The Producers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Butch Vig

During the grunge boom there was no escaping Butch Vig's production work. He was almost everywhere. He started out in the mid-80s doing production work for guitar bands like Die Kreuzen, Killdozer and Laughing Hyenas. Then he became like the house producer of every band in Seattle: Tad, the Fluid, Young Fresh Fellows. And then he went on to produce some underground bands' voyage into bigger audiences: Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Sonic Youth, Gumball, Helmet.

After which he branched out: Freedy Johnston, Soul Asylum, U2, Depeche Mode, Korn, etc.

Answer: Dave Goodman

"Spunk" had been recorded when original bass player Glen Matlock was still a member. Who released the bootleg remains a mystery, but many fingers at the time pointed in the direction of the Pistols' svengali manager Malcolm McLaren, who was always in the mood for a scheme here and there.

Many of the songs that would later appear on the official album can be heard on it in rawer, unfinished versions. Some of the songs also have alternate titles: 'Seventeen' is called 'Lazy Sod', 'No Feelings' is credited as 'Feelings', 'God Save the Queen' is 'No Future', 'Pretty Vacant' is 'Lots of Fun', 'EMI' is 'Who Was It?' and 'Anarchy in the UK' is actually called 'Nookie'.

Answer: "Chelsea Girl" - Nico

John Cale played numerous instruments on the first two Velvet Underground albums and proved the perfect foil to Lou Reed's control freak attitude. He played most of the music for, and arranged and produced several of VU chanteuse Nico's albums, but not her first one.

He played various instruments on albums by Brian Eno, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Ian Hunter, Nick Drake, Lio, Moe Tucker, Super Furry Animals, Gordon Gano. And produced music for The Stooges (debut album), Patti Smith Group (debut album), The Modern Lovers (debut album), Squeeze (debut album), Happy Mondays (debut album), Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Jesus Lizard among others. Oh, and he recorded quite a few solo records as well. You gotta own: "Paris 1919" (1973), "Fear" (1974), "Animal Rights" (1977), "Honi Soit" (1981) and "Music for a New Society" (1982). For starters.

Answer: Brian Eno

In the mid-70s Bowie had a heavy cocaine addiction. So did his friend and singer Iggy Pop; who was also addicted to lots of other stuff. To kick their habits and get back on the right track, Bowie relocated himself and Pop to Berlin for a while, because they didn't know any dealers there, and to get in touch with people from the local socalled 'Krautrock' scene.

He wanted to work with Konrad 'Conny' Plank, who had worked with Kraftwerk, Neu!, Cluster, Harmonia, Ash Ra Tempel, Holger Czukay (of Can) and Guru Guru. Plank however had no interest in working with Bowie and even refused him entrance when he came looking for him at his studio near Cologne. Bowie had also chosen Eno and Visconti to work with, so they persevered and produced three of Bowie's most interesting albums ever.

However, only "'Heroes'" was actually recorded entirely in Berlin. Oh, and even though Eno was instrumental in the creation of these albums, and their working concepts and played on all three of them, he didn't actually produce them.

It's because his influence on them was so big and Bowie worked with Visconti before and after that these albums are unjustly credited to Eno. Though let's not forget that he was indeed important in their creation.

Answer: Martin Hannett

Martin Hannett produced almost everybody who's anybody in the history of Manchester's music scene: Buzzcocks (he produced their debut EP as Martin Zero), John Cooper Clarke, Jilted John (also as Martin Zero), Magazine, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Section 25, New Order, Crispy Ambulance, Stockholm Monsters, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, New Fast Automatic Daffodils, The High.

He also produced records by ESG, OMD, U2, Pauline Murray & the Invisible Girls, Psychedelic Furs, Basement 5, The Names, The Heart Throbs, etc.

In 1982 Hannett parted ways with Factory, and sued Wilson for not paying him what he was owed. Later he returned, to produce the Happy Mondays. Hannett had a rather big heroin habit, and in 1991 he died of heart failure. In the 2002 movie "24 Hour Party People" he was portrayed by actor Andy Serkis, who is also known for playing Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Answer: Joe Meek

Joe Meek was once hailed as the British answer to Phil Spector. He also developed a unique sound and formed a fleet of bands around him. Big difference was that Meek worked out of a bedroom-sized studio in the flat he rented, above a leather goods shop in London. And he was even more eccentric than Spector.

