John Kurzweg
Encyclopedia
John Kurzweg is an American record producer and musician who first became known for his work with successful post-grunge band Creed
in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Three of Creed's records, which Kurzweg produced, were certified multi-platinum and helped Creed achieve worldwide popularity. Kurzweg also played keyboards and sang background vocals on Creed's first three albums. After Creed broke-up in 2004, Kurzweg produced lead vocalist Scott Stapp
's platinum-selling debut album The Great Divide in 2005. Kurzweg has also produced other popular bands, such as Puddle of Mudd
and Socialburn
, as well as solo artists Jewel
and Eagle Eye Cherry.
Kurzweg produced multiple albums for Puddle of Mudd, including their 2001 break-out success "Come Clean" and the majority of their follow-up release Life on Display in 2003. Kurzweg produced “Blurry,” which was released as their second single from the album Come Clean. The song is the band's best known song, reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts for ten and nine weeks, respectively. This soon propelled the single to mainstream success, reaching the #5 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and Billboard Hot 100. The song is also the band's highest selling U.S. single ever, with sales of 753,000 copies, as of 2010. The single “She Hates Me” continued the group's popularity on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #13. It also topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week in October. The popularity of "She Hates Me" made it become Puddle of Mudd's second single to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States, following "Blurry". The song peaked at #14 in the UK Singles Chart making it the group's third Top 20 hit.
Prior to his success as record producer, in the 1980s, Kurzweg was a popular musician in the Tallahassee area, fronting bands such as Slapstick, Synergy, The Front, Radio Bikini and John Kurzweg and the Night. In late 1980s Kurzweg signed a record deal with Atlantic Records, which he released under the name John Phillip (using his middle name as his last name). The album, Wait for the Night, did not meet Kurzweg’s expectations and he returned to Tallahassee to pursue continue making music on his own terms.
Most recently Kurzweg has worked as producer, engineer and mixer for GodSmack
’s “Whiskey Hangover”, which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and appeared on the deluxe edition of The Oracle. He also served produced/engineered/mixed/co-wrote and played all the electric guitars on The Sean Heland Band’s 2009 cd Floodplain. Kurzweg also produced two of the tracks on Puddle of Mudd’s 2009 release Vol. 4 Songs in the Key of Love and Hate – “Better Place” and “Hooky”.
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Three of Creed's records, which Kurzweg produced, were certified multi-platinum and helped Creed achieve worldwide popularity. Kurzweg also played keyboards and sang background vocals on Creed's first three albums. After Creed broke-up in 2004, Kurzweg produced lead vocalist Scott Stapp
Scott Stapp
Scott Alan Stapp is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production...
's platinum-selling debut album The Great Divide in 2005. Kurzweg has also produced other popular bands, such as Puddle of Mudd
Puddle of Mudd
Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
and Socialburn
Socialburn
Socialburn was a four-piece post-grunge rock band from Blountstown, Florida.-History:The first major label album from Socialburn, "Where You Are" , was released in February 2003 and spawned two modern-rock radio hits: "Down" and "Everyone", which reached the top 10 and top 20 US charts...
, as well as solo artists Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
and Eagle Eye Cherry.
Kurzweg produced multiple albums for Puddle of Mudd, including their 2001 break-out success "Come Clean" and the majority of their follow-up release Life on Display in 2003. Kurzweg produced “Blurry,” which was released as their second single from the album Come Clean. The song is the band's best known song, reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts for ten and nine weeks, respectively. This soon propelled the single to mainstream success, reaching the #5 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and Billboard Hot 100. The song is also the band's highest selling U.S. single ever, with sales of 753,000 copies, as of 2010. The single “She Hates Me” continued the group's popularity on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #13. It also topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week in October. The popularity of "She Hates Me" made it become Puddle of Mudd's second single to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States, following "Blurry". The song peaked at #14 in the UK Singles Chart making it the group's third Top 20 hit.
Prior to his success as record producer, in the 1980s, Kurzweg was a popular musician in the Tallahassee area, fronting bands such as Slapstick, Synergy, The Front, Radio Bikini and John Kurzweg and the Night. In late 1980s Kurzweg signed a record deal with Atlantic Records, which he released under the name John Phillip (using his middle name as his last name). The album, Wait for the Night, did not meet Kurzweg’s expectations and he returned to Tallahassee to pursue continue making music on his own terms.
Most recently Kurzweg has worked as producer, engineer and mixer for GodSmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
’s “Whiskey Hangover”, which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and appeared on the deluxe edition of The Oracle. He also served produced/engineered/mixed/co-wrote and played all the electric guitars on The Sean Heland Band’s 2009 cd Floodplain. Kurzweg also produced two of the tracks on Puddle of Mudd’s 2009 release Vol. 4 Songs in the Key of Love and Hate – “Better Place” and “Hooky”.