Nigel Godrich
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Nigel Godrich (born in the UK in 1972) is a recording engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with the English alternative band Radiohead. He has also worked as engineer, producer or mixer with Paul McCartney, Travis, Beck, Pavement, Air, Neil Finn, Natalie Imbruglia, Silver Sun, The Sundays, The Divine Comedy, U2, The Beta Band, and R.E.M. Godrich productions are generally known for their layered sound, often featuring experimental "swoosh" transitions between tracks.
Work
In 2004 Godrich produced the Band Aid 20 charity single, featuring contributions from Supergrass' Danny Goffey, Paul McCartney, Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Oasis' Noel Gallagher, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Bono of U2, Sugababes and others.Nigel is sometimes informally credited as the "sixth member" of Radiohead and is given much credit for his work with the Oxford band. His first contributions were on certain songs of the 1994 My Iron Lung EP, such as "The Trickster" and "Permanent Daylight." He went on to engineer Radiohead's second record The Bends (1995), co-produced "Black Star" from the same album and produced "Talk Show Host" ("Street Spirit" b-side and a fan-favourite) after the band found they got on well with him.
Godrich's first full album production job with Radiohead was on OK Computer (1997), on which he made his name, and he has coproduced every album with the band since. Although he has not been involved with the band's upcoming seventh studio album, which is being recorded with Mark "Spike" Stent, he is credited as producer on singer Thom Yorke's 2006 solo album The Eraser. He has gained respect for helping to define Radiohead's distinct sound, and he helped to establish them as one the more acclaimed bands in the world. Godrich has been nominated several times for the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and together with Darrell Thorp, won Best Engineered Album for Radiohead's Hail to the Thief in 2004.
Godrich has also collaborated with American singer-songwriter Beck several times, on the highly acclaimed Mutations (1998) and Sea Change (2002), and currently on Beck's untitled forthcoming album, reported to be complete as of summer 2006. These albums were noted for their atmospheric folk/pop sound, in contrast with Beck's more hip-hop-influenced material. Godrich has also worked with Travis twice, producing the Scottish band's breakthrough The Man Who (1999), and follow-up The Invisible Band (2001), both very successful on the British pop charts. His work on Air's 10,000 Hz. Legend was followed by mixing work on the French electronic pop band's 2004 comeback Talkie Walkie.
Godrich received his greatest visibility in 2005 for his work on Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, a job he got after being recommended by legendary Beatles producer George Martin. McCartney also admired Godrich's work with Radiohead, Travis and Beck. According to interviews, the idea of bringing in a younger producer was for McCartney to challenge himself, and accordingly Godrich fired the star's touring band on the first day's sessions, and demanded he abandon songs Godrich felt to be cliched, over-sentimental or subpar. Although McCartney admitted to being frustrated at times, he credited Godrich with ultimately forcing him into a more intimate mode of songwriting. Chaos and Creation received McCartney's best reviews in several years, with Time magazine even calling it his first worthwhile album since the Beatles. The album was nominated for several Grammys including Album of the Year, and Godrich was nominated for Producer of the Year.
Trivia
- Godrich is younger than any member of Radiohead, a rare situation among producers for popular acts. When working on OK Computer at improvised studios without the close supervision of longtime veterans or record labels, both he and the band learned as they went along, ultimately crediting the open process with the record's success.
- Because of his extensive work with Radiohead, some believe Godrich to be the actor who plays "Chieftan Mews" in Radiohead's DVD/Internet feature, The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth Of All Time.
Discography (partial)
- All listings are as producer, unless noted otherwise.
Radiohead work
- 1994 - My Iron Lung (producer on some tracks)
- 1995 - The Bends (engineer)
- 1997 - OK Computer
- 1997 - No Surprises/Running From Demons
- 1997 - Airbag/How Am I Driving?
- 2000 - Kid A
- 2001 - Amnesiac
- 2001 - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
- 2003 - Hail to the Thief
- 2004 - COM LAG (2plus2isfive)
Other work
- 1996 - English and French by Hopper (band) (engineer)
- 1998 - Left of the Middle by Natalie Imbruglia (mixer)
- 1998 - Mutations by Beck
- 1999 - Terror Twilight by Pavement
- 1999 - The Man Who by Travis
- 1999 - Can You Still Feel? by Jason Falkner
- 2001 - Regeneration by The Divine Comedy
- 2001 - The Invisible Band by Travis
- 2002 - Sea Change by Beck
- 2004 - Talkie Walkie by Air
- 2004 - Heroes to Zeros by The Beta Band (mixer)
- 2004 - Band Aid 20 single
- 2005 -
- 2005 - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard by Sir Paul McCartney
- 2006 - The Eraser by Thom Yorke
- 2006 - Travis' 5th studio album
- 2006 - Beck's 10th studio album
External links
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