and licensing.
Eddinger attended Santa Rosa Junior College, Fresno State University and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.