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Bob Rock
File:RE-ADD IMAGE
Background information
Birth nameRobert Jens Rock
Born (1954-04-19) April 19, 1954 (age 70)
OriginWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
  • Bass
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • vocals
Years active1976–present

NEED TO ADD SOME QUOTES TO SOME OF THE SUBSCRIPTION-ONLY REFS

Robert Jens Rock (born April 19, 1954)[1] is a Canadian record producer, recording engineer and musician.

In 1976, Rock joined Little Mountain Sound Studios, starting out as a recording engineer and sound mixer. During his time there, he collaborated with producer Bruce Fairbairn, engineering and mixing several influential rock albums, including Loverboy's Get Lucky (1981), Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet (1986), and Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation (1987).

Rock and singer-songwriter Paul Hyde formed the band Payolas in 1978. Payolas were best known for the single "Eyes of a Stranger", from their 1982 album No Stranger to Danger, an album that won the band four Juno Awards. The pair also recorded together in 1987 under the name Rock and Hyde. In 1991, Rock released an album with the band Rockhead.

Some of Rock's most notable works as a producer include the rock albums Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe (1989), the Cult's Sonic Temple (1989), and Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, often referred to as the Black Album. Each of these albums is the top-selling record for its respective band, and Metallica and the Cult each went on to collaborate with Rock on four subsequent albums.

Rock has received twenty-two Juno Award nominations across various categories. In addition to the Juno Awards he won for his work with Payolas, he took home the Producer of the Year award in 2000, 2005, and 2010. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved (2013).

Early life

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Rock was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved with his family to Victoria, British Columbia at 12 years of age.[2] He attended Colquitz Junior High School and played in various bands.[2] He regularly attended all-ages performances at such nightclubs as Club Tango, the Purple Onion, and Ninth in the Fifth.[2] In his early days he was fan of British blues-rock bands such as The Yardbirds, Cream and Led Zeppelin.[2]

Rock went to Belmont High School located in Langford, a Victoria suburb, and it was there that he met future Payolas bandmate Paul Hyde.[2] Influenced by musical artists such as David Bowie, Slade, T. Rex, Alex Harvey and Be-Bop Deluxe, the pair formed the Paul Kane Blues Band and toured Vancouver Island in the mid-1970s.[2][3]

Production career

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In 1976, Rock landed a job as an apprentice recording engineer at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver and became acquainted with Vancouver's punk scene while working on tracks for punk acts, such as the Young Canadians, The Dils and the Pointed Sticks.[2][4] In the years that followed, Rock worked with producer Bruce Fairbairn, providing engineering and mixing work on the seminal rock albums Get Lucky (1981) by Loverboy, Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet (1986), and Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation (1987).[5]

After his work on Permanent Vacation, Rock decided he wanted to move away from audio engineering to focus mainly on music production.[6] Rock told Billboard magazine in 1992, "If I didn't take the next step, I realized I'd be engineering the rest of my life. It's a tough gig, engineering, a lot of hours. I had to move on."[6]

The Cult's Billy Duffy asked Rock to produce their 1989 album Sonic Temple, having admired Rock's work with Bon Jovi and Kingdom Come.[6]. The album reached the Cult's highest chart position in both the US and the UK.[7] It also marked a longtime relationship with the band, as Rock went on to produce their albums The Cult (1994), Beyond Good and Evil (2001), Choice of Weapon (2012) and Hidden City (2016). The band's frontman, Ian Astbury, told Billboard in 2000, "[Bob Rock is] pretty much the only person qualified to [produce us]. We're extremely strong-minded people, strong-spirited people. And we both have a very strong vision. And to get between [Billy and me] demands a lot of patience and demands a certain amount of strength. The Cult is a very muscular band; there's a lot of power and determination and spirit and a lot of spark. So, from that fire, somebody that can get a hold of that energy and harness it-and put it in the right direction-is the person that's really qualified to be our producer ... He believes in us probably more than we believe in ourselves."[8]

Mötley Crüe's manager, Doc McGhee, who also managed Bon Jovi, recommended Rock to Mötley Crüe for their first album since getting sober, Dr. Feelgood (1989).[9] The band stayed in Vancouver for close to a year in order to work with Rock.[10] Dr. Feelgood went on to become Mötley Crüe's best-selling album and is the only one to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard 200.[10] The album was nominated for two Grammys for Best Hard Rock Performance and won the American Music Award for best heavy metal/hard rock album in 1991.[10]

