![]() Swedien was known for pioneering the "Acusonic Recording Process", pairing up microphones together on vocals and instruments, a technique enabled by synchronizing several multi-track recorders with SMPTE timecode. The label was responsible for numerous R&B and pop hits during that time, with artists such as The Chi-Lites, Tyrone Davis and Jackie Wilson. Swedien moved to Brunswick Records where he ran and developed the label's studios and sound in the late 1960s and 1970s. The two worked on albums for artists like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan. He first met Quincy Jones when Jones was vice president for Mercury Records in Chicago. ![]() Shortly after that, he left for Universal Recording Corporation where he worked under chief engineer Bill Putnam. In 1957, he left Minneapolis and began working for RCA Victor Records in Chicago. However, in late 1957, he sold the studio and relocated to Chicago. He transformed the space into the Swedien Recording Studio, where he produced and recorded music for several years with artists such as Art Blakey and Herbie Mann. In 1954, aged 20, Swedien set up a recording studio in the old Garrick/LaSalle movie theater in Minneapolis. Swedien studied electrical engineering with a minor in music at the University of Minnesota, but did not graduate. His father bought him a disc recording machine when he was 10 and a professional tape recorder after graduating high school. ![]() ![]() His parents, Ellsworth and Louise (Perusse) Swedien, both of Swedish descent, were both classically-trained musicians, leading Swedien to develop a passion for music and recording at an early age. Swedien was born on April 19, 1934, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Swedien won 5 Grammy Awards for Best Engineered Album for his work with Jackson and Jones. Swedien first achieved widespread recognition as engineer with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' 1962 single " Big Girls Don't Cry" which sold over one million copies and stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. He was widely known for his work with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand. I’m going to miss your presence every single day.Bruce Swedien ( / s w ə ˈ d iː n/ Ap– November 16, 2020) was an American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer. Jones paid tribute to Swedien in an Instagram post, writing: “I have always said it’s no accident that more than four decades later no matter where I go in the world, in every club, like clockwork at the witching hour you hear “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Starting Something,” & “Thriller.” That was the sonic genius of Bruce Swedien, & to this day I can hear artists trying to replicate him. He also won in the same category for Jones’ albums “Back on the Block” and “Q’s Jook Joint.”īeyond Jones and Jackson, Swedien worked with the likes of Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Natalie Cole, Mick Jagger, David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. In 1962, Swedien worked on Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” which brought him recognition.Īt Universal, Swedien met Quincy Jones, and the two mixed the soundtrack for “The Wiz” together before beginning work on Michael Jackson’s 1979 debut album, “Off the Wall.” Swedien went on to collaborate with Jones on three more albums for Jackson, recording and mixing “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Dangerous.” Swedien won Grammys in the best engineered album, non-classical category for all three albums in 1984, 19, respectively. By his 21st birthday, Swedien was a professional audio engineer, working first for RCA Victor and then under Bill Putnam at Universal Recording Corporation. His parents were both classically-trained musicians, leading Swedien to develop a passion for music and recording at an early age. Swedien was born on Apin Minneapolis, Minn. He had a long life full of love, great music, big boats and a beautiful marriage. A legend in the music industry for over 65 years and 5-time Grammy winner, he was known for his work with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and many more. Swedien’s daughter, musician Roberta Swedien, shared the news via Facebook, writing: “My dad, Bruce Swedien, passed away peacefully last night, November 16th. Bruce Swedien, a five-time Grammy-winning audio engineer best known for his work on several Michael Jackson albums, died on Monday night.
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