Roger Bechirian
Encyclopedia
Roger Béchirian is a noted engineer and record producer, a key player in the 70’s new wave scene best known for his work with Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...

, Paul Carrack
Paul Carrack
Paul Carrack is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Carrack has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others including Nick Lowe, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well...

, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...

, The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...

, Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...

, Squeeze, Trashcan Sinatras and more recently Bell X1
Bell X1
Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from County Kildare in Ireland. They have released five albums which received much acclaim in Ireland.. They have represented Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, received several major award nominations and headlined several festivals in their own country...

.

His engineering career started at Eden Studios
Eden Studios
Eden Studios was a commercial recording facility in west London. It opened in 1967, originally at 11 Eden Street in Kingston upon Thames, before moving to 20-24 Beaumont Road in Chiswick in 1972. It was started by Philip Love, Mike Gardner and Piers Ford-Crush. Love and Gardner owned the studio and...

, in London. The studio was based around an Ampex 4 track and a custom built desk based in part on EMI/BBC designs. Béchirian progressed to become assistant mastering engineer, using an early Scully lathe during the day, and spending the evenings in the studio with bands improving his engineering skills. Eden then moved to much larger premises and built a brand new studio complex from the ground up. Being involved in the building of the facility from wiring the studio to helping to build their custom desk, gained Béchirian a great insight into acoustic design and audio electronics. He even designed the studios logo. Eden opened as a 16 track with Ampex MM1100, but made the rapid leap to 24 track recording, moving up to an Ampex MM1200 and Dolby A. One of the first few 24 track studios in London at that time.

Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....

 founder Dave Robinson sought out Béchirian and he began recording and mixing projects for the labels then fledgling artist roster.
He continued to develop his engineering talents at Eden as house engineer on an endless mixture of sessions ranging from solo artists to rock bands, big bands and orchestra. He was fortunate to work as assistant on sessions with some of the most successful producers and bands of the time including, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...

, Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...

, Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...

, Moody Blues, David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...

, Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...

, The Damned, Clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...

 and many others (see discography).

Béchirian had come to the attention of various A&R men, and also continued to work with a variety of Stiff artists. He was asked by Robinson to be involved with the production of Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich is an American singer based in England, who first gained attention as part of the New Wave music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her most popular hit single was "Lucky Number", first released in 1979.-Early years:...

's first album, which produced his first hit single, 'Lucky Number'. Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...

 brought his muse the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...

 into Eden to work on various drum and guitar tracking sessions, and around this time, Nick Lowe approached Roger to work on his solo project, which was to become 'The Jesus of Cool'. As a result he wanted Roger to act has his exclusive engineer on all his forthcoming projects, which led to working with Graham Parker
Graham Parker
Graham Parker is a British rock singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.-Early career :...

, Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...

 and Clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...

, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...

, Rockpile
Rockpile
Rockpile were a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave...

, and others.
Seymour Stein
Seymour Stein
Seymour Stein is an entrepreneur in the music industry who has been a part of the business since getting his first job as a clerk for Billboard magazine in 1958. Stein is a vice president of Warner Bros...

, founder of Sire Records, signed the Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...

, asking Roger to take on production duties for the bands first album. Roger ended up engineering and producing the bands first three of their four albums.
Jake Riviera
Jake Riviera
Jake Riviera is a music business entrepreneur best known for his management of such performers as Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe and as co-founder of pioneering British indie label Stiff Records.Riviera was in school bands and local groups in north-west London in the 60s, and became road manager of...

 who looked after Costello and Lowe began representing Roger as manager.

Béchirian continued to work with various bands and artists as engineer and producer, recording and mixing some of the biggest breakthroughs of the time. He engineered and produced Squeeze's hit album 'East Side Story', and their American breakthrough hit single 'Tempted'.
(Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He has worked with many prominent names in music including Bruce Springsteen , The Rolling Stones , Bryan Adams , Robbie Williams Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He...

 has sited his production and engineering work on the Squeeze classic ‘Tempted’ as,'...probably the best recording and finest mix I have ever heard!”)

Around that time he formed the band Blanket of Secrecy
Blanket of Secrecy
Blanket of Secrecy was a British New Wave trio that existed for a short time in the early 1980s. The band is notable for the fact that the band members, true to their band name, were never officially identified, using only the pseudonyms Tinker, Tailor and Soldier...

. Their first and only album was released by Warner Brothers in the US and was incredibly well received, complete with top 40 single, but unable to deal with its own genius, the band imploded a year later on the verge of a world tour. The band still maintains a loyal fan base.
Béchirian went on to build his own recording studio in London and formed Vinyltone Productions with Epic Records in New York, developing and releasing new artists. The next three years he divided his time between London and New York.

Béchirian was persuaded to go back into the mastering studio to remaster Elvis Costello's first nine albums. At first daunting, he fell back into the old groove and the results were universally critically acclaimed. (Stereophile review below)

Looking for a new direction, Béchirian later formed Trick Management. He came across the smouldering talent of Tom McRae
Tom McRae
Tom McRae is an English singer-songwriter.-Career:The son of two Church of England vicars, McRae sang in the church choir and as a teen experimented with his mother's guitar...

. Adopting several roles he launched the career of one of the most highly regarded artists of the time, which opened the doors to the 'singer songwriter' revolution.
He also took on a Dublin based band, Bell X1
Bell X1
Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from County Kildare in Ireland. They have released five albums which received much acclaim in Ireland.. They have represented Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, received several major award nominations and headlined several festivals in their own country...

. Signing them to Island Records he produced the bands breakthrough hit album Flock, turning their career around from virtual unknowns to one of the most respected bands in Ireland today, with a fan base that stretches across Europe and the United States.