His first hit was "Johnny Remember Me" by John Leyton in 1961. In 1962 The Tornadoes reached the number One spot in the US charts with the Meek-produced "Telstar". This is supposed to be former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's all time favourite record.

Another hit that carries his signature production is "Have I The Right" by the Honeycombs. He recorded over 300 records and turned down the opportunity to work with the Beatles, because they were "just another bunch of noise, copying other people's music", as he described them. Meek was extremely paranoid.

He was convinced that rival companies had hidden microphones behind his wallpaper in order to steal his ideas. He suffered violent attacks of rage and depression.

In 1963 he was charged with "importuning for immoral purposes", because of his homosexual lifestyle. On the eighth anniversary of Buddy Holly's death, whom he was obsessed with, Meek shot his landlady who popped in at a bad time to complain about unpaid rent, and then killed himself.

Answer: John Lennon and George Harrison

Martin produced Ringo Starr's 1970 album "Sentimental Journey" and McCartney's "Tug of War" (1982), "Pipes of Peace" (1983) and "Flaming Pie" (1997).

Answer: The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band

Zappa produced Wild Man Fischer's debut album "An Evening with Wild Man Fischer" (1968). Fischer was a guy who used to live on the streets of San Francisco and improvised songs for a buck. When Zappa recorded the album with him, the emotionally unstable Fischer thought he'd be a star. So when the record didn't sell very much, he accused Zappa of keeping the money for himself. During one confrontation he angrily threw a bottle, which almost hit Zappa's daughter Moon.

After that Zappa severed all ties with Fischer. Because the album was released on Zappa's Bizarre label, it's still not available on cd. See the amazing documentary on Fischer - "Derailroaded" (2005) - for more details. Zappa also produced albums by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: "Trout Mask Replica" (1969), the G.T.O.'s: "Permanent Damage" (1969), Grand Funk Railroad: "Good Singin', Good Playin'" (1976), L. Shankar: "Touch Me There" (1979), Dweezil Zappa: "Havin' a Bad Day" (1986).

He also produced Lenny Bruce's live album "The Berkely Concert", which only appeared in 1989.

But as it's an unedited performance of Bruce, it's hard to see what Zappa actually produced there. Then he also worked on the album "Lightning-Rod Man" (1993), by Lowell George & The Factory, which had been recorded during 1966-1967. George had played guitar on several of Zappa's records and went on to fame as the singer for Little Feat. He passed away in 1979. Zappa himself died in 1993.

Answer: Pere Ubu

Feldman played on Beefheart's last three albums: "Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)" (1978), Doc at the Radar Station" (1980) and "Ice Cream for Crow" (1982) and was a member of Pere Ubu from 1990 until 1992. He played keyboards on the Pixies' "Trompe le Monde" (1991) and was a member of Frank Black's band on his first two solo albums. With PJ Harvey he played guitar on both "To Bring You My Love" (1995) and "Is This Desire?" (1998). Anyway, he's been around.

Answer: Led Zeppelin

Steve Albini estimates that he recorded about a thousand albums. Artists he worked with include: Urge Overkill, Slint, Bitch Magnet, Pixies, Jesus Lizard, Ut, Wedding Present, Pigface, Breeders, Tad, Bewitched, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Helmet, Murder Inc., Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Zeni Geva, Killdozer, Gaunt, Superchunk, Fleshtones, The Amps, Sloy, Man or Astroman?, Melt Banana, Palace Music, Fugazi, The Auteurs, Brainiac, Fred Schneider, Smog, Bush, Low, Guided By Voices, Cheap Trick, Storm & Stress, Pansy Division, Silver Apples, Whitehouse, Dirty Three, The Ex, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Neurosis, Nina Nastasia, Mogwai, McLusky, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Dead Man Ray, Electrelane, High On Fire, Gogol Bordello, Made Out Of Babies and Joanna Newsom. And a lot more of course. Oh, and the forthcoming Iggy & the Stooges album.

He also recorded some groundbreaking albums with his bands Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac. And he's not the grouchy curmudgeon people often think he is. I spoke to him once and he's rather nice, in fact.