Creativity in the Recording Studio Alternative Takes

Paul Thompson offers an alternative take on the romanticized and mythologized process of record-making. Side A illustrates how creativity arises out of a system in action, and introduces the history, culture, traditions and institutions that contribute to the process of commercial record production.  Side B demonstrates this system in action during the central tasks of songwriting, performing, engineering and producing. Using examples from John Lennon, David Bowie, Tupac Shakur, Björk, Marta Salogni, Sylvia Massy and Rick Rubin, each chapter takes the reader inside a different part of the commercial record production process and uncovers the interactive and interrelated multitude of factors involved in each creative task.

Paul Thompson is a professional recording engineer who has worked in the music industry for over 10 years. He is currently a Reader at Leeds Beckett University and his research is centred on record production, audio education, learning practices, creativity and cultural production in popular music.