Bob Both
Encyclopedia
Bob Both is an American recording engineer and record producer
, best known for his work with James Brown
in the 1970s.
Both was born in Bloomfield, New Jersey
, the son of a carpenter. Inspired by The Beatles
, he learned to play the guitar
at age 11 and started his first band in the 8th grade. He also started writing songs and making simple recordings on a home tape recorder by age 14. Throughout high school Both continued writing songs and playing in bands.
When he graduated from high school he attended The Ridgewood School of Art and studied to become a commercial artist. In his second year of school his strong interest in music led him to quit art school and search for a job in the music business.
At age 19, he went to New York City
and knocked on the doors of all the major recording studios and record companies. Armed with nothing more than youthful ambition and a letter of recommendation from one of his art teachers, he landed a job as A&R assistant to Peter K. Seigel at Polydor Records
, NYC. There Both learned the basics of record production from Seigel and the fundamentals of record mastering from Bob Ludwig
who was a mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He also began to develop his engineering skills producing mixes for James Brown
.
In 1972 he became James Brown's recording engineer, A&R director and production supervisor. He worked on 11 of Brown's albums including the number one hits "Get on the Good Foot
", "The Payback
", "My Thang
" and "Doing It to Death
" with Fred Wesley
& the J.B.s (Brown's backup band). Both also recorded records for artists signed to Brown's production company including Hank Ballard
, Maceo Parker
, Lyn Collins
, Bobby Byrd
, Vicki Anderson
and others. Both left Brown in 1977 and opened his own studio, Twain Recording, in New Jersey. He has done recordings for hundreds of bands in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. Both has also had years of experience recording punk rock/hardcore bands. New Jersey punk/hardcore producer Mark "The Mutha" Chesley recorded the bulk of Mutha Records
catalog at Twain Recording including The Worst
, Chronic Sick, Secret Syde, Tribulation
, Youth in Asia, Stisism
, Lost In Aggression, Fatal Rage and many more. Producer Marty Munsch
of Punk Rock Records
has also recorded many notable projects with Bob, including U.S. Chaos
, The Vote, The New York Rel-X, Broken Heroes, The Flare Ups, The Stun Gunz, and Terabithia, to name just a few. He also engineered and produced the Sleepy Hollow
albums: The Lazarus Project, Legend, and the bonus track on the self titled color vinyl ep reissue.
Both worked closely with Harry Weinger of Polygram Records catalog development on the re-issue of many of James Browns classic seventies albums on CD throughout the 1990s. In 1993 Both began teaching audio production courses at Ramapo College
of NJ. In 1995 he also started teaching audio courses at William Paterson University
, NJ. Both recorded the drumming technique DVD Soul Of The Funky Drummers with Clyde Stubblefield
and Jabo Starks in 1999 and recorded the Accelerate Your Playing DVD series for The Berklee Press in 2000. 2007 saw Bob once again reuniting with Fred Wesley to record "Funk For Your Ass" for Columbia Music.Both's work is cited in several books including The Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits and Hit Me, Fred, Fred Wesley's biography. Both has written articles on recording techniques for magazines including EQ
, REP, Soundtrack, Pro Music and others. He has received RIAA gold record awards for several of his James Brown recordings and is listed in The Marquis Who's Who in Entertainment
.
Currently Both continues to operate Twain Recording, engineering and producing records in rock, R&B, alternative and a variety of other musical styles. He is equally comfortable working with Pro Tools
or on analog tape and mixes old school techniques with the latest in digital technology to bring the best sound to his clients' projects. He performs several times a month playing guitar in a classic rock band just for the fun of making music.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, best known for his work with James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
in the 1970s.
Both was born in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
, the son of a carpenter. Inspired by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, he learned to play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at age 11 and started his first band in the 8th grade. He also started writing songs and making simple recordings on a home tape recorder by age 14. Throughout high school Both continued writing songs and playing in bands.
When he graduated from high school he attended The Ridgewood School of Art and studied to become a commercial artist. In his second year of school his strong interest in music led him to quit art school and search for a job in the music business.
At age 19, he went to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and knocked on the doors of all the major recording studios and record companies. Armed with nothing more than youthful ambition and a letter of recommendation from one of his art teachers, he landed a job as A&R assistant to Peter K. Seigel at Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, NYC. There Both learned the basics of record production from Seigel and the fundamentals of record mastering from Bob Ludwig
Bob Ludwig
Bob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
who was a mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He also began to develop his engineering skills producing mixes for James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
.
In 1972 he became James Brown's recording engineer, A&R director and production supervisor. He worked on 11 of Brown's albums including the number one hits "Get on the Good Foot
Get on the Good Foot
"Get on the Good Foot" is a funk song performed by James Brown. It was released in 1972 as a two-part single and became a number one R&B hit and also peaked at number eighteen on the Hot 100..The song was also included on the double album of the same name released that year.The song's co-writer...
", "The Payback
The Payback (song)
"The Payback" is a funk song by James Brown, the title track from his 1973 album of the same name. The song's lyrics, originally written by trombonist and bandleader Fred Wesley but heavily revised by Brown himself soon before it was recorded, concern the revenge he plans to take against the man...
", "My Thang
My Thang
"My Thang" is a funk hit song written and recorded by James Brown. It was released as a two-part single which spent two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart and reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1974. The song also appeared on Brown's 1974 double album Hell....