Having been impressed by his work on Metallica's self-titled album, Bon Jovi employed Rock to produce their fifth studio album, Keep the Faith (1992).[9] In 1999 plans were made to have Rock and Fairbairn produce their album Crush, but Fairbairn died later that year and the banded opted to work with Luke Ebbin.[11]

While Rock is best known for his work with hard rock and metal artists, Rock has produced such pop, rock and country artists as Cher, Nelly Furtado, Jann Arden, Ron Sexsmith. the Moffatts, Our Lady Peace, the Tragically Hip, American Hi-Fi, Simple Plan, and Michael Bublé. His work with Bublé on the album To Be Loved (2013), earned Rock his sole Grammy Award.

Work with Metallica

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Metallica were fans of Rock's work on Dr. Feelgood and asked him to produce their fifth studio album, Metallica, commonly referred to as The Black Album.[12][13]

The album marked a departure from the band's earlier thrash metal sound and expanded the band's range, at times featuring a slower, softer and more introspective sound, such as on the ballad "The Unforgiven", or on "Nothing Else Matters", which featured acoustic guitar. These two songs also offered new vocal territory for James Hetfield, whose previous albums mainly showcased harder, more aggressive vocals. Rock told MusicRadar in 2013 "The thing was, James had songs that he actually had to sing... He didn’t know how to sing – all he did before was yell. This was the basis of our friendship. I taught him what I knew. We took the time to get the record to what they wanted and what I wanted."[14]

Up until Metallica, the band members were used to recording their parts separately, which were later mixed together.[13] Rock and recording engineer Randy Staub convinced the band to record the lead single "Enter Sandman" while all four performed in the same room.[13] Rock's son provided the voice of the child reciting the "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" bedtime prayer in the song.[13]

Metallica debuted in the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992.[5] STILL NEED GRAMMY REF In December of 2019, it became the fourth album in American history to enter the 550-week milestone on the Billboard 200. STILL NEED REF FOR THIS In 1999, SPIN magazine ranked it at #52 on their list of "The 90 Greatest Albums of the 90s";[15] it was ranked at #25 on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" in 2017, as well as #235 on Rolling Stone's 2020 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."[14][16]

Rock went on to produce the band's albums Load (1996), ReLoad (1997), as well as the new material for the band's cover album, Garage Inc. (1998), and their album St. Anger (2003).[9][17] Rock wrote and played all of the bass guitar parts on St. Anger, replacing Jason Newsted who left Metallica in 2001.[18] Rock was also the bassist for the band's few live performances until Robert Trujillo joined the band in February 2003.[18][19] Rock was featured prominently in the 2004 documentary film Metallica: Some Kind of Monster that dealt with Metallica's internal strife and their struggles with the creative process during the recording of St. Anger.[18]

In 2006, Metallica chose producer Rick Rubin to produce their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic, ending the band's long-time relationship with Rock.[5] Their decision to part ways with Rock was due in part to requests by their fan base, who had posted an online petition with over 1,500 signatories who felt that Rock had too much influence over the band's sound.[5]

At Metallica's 30th Anniversary Concert on December 10, 2011, Rock joined the band on stage, and performed bass alongside Trujillo on the songs "Dirty Window" and "Frantic".[20]

Payolas and Rock and Hyde

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Main article: Payolas

After being hired by Little Mountain Sound Studios in 1976, Paul Hyde followed Rock to Vancouver and in 1978 they formed the Payolas.[21] Hyde was the band's vocalist, Rock played guitar. Rock and Hyde were the only mainstays over the band's history, having changed bassists and drummers several times.[22]

The band released their first single, "China Boys", in 1979, and attracted the attention of A&M Records.[21] A year later their The four track EP Introducing Payola$ was released by A&M. The band released the album In a Place Like This in 1981. The album was produced by Rock, and was a critical success, but didn't do well commercially.

The band attracted the attention of famed British songwriter and producer Mick Ronson, who produced Payolas' 1982 album No Stranger to Danger. The album included the hit single "Eyes of a Stranger", which won the Juno Award for best single. Junos were also given to Rock and Hyde for their songwriting, Rock was awarded Recording Engineer of the Year, and the band as a whole won the award for Most Promising Group.

