Jimmy Miller
| Jimmy Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 23, 1942 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died |
October 22, 1994 (aged 52) Denver, Colorado |
| Occupation | Record producer, musician |
| Spouse(s) |
Gayle Shepherd Geri Miller (????–1991) |
| Children | 2, 1 stepson |
James "Jimmy" Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician who produced dozens of albums between the mid-1960s and early 1990s, including landmark recordings for Blind Faith, Spooky Tooth, Traffic, Motörhead, the Plasmatics, and Primal Scream.[1] He was best known for his lengthy association with The Rolling Stones,[2] for whom he produced a string of singles and albums that all rank among the most critically and financially successful works of the band's career: Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972) and Goats Head Soup (1973).
Professional life
Prior to working with the Rolling Stones, Miller rose to fame by producing successful releases for the Spencer Davis Group including their breakthrough hit "Gimme Some Lovin'" and the follow-up smash "I'm A Man," which Miller co-wrote with the band's singer-keyboardist, Steve Winwood. In addition to his production work for yet another Winwood band, Traffic, Miller also contributed the lyrics to the Traffic song "Medicated Goo." Miller produced the only album by the Clapton/Winwood supergroup Blind Faith.
Following his work with Blind Faith, Miller co-produced (with Delaney Bramlett) the hit Delaney & Bonnie album On Tour with Eric Clapton, recorded live at Croydon, United Kingdom, on December 7, 1969. He went on to produce Delaney & Bonnie keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, Kracker, the Plasmatics, Motörhead and the UK band Nirvana.
A drummer himself, Miller was known for the distinctive drum sound that characterized his productions, especially his work with the Rolling Stones, on whose recordings he occasionally played percussion parts such as the famous opening cowbell on "Honky Tonk Women" and the full drum kit on "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Happy," "Tumbling Dice" and "Shine a Light."
Miller went on to work with Primal Scream on their breakthrough album Screamadelica and William Topley's band the Blessing (Miller appears on their DVD Sugar Train during the song "Soul Love"). In the 1980s, Miller produced some acts including Johnny Thunders,[3] Matrix and Jo Jo Laine (wife of Denny Laine, on "Moody Blues & Wings"). In 1990 he co-produced (along with Phil Greene) "What's in A Name" for Florida band Walk the Chalk.
Among Miller's last productions were three tracks on the 1992 Wedding Present project, Hit Parade 2. Jimmy also produced four tracks on the World Bank's "In Debt Interview" which featured artists such as Billy Preston and Bobby Keys, a rare musical sideline from author Hunter S. Thompson. Jimmy traveled to Woody Creek, Colorado in 1994 to meet with Hunter S. Thompson for a memorable weekend in May. Miller died on October 22, 1994 of liver failure.[4]
Personal life
Miller's father, Bill, was a Las Vegas entertainment director and the man who booked Elvis Presley into the International Hotel for his 1969 return to live performance.
Jimmy Miller had a daughter, rock singer Deena Miller, with Gayle Shepherd, a member of the singing group the Shepherd Sisters. Miller and his second wife, Geri, had a son, Michael who died at the age of 33.
Jimmy Miller had a stepson, Steven Miller, a news photographer living in Connecticut who is the biological surviving son of Geri Miller. Geri died of breast cancer in 1991, three years before Jimmy Miller's own death in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 52, from liver failure.[5]
Judith Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times who spent time in jail for not revealing her sources in the infamous Plame-Wilson CIA affair, was Jimmy Miller's half-sister.
Discography (incomplete)
| Year | Artist | Album details |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Traffic | Mr. Fantasy |
| 1968 | Spooky Tooth | It's All About |
| 1968 | Traffic | Traffic |
| 1968 | The Rolling Stones | Beggars Banquet |
| 1969 | Spooky Tooth | Spooky Two |
| 1969 | Traffic | Last Exit |
| 1969 | The Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed |
| 1969 | Blind Faith | Blind Faith |
| 1970 | Delaney & Bonnie & Friends | On Tour with Eric Clapton |
| 1970 | Ginger Baker's Air Force | Ginger Baker's Air Force |
| 1970 | Sky | Don't Hold Back[6] |
| 1970 | Sky | Sailor's Delight[7] |
| 1971 | The Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers |
| 1972 | The Rolling Stones | Exile on Main St. |
| 1972 | Kracker | La Familia |
| 1972 | Bobby Whitlock | Raw Velvet |
| 1973 | The Rolling Stones | Goats Head Soup |
| 1973 | Kracker | Kracker Brand |
| 1975 | Locomotiv GT | All aboard |
| 1979 | Trapeze | Hold On |
| 1979 | Motörhead | Overkill |
| 1979 | Motörhead | Bomber |
| 1980 | Plasmatics | New Hope for the Wretched |
| 1991 | Primal Scream | Screamadelica |
References
- ↑ "Jimmy Miller Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
- ↑ Sunday Morning Playlist: Top Twenty Record Producers of the Rock Era – Page 5
- ↑ "ROIR". Roir-usa.com. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
- ↑ Obituary: Jimmy Miller, 52, Recording Producer Published: October 24, 1994. The New York Times.
- ↑ Obituary
- ↑ http://www.nationalrockreview.com/album-reviews/knack-sky
- ↑ http://www.nationalrockreview.com/album-reviews/knack-sky
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