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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: Exapno Mapcase on April 19, 2011, 01:50:54 AM



Title: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: Exapno Mapcase on April 19, 2011, 01:50:54 AM
But what was his connection to the Boys?


Title: Re: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: harveyw on April 19, 2011, 02:04:22 AM
It's very sad. He was one of thee greatest sound engineers.

(note for sunshine pop fans: this is *not* the same Roger Nichols who wrote -with Paul Williams & Tony Asher- some of the greatest songs ever, but the Roger Nichols who -most famously- engineered Steely Dan's LPs. An obituary I've read states he also engineered for The Beach Boys, but it didn't indicate which LP/time frame.)


Title: Re: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on April 19, 2011, 02:06:01 AM
But what was his connection to the Boys?

Sad news. He did some sterling work with Steely Dan.

To answer your question: he engineered some of the Stars & Stripes sessions at Masterfonics in Nashville. (Finding that out took me maybe 30 seconds: Google - official site).





Title: Re: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: harveyw on April 19, 2011, 02:12:28 AM
Nice tribute here (from about 7 1/2 minutes in)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0106vjd


Title: Re: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: Exapno Mapcase on April 19, 2011, 03:47:24 AM
Thanks.

I was being lazy. I do that now and then.

Terrible that his family have been saddled with ludicrous medical bills.


Title: Re: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: Fun Is In on April 19, 2011, 06:10:15 AM
NPR interviewed Donald Fagen for their radio story:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/04/18/135516976/steely-dan-engineer-roger-nichols-dies-at-age-66

Quoting Nichols: "The main reason I had gotten involved in the music business and recording was that I hated clicks, pops and ticks on records. I wanted to be able to play 2-track stuff direct from the studio on my system at home and have it really hi-fi," he says. "The strive for true hi-fi was common ground with Donald and Walter and Gary [Katz, Steely Dan's producer] — we're all perfectionists."




Title: Re: Roger Nichols RIP
Post by: c-man on April 19, 2011, 07:40:15 AM
But what was his connection to the Boys?

Sad news. He did some sterling work with Steely Dan.

To answer your question: he engineered some of the Stars & Stripes sessions at Masterfonics in Nashville. (Finding that out took me maybe 30 seconds: Google - official site).



Always enjoyed reading his articles on sound engineering in the pages of the excellent EQ magazine.  Also had the pleasure of seeing him (from a distance) behind the board at a Steely Dan show in '93.  It's always great when you see someone in the flesh that you've admired in print, and recognize them!  Now he truly is Roger (The Immortal) Nichols.