Joe Boyd - Biography - The Biographicon

Overview

Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.

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Career

Boyd was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Princeton, New Jersey. He first became involved in music promoting blues artists while a student at Harvard University, and in 1964 made his first visit to Britain, returning the following year to establish an overseas office of Elektra Records. He was eventually to settle in London.

He became best-known for his work with British folk and folk rock artists, including the Incredible String Band, Martin Carthy, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Fairport Convention and Richard Thompson. Some of these were produced by his own production company, Witchseason. He also co-founded London's UFO Club and worked with UFO regulars Pink Floyd (producing their first single Arnold Layne) and the Soft Machine.

Boyd returned to the States in the 1970s, assembling footage for the eponymous film documentary on Jimi Hendrix (1973) and producing records by Maria Muldaur and Kate and Anna McGarrigle among others. He went on to found his own Hannibal label (now a part of Rykodisc) which released records by the likes of Richard Thompson and various discs of so-called world music. Boyd also produced R.E.M.'s third album Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), and records by Billy Bragg and 10,000 Maniacs.

He was Executive Producer for the 1988 feature film Scandal, starring John Hurt and Bridget Fonda about Britain's Profumo Scandal. He left Hannibal/Ryko in 2001 and has written a book about making music in the 1960s called "White Bicycles - Making Music in the 1960s", published in May 2006 by Serpent's Tail Press in the UK.

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The 1980s

1981 * Too Late at Twenty (The Act) * Party Safari (Joe King Carrasco and The Crowns) * I Ain't Drunk (Geoff Muldaur)

1982 * Shoot Out the Lights (Richard and Linda Thompson) * Don't Renege On Our Love / Living In Luxury (single by Richard and Linda Thompson) * Thermonuclear Sweat (Defunkt) * Money Fall Out The Sky (Cool It Reba)

1983 * Hand of Kindness (Richard Thompson) * Poppie Nongena - original cast recording

1984 * Small Town Romance (Richard Thompson)

1985 * Across a Crowded Room (Richard Thompson) * Fables of the Reconstruction (R.E.M.) * The Wishing Chair (10,000 Maniacs)

1986 * House Full - live at the LA Troubador (Fairport Convention) * Supply and Demand (Dagmar Krause) * Angebot und Nachfrage (Dagmar Krause)

1987 * The Music of Bulgaria (Balkana) * Habanera (John Harle) * Whatever (Danny Thompson)

1988 * Nazakat & Salamat Ali (Nazakat & Salamat Ali) * Worker's Playtime (Billy Bragg) * The Forest is Crying (The Trio Bulgarka) * Kaira (Toumani Diabate) * Songhai (Ketama, Toumani Diabate and Danny Thompson) * These Knees Have Seen The World (The Dinner Ladies) * Country Cooking (Brotherhood of Breath) * Miss America (Mary Margaret O'Hara)(Uncredited)

1989 * Orpheus Ascending (Ivo Papasov and his Bulgarian Wedding Band) * Some Other Time (June Tabor)

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The 1990s

1990 * Procedure (The Blackgirls)

1991 * Happy (The Blackgirls) * Balkanology (Ivo Papasov and his Bulgarian Wedding Band) * The Watchman (The Watchman)

1992 * Trans-Danubian Swineherd's Music (Orbestra)

1994 * Songhai 2 (Ketama, Toumani Diabate and Danny Thompson)

1996 * ¡Cubanismo! (¡Cubanismo!) * Djelika (Toumani Diabate)

1997 * Cuba Linda (Alfredo Rodriguez) * Malembe (¡Cubanismo!)

1998 * Reencarnation (¡Cubanismo!) * Bareback (The Hank Dogs) * Double Barrel (Jazz Jamaica) * Dear Enemy (Dana and Karen Kletter) * The McGarrigle Hour (Kate & Anna McGarrigle) * The Bones Of All Men (Philip Pickett) * Dew Drop Out (The Yockamo All-stars)

1999 * Mardi Gras Mambo (¡Cubanismo!) * Kulanjan (Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate)

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The 2000s

2002 * Half Smile (The Hank Dogs)

2004 * Private Astronomy (Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble) * Mares Profundos (Virginia Rodrigues)

2005 * London '66-'67 Pink Floyd (recorded 1967, released 2005)

2007 * Breathe With Me (Athena)

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References

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External links

*Joe Boyd Official Website *Joe Boyd interviewed on The Current *PUNKCAST#1129 Video of 'White Bicycles' reading in NYC, Mar 28 2007. (RealPlayer,mp4)

Who is Joe Boyd connected to?