Now based in London Béchirian engineers and produces, as well as being involved with the development and co-management of new bands and artists.
Bechirian is unique in that his vast experience straddles the worlds of song writing, playing and arranging, engineering and producing, A&R and management.
Using his renowned ability to communicate with artists Béchirian uses modern recording technology with a twist, retaining old school sensibilities and techniques to provide artists with a recording environment in which to best express themselves and their potential.
Discography overview:
engineered (e), mixed (m), co-produced (cp), produced (p)




Elvis Costello: e-m-cp-p

My Aim Is True (remixes)

This Years Model

Armed Forces

Get Happy

Trust

singles:

What's So Funny' Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding

Oliver's Army

Alison (remix)

I Don't Want to Go To Chelsea

Accidents Will Happen

Pump It Up

I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down

Radio Radio

Big Tears

Green Shirt

High Fidelity

New Lace Sleeves

Talking in the Dark

New Amsterdam

Riot Act

Clubland

From a Whisper to a Scream

Watch Your Step



Squeeze-e-m-p

East Side Story

singles:

Is That Love

Tempted

Labelled With Love

Messed Around



The Undertones- e-m-p

albums:

Undertones

Hypnotised

Positive Touch

singles:

Get Over You

Jimmy Jimmy

Here Comes the Summer

You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)

My Perfect Cousin

Wednesday Week

It's Going To Happen!

Julie Ocean



Nick Lowe-e-m-cp-p

Jesus Of Cool

Nick The Knife

Abominable Showman

singles:

So It Goes

Marie Provost

Endless Sleep

1Halfway to Paradise

I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass

Little Hitler

American Squirm

Crackin' Up

Cruel to Be Kind

Cool Reaction

Ragin' Eyes

Wish You Were Here



Graham Parker: e-m

Howling Wind

Stick To Me

Heat Treatment



The Rumour: e-m-cp

Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs & Krauts

singles:

Emotional Traffic

Frozen Years

Tired of Waiting



The Jam: e

Going Underground(single)



Lene Lovich: e-m-p

Stateless

Flex

singles:

Lucky Number

Little Bird

Too Tender To Touch

I Think We’re Alone Now



Wang Chung: e-m-p

Wang Chung

singles:

Hold Back the Tears
China
Ti Na Na



Carlene Carter- e-m-p-cp

Carlene Carter

C’est c Bon

Blue Nun

singles:

When You Comin' Back

Too Many Teardrops

Love Like A Glove

Meant It for a Minute



Dave Edmunds: e-m

‘4’

Tracks On Wax

Repeat When Necessary

singles:

Deborah

Television

A1 on the Jukebox

Girls Talk

Queen of Hearts

Crawling from the Wreckage



The Trashcan Sinatras: e-m-p

Cake

singles
:
Only Tongue Can Tell

Obscurity Knocks



Bell X1: m-p

Music In Mouth

Flock

Blue Lights on the Runway (re-mixes)

singles:

Man on Mir

White Water Song

Tongue

Snakes and Snakes

Alphabet Soup

Eve, the Apple of My Eye

Next to You

Bigger Than Me

Flame

Rocky Took a Lover

The Great Defector-m

The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella-m


Tom McRae: cp-m

Tom McRae

singles:

You Cut Her Hair

Walking to Hawaii rm



The Flamin’ Groovies: e-m-cp

Jumpin’ In The Night



The Attractions: e-m-p

Mad About The Wrong Boy



The Shakin’ Pyramids:

Celts & Cobras e-m-p



The Monkees: e-m-p

Pool It!



The db’s: e-m-p

Judy(single)



Tony Koklin: e-m-p

Time Chaser



Robert-Ellis-Orrall: e-m-p

Special Pain

Walking Thru Landmines



Rockpile: e-m

A Pile Of Rock



The Photos: e-m-p

The Photos



Siouxsie and the Banshees: e-m

New Skin (Showgirls’ soundtrack)



Blanket Of Secrecy: e-m-p

Ears Have Walls



The Passion Puppets: e-m-p

Like Dust



Dirty Looks: e-m

Dirty Looks



The Pretenders: e-m

Better Stop Sobbin’(single)



Stewart Agnew Band: e-m-p

Stewart Agnew



Bear Driver: cp

Wolves(single)



e and ae-Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...

/Paul Jones
Paul Jones (singer)
Paul Jones is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio personality and television presenter.-Career:As P. P...

/The Sex Pistols/The Bay City Rollers/TV21/The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...

/Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric is an English rock and roll/new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single " Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time...

/Clive Langer
Clive Langer
Clive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...

/Barbara Dixon
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...

/Jonah Lewie/Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.-Early bands:...

/Telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...

/Maxine Nightingale
Maxine Nightingale
Maxine Nightingale is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in the 1970s, with the million seller "Right Back Where We Started From" Maxine Nightingale (born 2 November 1952; Wembley, London) is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in...

/Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...

/Kathy Kirby
Kathy Kirby
Kathy Kirby was an English singer who was reportedly the highest-paid female singer of her generation. She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's "Secret Love" and for representing the United Kingdom in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest, where she came in second place...

/Simon May
Simon May
Simon May is a British musician and composer, best known for composing some of British television's best known theme tunes, including EastEnders and Howards' Way, and for composing the music for the 1988 film The Dawning....

/Paul & Barry Ryan/Dolly Mixtures/Hello
Hello
Hello is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is attested in writing as early as the 1830s.-First use:Hello, with that spelling, was used in publications as early as 1833. These include an 1833 American book called The Sketches and Eccentricities of Col...

/Clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...

/Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...

/The Damned/The Passion Puppets/The Bell Stars/Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...

/The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...

/Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...

/David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...

/and many more….



External links

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