Peter Collins (record producer)
Peter Collins | |
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| Birth name | Peter Julian Alexander Collins |
| Born | January 14, 1951 Reading, England |
| Died | June 2024 (aged 73) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1970–2024 |
Peter Julian Alexander Collins (14 January 1951 – June 2024)[1] was an English record producer, arranger, and audio engineer.[2][3] He produced records by Gary Moore, Bon Jovi, Billy Squier, Rush, Air Supply, Alice Cooper, Nik Kershaw, Blancmange, Suicidal Tendencies, Queensrÿche, Indigo Girls, Nanci Griffith, Jermaine Stewart, Jane Wiedlin, October Project, The Cardigans, Rosetta Stone, Josh Joplin, Tracey Ullman, Drake Bell, Ultraspank and The Brian Setzer Orchestra.
Career[edit]
In 1976, Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Sippy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform the pop song "Let It Ring".[4] Collins acted as producer, but the record failed to chart and the group soon disbanded.
Collins formed a production company with Pete Waterman and his early credits as a producer included producing the first two albums for The Lambrettas and their chart hit "Poison Ivy".
In the Summer of 1983, Collins took charge of producing Human Racing by Nik Kershaw, which went onto become incredibly successful in Europe. Nine months later, he produced Kershaw's second album which followed The Riddle. Both albums achevived multi-platnium success.
He moved to Canada in 1985 to produce albums for Rush, first working on Power Windows (1985) and then Hold Your Fire (1987).[2] Known at the time as a pop producer, he brought a more heavily synthesised sound to Rush.[5] After reluctantly declining to work with Rush for their albums Presto and Roll the Bones, he later returned to collaborate with the band for Counterparts and Test for Echo. In both cases, he emphasised a return to Rush's heavier rock sound.
In 1991, he produced Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid album, which peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard 200 and was the follow-up to the Desmond Child produced Trash album. He also produced the Queensrÿche albums Operation: Mindcrime, Empire (No. 7 on the Billboard 200) and Hear in the Now Frontier. For a time, Collins was referred to as "Mr. Big".
Death[edit]
Collins died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Nashville, Tennessee in June 2024 at the age of 73.[1][6]
Production discography[edit]
- The Lambrettas – Beat Boys in the Jet Age (1980)[7]
- The Lambrettas – Ambience (1981)
- Tygers of Pan Tang – The Cage (1982)[7]
- Musical Youth – The Youth of Today (1982)[7]
- The Belle Stars – The Belle Stars (1983)
- Musical Youth – Different Style! (1983)[7]
- Tracy Ullman – You Broke My Heart in 17 Places (1983)[7]
- Nik Kershaw – Human Racing (1984)[7]
- Jermaine Stewart – The Word Is Out (1984)[7]
- Matt Bianco – Whose Side Are You On? (1984)[7]
- Nik Kershaw - The Riddle (1984)[7]
- Tracy Ullman – You Caught Me Out (1984)[7]
- Air Supply – Air Supply (1985)
- Gary Moore – Run for Cover (1985)[7]
- Rush – Power Windows (1985)[7]
- Billy Squier – Enough Is Enough (1986)[7]
- Gary Moore – Wild Frontier (1987)[7]
- Rush - Hold Your Fire (1987)[7]
- Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime (1988)[7]
- Voice of the Beehive – Let It Bee (1988)[7]
- Gary Moore – After the War (1989)[7]
- Tom Jones – At This Moment (1989)
- Wax – A Hundred Thousand in Fresh Notes (1989)
- Jane Wiedlin – Tangled (1990)[7]
- Queensrÿche – Empire (1990)[7]
- Alice Cooper – Hey Stoopid (1991)[7]
- Indigo Girls – Rites of Passage (1992)[7]
- Suicidal Tendencies – The Art of Rebellion (1992)[7]
- Rush - Counterparts (1993)[7]
- Indigo Girls – Swamp Ophelia (1994)[7]
- Nanci Griffith – Flyer (1994)[7]
- Bon Jovi - These Days (1995)[7]
- Rush - Test for Echo (1996)[7]
- Divinyls – Underworld (1996)[7]
- Queensrÿche – Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)[7]
- Save Ferris – It Means Everything (1997)[7]
- Letters to Cleo - Go! (1997)[7]
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra – The Dirty Boogie (1998)[7]
- Shawn Mullins – Soul's Core (1998)[7]
- Jewel - Spirit (1998)[7]
- Nanci Griffith – The Dust Bowl Symphony (1999)[7]
- Ultraspank – Progress (2000)[7]
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Vavoom! (2000)[7]
- Systematic - Somewhere in Between (2001)[7]
- Lisa Loeb - Cake and Pie (2002)[7]
- Indigo Girls – Become You (2002)[7]
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Boogie Woogie Christmas (2002)
- Indigo Girls – All That We Let In (2004)[7]
- Sandra McCracken – Best Laid Plans (2004)
- Beth Nielsen Chapman – Look (2005)[7]
- Courtney Jaye – Traveling Light (2005)[7]
- Rick Astley – Portrait (2005)[7]
- Carbon Leaf – Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat (2006)[7]
- Nanci Griffith – Ruby's Torch (2006)[7]
- Kenny Loggins – How About Now (2007)[7]
- Indigo Girls – Holly Happy Days (2010)[7]
- Indigo Girls – Beauty Queen Sister (2011)[7]
- Flying Colors – Flying Colors (2012)[7]
- Drake Bell – Ready Steady Go! (April 2014)[7]
- Brian Setzer – Rockabilly Riot! All Original (2014)[7]
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Rockin' Rudolph (2015)[7]
- Stray Cats – 40 (2019)[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Legendary RUSH And QUEENSRŸCHE Producer PETER COLLINS Dead At 73
- ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "Peter Collins" AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
- ^ "An interview with Peter Collins". performingsongwriter.com. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Madison – Let It Ring / My Girl Don't Do Dat – Magnet – MAG 72". 45cat. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
- ^ Siberok, Martin (4 March 1986). "Rush: still rock 'n' roll escapism at its best". The Montreal Gazette.
- ^ Peter Collins Death, Former RUSH Producer and Songwriter, Passes Away After a Long Battle with Cancer at His Nashville Home
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc "Peter Collins: Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
External Links[edit]
- Inglis, Sam (March 2002). "Peter Collins". Sound on Sound.
- Peter Collins discography at Discogs
- Peter Collins at IMDb
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