Bill Schnee: Difference between revisions

Bill Schnee
Bill Schnee
Birth name	William S. Schnee
Born	July 4, 1947 (age 77); Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Recording engineer, producer

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William S. Schnee (born July 4, 1947) is an American musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Schnee has been nominated 11 times for the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy Award and worked on a multitude of other Grammy nominated and awarded albums. He has won two Grammys, an Emmy for Outstanding Sound for a Television Special, and a Dove Award. In a 45+ year career of very diverse artists, Schnee has received over 135 gold and platinum records and has recorded/mixed over 50 top twenty singles.^[1]

Early life

Schnee was born in Phoenix, Arizona, where he lived until he was 13. At that time, his family moved to California. Early musical training was in trumpet, saxophone and piano. In 1964, his senior year at Glendora High School, Schnee started a band, The LA Teens, writing songs and playing organ. Immediately after graduation, The LA Teens were signed to Decca Records. When their single releases had little success, the band was dropped, however, they were immediately signed by Mike Curb to work with producer/engineer Richie Podolor. While learning his craft, Schnee attended California State Polytechnic University, majoring in Business. Schnee then started law school at Loyola University, but took a leave of absence in the second semester to continue playing and recording music. Three years after being produced by Podolor, Schnee's big break came when he was hired to engineer in Podolor's studio. On Schnee's third day, Podolor put him in to record two tracks and some overdubs for Three Dog Night. Schnee never returned to law school.^[2]

Career

Schnee was instrumental in launching Sheffield Lab Records and the modern era direct to disc audiophile recordings, when in 1973 he engineered Lincoln Mayorga & Distinguished Colleagues - The Missing Linc, Volume III, and in 1975 he produced and engineered the Thelma Houston and Pressure Cooker album, I've Got the Music in Me.^[3] These audiophile albums were recorded in real time directly to the phonograph record cutting lathe. Schnee went on to produce several more of the direct to disc albums, including James Newton Howard and Friends, The Drum Record, and The Track Record.^[4]

Schnee has recorded and mixed with a wide variety of artists that include Steely Dan, Chicago, Ringo (with all the Beatles), Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Dire Straits, Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, The Pointer Sisters, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton, The Jacksons, Mark Knopfler, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, George Benson, Bette Midler, and Amy Grant. As a producer, Schnee has worked with Boz Scaggs, Joe Sample, Thelma Houston, Kiki Dee, and launched the careers of Huey Lewis and the News and Pablo Cruise. Schnee has also mixed the bulk of the Japanese mega-star Kazumasa Oda's albums.^[5]

Recording studio

In 1981, Schnee opened Schnee Studio in North Hollywood. Schnee and his fellow engineers built all of the equipment for the studio, including the discrete recording console and custom tube microphone preamps. The studio has an extensive collection of vintage tube microphones.^[6]

In 2015, Schnee Studio was sold and merged to become Studio 6 of the adjacent Larrabee Sound Studios.^[7]

Awards

Schnee has been nominated eleven times in the category of Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, winning twice.^[8]

Grammy Awards

1977 Aja – Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1981 Gaucho – Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Emmy Award

1992 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing For a Variety, Music series, or Special for "Unforgettable, With Love" by Natalie Cole.^[9]

Dove Award

1995 Praise and Worship Album of the Year for Promise Keepers, Raise the Standard.^[10]

Selected works

Over the course of his career, Schnee has worked on over 600 albums^[5]^[11] *Grammy Nominated for Best Engineered Album – Non Classical

