I met Terry Brown!!!

[RushFanForever]

Rod in Toronto, here's a hit song below that Terry Brown produced back in the late 80's.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wf-MNzSbpA

 

When I initially heard this, I thought it was Corey Hart.

[chemistry1973]

I think that as the music world is evolving, guys like that - Terry Brown, Martin Birch, Roy Thomas Baker etc. - are bound to be extinct, since bands are now more prone to self producing and using apps and gadgets to record. Quite a shame, since these producers played a huge part in what made bands like Rush, Maiden, Queen etc. so great.

 

No question. So many classic bands I love used the same producer for several albums and that person almost became an extra member of the band for what they contributed that made those records that much better. Most new records nowadays are too compressed and brickwalled sounding for my taste. I'm still disappointed that Rush felt good about the way Clockwork came out sounding. I have no doubt it would've been much more listenable with Brown at the helm.

 

Did you get the sense that Terry is still a Rush fan despite being sacked by them?

 

Of course! He's still a regular at events promoted by fans, and was there to watch the movie. I don't have evidence of this, but I do believe he's still bitter about the band not wanting to continue their collaboration.

 

Interesting. I thought they always said it was a mutual parting of ways.

 

Well Neil Peart could kick me in the nuts -- and I'd call him my best friend if I could get points on every Rush album up to Signals!

[Syrinx]

That is a great pic Rod!

[ytserush]

I asked Ray Alder from Fates Warning about what it was like working with Terry - they did the Parallels album together. He was all compliments to him, and said "he actually produced and collaborated, and did not just sit there pressing the buttons".

 

I think that as the music world is evolving, guys like that - Terry Brown, Martin Birch, Roy Thomas Baker etc. - are bound to be extinct, since bands are now more prone to self producing and using apps and gadgets to record. Quite a shame, since these producers played a huge part in what made bands like Rush, Maiden, Queen etc. so great.

 

For an alternative view, ask Mike Portnoy what it was like working with Terry Brown.

[Rod in Toronto]

I asked Ray Alder from Fates Warning about what it was like working with Terry - they did the Parallels album together. He was all compliments to him, and said "he actually produced and collaborated, and did not just sit there pressing the buttons".

 

I think that as the music world is evolving, guys like that - Terry Brown, Martin Birch, Roy Thomas Baker etc. - are bound to be extinct, since bands are now more prone to self producing and using apps and gadgets to record. Quite a shame, since these producers played a huge part in what made bands like Rush, Maiden, Queen etc. so great.

 

For an alternative view, ask Mike Portnoy what it was like working with Terry Brown.

I know!!! But in hindsight, MP is not the easiest person to work with...I do remember that story.

[Three Eyes]

I asked Ray Alder from Fates Warning about what it was like working with Terry - they did the Parallels album together. He was all compliments to him, and said "he actually produced and collaborated, and did not just sit there pressing the buttons".

 

Maybe those are the same reasons Dream Theater didn't like him.

[Rod in Toronto]

Dream Theater didn't like him because there was a disagreement with the use of his voice as the hypnotherapist on the Scenes from a Memory album. He recorded those parts, they made it on to the album, and when it was time to go on tour, I believe he asked for more money. Dream Theater said no and hired an actor to do the hypno talk live. That's why at the end of the Live Scenes from New York DVD, on the thank you notes, you see "Terry Brown - no thanks".

[Three Eyes]

There's more to the story though. Portnoy's original 2002 post:

 

Guest

Friday, June 29, 2001 6:58 PM (permalink)

 

Prince Bytor:

 

Mike,

I saw one of your earlier responses in which you mentioned that you would NOT be working with Terry Brown again. I thought he did a great job on the vocal production on SFAM; Why no Broon this time around?

 

.........

 

Portnoy

Administrator

Total Posts : 2012

Joined: 5/18/2002

Status: offline

 

Hey By-Tor,

Well....I guess I'm being pulled in to dish out some more dirt as you can find only here on the Forum at MP.COM!!

 

Well, a long story short - Terry is another person who has recently burned his bridges with us in the DT camp.

 

Basically, half way through the M2000 tour, we received word from his lawyer that he expected __ amount of $ from us for using his voice when we perform SFAM live.

 

Now Terry knew DAMN well when he recorded his voice as the hypnotherepist during the SFAM sessions, that it was a concept album that we would be performing everynight on tour....OF COURSE we would be using a sample of his voice in the performance being HE OPENS THE FREAKING CD and SHOW!!!!!!!!

 

Our **speculation** is that he may have been sore with us for not choosing him to mix SFAM which he expressed wanting to do (it was never an option as far as me and JP were concerned)...

 

he also bitched about not being credited as the hypnotherepist on the CD sleeve (we *purposely* wanted it to be an unbilled cameo)

 

Basically, he's a big bad cry baby who was looking to cash in on his voice being used on the CD & tour anyway he could....

 

(David Botrill's voice was on the CD and tour as the voice of Edward in Finally Free and he never complained....Theresa Thomason's voice was all over the CD and tour, never heard a peep from her...)

 

We eventually had to pay to Terry off to avoid a lawsuit and were forced to have somebody else come in for the Roseland show to play the hypnotherepist.

 

The guy is on the top of my s*it list and only succeeded to shoot himself in the foot because he now will never work with DT again, nor will we ever have anything nice to say about the guy who we thought was cool until this ridiculous incident!

 

 

Another MP.COM exclusive for y'all!

 

The Snow Dog

 

So the question I have is why wouldn't they let the producer of Rush's greatest albums mix a Dream Theater record?

[Rod in Toronto]

I have no idea. I'll say this though: MP is a tough guy to work with. The editor of the website I write for is in close contact with him, and has seen his behaviour change from very kind to a huge a$$hole in the blink of an eye, multiple times. The one time I interviewed him he was cool, even though he was tired, and the other times I met him as a fan he was really friendly. But just do a quick search and see how many people he has problems with. It's hard to know the truth in situations like this, but he does have baggage.

[blueschica]

Dream Theater didn't like him because there was a disagreement with the use of his voice as the hypnotherapist on the Scenes from a Memory album. He recorded those parts, they made it on to the album, and when it was time to go on tour, I believe he asked for more money. Dream Theater said no and hired an actor to do the hypno talk live. That's why at the end of the Live Scenes from New York DVD, on the thank you notes, you see "Terry Brown - no thanks".

 

Ouch!

[lerxt1990]

I saw Cinema Strangiato on Wednesday in Toronto, and spotted Terry outside the movie theater. Couldn't NOT ask him for a picture!

 

 

Thats AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

[ytserush]

I have no idea. I'll say this though: MP is a tough guy to work with. The editor of the website I write for is in close contact with him, and has seen his behaviour change from very kind to a huge a$$hole in the blink of an eye, multiple times. The one time I interviewed him he was cool, even though he was tired, and the other times I met him as a fan he was really friendly. But just do a quick search and see how many people he has problems with. It's hard to know the truth in situations like this, but he does have baggage.

 

I've heard that too, but as far as details for album art liners and track listings, I really don't blame him for having a hands-on approach because if there's mistake he gets the blame for it. He's very detail oriented which is one of the things I like about the guy.