Jon St. James is an American guitarist, songwriter–composer, producer and engineer whose Casbah Recording Studio

Casbah Recording Studio

The Casbah Recording Studio or simply Casbah is a recording studio in the Orange County suburb of Fullerton, California that helped to spawn several highly successful acts, including Berlin, Stacey Q, and Social Distortion....

 was a part of Orange County

Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

's new music scene in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s. St. James' first album was as leader–frontman–songwriter of the progressive rock group French Lick. St James was a pioneer of techno pop and dance music, using Moog synthesizer

Moog synthesizer

Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...

s, electronic effects, and tape loops. St. James lived in France for two years, studying Musique concrète

Musique concrète

Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...

 with French composers.
There he first used Revox

Revox

ReVox is a brand name of Swiss audio equipment created by Studer on March 27, 1951.The ReVox brand name was spun off into Studer Revox AG in 1990. During Studer's acquisition by Harman International Industries, Revox was sold separately to a group of private investors...

 A77 tape machines to create ambient electronic textures. Upon returning from France, St. James started the electronic pop group Q

Q (band)

Q was a small American techno band, formed in 1982 by Jon St. James and Stacey Swain. Ross Wood was also a group member, and John Van Tongeren was involved as well. The group only had two releases: a 7" single of their song "Playback" on Cocteau Records, and a four-track EP released almost...

 with Stacey Swain (Stacey Q

Stacey Q

Stacey Q is a pop singer, dancer and actress. She is best known for her 1985 hit single "Two of Hearts".-Early life:Stacey Swain was born on November 30, 1958 in Fullerton, California. She is the youngest of three children...

) and Dan Van Patten from Berlin. Q released one single, "Playback," on Cocteau Records, which was co-owned by Bill Nelson of Bebop Deluxe fame. Q also released a self-titled EP on red vinyl in the US on M.A.O. Records in 1982. Q later became SSQ

SSQ (band)

SSQ was a 1980s synthpop outfit formed from the already-in-existence band Q .-Biography:The original Q project was composed of Stacey Swain as lead singer, Jon St. James on guitars, and Dan Van Patten and John Van Tongeren on vocoder and synthesizer...

 and signed with EMI America Records

EMI America Records

EMI America Records was started in 1978 by EMI as a second US label next to Capitol Records. It absorbed Liberty Records in 1984. In the late 1980s EMI America was consolidated with Manhattan Records to form EMI Manhattan Records, which later became known simply as EMI in 1990, then part of EMI...

 on the heels of St. James' recording the first Berlin album Pleasure Victim

Pleasure Victim

Pleasure Victim was the second, gold-certified studio album by the American New Wave band Berlin, released in 1982. The singles from this recording were "Sex ", followed by "The Metro" , and "Masquerade". Pleasure Victim is often listed as being an EP album, although it is uncertain if seven songs...

. EMI signed St. James to a six-record solo deal. The first single off St. James' solo album "Trans-Atlantic" was to be "The Girl Who Seduced The World", which 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...

 wanted for his album Let's Dance. However, EMI America closed its doors almost immediately after the release of the SSQ and Jon St. James albums. St. James continued to do TV and movie work. He and Swain regrouped as Stacey Q in 1984 and released "Two of Hearts", which became a worldwide pop hit on Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

.

Career

As a producer and engineer, St. James led several influential recording projects beginning in the 1980s, including records by punk bands The Vandals

The Vandals

The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...

 and Social Distortion

Social Distortion

Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...

, as well as the new wave band Berlin

Berlin (band)

Berlin is an American New Wave/Synthpop band. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford . The band contained Crawford, Terri Nunn , David Diamond , Ric Olsen , Matt Reid and Rod Learned . Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill...

.
As a songwriter, guitarist, and producer, St. James helped to bring the talents of techno-pop diva Stacey Q, the dance-pop duo Bardeux

Bardeux

Bardeux is a dance duo from the late 1980s. The group was formed in 1987 and consisted of Stacy "Acacia" Smith and Tairrie B. The group's first single "Three Time Lover", went to #10 on Billboard's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. Tarrie B. left the group to pursue a solo career and was replaced by...

, and the dance-pop artist Katalina

Katalina

Katalina is a pop/dance artist who was signed to Thump Records. She is mostly known for her hit single "D.J. Girl" from her first and only album Sonic Groove released in 1996...

 to a wide audience. In addition, St. James has provided musical soundtracks for television and radio, including projects for TV's St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...

, Hill Street Blues

Hill Street Blues

Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...

, Malcolm in the Middle

Malcolm in the Middle

Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...

, and Dawson's Creek

Dawson's Creek

Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...

, among others.
St. James moved into artist management and had his first double Platinum hit with Candyman

Candyman (rapper)

Candell Manson known by his stage name Candyman, is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his only hit single, "Knockin' Boots".-Biography:...