Add a Connection

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The Purple Gang (band)

That biography says:

Although they were associated with the London psychedelic scene at the time of their near-brush with fame, they originated in Stockport in Cheshire, in north-west England, as a Jugband. In London, they engaged Joe Boyd as their producer, and shared a studio with Pink Floyd as they cut their first single, Granny takes a trip...

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Bob Fass

That biography says:

...Jerry Jeff Walker and David Bromberg introduced the immortal tune, Mr. Bojangles on the show, The Incredible String Band came over from England with their manager, Joe Boyd, Happy and Artie Traum often stopped by before heading back to Woodstock....

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John Martyn

This biography says:

...He became best-known for his work with British folk and folk rock artists, including the Incredible String Band, Martin Carthy, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Fairport Convention and Richard Thompson. Some of these were produced by his own production company, Witchseason...

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Richard Thompson

This biography says:

...He became best-known for his work with British folk and folk rock artists, including the Incredible String Band, Martin Carthy, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Fairport Convention and Richard Thompson. Some of these were produced by his own production company, Witchseason. He also co-founded London's UFO Club and worked with UFO regulars Pink Floyd (producing their first single Arnold Layne) and the Soft Machine...

That biography says:

...By the age of 18 Thompson was playing with the newly formed Fairport Convention. It was Thompson’s guitar playing that caught the ear of American producer Joe Boyd. Largely on the strength of Thompson’s playing Boyd took them under his wing and negotiated them a contract with Island Records...

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Nick Drake

This biography says:

Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.

That biography says:

...Hutchings introduced Drake to the 25-year old American producer Joe Boyd, owner of the production and management company Witchseason Productions. Witchseason were, at the time, licensed to Island Records, and Boyd, as the man who had discovered Fairport Convention and been responsible for introducing John Martyn and The Incredible String Band to a mainstream audience, was a significant and respected figure on the UK folk scene...

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Robin Williamson

That biography says:

...By 1965 he had returned to Edinburgh and formed a duo with Clive Palmer, specialising in fiddle and banjo arrangements of traditional Scots and Irish songs. Joe Boyd signed them to Elektra Records in 1966, by which time they had recruited third member Mike Heron. As resident band at Clive’s Incredible Folk Club in Glasgow, they called themselves the Incredible String Band...

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John Hurt

This biography says:

...He was Executive Producer for the 1988 feature film Scandal, starring John Hurt and Bridget Fonda about Britain's Profumo Scandal. He left Hannibal/Ryko in 2001 and has written a book about making music in the 1960s called "White Bicycles - Making Music in the 1960s", published in May 2006 by Serpent's Tail Press in the UK.

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Pink Floyd

This biography says:

...Some of these were produced by his own production company, Witchseason. He also co-founded London's UFO Club and worked with UFO regulars Pink Floyd (producing their first single Arnold Layne) and the Soft Machine....

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Soft Machine

This biography says:

...He also co-founded London's UFO Club and worked with UFO regulars Pink Floyd (producing their first single Arnold Layne) and the Soft Machine....

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James Booker

This biography says:

...1976 * Junco Partner (James Booker) * Live at the L.A. Troubadour (Fairport Convention) * Sweet Harmony (Maria Muldaur) * Reggae Got Soul (Toots and the Maytals)...

That biography says:

...He was back in New Orleans in 1976, in Sea-Saint Studios for his album, Junco Partner which many consider to be his best solo studio effort. It was produced by Joe Boyd, who had previously recorded Booker on sessions for the Muldaurs' records. There are a couple of releases that were recorded between 1974 and 1977 such as United Our Thing Will Stand and A Taste of Honey...

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Nico

This biography says:

...1971 * Desertshore (Nico) * Smiling Men with Bad Reputations (Mike Heron) * Call Me Diamond / Lady Wonder (single by Mike Heron) * The Road to Ruin (John and Beverley Martyn) * Heavy Petting (Dr...

