Of course, I should say something like this, imagine your listening to a track featuring legendary lead singers including Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, ex-Journey vocalist Steve Augeri, and Queensryche’s Todd LaTorre and comprised of former Queen + Paul Rodgers bassist Danny Miranda, Blue Oyster Cult drummer Jules Radino, and guitarist/songwriter Mike Holtzman. Such names are capable to provide the thrill without even listening! Although, I have been getting great submissions lately by young talents, still, listening to experienced iconic musicians has a totally different taste. Bad Penny is produced by Tony Bruno (Rihanna, Rock Me Amadeus).

While checking the band’s forthcoming single “Push Comes to Shove” you will find Halford along with the New York-based vocalist Militia Vox gave an iconic warm, intimate and powerful vocal line. Halford was totally right when he said to blabbermouth “This song just grabbed me” because this is what happened to me as well with such dark and gamours sexy mood. I believe one of the main factors for the success of this song was based on the beauty of experienced vocals. Guitars really caught my ears from the first second! I loved the acoustic lines and the heavy overdriven riffs alike. And definitely, I won’t forget the impressive licks and soloing which provides a charm for the whole track indeed. I keep stressing on ‘experience’ because one of the main factors to make a tight song structure pf guitars, bass, and drums, is actually by musicians who each one of them is aware by his instrument and totally aware of what a music structure is.

Sadly, these days newcomers lean more into digital DAWs and don’t depend more on their talents. Feel the beauty and don’t miss their previous singles below! Stay tuned for my chat with one of the Bad Penny masters Mike Holtzman very soon! 😉

Regardless, we will have another list for that; but for now, let’s discover more about people who really helped in modern music development, and worked with international artists and bands that we know and adore their hits. However, 50% of their success returns to their producers. Let’s know those music market masters…

Jimmy Page

Many people know him as the lead guitarist of the legendary classic rock band Led Zeppelin. Actually, the reason that Page created the band was his love to record production as well as putting new recording techniques, which became his legacy that was followed by music makers afterwards. Page spent hours and hours in the studio just trying to record techniques as well as observing the different points and changing microphones access, amplifier and trying new sounds and sometimes creating sound effects! Jimmy Page mainly produced for Led Zeppelin, The Firm and Screaming Lord Sutch bands. In addition, several side projects, one of them was Puff Daddy’s hit ‘Come With Me’.

Rick Rubin 

One of the wide known names in Europe and States. This artists didn’t work on a specific genre; he just knew how to get the right tunes for an artist and deliver it to the audience. I guess there’s few of the music industry that Rubin didn’t work with. Yes, any international artist/band you know you will find his name behind them. Some of these are: Johnny Cash, Metallica, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Slayer, RHCP, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Limp Bizkit, SOAD, The Cult, Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, ZZ Top, Audioslave, Rage Against The Machine Danzig, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow. Away from rock music, he worked with Adele, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Public Enemy, Eminem, Lady Gaga and many more…

Bob Rock

Bob is considered to be the man behind the success of Metallica. Yes, Bob was actually the main reason of letting some of Metallica’s riffs reach the fans in a proper sound and song structure. And that was so obvious in ‘A Year and Half in the Life of Metallica’; the documentary film that was made for the recording production for Metallica: ‘Black Album’ shows him giving instructions to the band and sometimes guiding, even arguing with them to work hard and get it right. In addition, he worked with Aerosmith, Motley Crue, The Cult, David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, Cher, Skid Row, Bryan Adams, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Michael Buble, and The Offspring. Besides, he is a well-known audio engineer, so he worked with Survivor, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and many else.

