Snuff Garrett
Encyclopedia
Snuff Garrett is a retired American record producer
whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s. His nickname is a play on Garrett's Snuff, a brand of snuff
.
At seventeen, he was a disc jockey
in Lubbock, Texas
, where he met Buddy Holly
. He is often still mentioned on the Lubbock oldies
station KDAV
on a program hosted by his friend Jerry "Bo" Coleman. Garrett also worked in radio in Wichita Falls, Texas
, where he performed on-air stunts. On February 3, 1959, Garrett performed a tribute show to Holly after he was killed (along with Richie Valens and The Big Bopper
) in a plane crash in Iowa.
Among Garrett's artists were Bobby Vee
, Gene McDaniels
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys ("This Diamond Ring
"), Johnny Burnette
, and later Sonny & Cher
. He was a staff producer at Liberty Records
during the 1960s, and was responsible for hiring Phil Spector
as a producer for Liberty. Later he had his own record label
, Snuff Garrett Records.
In 1966/67 Garrett and J J Cale co-produced A trip down the Sunset Strip, attributed to the Leathercoated Minds
a compilation of psychedelic covers together with four instrumentals of Cale's own composition.
Many of Garrett's hit singles came from songs by the Brill Building
songwriters in New York City
. His longtime assistant was future recording star Leon Russell
. Garrett was invited early on to produce The Monkees
, but a test session did not go well, with the Monkees preferring to work with Boyce and Hart
, writers of "Last Train to Clarksville
" and the Monkees's theme song
.
Garrett worked regularly with The Ron Hicklin Singers
on many projects, and was responsible for the new sound of The Ray Conniff Singers
in the early 1970s (which employed the Hicklin Singers), producing two albums with Conniff. In 1976, Garrett set up a sublabel of Casablanca Records
called Casablanca West. The label released just one album and two singles before folding. In 1978, Garrett produced the country
-oriented soundtrack
of Clint Eastwood
's Every Which Way but Loose, which appeared on Garrett's latter-day label, Viva Records.
Garrett retired to Arizona
during the 1980s. Among his other interests are American Western art, and he shares his collection with the public through prints.
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...
whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s. His nickname is a play on Garrett's Snuff, a brand of snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
.
At seventeen, he was a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, where he met Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
. He is often still mentioned on the Lubbock oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
station KDAV
KDAV
KDAV is an AM radio station licensed to Lubbock, Texas, broadcasting an oldies format which focuses on 1950s and early 1960s pop, rockabilly, mild doo-wop, and country oldies....
on a program hosted by his friend Jerry "Bo" Coleman. Garrett also worked in radio in Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, where he performed on-air stunts. On February 3, 1959, Garrett performed a tribute show to Holly after he was killed (along with Richie Valens and The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
) in a plane crash in Iowa.
Among Garrett's artists were Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
, Gene McDaniels
Gene McDaniels
Gene McDaniels was an American singer and songwriter, who had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s.-Biography:...
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys ("This Diamond Ring
This Diamond Ring
"This Diamond Ring" is a 1965 pop song written by Al Kooper, Bob Brass, and Irwin Levine. The song's first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart was a bubbling-under single by Sammy Ambrose that reached #117 on January 9, 1965...
"), Johnny Burnette
Johnny Burnette
John Joseph "Johnny" Burnette was an American rockabilly musician. Along with his older brother Dorsey Burnette, and also a friend named Paul Burlison, Burnette was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. He was the father of 1980s rockabilly singer Rocky Burnette.-Early life:Johnny Burnette...
, and later Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
. He was a staff producer at Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
during the 1960s, and was responsible for hiring Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
as a producer for Liberty. Later he had his own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Snuff Garrett Records.
In 1966/67 Garrett and J J Cale co-produced A trip down the Sunset Strip, attributed to the Leathercoated Minds
Leathercoated Minds
The Leathecoated Minds was a 1966-67 psychedelic studio-based band masterminded largely by Snuff Garrett and J J Cale. The band produced one album, A trip down the Sunset Strip, co-produced by Cale and Garrett, and released in stereo and mono versions on Garrett's Viva label in 1967 and on the...
a compilation of psychedelic covers together with four instrumentals of Cale's own composition.
Many of Garrett's hit singles came from songs by the Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
songwriters in 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...
. His longtime assistant was future recording star Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
. Garrett was invited early on to produce The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, but a test session did not go well, with the Monkees preferring to work with Boyce and Hart
Boyce and Hart
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were a prolific songwriting duo, best known for the songs they wrote for The Monkees.-Early years:Hart's father was a church minister and he himself served in the Army after leaving high school, Upon discharge,...
, writers of "Last Train to Clarksville
Last Train to Clarksville
"Last Train to Clarksville" was the debut single by The Monkees, released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album, that was released on October 10, 1966. The song was recorded at RCA Victor Studio B in Hollywood, on July 25, 1966...
" and the Monkees's theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
.
Garrett worked regularly with The Ron Hicklin Singers
Ron Hicklin Singers
The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are most famously known as the real singers behind the background vocals on The Partridge Family recordings....
on many projects, and was responsible for the new sound of The Ray Conniff Singers
Ray Conniff
Joseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
in the early 1970s (which employed the Hicklin Singers), producing two albums with Conniff. In 1976, Garrett set up a sublabel of Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
called Casablanca West. The label released just one album and two singles before folding. In 1978, Garrett produced the country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-oriented soundtrack
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
of Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's Every Which Way but Loose, which appeared on Garrett's latter-day label, Viva Records.
Garrett retired to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
during the 1980s. Among his other interests are American Western art, and he shares his collection with the public through prints.
External links
- http://tsimon.com/garrett.htm
- http://www.spaceagepop.com/garrett.htm