In 1987, the band (who had by then changed their name to Paul Hyde and the Payolas) again changed their name to Rock and Hyde and had two hit singles in Canada with the song "Dirty Water" (#20[23]), which also charted on Billboard's Hot 100, and "I Will (#40[24]). In 2007, the Payolas became briefly active once more as a touring and recording act, releasing the EP Langford Part One.

Other musical projects

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In 1991, Rock formed the band Rockhead with ex-Payolas drummer Chris Taylor. The band released one self-titled album in 1992 and two singles before splitting up. Rock produced the five finalist songs of CBC Sports's Hockey Night in Canada Anthem Challenge in late 2008.[25][26]

Lustre Parfait, a studio album by Rock and former The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, was released in 2023, five years after Downie's death. The album features songs that the pair created together in the 2010s, subsequent to Rock's production of The Tragically Hip's albums World Container (2006) and We Are the Same (2009).

Benefit and charity work

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In 1985, producer and songwriter David Foster helped assemble the supergroup Northern Lights to record the song "Tears Are Not Enough" to raise funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.[27] Hyde was one of over 40 vocalists featured on the song and Rock served as one of the engineers.[27] Rock and Hyde came up with the song's title and contributed to the French lyrics along with Rachel Paiement, receiving co-writer credits on the song along with Bryan Adams, Foster, Paiement and Jim Vallance.[28][29]

Rock executive-produced the album the 2005 War Child benefit album Help!: A Day in the Life. The album included the Payolas track "At Angels Feet" and the band performed at the One X One child poverty benefit gala in Toronto the following year.

Awards and accolades

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Rock's career both as a producer and musician was recognized at the 2007 Juno Awards ceremony in Saskatoon for his lifetime contribution to popular music. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). "Bob is a musical craftsman whose wide range of talents show no signs of slowing," said Melanie Berry, CARAS President. "He has helped to define rock as we know it today, and we are very proud to recognize him in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame."[citation needed]

Rock confirmed his acceptance of the award: "It is an honour to join great producers like Bob Ezrin, Bruce Fairbairn, Daniel Lanois, Jack Richardson, and David Foster in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame" said Rock. "They are all giants of the industry, and to be recognized, means that I had to have worked with truly great artists. I thank them for their confidence and inspiration."[citation needed]

Rock has received nominations for 17 Juno Awards in various categories, including "Producer of the Year",[30] "Recording Engineer of the Year", "Composer of the Year", and "Entertainer of the Year". He has won on numerous occasions for both his production work and his work with Payola$ and Rock and Hyde.

Rock last won Producer of the Year in 2005 for Simple Plan's "Welcome to My Life". He was nominated for 2007 Producer of the Year for his work on The Tragically Hip's album World Container. In 2014, Rock won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved. In 2023, he won a Grammy Award for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” for his work on Bublé's album Higher.

In 2006, American music manager Peter Mensch called Rock one of the five best producers on the planet.

Personal life

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For much of his music career, Rock lived with his wife and children in White Rock, British Columbia. In 1994, he and his family moved to Maui where he established his own recording studio, Plantation Studios.

