Scott Litt
Encyclopedia
Scott Litt is an American
record producer
who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock
genre and is best known for producing six R.E.M.
albums.
and Carly Simon
. He made his debut as a producer with The dB's
Repercussion album in 1982, going on to work with Chris Stamey
, Matthew Sweet
, and Beat Rodeo
. His breakthrough as a producer came in 1987 with R.E.M.
's Document
album. Litt had first worked with the band on the track "Romance" for a film soundtrack, and went on to enjoy a long and successful association with the band which included production of their albums Green (1988), Out of Time
(1991), Automatic for the People
(1992), Monster (1994) and New Adventures in Hi-Fi
(1996). In 1997, R.E.M. and Litt discontinued their collaboration.
Apart from R.E.M., the most commercially successful act Litt worked with was Nirvana
, for whom he mixed the singles "Heart-Shaped Box
" and "All Apologies
" from the 1993 album In Utero, and the posthumous release MTV Unplugged in New York
(1994). Litt also remixed "Pennyroyal Tea
" and the remix was set to be released on the single, but the single was retracted shortly after Kurt Cobain's death. His remix can be found on Wal-Mart
and Kmart
versions of In Utero as well as Nirvana, Nirvana's greatest hits collection. In 1999 and the 2000s, Litt worked with Incubus
to produce two of their records Make Yourself
(1999) and Morning View
(2001). Litt also mixed songs for Hole
including "Miss World", "Asking For It", "Jennifer's Body", and "Softer, Softest" off their album Live Through This
.
He has also worked for Liz Phair
, Juliana Hatfield
, the Indigo Girls
, Paul Kelly
, New Order
, The Replacements, Patti Smith
(Dream of Life
), The Woodentops
(Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway), That Petrol Emotion
, Counting Crows
, Days of the New
, The Get Up Kids
, Ziggy Marley
and Alela Diane
.
Litt also started his own label, Outpost Recordings, initially in partnership with IRS Records employee Mark Williams, and funded and distributed by Geffen Records
.
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 mostly works with artists in the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
genre and is best known for producing six R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
albums.
Biography
Litt began as an engineer in the late 1970s, working on recordings by Ian HunterIan Hunter (singer)
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
and Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
. He made his debut as a producer with The dB's
The dB's
The dB's are a jangle pop/power pop group who came into prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s. The bandmembers were Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Gene Holder, all of whom were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
Repercussion album in 1982, going on to work with Chris Stamey
Chris Stamey
Chris Stamey is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. After a stint playing with Alex Chilton, and a brief partnering with Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, he formed The dB's, whose stewardship he would share with Peter Holsapple.In 1977 in New York, Chris founded the...
, Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
, and Beat Rodeo
Beat Rodeo
Beat Rodeo was a country-rock band from New York City during the 1980s. They released at least two albums, Home in the Heart of the Beat and Staying Out Late With Beat Rodeo...
. His breakthrough as a producer came in 1987 with R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's Document
Document (album)
Robert Christgau praised the album, and called "It's the End of the World as We Know It " an "inspirational title." Stephan Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that "Where Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record, Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made...
album. Litt had first worked with the band on the track "Romance" for a film soundtrack, and went on to enjoy a long and successful association with the band which included production of their albums Green (1988), Out of Time
Out of Time (album)
Out of Time is the seventh album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on Warner Bros. Records in 1991. With Out of Time R.E.M.'s status grew from that of a cult band to a massive international act. The record topped the album sales charts in both the U.S...
(1991), Automatic for the People
Automatic for the People
Automatic for the People is the eighth album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1992 on Warner Bros. Records. While R.E.M...
(1992), Monster (1994) and New Adventures in Hi-Fi
New Adventures in Hi-Fi
New Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was their fifth major label release for Warner Bros. Records, released on September 9, 1996, in Europe and Australia and the following day in the United States...
(1996). In 1997, R.E.M. and Litt discontinued their collaboration.
Apart from R.E.M., the most commercially successful act Litt worked with was Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, for whom he mixed the singles "Heart-Shaped Box
Heart-Shaped Box
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
" and "All Apologies
All Apologies
"All Apologies" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. It was released as the second single from the band's third album, In Utero, which was released on September 21, 1993...
" from the 1993 album In Utero, and the posthumous release MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American rock band Nirvana. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993 for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and first aired on the cable television...
(1994). Litt also remixed "Pennyroyal Tea
Pennyroyal Tea
"Pennyroyal Tea" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Featured on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero , it was initially scheduled to be released as the third single in April 1994...
" and the remix was set to be released on the single, but the single was retracted shortly after Kurt Cobain's death. His remix can be found on Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
versions of In Utero as well as Nirvana, Nirvana's greatest hits collection. In 1999 and the 2000s, Litt worked with Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
to produce two of their records Make Yourself
Make Yourself
Make Yourself is the third album by American rock band Incubus, released through Epic Records on October 26, 1999. The album has been certified double platinum in the United States along with featuring three charting singles, "Pardon Me", "Stellar", and "Drive", all of which reached the top three...
(1999) and Morning View
Morning View
Morning View is the fourth studio album by American rock band Incubus, released October 23, 2001 through Epic Records. A companion DVD, Morning View Sessions, was released on May 29, 2002...
(2001). Litt also mixed songs for Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
including "Miss World", "Asking For It", "Jennifer's Body", and "Softer, Softest" off their album Live Through This
Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home....
.
He has also worked for Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
, Juliana Hatfield
Juliana Hatfield
Juliana Hatfield , is an American guitarist/singer-songwriter and author from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies and Some Girls. She currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, the Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, The Replacements, Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
(Dream of Life
Dream of Life
Dream of Life is an album by Patti Smith, released in June 1988 on Arista Records. It was her first album after the dissolution of The Patti Smith Group. Lead single "People Have the Power" received some album-oriented rock airplay at the time, and later was revived by Bruce Springsteen as a theme...
), The Woodentops
The Woodentops
The Woodentops are a British rock band that have enjoyed critical acclaim and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s.-History:The band formed in 1983 in South London with an initial line-up of Rolo McGinty , Simon Mawby , Alice Thompson , Frank DeFreitas , and Paul Hookham .After a...
(Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway), That Petrol Emotion
That Petrol Emotion
That Petrol Emotion are a Northern Irish, London-based band with an American vocalist, Steve Mack.-Career:The band originally formed in 1984 from the ashes of the Derry Hitmakers, Bam Bam and the Calling and The Undertones. It was formed by guitarist John O'Neill and second guitarist Raymond Gorman...
, Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
, Days of the New
Days of the New
Days of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...
, The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American alternative rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music...
, Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley
David "Ziggy" Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley...
and Alela Diane
Alela Diane
Alela Diane Menig is an American singer and songwriter living in Portland, Oregon.-Life and career:Alela Diane Menig, she grew up singing with her musician parents and performing in the school choir...
.
Litt also started his own label, Outpost Recordings, initially in partnership with IRS Records employee Mark Williams, and funded and distributed by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.