Richard Batchens
Encyclopedia
Richard Batchens is an Australian record producer and recording engineer. He was the main in-house producer for the Australian recording company Festival Records
in the early-mid 1970s and was one of the most prominent and successful producers of the era.
His work includes many major releases on Festival's Infinity Records label (not affiliated with the U.S. based MCA Records subsidiary label also called Infinity Records
.) He worked on all the early albums and singles for Sherbet
, Australia's most successful pop band of the early-mid 1970s, and the first five LPs by renowned singer-songwriter Richard Clapton
.
He also produced some of the early Cold Chisel material, including the single "Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)" and their second album Breakfast at Sweethearts
.
, Bon Scott
on recorder and percussion and John Bissett on keyboards. The LP reached #7 in the Australian national charts. The classic track "Seasons of Change" (originally written by Robinson for Fratenity) proved to be one of the group's most memorable tracks and became a national Top 20 hit when released (against the band's wishes) as a single. This track also crops up on the Raven's Golden Miles CD compilation in 1994 along with the album track "Long Legged Lovely".
Richard Clapton: -- produced, engineered and mixed the soundtrack album Highway One (1976, Festival Records).
Cold Chisel:-- Cold Chisel's first LP had been produced by Peter Walker, but for their second album their record company decided to put the band in the hands of a 'real' producer. Richard Batchens was the hot name at the time. He was reportedly not all that keen on the band's individual performances in the studio and made them do things over and over. In the end he smoothed out the rough edges, but the band has said they felt they also lost some of the life, while at the same time, the more sophisticated approach tended to highlight the quality of the songs. The band had their reservations, but they were reasonably happy with the results, and Breakfast At Sweethearts proved to be their commercial breakthrough, turning Cold Chisel into platinum selling superstars. After attempting to record a follow-up single with Batchens, Cold Chisel decided to record the next album (East) with Mark Opitz
.
Co-produced by John Robinson
Split Enz
- engineer
Richard Clapton
Sherbet
Cold Chisel
Recorded live at the Regent Theatre, Sydney, 1977. Mixed at Albert Studios, Sydney, Australia. Produced by Keith Walker. Consultant Producer:, Richard Batchens.
Festival Records (Australia)
Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
in the early-mid 1970s and was one of the most prominent and successful producers of the era.
His work includes many major releases on Festival's Infinity Records label (not affiliated with the U.S. based MCA Records subsidiary label also called Infinity Records
Infinity Records
Infinity Records was a short-lived subsidiary of MCA Records established in New York City in 1977. The label was conceived by MCA president Sidney Sheinberg as a way for the Los Angeles-based entertainment conglomerate to improve its presence on the East Coast...
.) He worked on all the early albums and singles for Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
, Australia's most successful pop band of the early-mid 1970s, and the first five LPs by renowned singer-songwriter Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, New South Wales. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" and "I Am an Island"...
.
He also produced some of the early Cold Chisel material, including the single "Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)" and their second album Breakfast at Sweethearts
Breakfast at Sweethearts
Breakfast at Sweethearts was the second studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in February 1979. It spent 32 weeks in the national charts, reaching a peak of number 4....
.
Career
Black Feather: -- producer, At the Mountains of Madness (1971) LP and "Seasons of Change" single. Blackfeather's LP was recorded in late 1970 and released on Festival's new Infinity imprint in Jan. 1971, and featured guest appearances by two members of FraternityFraternity (band)
Fraternity were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott , John Swan , and his brother Jimmy Barnes...
, Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
on recorder and percussion and John Bissett on keyboards. The LP reached #7 in the Australian national charts. The classic track "Seasons of Change" (originally written by Robinson for Fratenity) proved to be one of the group's most memorable tracks and became a national Top 20 hit when released (against the band's wishes) as a single. This track also crops up on the Raven's Golden Miles CD compilation in 1994 along with the album track "Long Legged Lovely".
Richard Clapton: -- produced, engineered and mixed the soundtrack album Highway One (1976, Festival Records).