That biography says:

Nico released two albums of her own in the 1970s: Desertshore (1970) and The End (1974), and featured on two tracks of a third, June 1, 1974. They were produced by John Cale (Desertshore was co-produced with Joe Boyd), who also played on each of the albums. On Desertshore, Cale plays most of the instruments. Nico wrote the music, sang, and played the harmonium...

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Bridget Fonda

This biography says:

...He was Executive Producer for the 1988 feature film Scandal, starring John Hurt and Bridget Fonda about Britain's Profumo Scandal. He left Hannibal/Ryko in 2001 and has written a book about making music in the 1960s called "White Bicycles - Making Music in the 1960s", published in May 2006 by Serpent's Tail Press in the UK.

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June Tabor

This biography says:

...1989 * Orpheus Ascending (Ivo Papasov and his Bulgarian Wedding Band) * Some Other Time (June Tabor)

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Vashti Bunyan

This biography says:

1970 * Just Another Diamond Day (Vashti Bunyan) * Bryter Layter (Nick Drake) * Stormbringer! (John and Beverley Martyn) * U (Incredible String Band) * Full House (Fairport Convention) * Fotheringay (Fotheringay) * I Looked Up (The Incredible String Band) * Be Glad for the Song Has No Ending (The Incredible String Band) * Pottery Pie (Geoff and Maria Muldaur) * Brotherhood of Breath (Brotherhood of Breath)...

That biography says:

...During a break from her trip at Christmas-time 1968, she met Joe Boyd through a friend and he offered to record an album of her travelling songs for his Witchseason Productions...

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Incredible String Band

This biography says:

Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.

That biography says:

In 1963, acoustic musicians Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer began performing together as a traditional folk duo in Edinburgh, particularly at a weekly club run by Archie Fisher in the Crown Bar which also regularly featured Bert Jansch. There they were seen in August 1965 by Joe Boyd, then working as a talent scout for the influential folk-based label Elektra Records. Later in the year, the duo decided to fill out their sound by adding a third member, initially to play rhythm guitar...

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Jimi Hendrix

This biography says:

...Boyd returned to the States in the 1970s, assembling footage for the eponymous film documentary on Jimi Hendrix (1973) and producing records by Maria Muldaur and Kate and Anna McGarrigle among others. He went on to found his own Hannibal label (now a part of Rykodisc) which released records by the likes of Richard Thompson and various discs of so-called world music...

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Mary Margaret O'Hara

That biography says:

...In 1987, Michael Brook saw O'Hara in performance and was captivated by her unique style, and soon took on the job of producing O'Hara's attempts at an album. Ultimately adding new vocals to, and remixing material that was originally recorded by Joe Boyd in 1984....

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Fairport Convention

This biography says:

Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.

That biography says:

...Fairport found no shortage of work and was soon a regular act at underground venues such as The Electric Garden, Middle Earth and UFO. The band had only been playing a few months when they caught the ear of Joe Boyd who secured them a contract with Polydor Records. Boyd suggested they augment the line-up with another male vocalist and so Iain Matthews (who had changed his surname from MacDonald and was spelling his forename 'Ian' at the time) joined the band and the first album, Fairport Convention, was recorded in late 1967 and released in June 1968...

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Linda Thompson (singer)

That biography says:

...By night she sang folk songs in coffee houses, meeting up with key members of the folk scene including Sandy Denny. During 1970 she had an affair with Martin Carthy, and was Joe Boyd's girlfriend in the early 1970s. Linda met Richard Thompson in 1969 but they did not record together until 1972...

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Syd Barrett

That biography says:

...By the end of 1966 Pink Floyd had gained a reliable management team in Andrew King and Peter Jenner. The duo soon befriended American expatriate Joe Boyd, who was making a name for himself as one of the more important entrepreneurs on the British music scene...

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R.E.M. (band)

That biography says:

...R.E.M.'s third album Fables of the Reconstruction demonstrated a change in direction. Instead of Dixon and Easter, the band chose Joe Boyd, who had worked with Fairport Convention and Nick Drake, to produce the record in England. The band found the sessions unexpectedly difficult, and were miserable due to the cold winter weather and poor food...

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