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Biography
Dablink|For the former badminton player, see Alan Parsons (badminton) .BLP sources|date=June 2010Infobox musical artist| name = Alan Parsons| image = Alanparsons1.jpg| caption = Alan Parsons in 2006| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| Born = birth date and age|1948|12|20|df=yes London, England| death_date =| instrument =| genre = Rock music|Rock | occupation = Audio engineering|Audio engineer , composer, musician, record producer, director| years_active = 1967present| label = Legacy Recordings|Legacy , Arista Records|Arista , 20th Century Fox Records|Fox , Mercury Records|Mercury , Frontiers Records|Frontiers Citation needed|date=March 2010| associated_acts = The Alan Parsons Project | website = http://www.alanparsonsmusic.com/ Alan Parsons Music| notable_instruments = Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948 http://www.alanparsonsmusic.com/bio.php Biography at his official website) is a British audio engineer , musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles ' Abbey Road and Let It Be , as well as Pink Floyd 's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor. Parsons' own group, The Alan Parsons Project , as well as his subsequent solo recordings, have also been successful commercially.
Career
In October 1967, at age 18, Parsons went to work as an assistant engineer at Abbey Road Studios , where he earned his first credit on the LP Abbey Road . He became a regular there, engineering such projects as Paul McCartney 's Wild Life (Wings album)|Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway , five albums by The Hollies , and Pink Floyd s The Dark Side of the Moon , for which he received his first Grammy Award nomination. He was known for doing more than what would normally be considered the scope of a recording engineers duties. Citation needed|date=June 2011He considered himself to be a recording director, likening his contribution to recordings to what Stanley Kubrick contributed to film.Citation needed|date=June 2011 This is apparent in his work with Al Stewart 's " Year of the Cat (song)|Year of the Cat ", where Parsons added the saxophone part and transformed the original folk concept into the jazz-influenced ballad that put Al Stewart onto the charts.Citation needed|date=June 2011 It is also heard in Parsons' influence on the Hollies' " He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother " and " The Air That I Breathe ", sharp departures from their popular 1960s hits " Stay (Maurice Williams song)|Stay ", " Just One Look (song)|Just One Look ", "Stop& #33; Stop& #33; Stop!" or " Bus Stop (song)|Bus Stop ".Citation needed|date=June 2011 Parsons was also known to have swapped shifts during the engineering of The Dark Side of the Moon so he could work entirely on the project.Citation needed|date=June 2011 Parsons also produced three albums by Pilot (band)|Pilot , a Scottish pop rock band consisting of Ian Bairnson on guitar, Stuart Tosh on drums, and David Paton on lead vocals, guitars, and on bass. Their hits included "January" and "Magic".
He also mixed the debut album by the American band Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia and produced their second album ''Somewhere I've Never Travelled . Alan was nominated for grammys for both of these albums. the Trades article Interview: Alan Parsons: The Artist and Scientist of Sound Recording
In 1975, he declined Pink Floyd's invitation to come back and work on the follow-up for "Dark Side," Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here , and instead initiated The Alan Parsons Project with producer and songwriter (and occasional singer) Eric Woolfson , whom he had met at Abbey Road. The Project consisted of a revolving group of studio musicians and vocalists, most notably the members of Pilot and (on the first album) the members of Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia . Unlike most rock groups, The Alan Parsons Project never performed live during its heyday, although it did release several music videos. Its only live performance during its original incarnation was in 1990, with Woolfson present but behind the scenes. After releasing ten albums, the last in 1987, the Project terminated in 1990 after Parsons and Woolfson split, with the Project's Freudiana|intended 11th album released that year as a Woolfson solo album. Parsons continued to release work in his own name and in collaboration with other musicians. Parsons and his band now regularly tour many parts of the world.
Although an accomplished vocalist, keyboardist, bassist, guitarist and flautist , Parsons sang infrequent and incidental parts on his albums. While his keyboard playing was very audible on the Alan Parsons Project albums, very few recordings feature his flute . During the late 1990s, Parsons' career travelled an interesting full circle. Having started out in the music industry at the Abbey Road Studios in London as an assistant engineer in the late 1960s, he briefly returned to run the studio in its entirety. He reportedly managed to combine this role with the demands of a hectic performing and recording schedule. Parsons also continued with his selective production work for other bands.
Of all his collaborations, guitarist Ian Bairnson worked with Parsons the longest, including Parsons' post-Woolfson albums, Try Anything Once , On Air (Alan Parsons album)|On Air , and The Time Machine (Alan Parsons album)|The Time Machine .
As well as receiving gold and platinum awards from many nations, Parsons has received ten Grammy Award nominations for engineering and production. In 2007 he received a nomination for Best Surround Sound Album for A Valid Path .
In May 2005, Parsons appeared at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California , to mix front-of-house sound for Southern California-based Pink Floyd tribute band Which Ones Pink? and their performance of The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. http://www.fohonline.com/news/news.php? sCode=05051106.txt Parsons and Which One's Pinkdead link|date=November 2011
Since 2003 he has toured under a revised name, The Alan Parsons Live Project (with Woolfsons permission). The globe-trotting band features guitarist Godfrey Townsend , drummer Steve Murphy (drummer)|Steve Murphy , keyboardist Manny Focarazzo , and bass guitarist John Montagna . The 20042005 shows offered vocalist P. J. Olsson 's track "More Lost Without You", while the later 2006 shows presented The Crystal Method -featured "We Play the Game" and opened with "Return to Tunguska" along with successes spanning the Project years.