Cold Chisel:-- Cold Chisel's first LP had been produced by Peter Walker, but for their second album their record company decided to put the band in the hands of a 'real' producer. Richard Batchens was the hot name at the time. He was reportedly not all that keen on the band's individual performances in the studio and made them do things over and over. In the end he smoothed out the rough edges, but the band has said they felt they also lost some of the life, while at the same time, the more sophisticated approach tended to highlight the quality of the songs. The band had their reservations, but they were reasonably happy with the results, and Breakfast At Sweethearts proved to be their commercial breakthrough, turning Cold Chisel into platinum selling superstars. After attempting to record a follow-up single with Batchens, Cold Chisel decided to record the next album (East) with Mark Opitz
Mark Opitz
Mark Opitz, started his career with ABC TV in Sydney in the 1970’s and has since gone on to work with many of the great Australian musicians that have graced both the Australian and international music charts for the past 25 years....
.
Production/engineering credits
BlackfeatherBlackfeather
Blackfeather was an Australian rock group in the 1970s. The group had many members and went through two major incarnations - the earlier heavy rock version of the group, which recorded the album At The Mountains of Madness and the hit single "Seasons of Change", and the later piano-based lineup...
- 1971 At the Mountain of Madness (Infinity/Festival L34159)
Co-produced by John Robinson
Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
- 1975 - Mental Notes (Mushroom Records)Mental Notes (Split Enz album)
- engineer
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, New South Wales. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" and "I Am an Island"...
- 1973 - Prussian BluePrussian bluePrussian blue is a dark blue pigment with the idealized formula Fe718. Another name for the color Prussian blue is Berlin blue or, in painting, Parisian blue. Turnbull's blue is the same substance but is made from different reagents....
(Infinity/Festival L 34956) - 1975 - Girls on the Avenue (Infinity/Festival L 35508)
- 1976 - Highway OneHighway OneHighway One is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson recorded in 1978 and released on the Columbia label. The album was Hutcherson's first for Columbia after a long association with Blue Note Records.-Reception:...
soundtrack (Festival Records) - production, engineering and mixing - 1977 - Goodbye Tiger (Festival Records) - production, mixing
Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
- 1972 - Time Change... A Natural ProgressionTime Change... A Natural Progression (album)Time Change... A Natural Progression is an album by Sherbet released in 1972.-Track listing:#"You've Got the Gun" – 5:03#"Thinkin' About You" – 4:09...
(Infinity/Festival L34725 LP, D20018 CD) - 1973 - On With the ShowOn With the Show (album)On With the Show is an album by Sherbet released in 1973. The album spent 12 weeks in the Australian charts, reaching a highest point of #6.-Track listing:#"We Can Make It Right" #"Summer Satisfaction"...
(Infinity/Festival L35007 LP, D20020 CD) - 1974 - SlipstreamSlipstream (Sherbet album)Slipstream is an album by Sherbet released in 1974. According to the Kent Music Report, it spent 35 weeks in the Australian Charts reaching a highest position of #3.-Track listing:#"Slipstream" – 2:53...
(Infinity/Festival L35275 LP) - co-credit with Sherbet - 1974 - In ConcertIn Concert (Sherbet album)-Track listing:#"Cassandra"#"Wishing Well"#"Another Hustler"#"Jungle Jiver"#"Do It"#"Freedom"#Medley - "Can You Feel It Baby", "You've Got The Gun", "You're All Woman"#"Hound Dog"#Medley - "Au Revoir", "Goodbye"-Release history:...
(Infinity/Festival L35443 LP)
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
- 1977 - You're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're MineYou're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're MineYou're Thirteen, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine was a live EP by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, recorded at the Regent Theatre in Sydney in 1977, and released in November 1978...
- live EP
Recorded live at the Regent Theatre, Sydney, 1977. Mixed at Albert Studios, Sydney, Australia. Produced by Keith Walker. Consultant Producer:, Richard Batchens.
- 1978 - "Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye)" (Elektra 100078)
- 1979 - Breakfast at SweetheartsBreakfast at SweetheartsBreakfast at Sweethearts was the second studio album by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel, released in February 1979. It spent 32 weeks in the national charts, reaching a peak of number 4....
(Elektra 600042-1 LP)