The Man Who Impacted The King of Pop (Part1)

Recording Engineer Extraordinaire over Four Decades

A career that has impacted Jazz, Pop,Blue, R&B and Soul to the Signature Sound of Michael Jackson.

Bruce Swedien

Bruce was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1934 to Scandinavian parents. His mother was a member of the Minneapolis Symphony Women’s chorus, which had a strong influence on his choice of career in the music industry. His passion for music developed, as he listened to the powerful and soulful sounds coming out of a black church in the neighbourhood where he grew up. By the time he graduated from high school, Swedien had purchased a professional tape recorder and used the equipment during his spare time from the the University of Minnesota to record jazz groups, radio commercials and vocal groups such as choirs.

Quincy Jones

 He was mentored and trained by the father of modern recording Bill Putnam, the founder of the world famous Universal Recording Studios in Chicago where Bruce developed his engineering skills to great effect and made himself a key figure in the evolution of sound recording from mono to digital recordings. Putnam passed the baton during actual recording sessions with the great Stan Kenton. With his new-found success, Bruce’s client base increased to significant levels and included working with two jazz legends, the late Duke Ellington, on a couple of albums and Count Basie and his band, which featured Joe Williams, on “The Nighttime Is the Right Time”. During this period Bruce started a long-term creative relationship with Quincy Jones, beginning in the late 1950s when Quincy was vice-president at Mercury Records, the first black man to be a top executive for a major label.

As a result of his links with Quincy Jones, Bruce participated in engineering projects with jazz greats such as Sarah Vaughan and Oscar Peterson on the Mercury/Verve label based in Chicago. His first significant project with Quincy was Dinah Washington’s “What a Different a Day Makes”, using the latest technology available at the time. He also recorded standards with Nat Cole King and Patti Page, under the supervision of Putnam before he went solo as an engineer. Bruce became a key player in the development of the Blues sound which arrived in Chicago from the Mississippi Delta, brought by Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed and others



                                   Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014

Quinton Joseph (Part 6)

"The R&B and Soul Music Drummer with a Signature Touch"

 The Philadelphia Years:

This album was LaBelle's first Grammy 
Award winning project

In the following decade of the 1990s, Joseph stayed busy working on many projects with Gamble and Huff music organisation. His first major recording project was the late Phyllis Hyman album “Prime Of Life” which obtained near gold sales in North America , he also played on the track “When I Give My Love (This Time)” . 

The album was released in 1991. During that same year he played drums on the legendary Patti LaBelle's gold certified  album “Burin’ a Grammy Award winning project for LaBelle in 1992.                   .

 In 1993 he reunited with the late Teddy Pendergrass on his “A Little More Magic” album playing both as a percussionist  and drummer  on the  track “I’m Always Thinking Of You”, co-producer by Pendergrass and his long  time producer Leon Huff while he was signed at PIR (Philadelphia International Records).

Joseph last major contribution as a drummer was on The Five Blind Boys of Alabama album released in 2003 on Philadelphia International Records, with the title track co-produced by Gamble and Huff with drums played by Joseph. The album was a landmark recording using a more up to date Post-Philadelphia Soul signature sound with great results . 

The album featured many of the old Philadelphia Soul Sound musicians and composers such as Dexter Wansel, Jack Faith, Leon Huff and also sound engineer Mike Taria the son of Joe Taria the sound engineer during the gold era of “The Sound of Philadelphia” during the 1970s.

Quinton Joseph definitely will go down in music history as one of the most successful Soul and R&B drummer to emerge out the Chicago soul and R&B era. His credits listed over a five decades period with outstanding results from to the “Windy City” of Chicago all the way to the city of the Philadelphia also known as the city of “Brotherly Love”.



                                   Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014

                                     

Quinton Joseph (Part 3)

  "The R&B and Soul Music Drummer with a Signature Touch"

The Chicago Years

One of the best selling
 soundtrack of the early 1970s

During his time as a studio musician at Brunswick Records, Joseph found time to participate in recording sessions at Curtom Records, also located in the “Windy City”. He is featured on all the gold-certified soundtracks produced by the late Curtis Mayfield which include the Billboard Pop Hot 200 Albums and Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart number-one album “Super Fly”, which generated over $20 million for the music industry in North America. In 1975 he did session work for Mayfield playing drums with his friend Phil Upchurch on the soundtrack album and title track  “Let’s Do It Again”, Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart number-one on the 22^nd November 1975 (2 weeks) and Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart  number-one on the 27^th December 1975 (1 week). The single was also certified gold for one million plus units sold in America, according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Natalie Cole's first studio album 
to be certified gold.

While he was working with both Brunswick and Curtom Records, he also played on Natalie Cole’s three gold and platinum-certified albums produced in Chicago at Universal Recording Studios and Curtom Recording Studios. These albums were “Inseparable” “Natalie”, and “Unpredictable”.  These three albums grossed approximately  $15 million during the mid-1970s for the now-defunct Capitol Records, with both “Inseparable (1975) and “Unpredictable” (1977) topping the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart.

Natalie Cole's second gold 
certified studio album.

In 1976 Joseph played drums along with Phil Upchurch on two chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart in succession; “Turning Point”, performed by Tyrone Davis and “Inseparable” performed by Natalie Cole. Following the success of the first of these two singles, he also played on one final chart-topping single from Cole’s “Natalie” album entitled “Sophisticated Lady (She’s A Different Lady)”, 19^th June 1976 (1 week).