2015 That Lovin' Feeling – Steve Tyrell – engineer, mixing
2014 My Dream Duets – Barry Manilow – engineer, mixing
2014 Night Songs – Barry Manilow – mixing
2013 It's Magic: The Songs of Sammy Cahn – Steve Tyrell – mixing
2013 My Hope: Songs Inspired by the Message and Mission of Billy Graham – engineer, mixing
2013 New Blood/No Sweat/More Than Ever – Blood, Sweat & Tears – producer
2012 AM/FM – Rita Wilson – engineer
2012 As Time Goes By/Stardust [The Great American Songbook, Vols. 2-3] – Rod Stewart – engineer
2012 I'll Take Romance – Steve Tyrell – engineer, mixing
2011 1 – Julio Iglesias – engineer
2010 The Essential Herb Alpert- Herb Alpert – mixing
2009 Priority/Black and White – Pointer Sisters – mixing
2009 Anything Goes – Herb Alpert – engineer, mixing
2009 Soulbook – Rod Stewart – mixing
2008 Marcus – Marcus Miller – mixing
2008 Still Unforgettable – Natalie Cole – engineer*
2008 Benji Hughes – Benji Hughes – mixing
2008 Encanto – Sergio Mendes – mixing
2007 At the Movies – Dave Koz – engineer
2007 Free – Marcus Miller – mixing
2007 Home at Last – Billy Ray Cyrus – mixing
2006 Romantic Classics – Julio Iglesias – engineer
2005 Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook – Bette Midler – mixing
2005 Altered State – Yellowjackets – engineer
2005 Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Vol. 4 – Rod Stewart – Audio engineer, engineer
2005 Twilight of the Renegades – Jimmy Webb – mixing
2004 Just for a Thrill – Ronnie Milsap – mixing
2004 Sheffield Lab Drum and Track Disc – Sheffield Track Record – producer, engineer
2004 Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Vol. 3 – Rod Stewart – engineer, String Engineer
2003 Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook – Bette Midler – engineer, mixing
2003 This Guy's in Love – Steve Tyrell – mixing
2003 The Movie Album – Barbra Streisand – mixing
2002 David Clayton-Thomas/Tequila Sunrise – David Clayton-Thomas – engineer, mixing
2002 The Pecan Tree – Joe Sample – producer
2002 The Christmas Album – Johnny Mathis – mixing
2001 Christmas Memories – Barbra Streisand – mixing
2001 On the Way to Love – Patti Austin – mixing
2001 The Disney Album – Michael Crawford – mixing
2000 Absolute Benson – George Benson – mixing*
2000 Fingerprints – Larry Carlton – mixing
2000 Here's to You Charlie Brown – David Benoit, engineer, mixing*
2000 Tomorrow Today – Al Jarreau – engineer, mixing
2000 Tutu/Amandla/Doo-Bop – Miles Davis – mixing
1999 Body Language – Boney James – mixing
1999 The Song Lives On – Lalah Hathaway – producer
1999 Snowbound – Fourplay – engineer
1998 As Time Goes By – Neil Diamond – engineer, mixing
1998 The Movie Album: As Time Goes By – Neil Diamond – engineer, mixing
1997 Artist of My Soul – Sandi Patty – mixing
1997 Greatest Hits – Kenny G – engineer
1997 Vulnerable – Marvin Gaye – mixing
1996 Mandy Barnett – Mandy Barnett – producer
1996 Full Circle – Randy Travis – mixing
1996 In My Lifetime – Neil Diamond – engineer, mixing
1996 Sheffield Jazz Experience – producer
1996 That's Right – George Benson – engineer, mixing
1996 The Sheffield Pop Experience – producer
1995 The Tattooed Heart – Aaron Neville – mixing
1994 Love is Always 17 – David Gates – mixing
1994 Cohen Live – Leonard Cohen – mixing
1994 Tenderness – Al Jarreau – mixing
1993 Citizen Steely Dan – Steely Dan – engineer
1993 Friends Can Be Lovers – Dionne Warwick – mixing
1993 Love Remembers – George Benson – engineer, mixing
1993 Love Songs – Diane Schuur – mixing
1993 Screenplaying – Mark Knopfler – mixing
1993 Starbox – Boz Scaggs – producer
1993 The Sun Don't Lie – Marcus Miller – mixing
1992 Home for Christmas – Amy Grant – mixing
1992 Timeless: The Classics – Michael Bolton – engineer
1991 Hard at Play – Huey Lewis & the News – producer
1991 Healing the Wounds – The Crusaders – mixing
1991 On Every Street – Dire Straits – engineer
1990 Ashes to Ashes – Joe Sample – mixing
1990 Blue Pacific – Michael Franks – mixing
1990 Grand Piano Canyon – Bob James – mixing
1990 Neck and Neck' – Chet Atkins – mixing
1989 Amandla – Miles Davis – mixing
1989 Last Exit to Brooklyn – Mark Knopfler – mixing
1989 No Holdin' Back – Randy Travis – mixing
1989 Spellbound – Joe Sample – mixing
1988 Get Here – Brenda Russell – mixing
1988 Heart of Mine – Boz Scaggs – producer
1988 Love Songs – David Sanborn – engineer, mixing
1988 Other Roads – Boz Scaggs – producer
1987 Get Close to My Love – Jennifer Holliday – engineer, mixing
1986 Double Vision – Bob James – engineer, mixing
1986 Tutu – Miles Davis – mixing, surround sound
1985 Gettin' Away with Murder – Patti Austin – mixing
1985 James Newton Howard and Friends – James Newton Howard – producer
1985 Take No Prisoners – Peabo Bryson – mixing
1985 Greg Rolie – Greg Rolie – producer
1985 Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston – mixing
1984 Home Again – Judy Collins – mixing
1984 Love Language – Teddy Pendergrass – mixing
1984 In London – Al Jarreau – engineer
1983 Merciless – Stephanie Mills – mixing
1983 Uncle Wonderful – Janis Ian – mixing
1982 So Excited! – Pointer Sisters – mixing
1982 Angel Heart – Jimmy Webb – mixing
1982 Missin' Twenty Grand – David Lasley – producer, engineer, mixing
1982 Stand by the Power – the Imperials – producer, engineer
1982 Chicago 16 – Chicago – mixing
1982 Dreamgirls [Original Broadway Cast Album] – mixing
1981 The Jacksons: Live – The Jacksons – engineer, mixing
1981 Growing Up in Hollywood Town – Lincoln Mayorga and Amanda McBroom – engineer, mixing*
1980 New Baby – Don Randi and Quest – engineer, mixing*
1980 Alibi – America – mixing
1980 Gaucho – Steely Dan – engineer*
1980 Gideon – Kenny Rogers – mixing
1980 Huey Lewis and the News – Huey Lewis & the News – producer
1980 Middle Man – Boz Scaggs – producer
1979 Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive – England Dan and John Ford Coley – mixing
1979 Stoneheart- Brick – producer
1979 Part of the Game – Pablo Cruise – producer
1979 September Morn – Neil Diamond – engineer, mixing
1978 Leo Sayer – Leo Sayer – engineer
1978 Worlds Away – Pablo Cruise- producer
1978 You Don't Bring Me Flowers – Neil Diamond – mixing engineer, supervisor
1977 If Love is Real – Randy Edleman – producer
1977 A Place in the Sun – Pablo Cruise – engineer, mixing
1977 Aja – Steely Dan – engineer*
1977 Discovered Again – Dave Grusin – engineer, mixing*
1977 I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight – Neil Diamond – engineer, mixing
1977 Making a Good Thing Better – Olivia Newton-John – engineer, mixing
1976 Farewell Fairbanks – Randy Edleman – producer
1976 Don't Stop Believin' – Olivia Newton-John – mixing
1976 Endless Flight – Leo Sayer – engineer
1976 Follow My Mind – Jimmy Cliff – mixing
1976 I've Got a Reason – Richie Furay – producer
1975 Breakaway – Art Garfunkel – mixing
1975 I've Got the Music in Me – Thelma Houston – producer, engineer, mixing*
1975 Melissa – Melissa Manchester – engineer, Remixing
1975 Playing Possum – Carly Simon – engineer, Remixing
1974 Goodnight Vienna – Ringo Starr – Audio engineer, engineer, Remixing
1974 Hotcakes – Carly Simon – engineer, Remixing
1974 Lincoln Mayorga & Distinguished Colleagues, Vol. 3 – Lincoln Mayorga – engineer, mixing*
1974 Live! – Marvin Gaye – engineer, mixing
1973 Barbra Streisand...and Other Musical Instruments – Barbra Streisand – mixing
1973 Ringo – Ringo Starr – engineer, mixing
1972 David Clayton-Thomas – David Clayton-Thomas – mixing
1972 LaCroix – Jerry Lacroix – producer
1972 Live Concert at the Forum – Barbra Streisand – engineer
1972 No Secrets – Carly Simon – engineer, mixing*
1971 Barbra Joan Streisand – Barbra Streisand – engineer, mixing