" and "Doing It to Death
Doing It to Death
"Doing It to Death" is a funk song recorded by The J.B.'s featuring James Brown. It was released as a single in 1973 and peaked at number one on the soul singles chart and number twenty-two on the Hot 100...
" with Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley is an American jazz and funk trombonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
& the J.B.s (Brown's backup band). Both also recorded records for artists signed to Brown's production company including Hank Ballard
Hank Ballard
Hank Ballard , born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first proto-rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s...
, Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
, Lyn Collins
Lyn Collins
Lyn Collins was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins....
, Bobby Byrd
Bobby Byrd
Bobby Byrd born Robert Howard Byrd was an American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, songwriter and record producer. He was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and is a 1998 winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award...
, Vicki Anderson
Vicki Anderson
Vicki Anderson is a soul singer best known for her performances with the James Brown Revue. She recorded a number of singles under both her birth and stage names...
and others. Both left Brown in 1977 and opened his own studio, Twain Recording, in New Jersey. He has done recordings for hundreds of bands in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. Both has also had years of experience recording punk rock/hardcore bands. New Jersey punk/hardcore producer Mark "The Mutha" Chesley recorded the bulk of Mutha Records
Mutha Records
Mutha Records was a Jersey Shore based punk rock record label established in 1982, which released material by New Jersey hardcore bands such as The Worst, Chronic Sick, and Fatal Rage. The label's activities were primarily based in Monmouth County beach communities such as Long Branch and Asbury...
catalog at Twain Recording including The Worst
The Worst
The Worst is the second studio album recorded by rapper Tech N9ne.-Tracklisting:#Stamina#Trauma #Planet Rock 2K #Thugged Out The Worst is the second studio album recorded by rapper Tech N9ne.-Tracklisting:#Stamina#Trauma (featuring Hannible Bear Lector and Rock Money)#Planet Rock 2K (Original...
, Chronic Sick, Secret Syde, Tribulation
Tribulation
The Great Tribulation refers to tumultuous events that are described during the "signs of the times", first mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet discourse...
, Youth in Asia, Stisism
Stisism
Stisism were an American punk rock band from New York City.Stisism formed in the early 1980s, and played their first gig on September 14, 1983. They borrowed players from other local bands such as Adrenalin OD until their lineup stabilized when Fiona Lynn joined the band. The band played a snotty...
, Lost In Aggression, Fatal Rage and many more. Producer Marty Munsch
Marty Munsch
Marty Munsch is an American music producer. He was born in Union County, New Jersey, and raised in the towns of Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff in Bergen County, New Jersey...
of Punk Rock Records
Punk Rock Records
Punk Rock Records is a record company founded in 1983. The record company released material by various punk groups U.S. Chaos, Violent Society, Dysfunctional Youth, NY Relx, The Decepticons, The Suspects, DDSM's, Above All Hope, The Stun Gunz and The Guilloteens and Pazz Kluger....
has also recorded many notable projects with Bob, including U.S. Chaos
U.S. Chaos
U.S. Chaos are an American punk rock band from New Jersey, formed in 1981. They were one of the first American bands to play in an Oi!/street punk style....
, The Vote, The New York Rel-X, Broken Heroes, The Flare Ups, The Stun Gunz, and Terabithia, to name just a few. He also engineered and produced the Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow (band)
Sleepy Hollow is a rock band that formed in Lodi in 1999. Their music is an eclectic blend of classic heavy metal, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock influences. All members share vocal duties...
albums: The Lazarus Project, Legend, and the bonus track on the self titled color vinyl ep reissue.
Both worked closely with Harry Weinger of Polygram Records catalog development on the re-issue of many of James Browns classic seventies albums on CD throughout the 1990s. In 1993 Both began teaching audio production courses at Ramapo College
Ramapo College
Ramapo College of New Jersey is a public liberal arts and professional studies institution of the New Jersey system of higher education.- Location :...
of NJ. In 1995 he also started teaching audio courses at William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
, NJ. Both recorded the drumming technique DVD Soul Of The Funky Drummers with Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield is a drummer best known for his work with James Brown.Stubblefield's recordings with James Brown are considered to be some of the standard-bearers for funk drumming, including the singles "Cold Sweat", "There Was A Time", "I Got The Feelin'", "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm...
and Jabo Starks in 1999 and recorded the Accelerate Your Playing DVD series for The Berklee Press in 2000. 2007 saw Bob once again reuniting with Fred Wesley to record "Funk For Your Ass" for Columbia Music.Both's work is cited in several books including The Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits and Hit Me, Fred, Fred Wesley's biography. Both has written articles on recording techniques for magazines including EQ
EQ
EQ may refer to:* Earthquake* Eça de Queiroz, a realistic and critical Portuguese writer* Embarq , a local exchange carrier in the United States* Emotional quotient, a psychological measure...
, REP, Soundtrack, Pro Music and others. He has received RIAA gold record awards for several of his James Brown recordings and is listed in The Marquis Who's Who in Entertainment
Marquis Who's Who
Marquis Who's Who, a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc., is the American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies...
.
Currently Both continues to operate Twain Recording, engineering and producing records in rock, R&B, alternative and a variety of other musical styles. He is equally comfortable working with Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
or on analog tape and mixes old school techniques with the latest in digital technology to bring the best sound to his clients' projects. He performs several times a month playing guitar in a classic rock band just for the fun of making music.