                                  Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014

Quinton Joseph (Part 2)

 "The R&B and Soul Music Drummer with a Signature Touch"

    The Chicago Years

This was the group's
 first million seller

His signature style drumming techniques is heard on other Chicago soul classics such as “Have You Seen Her”, a one million plus selling single performed the Chi-Lites and produced and co-written by one of the key members of the vocal group, the late Eugene Record and on the following gold-certified single performed by the Chi-Lites, “Oh Girl”. 

This was the only studio album of the group's career
to have achieved the number-one position on
 Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart. Joseph conducted
arrangements and played drums on the album

Joseph conducted arrangements for the group on several singles including the two gold singles mentioned above. The track “Oh Girl” became both a Billboard number-one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart on 3^rd June 1972 (2 weeks) and on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart on 27^th May 1972 (1 week), preceded by “the First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, performed by Roberta Flack and succeeded by “I’ll Take You There”, performed by The Staple Singers. The parent album “A Lonely Man” peaked on top of the  Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart on 10^th June 1972 (5 weeks), which was very interesting because it was preceeded by Roberta Flack’s album “First Take”. During the 1970s, Joseph played on all the number-one singles and albums released by Brunswick Records in North America.

Second gold record of the 
group's career
"Oh Girl" 

                                   



















                                    Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014 
 

The Remarkable Signature Sound of Sade (Part2)

"Soldier Of Love" album won a Grammy
Award for
"Best R&B Performance By A Group

Sade recent album “Soldier of Love” debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart, becoming their highest debut since her “Stronger Than Pride” recording project (1988). It also debuted at number one on the US Pop album chart Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 502,000 copies in the United States, making it Sade’s first US number-one debut on 27^th February 2010 to the 13^th March 2010 , selling over 700,000 in a three weeks period while still at number one in US on the Billboard 200 Album chart listing and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart listing for four weeks commencing on 27^th February 2010 to the 27^th March 2010.The album also topped other music charts in several other countries. It was also on the Europe Top 100 Albums chart at number one on the 27^th February 2010 (3 weeks).

"Lovers Rock" album won a Grammy
Award for "Best Pop Vocal Album"

It is 10 years since her last album release, the 2000 offering, “Lovers Rock” which won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2002. 

Sade has won three Grammy 

Awards n her whole career so far over three separate decades starting in 1985 with the “Promise” album receiving award for Best New Artist at Grammy Awards Ceremony. She received her latest Grammy this year for “Soldier of Love” on 13^th February 2011. The award was for Best R&B Performances By A Group for the track “Soldier of Love at the 53^rd Grammy Awards Ceremony. 

The hit single was taken from the album “Soldier of Love,” with the parent album been certified platinum for one million copies bringing her album total of album sold in America to 25 million copies according to (RIAA) Recording Industry Association of America). The album has sold over two million copies worldwide making it one of top ten best selling album in 2010!

She emerged as recording act 27 years ago to become Britain’s most successful female solo artist and in the process selling remarkable 50 million plus copies worldwide. She is definitely England best Soul music creative export and is extremely beautiful for her age and look rather young! 

She is truly a transcending icon of great power and dynamics whose musical brand that can compete again any new acts that has emerged since 2000 and able to stand the test of time. This has proven yet again that Britain can produce recording artist of high standard for creative export around the world with similar global impact as Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Sade definitely deserves the title as British Soul Queen with all that she has accomplished over the last three decades.


                                         Researched and compiled by               
                                         Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                 ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014 
                 

The Remarkable Signature Sound of Sade (Part1)

Sade is one of the most successful artists from 1980s to come out of the UK as creative export since her debuted album “Diamond Life.” It was released in the United Kingdom on 28^th July 1984 by Epic Records and in the United States on 23^rd February 1985 by Portrait Records. Since her debuted album Sade has sold over 16 million copies in America from 1985 to April 1996 accord to the Recording Industry Association of America ahead of such artist as Lionel Richie and the late Luther Vandross. This has made Sade and her band the 9^th most successful black recording act from 1985 to 1996 and is featured in the top 200 list of best selling recording artists according to (RIAA) Recording Industry Association of America in the 20^th Century.

Sade's dedut multi-platinum certified
studio album "Diamond Life"

Her four biggest selling studio albums so far in America are “Diamond Life” (1984) ,“Promise” (1985) and “Love Deluxe” (1992). Each album has sold four million copies, with the addition of her third studio album “Stronger Than Pride” (1988) which sold over three million copies, bringing the total to over 15 million copies plus sold. “Diamond Life” also achieved multi-platinum certification in England for one million copies sold (1.2 million) according BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) “Diamond Life” peaked at number two on the UK Pop Album chart. 

Sade's second multi-platinum
certified studio album 

The follow up album “Promise” did even better topping both the number one positions in UK and US Pop album charts. 16^th November to the 23^rd November 1985 in the UK and peaked at number one in the America on 15^th February 1986 to the 22^nd February 1986. In addition to the UK success, the recording project achieved similar success on the Swiss Album chart listing by going to number one week ending 1^st December 1985 to 15^th December 1985. Sade greatest hits package entitled “The Best of Sade” was certified multi platinum in the US for four million copies sold in 1994 and also received multi platinum certification by (IFPI) International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for two million copies sold across Europe in 1996. “The Best of Sade” was also number one on both the Billboard Top Pop Catalogue Album chart listings and the Billboard Top R&B Album chart listings.

                                      Researched and compiled by               
                                      Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                      ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014