John Jones (record producer)

John Idris Jones (b. December 12, 1957) is a musician and record producer who has worked with Duran Duran and many high-profile rock and pop musicians.

Background

Jones is of Welsh descent. He was born in London, England and lived in Wales, England, Jamaica and Canada. He played various instruments in local Canadian bands, and learned to write songs, until he got a chance to record in the studio of Rush producer Terry Brown. He became keyboardist for the band Bond, which was signed to CBS Canada, then wrote and toured with several other Canadian bands.

1980s

In 1980 Jones and friends built ESP Studios around a Fairlight CMI where they worked on many productions for Klaatu, Alice Cooper, Strange Advance, Dalbello, Rational Youth, Red Rider, Images in Vogue, Dan Hill, The Partland Brothers and Glass Tiger. In 1985 Jones relocated to AIR Studios in London, setting up a Computer Music studio with George Martin and working on productions for Martin, Yes, The Rolling Stones, Paul Rogers, Paul McCartney, Terence Trent D'Arby, The Outfield, Mark Knopfler, Roy Wood, and Duran Duran. Jones played piano for a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, with George Martin conducting his Beatles Yellow Submarine Suite. He also wrote a chapter on MIDI for Martin's book "Making Music" and presenting a segment about computer music on BBC Two's "Science In Action".

In the late 1980s Jones began working with Duran Duran on their live shows and then in the studio producing a B side single "This Is How A Road Gets Made", before being hired to record the album "Liberty" with producer Chris Kimsey. He also produced the single "Burning the Ground" (a remix of Duran's greatest hits) for Duran Duran's "Greatest" compilation album.

1990s

In the early 1990s, he worked again with Kimsey on Paul Rodgers's "Laying Down the Law" and the Rolling Stones' "Steel Wheels Live". By 1992, Duran Duran and Jones had finished producing the multi-million–selling "comeback" record, "The Wedding Album" featuring the award-winning song "Ordinary World". He also played piano with Duran Duran on stage at the Royal Albert Hall and later for their "MTV Unplugged" sessions in New York in 1994. His final production with Duran Duran was "Thank You" of 1995.

In the mid 1990s, Jones produced Ny Donsk in Iceland before heading to Los Angeles where he produced the Alan Frew CD "Hold On" for EMI, co-writing the album's hit song "So Blind" which won awards from the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada for Most Performed Song of 1995 and Number One.

In 1996, Jones co-wrote and produced tracks for Dan Hill's "I'm Doing Fine" and Fleetwood Mac's "Time". He wrote and produced the Celine Dion song "Seduces Me" from the multi-platinum CD "Falling Into You", for which Jones won 1997 Grammy Awards for "Album Of The Year (Producer)", "Album Of The Year" and "Pop Album Of The Year (Engineer)".

Jones has also written songs for Priscilla Wright, Emily Richards, and Rational Youth, writing four top ten and three number one records, as well as writing and producing film scores for the films "Stuart Bliss", "Lucky", "A Perfect Stranger" and "Hot Money".

In 1998, Jones produced a solo album of his own material called "One Moment In Time". Released in Canada by Iron/BMG to critical acclaim, the album garnered three MP3.com Pop Chart number ones and extensive music video play for the single "State Of Mind". He performed many live shows promoting the album in Canada and in Los Angeles including organizing a benefit for the homeless in Toronto for the Salvation Army and Covenant House.

2000s

Jones' solo album was re-released by Victor Entertainment in Japan in late 2001 to coincide with a massive Kirin Beer campaign for which Jones sang the lead vocal, recorded for Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon's Japanese advertising company Syn Entertainment. In 2003 John started Drumroll Musicians Workshop with drum legend Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers in Burbank, California, and has since worked on productions and sessions for Ferrone's band Farm Fur, as well as Keb' Mo', Dove, Nils, Edgar Winter, Jeff Golub, Sabian, Linspire, Mike Campbell, The Lille Claire Foundation, Ollie, Andre Berry, Karan Han, Susie Chin, Kim Crain, The Dares, Erin Toland, Zuhdi & Frank, Dean & Robert Deleo, Cassandra Denver, Jeff Young, Alex Ligertwood, Brian Auger and Jack Dill.

References

* [http://www.johnjones.com/biog/index.html John Jones official site: Biography]
* [http://duran.com.sapo.pt/jj06.htm John Jones interview on Duran Duran involvement]