It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of one of the greatest recording engineers who ever lived. Bruce Swedien passed away peacefully at the age of 86. An incredible engineer, an author, a teacher, an inspiration, and a great friend, Bruce will be missed by all who knew him and all those who loved the music he helped create.
Bruce was a longtime friend of Sweetwater; he gave the keynote address at our annual GearFest in 2008 (you can see it here), and he was also here to participate in GearFest 2014, where he sat on our popular Producer’s Panel with other famous engineers and producers — all of whom were clearly filled with respect (if not awe) for the great man. He also signed copies of his books for GearFest attendees, and he sat down for an interview with me, as well — one of his last video interviews.
Many, of course, know Bruce as the recording engineer behind Michael Jackson’s biggest hits with producer Quincy Jones. The trio first worked together on the movie, The Wiz, and went on to work together on Off the Wall and Thriller, as well as Jackson’s many other hits. But Swedien’s nearly endless credits range far and wide, from Count Basie and Duke Ellington to Frankie Valli and the Chi-Lites, from George Benson to Jennifer Lopez, from John Lee Hooker to Paul McCartney. In fact, it may be easier to list a major artist Bruce didn’t work with than to attempt to compile a list containing all his credits. Along the way, he collected 13 Grammy nominations with five Grammy wins.
It all started for me when my Dad gave me a disc cutting machine for my 10th birthday. After 10 minutes with that machine… I knew exactly what I wanted to do the rest of my life.
Bruce Swedien from 1997’s Recording with Bruce Swedien
Bruce started his career in Minneapolis. He purchased his first pro-level tape recorder when he graduated high school and immediately began capturing the music he loved — all styles, all genres. To Bruce, it was all music. If it was great, he loved it. He, his wife Bea, and their three children moved to Chicago in 1957, and he began working at RCA Victor studios, which led to 10 years at Universal Recording with the legendary Bill Putnam — an incredible training ground that allowed Bruce to work side by side with the great Putnam as well as to work in the studio with all of the amazing artists of the day. Swedien launched his career as a freelance engineer in 1969, and he spent the rest of his life capturing stellar music.
I first met Bruce 20 years ago, when I was the editor-in-chief of EQ magazine in New York City. I attended a meeting for a New York recording association, and Bruce was one of the honored guests. Somehow I ended up sitting next to Bruce at lunch, and we spent the entire time discussing his incomparable mic locker, which led to a large feature in the magazine. He loved those mics, and he was so proud of them, but he was even more proud of the music they were used to capture.
Over the years, I was fortunate to see Bruce many times. He was a sweet man — always laughing, always having a great time, and never failing to convey his passion for great audio quality and, above all, for music. I learned so much from him; including why he miked most sources in stereo; why depth is so important in mixes; the value of great gear; and, above all, his overwhelming love for great sound quality and excellent music. But most important, Bruce taught me the value of listening, of knowing what instruments sound like in the real world, of truly hearing the sound of music.
There’s a good reason one of his must-read books is entitled Make Mine Music. If anyone ever loved music and musicians, it was Bruce Swedien. And that love showed in everything he recorded: the time he took, his attention to detail, his passion for the process, and the joy music brought to his life. Bruce enjoyed nothing more than sharing that love with others; he taught a nearly endless array of master classes, seminars, workshops, and classes on recording over the years.
Chuck Surack, Sweetwater’s Founder and CEO, became close friends with Bruce and his wife, Bea: “Bruce was my audio and musical inspiration. I loved the sound of all of his music. Every time I met with him, I was so inspired. He loved music; he loved life; he loved his wife, Bea. We are all so much better because Bruce walked on this earth, and we will all miss him.”
On behalf of everyone here at Sweetwater, our condolences to Bruce’s wife, Bea, their children, and his extended family as well as to his many, many friends and to all who enjoyed the music he created. Our world has lost a giant. He will be dearly missed.