References

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  1. ^ Larkin, Colin (October 15, 2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Rich, Young and Pretty. Vol. 7. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Devlin, Mike (January 9, 2007). "Bob Rock". Times Colonist. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. p. D4. ProQuest 348106069. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Harrison, Tom (November 30, 2003). "The Payola$ have a story to tell". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. p. C18. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Barclay, Michael; Jack, Ian A.D.; Schneider, Jason (June 2011). Have Not Been The Same; The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. ISBN 9781554909681.
  5. ^ a b c d LeBlanc, Larry (September 23, 2006). "Rock On A Roll". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 38. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b c LeBlanc, Larry (August 8, 1992). "Bob Rock Chisels Production Career". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 32. p. 42. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Classic album: The Cult - Sonic Temple". Shropshire Star. March 13, 2021. p. 51. ProQuest 2500807895. Retrieved October 30, 2024. The one-time punk/goth band mutated into one of Britain's best classic rock groups after a stuttering start way back in the early 1980s. . . Sonic Temple, however, was the record that made them bona fide rock Gods. Released in 1989, it was a beast that earned them their top chart placing on both sides of the Atlantic.
  8. ^ Orshoski, Wes (December 23, 2000). "After 7 years, The Cult returns on Lava". Billboard. p. 14-15. ProQuest 227151469. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Bosso, Joe (March 1, 2013). "Production legend Bob Rock on 16 career-defining records". MusicRadar. Future plc. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Reesman, Bryan (September 14, 2019). "Inside Mötley Crüe's 'Insane!' Journey To Feelgood". Billboard. Vol. 131, no. 21. p. 57. ProQuest 2296547611. Retrieved October 30, 2024. On the 30th anniversary of the glam-metal band's biggest album - 1989's Dr. Feelgood - members Nikki Sixx,Tommy Lee and Mick Mars look back at the making of the landmark record. . . While the band lost out on a Grammy - despite two nominations for best hard rock performance - it took home an American Music Award for best heavy metal/ hard rock album in 1991. . . At the start of recording Feelgood, Motley Crue opted to swap out longtime producer Tom Werman (Twisted Sister, Poison) for Canadian Bob Rock. . . They relocated to Vancouver for nearly a year to work with Rock at his Little Mountain Sound Studios.
  11. ^ LeBlanc, Larry (May 29, 1999). "Veteran Producer Bruce Fairbairn Dead at 49". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 22. p. 8. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Basner, Dave (September 1, 2024). "20 Things You Might Not Know About Motley Crue's 'Dr. Feelgood'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Benzuly, Sarah (November 2010). "Metallica: "Enter Sandman"". Mix. Vol. 34, no. 11. p. 38,40-41. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 21, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  15. ^ Ali, Lorraine (September 1999). "The Greatest Albums of the 90s - 52 Metallica". SPIN. Vol. 15, no. 9. p. 146. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  17. ^ Verna, Paul (December 5, 1998). "Garage Inc". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 49. p. 84. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ a b c Petrusich, Amanda (December 5, 2022). "Nothing Else Matters". The New Yorker. Vol. 98, no. 40. ProQuest 2748290666. Retrieved October 30, 2024. In 2001, Newsted left the band. . . Bob Rock agreed to temporarily fill in on bass as Metallica began work on "St. Anger," its eighth album. . . Metallica also still needed to find a permanent bassist. Robert Trujillo, a former member of the thrash-punk band Suicidal Tendencies, was invited to audition. . . That evening, Metallica offered Trujillo a place in the band. . . In what might be the most fortuitous timing in the history of documentary film, the directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky had been in place to shoot the making of "St. Anger" for a goofy promotional gimmick—a series of late-night infomercials advertising the new record. Instead, they created a full-length film, "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," which was released in 2004.
  19. ^ Rayner, Ben (July 20, 2007). "Payolas cashing in again; Revival of the '80s Can-rock duo 'really is about the music' says Bob Rock". Toronto Star. p. E8. ProQuest 439260480. Retrieved October 30, 2024. Rock's relationship with Metallica endured through four more albums, including a stint nursemaiding the group through the fractious making of 2003's St. Anger. A replacement for ousted bassist Jason Newsted had yet to be found, so Rock sat in for the album and some early shows.
  20. ^ Welch, Andy (December 11, 2011). "Metallica's original line-up reunite at 30th anniversary show". NME. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  21. ^ a b McLaughlin, John P. (April 11, 2002). "For every song there's a story". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. p. B4. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via ProQuest. By 1978 Rock was working at various Vancouver recording studios while Hyde was bartending when the two recorded "China Boys," winning themselves a deal with A&M Records. The Payola$ were born.
  22. ^ Wilton, Lisa (June 30, 2006). "Cha-Ching! Paul Hyde and Bob Rock Restart The Payola$". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. p. SW07. Retrieved June 7, 2022 – via ProQuest. While the band officially called it quits in 1987, core members Hyde and guitarist Bob Rock continued as Rock & Hyde until 1990.
  23. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - April 18, 1987" (PDF).
  24. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - August 29, 1987" (PDF).
  25. ^ The Canadian Press (October 3, 2008). "Future hockey anthem down to the final five". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  26. ^ "Finalists named in Hockey Anthem Challenge". CBC News. October 9, 2008. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  27. ^ a b Boyd, Denny (February 13, 1985). "Canadian voices cry out to help the starving". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. p. A3. Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Patch, Nick. "'Tears' turns 25: Foster, Murray, Hart reflect on 'Tears Are Not Enough'". Whitehorse Daily Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Canadian Press. p. 44. Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Harrison, Tom (February 11, 1985). "Musician's aid hungry". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. p. 8. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Larry LeBlanc (February 12, 2000). "Morissette leads Canada's Juno nomination list". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 45–. ISSN 0006-2510.
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