's "Knockin' Boots" on Epic Records. St. James produced and managed the careers of several more Epic acts including the Techno Pop acts Anything Box

Anything Box

Anything Box is an electronic/synthpop musical group originally from Paterson, New Jersey and now based in Orange County, CA. They are best known for their 1989 Single "Living in Oblivion." The band is one of the primary bands which carried electronic music's transition from the late 1980s into the...

 and Red Flag

Red Flag (band)

Red Flag is a synthpop band founded in 1984 in San Diego by brothers Chris and Mark Reynolds.-History:After growing up in Liverpool, the brothers, following their father's itinerant job, moved to locations such as Montreal and Seattle; in 1979, the family settled in California, arriving first in...

. St. James often played guitar, synth, and programming for new talent. St. James also produced for Enigma/ Restless records and for a time had his own label Synthecide, named after an SSQ song.

Early projects included sound-alike promos for Los Angeles radio station KMET, an album of electronic music with a space navigation theme, and a four-song EP featuring Stacey Swain.

The Casbah attracted a variety of talent, including Righteous Brothers keyboardist John Van Tongeren

John Van Tongeren

John Van Tongeren is a music composer, mainly for films and television series.- Biography :Van Tongeren began his career as one of the original members of Media Ventures . During his time at Media Ventures Van Tongeren worked on films such as Thelma and Louise, True Romance and Drop Zone with Hans...

, Berlin drummer, synthesist, and producer Dan Van Patten, Agent Orange

Agent Orange (band)

Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...

, Minutemen

Minutemen (band)

Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...

, The Adolescents

The Adolescents

The Adolescents are an American punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a punk supergroup, made up of early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. They are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore punk scene....

, Rockabilly artists Rocky Burnette

Rocky Burnette

Rocky Burnette is an American rock and roll singer/musician and the son of rock and roll pioneer, Johnny Burnette. He is best known for his 1980 hit single "Tired of Toein' the Line."-Career:...

, Rip Masters, and Christian glam rockers Stryper

Stryper

Stryper is a Christian glam metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet , Oz Fox , Tim Gaines , and Robert Sweet...

. After the success of Stacey Q's Better Than Heaven

Better Than Heaven

Better Than Heaven was singer Stacey Q's first album under Atlantic Records. This release was the first full-length album that the same lineup of musicians , released simply under the name Stacey Q. The artist continued to work with her SSQ bandmates in her solo albums such as Better Than Heaven,...

album, St. James sold the Casbah to members of Social Distortion and opened the new Formula 1 studio in La Habra. F1, as the studio is known, has hosted a wide variety of acts, including Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...

, Rusty Anderson

Rusty Anderson

Rusty Anderson is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer. He is best known as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney, though he has worked with an extensive list of artists in addition to his own solo career.-Early life:Rusty Anderson grew up in La Habra, California...

 of Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

, The Vandals

The Vandals

The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...

, Blink-182

Blink-182

Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...

, Warren Fitzgerald

Warren Fitzgerald

Warren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...

, Josh Freese

Josh Freese

Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....

, Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...

, Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...

 of Yes

Yes (band)

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

, No Doubt

No Doubt

No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...

, and Tenacious D

Tenacious D

Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...

.

St. James sold F1 studio to Thump Records

Thump Records

Thump Records is a record label specialized in freestyle music, Latin music and hip hop music. They are probably best known for their rap and R&B Old School compilations, as well as their Low Rider compilations.-Artists on Thump Records:* Adolfo...

, a Lowrider Magazine

Lowrider Magazine

Lowrider Magazine is a monthly magazine about cars, focusing almost exclusively on the style known as a lowrider. The magazine has also released a series of videos available on DVD. It was founded in 1977 with the first issue coming out of San Jose, California.- External links :*...

 financed record label, for which St. James produced many artists. Since then he built a new personal studio where he has continued to record, write, and produce. Recent clients include Kung Fu Records

Kung Fu Records

Kung Fu Records is an American independent record label founded in 1996 by Joe Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald of the punk rock band The Vandals. Founded in order to release a record by the Riverside, California band Assorted Jelly Beans, the label soon grew to include a roster of notable artists...

, The Warped Tour, The Used

The Used

The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...

, Mike Ness

Mike Ness

Mike Ness is an American guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band...

, Warren Fitzgerald

Warren Fitzgerald

Warren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...

 of Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani

Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...

, and Jason Freese

Jason Freese

Jason Freese is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and recording engineer. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums by more than 35 different artists, including multiple albums by the Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Jewel, NOFX, and Zebrahead...

 of Green Day

Green Day

Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...

. St. James continues to develop young talent, such as the singer, songwriter, and producer Andy Carpenter.