Quincy Jones 

Quincy Jones is considered as the most famous music producer on Earth! Jones started as a producer in the early 50s and was a well-known for his work with the King of Pop Michael Jackson, as well as, Little Richard, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Frank Sinatra, Samuel George – a.k.a Sammy Davis, Jr. – Aretha Franklin, Eddie Van Halen, Will Smith, 2Pac, Ray Charles and hundreds! Besides, he was the producer, composer and conductor of many international hits such as ‘We Are the World’ and ‘Bokra’ – Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me with many Arab artists such as; Shakira, Tamer Hosny, Souad Massi, Marawan Khoury, Latifa, Diana Karazon, and the American hip hop artist Akon. The song was written by Magda Al-Roumi.

Paul O’Neill

For you, who don’t know Paul, he is one of the responsible of creating the genre of progressive metal. O’Neill started as an engineer and worked with many international acts, such as; Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Def Leppard and others. In the 80s, he became the number one promoter for shows in Japan and promoting every tour of Madonna and Sting. The real change happened was with Savatage, which was when he changed the whole concept of the band from just a heavy metal band to become the first influential progressive metal band as well as his other orchestral works with same band members and other musicians in the ranked #1rock orchestra, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Tony Platt 

Tony is one of the greatest English sound engineers and record producers. His resume could talk better than we do. Some of his notable works were with; Bob Marley, Buddy Guy, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Gary Moore, Johnny Cash, Samson, Manowar, Celtic Frost, Ronnie James Dio and Anathema.

Dieter Dierks

Most known as the owner of one the best international studios, Dierks Studios (audio and video studios), and the producer for the legendary band Scorpions. Many international artists worked and record there, such as; Michael Jackson, Accpet, Tina Turner, and many others.

R. Kelly 

This could be a name that many readers weren’t expecting in such a list, but this awesome composer, song-writer, arranger, mixer and record producer should be mentioned also. Kelly worked with numerous artists as a producer since the early 90s till now, and he was even the main reason behind many international artists production besides the younger ones. He produced for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, Billy Ocean, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Huston and many else.

Mike Clink

Well, he is a man with not much of a resume but no one can deny he was one of the developers of the hard rock/heavy metal movement. He started as an audio engineer – like many other producers – in the 80s and then found his interest in record production. Clink produced for Gun N’ Roses, Triumph, Motley Crue, Megadeth, UFO, Jefferson Starship, Heart and many others.

Roy Thomas Baker

Baker isn’t only a music producer but he is also a songwriter, arranger and the governor of The Recording Academy – the U.S. organization of musicians, producers and audio engineers. His notable productions were for many legendary bands, such as: Queen, Yes, Jet, Nazareth, Free, Journey, Chris de Burgh, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N’ Roses as well as motion pictures soundtracks for Heavy Metal in 1982 and American Anthem in 1986.

However, it bombed majorly. The cheesy satire of the club owner Alec Baldwin falling in love, appearing as a Macho rock star is done poorly. The mechanical setup of how Juliane Hough’s clichéd character named Sherrie Christian coming from the south and being a proper Christian girl and suddenly getting mugged as soon as she arrives in Hollywood. Then a hot bartender Drew Boley played by Diego Boneta comes to try to save the day. See not a total cliché because he could not get her bag. But wait for it? She came with only seven dollars to her name and wants fame. So, at some point waitressing and stripping were the only ways to try to achieve that and for Drew it’s rock and rap… Hmm. 

Had this movie been done right all the clichés would have been overlooked and foolishly enjoyed by movie aficionados. The 80s music and call for nostalgia could not save it with all due respect the cast ruined a lot of good songs such as Harden my Heart, Waiting for a Girl Like You and Hit me with your Best Shot among numerous others. Some dance numbers were done poorly; the shy reporter that suddenly becomes a sex maniac is totally unrealistic. The comedy can be easily foretold in every single scene and it was all done for cheap laughs and done half-assed. Disrespecting the audience musical knowledge and intelligence. When I heard of this movie being made I knew it was going to be a bore and the funny Catherine Zeta Jones stripping days dance skills won’t save the movie. Not even Tom Cruise’s portrayal of rock God and getting super fit for the role. Total disappointment a mediocre movie at best.

Reviewed by: Randa Ashraf