Gord's Producer - Lenny Waronker insights

[jj]

I think Gord, Lee and Lenny should sit at the mixing board dissecting the master tapes as part of a Classic Albums episode focusing on Sundown, DQ or Old Dan's Records, etc

Track down some of the studio musicians and band members for comments as well

the cool thing about DQ is that it was basically all recorded using just Gord's band (Red Terry Rick Gord) ... so I would choose that one, but the masses would point to Sundown I imagine...and you'd get no complaint from me

I never fast forwarded once through this 20 minutes of comments...I like Lenny

Lenny Waronker: former A&R man &...

[JohninCt.]

I found it interesting. There are way too many artists who now put out indie music with small labels, and many (or most), get little air play and though they may be great artists, they just never make it. No matter how much they keep pushing, the buying masses never hear them, and they don't make enough money to keep going at it. So big labels are still the best way to go, as he mentioned. They can get the advertising and send out all the demos that will get lisrtened to. I remember working at a radio station in the 1970's and seeing 20 + promo records come in every day. I also remember the play sheets that came to the program director, and they advised him what to play. I imagine they are still being printed, and that many program directors still go by them, and don't even listen to half those new promo cds that come in. So the big labels likely what will get played and pushed as it always has been. I see no way that this will change (in the next 20 years or so anyway). I still remember when I found the Shadows lp in a $1 bin (sealed new) and bought several copies to give to friends. It was a wonderfull lp and it fizzeled as for sales. The times were changing, and it showed by that lp ending up in the discard piles. Sometimes even the big labels take a bite, no matter what the quality.

[KHester]

Yes sad to say the best is not always the most popular. I'm sure all of us have heard a great song and wondered why it wasn't a hit when some other song was. How many wonderful voices have you heard in the local church?

[Bill]

I played clubs in Dallas in the 80s. Heard a lot of great singers, players, and songwriters. Some made it: The Dixie Chicks, Tony Lane (big Nashville writer), studio/sideman Brad Davis ( who i actually beat in a contest once) and a guy who had a hit with Peter Paul &Mary, and then went on to write for the kids show Barney (pew!). But there were others who were phenomenal and faded. I remember a girl who wrote and sang as good as Karla Bonoff...just evaporated off the scene never to be heard from again.

I just completed two class sessions on media history with my beginner students. Democratized media and the ability to distribute your music globally is fabulous. But you are a grain of sand on the beach, a drop in the ocean, a voice screaming in the void of space. Without star jacking machinery, few make it.

[Bill]

Star making machinery...apparently auto correct doesn't listen to Joni.

[jj]

I think auto correct made a Freudian slip

Talented singers and players are in abundance based on my exposure and interactions but crafty, original and quality song writers, arrangers and unique vocalists are usually able to break through

[JohninCt.]

Unfortunately the Star Making Machinery is what has prevailed in the last 30 years or so, with people like the William Morris Agency being probably the biggest maker. People like Timberlake and Spears, Bieber, etc., being perfect examples of just so so talent being promoted to the ranks of super stars mainly by the 12-15 year old lambs being lead by the promo media. It really is a shame that so many people with real talent get left off the bus to stardom. I too have seen so many through the years, in old days at coffee houses, to modern times in small town fairs and pubs, to people on the net, that never get beyond the first bend. I used to buy all kinds of albums in the old days, in search of something special, many came up negative, but every once in a while I would find a gem. Maybe only one song, and it made me feel good, but most times the artist just faded away after the first album, that is why I would find them in the .99 pile.

[jj]

Must be tough to try write a flowing album only to know that the masses will be listening to 30 second clips for free on iTunes then deciding which song they might buy. I'm sure many buy entire downloads still. I think they should reward album buyers with extras like behind the scenes making if stuff like they do for bluray buyers. Btw. Who decides which 30 sec clip is chosen for each iTunes song? I hear some odd choices that certainly misrepresent

I think Beiber has used today's e-media well

Timber lake and spears used Mickey....lol

Carrie used Idol. I think she is good. Should put some weight back on

Idol died in Canada years ago. Carly Rae is not famous cos of Idol, it's because of a Beiber tweet! But she has some talent and writes. She sold out. She's no fool. Too bad folks need to know how to dance I guess Adele in exempt

I don't know who the most succesful roots folky singer has been. I guess Sarah harmer had a flash. I watched country awards recently and it all seemed like rock. I guess the machine is the genre these days. Thx for everybody's thoughts. I thought this thread was gonna be about production on Gords LPs. It was inspired by bill post about DQ actually

[Rob1956]

Lenny Waronker is a god to me. Look at the artists he's worked with, Joni, Arlo, The Doobie Bros., Jimi Hendrix, Randy Newman, and of course Gord. He got Gord like no one else did. A proper producer is everything. When I read that Lenny was moving more into the business end of the music business I thought "Gord better find a new "guru". He did very well, but never at the level of his involvement with Lenny. When I saw that "Dream Street Rose" was co-produced with Russ, I thought "oh-oh". Then Lenny was gone by "Shadows". Both great albums, but "something" was missing. I can't identify "something" but maybe some of you can verbalize it better than I.

[JohninCt.]

I agree, he was a good producer and there are many out there that aren't. I don't see anything missing on the later albums after him, but I think maybe a little less promo could be part of why the sales slacked off. I don't think the songs are lacking for anything. I doubt Lenny really had much to do with Gordons songs, as we know Gordon is a perfectionist and no one else needs to tell him what or how to do his music. Maybe as a producer on Gordons LPs, he was more about arranging schedules, the production of the package itself, the promo part, and the financing.

[buzzard]

What an interesting interview. I had heard Lenny Waronker credited often (most notably at Gord’s induction to the Juno Hall of Fame), but had never actually seen him.

He is quite articulate, but what really surprised me was how young he looks. I was expecting to see a guy who looked more like Gord, or Bernie Fielder, or Neil Young.

Brian

[jj]

yeah, he's about 3 years younger than Gord

... seems like he took a pass on most of the nonsense, or wears it well

[charlene]

I too thought him young looking...certainly not near the age of GL...
he was born October 3, 1941. Almost 3 years younger as JJ says..
the video was posted oct.2011 making him 70 at that time..