Colin Thurston
Encyclopedia
Colin Thurston was a British recording engineer
and producer
.
Born in Singapore
, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering. After hooking up with Tony Visconti
he co-engineered David Bowie
's "Heroes" and Iggy Pop
's Lust For Life
(both 1977); he is also credited with co-producing the latter album with Bowie and Pop, under the collective pseudonym "Bewlay Bros".
Thurston's debut as a solo producer was Magazine
's second album Secondhand Daylight
(1979). He later recalled, "I think they were a bit nervous and so I didn't tell them it was my first production". The same year, he produced The Human League
's first album, Reproduction
and their single "I Don't Depend on You
". His lesser-known productions around this time included the single "Move in Rhythm" by Airkraft (1980) on the Square record label, now a collector's piece.
He achieved widespread recognition with Duran Duran
's debut album (1981) and the follow-up Rio
(1982); bassist John Taylor
later described Thurston as "a major catalyst for the Eighties sound". After working with Duran Duran he produced Talk Talk
's The Party's Over (1982), and Kajagoogoo
's White Feathers
(1983), the latter with Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes
. He also worked with Gary Numan
on his 1985 album The Fury
.
Thurston became an in-house producer for the Canadian independent record label Brouhaha in the late 1980s, working with acts such as Westwon
, before the company dissolved. In 1999 he was again associated with Duran Duran for the Strange Behaviour
remix compilation. He had been suffering from a long illness and doing occasional production work before he died on 15 January 2007.
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and producer
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...
.
Born in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering. After hooking up with Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
he co-engineered David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's "Heroes" and Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
's Lust For Life
Lust for Life (album)
Lust for Life is a 1977 album by Iggy Pop, his second solo release and his second collaboration with David Bowie, following The Idiot earlier in the year. As well as achieving critical success, it was Pop's most commercially popular album to date, and remains his highest-charting release in the UK...
(both 1977); he is also credited with co-producing the latter album with Bowie and Pop, under the collective pseudonym "Bewlay Bros".
Thurston's debut as a solo producer was Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
's second album Secondhand Daylight
Secondhand Daylight
Secondhand Daylight is the second album by British band Magazine, released by Virgin Records on 30 March 1979.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Howard Devoto - vocals* John McGeoch - guitar, saxophone, keyboards on "The Thin Air"* Barry Adamson - bass...
(1979). He later recalled, "I think they were a bit nervous and so I didn't tell them it was my first production". The same year, he produced The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
's first album, Reproduction
Reproduction (album)
Reproduction is the debut album released by British synthpop band The Human League. The album was released in October 1979 through Virgin Records Ltd....
and their single "I Don't Depend on You
I Don't Depend on You
"I Don't Depend on You" is a disco-influenced song by the British Synthpop group The Human League released under the pseudonym The Men. It was released as a single in the UK in July 1979, but failed to chart...
". His lesser-known productions around this time included the single "Move in Rhythm" by Airkraft (1980) on the Square record label, now a collector's piece.
He achieved widespread recognition with Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
's debut album (1981) and the follow-up Rio
Rio (album)
Rio is the second studio album by the British rock band Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982. It reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia....
(1982); bassist John Taylor
Nigel John Taylor
John Taylor is an English musician who is best known as the bass guitarist and co-founder of pop rock band Duran Duran....
later described Thurston as "a major catalyst for the Eighties sound". After working with Duran Duran he produced Talk Talk
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
's The Party's Over (1982), and Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
's White Feathers
White Feathers
White Feathers is the debut album by British New Romantic band Kajagoogoo, released in spring 1983. It was produced by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran and Colin Thurston, who was Duran Duran's producer at the time, except for track #5, the self-titled "Kajagoogoo", an instrumental , which was produced...
(1983), the latter with Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
. He also worked with Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
on his 1985 album The Fury
The Fury (album)
The Fury is the ninth studio album, and seventh under his own name, by electronic pioneer Gary Numan, released in 1985. It saw him continuing to explore the sampling-heavy industrial sound he had developed for the previous album Berserker in 1984...
.
Thurston became an in-house producer for the Canadian independent record label Brouhaha in the late 1980s, working with acts such as Westwon
Westwon
Westwon were a dance / rock fusion band formed in 1987 and reasonably well known for supporting Gary Numan on the 1987 Exhibition Tour.Marc Heal took over as vocalist following the departure of original frontman Bill Colbourne after the recording of a full length self-titled CD that was released by...
, before the company dissolved. In 1999 he was again associated with Duran Duran for the Strange Behaviour
Strange Behaviour
Strange Behaviour is a remix album of remixes by Duran Duran. It was released by EMI in March 1999.The title comes from a line in the song "Skin Trade": "would someone please explain, the reason for this strange behaviour". The band had previously used "Strange Behaviour" as the name of their 1987...
remix compilation. He had been suffering from a long illness and doing occasional production work before he died on 15 January 2007.