Beginning in 2001 and extending for four years, Parsons conceived and led a Beatles tribute show called A Walk Down Abbey Road featuring a group of headlining performers such as Todd Rundgren , Ann Wilson of Heart (band)|Heart , John Entwistle of The Who , and Jack Bruce of Cream (band)|Cream . The show structure included a first set where all musicians assembled to perform each others' hits, and a second set featuring all Beatles songs.
In 2010, Alan Parsons released his single "All Our Yesterdays" through Authentik Artists .cite web|url= http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-our-yesterdays-single/id376412569 |title=iTunes Music All Our Yesterdays Single by Alan Parsons |publisher=Itunes.apple.com |date=15 June 2010 |accessdate=8 November 2011 Parsons also launched a DVD educational series in 2010 titled The Art and Science of Sound Recording ("ASSR") on music production and the complete audio recording process. The single "All Our Yesterdays" was written and recorded during the making of ASSR. The series, narrated by Billy Bob Thornton ,cite web|url= http://www.artandscienceofsound.com/ |title=Alan Parsons' Art & Science of Sound Recording |publisher=Artandscienceofsound.com |accessdate=8 November 2011 gives detailed tutorials on virtually every aspect of the sound recording process. Individual sections of the series are also being released in batches and are available to stream or download at www.artandscienceofsound.com.
During 2010, several media reports,cite web|url= http://www.freshmilc.com/recommendations/lady-antebellum-vs-the-alan-parsons-project/ |title=Lady Antebellum vs. The Alan Parsons Project |publisher=Freshmilc.com |accessdate=8 November 2011cite web|url= http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/juice/content/people-accusing-lady-antebellum-stealing-alan-parson-song |title=People accusing Lady Antebellum of stealing Alan Parson song |publisher=Tampabay.com |date=18 November 2010 |accessdate=8 November 2011 one of which included a quote from a representative of Parsons,cite web|last=Keffer |first=Leslie |url= http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/archives/2010/11/11/alan-parsons-camp-alleges-lady-antebellum-rip-off |title=Alan Parsons' Camp Alleges Lady Antebellum Rip-Off |publisher=Nashvillescene.com |date=11 November 2010 |accessdate=8 November 2011 alleged that the song " Need You Now (song)|Need You Now " by country music group Lady Antebellum possessed the melody and arrangement of " Eye in the Sky (song)|Eye in the Sky ."
In 2011 it was announced that Parsons was creating and producing a new group called the Subclones. Parsons said : "I feel that the public deserves some genuinely innovative music and It's been a long time since I've heard some that truly excites me it made me want to get back into the studio and do another 'Dark Side'," Parsons jokingly refers to one of the biggest-selling and most popular albums in history.cn|date=January 2012
Personal life
Parsons was born in London. He resides in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and her two daughters, as well as numerous pets.
: No. 37 "(The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether" (1976) : No. 36 "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (1977) : No. 27 "Damned if I Do" (1979) : No. 16 "Games People Play" (1980) : No. 15 "Time" (1981) : No. 3 "Eye in the Sky" (1982) : No. 15 "Don't Answer Me" (1984)
Canadian singles
: No. 62 "(The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether" (1976) : No. 22 "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (1977) : No. 16 "Damned if I Do" (1980) : No. 9 "Games People Play" (1981) : No. 30 "Time" (1981) : No. 1 "Eye in the Sky" (1982) : No. 43 "You Don't Believe" (1983) : No. 20 "Don't Answer Me" (1984) : No. 89 "Let's Talk About Me" (1985)
Awards and nominations
Nominations
1973 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1976 Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia Ambrosia discography|''Somewhere I've Never Travelled Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1976 The Alan Parsons Project Tales of Mystery and Imagination Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1978 The Alan Parsons Project Pyramid (The Alan Parsons Project album)|Pyramid Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1979 Ice Castles Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
1979 The Alan Parsons Project Eve (The Alan Parsons Project album)|Eve Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1981 The Alan Parsons Project The Turn of a Friendly Card Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1982 The Alan Parsons Project Eye in the Sky (album)|Eye in the Sky Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1986 The Alan Parsons Project Stereotomy|"Where's The Walrus? " Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
2007 Alan Parsons A Valid Path Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album
References
reflist|colwidth=30em
http://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/ Official website of the Alan Parsons Project
http://www.theavenueonline.info/ The Avenue, The Official Alan Parsons Fan Club
External links
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p195905
http://www.alanparsonsmusic.com/ Alan Parsons Music Official Site
http://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/ Alan Parsons Project Official Site
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0663768/ Alan Parsons in the Internet Movie Data Base
Crawdaddy! http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article.aspx? id=6054 "Parsons Knows: The Tale of Alan Parsons and Edgar Allan Poe"
http://www.subclones.com The Subclones, Parsons new group
The Alan Parsons ProjectPink FloydUse dmy dates|date=November 2011
Persondata|NAME= Parsons, Alan |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Audio engineer, composer, musician, record producer, director |DATE OF BIRTH= 20 December 1948 |PLACE OF BIRTH=London, England, United Kingdom |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, Alan Category:English record producers Category:English rock musicians Category:British audio engineers Category:British soft rock musicians Category:People from London Category:British expatriates in the United States Category:1948 births Category:Living people