Scores for movies and television

2011 Rio [Music from the Motion Picture] – engineer, mixing
2001 Atlantis: The Lost Empire [Original Soundtrack] – James Newton Howard – engineer
2000 Space Cowboys [Original Soundtrack] – engineer, mixing
1997 Space Jam [Original Score] – James Newton Howard – engineer, mixing
1997 The Postman [Original Score/Soundtrack] – James Newton Howard – producer
1996 E.R.: Original Television Theme Music and Score – producer
1995 Father of the Bride, Pt. 2 [Original Soundtrack] – Alan Silvestri – mixing
1994 The Swan Princess [Original Soundtrack] – mixing
1992 The Bodyguard [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] – engineer
1991 The Prince of Tides [Original Soundtrack] – James Newton Howard – mixing
1989 Beaches [Original Soundtrack] – Bette Midler – engineer
1987 The Princess Bride [Original Soundtrack] – Mark Knopfler – mixing
1985 Promised Land [Original Score] – James Newton Howard – engineer

References

^ "Bill Schnee Biography". Bravura Records. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
^ Clark, Rick (2010). Mixing, Recording, and Producing Techniques of the Pros (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1598638400.
^ "History of Sheffield—Tale of an Obsession". Sheffield Lab. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
^ Hoffmann, Frank (2005). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. p. 1912. ISBN 978-0415938358.
^ ^a ^b Bill Schnee discography at Discogs
^ Schnee, Bill (December 2010). "A New Venture". Bravura Records.
^ "Larrabee Studios, Los Angeles". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
^ "Grammy Winning Engineer Bill Schnee Talks To Computer Audiophile, Part 1". Computer Audiophile. November 2, 2010.
^ "44th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
^ "Past Winners". GMA Dove Award.
^ "Bill Schnee Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 28, 2015.

External links

Official website
Bill Schnee at IMDb
Bill Schnee Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2021)

[1] "Bill Schnee Biography". Bravura Records. Retrieved April 28, 2015.

[2] Clark, Rick (2010). Mixing, Recording, and Producing Techniques of the Pros (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1598638400.

[3] "History of Sheffield—Tale of an Obsession". Sheffield Lab. Retrieved September 22, 2016.

[4] Hoffmann, Frank (2005). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. p. 1912. ISBN 978-0415938358.

[discogs-5] Bill Schnee discography at Discogs

[6] Schnee, Bill (December 2010). "A New Venture". Bravura Records.

[7] "Larrabee Studios, Los Angeles". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.

[8] "Grammy Winning Engineer Bill Schnee Talks To Computer Audiophile, Part 1". Computer Audiophile. November 2, 2010.

[9] "44th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 28, 2015.

[10] "Past Winners". GMA Dove Award.

[11] "Bill Schnee Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 28, 2015.

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