Alan Parsons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Parsons
|
|
|---|---|
Parsons in 2017
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 20 December 1948 Willesden, Middlesex, England |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | Rock, progressive rock |
| Occupation(s) | Audio engineer, composer, musician, record producer, director |
| Instruments | Guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals, flute |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Labels | Legacy, Arista, Fox, Mercury, Frontiers |
Alan Parsons (born on December 20, 1948) is an English sound engineer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work in music.
Parsons helped create the sound for many famous albums. These include the Beatles' Abbey Road (1969) and Let It Be (1970). He also worked on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). His own music group, the Alan Parsons Project, and his later solo albums have also been very popular. He has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards. He won his first Grammy in 2019 for Eye in the Sky (35th Anniversary Edition). This award was for Best Immersive Audio Album.
Contents
Alan Parsons' Music Journey
Alan Parsons started his career at a young age. He got a job in the tape copying department at EMI. There, he heard the master tape for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This made him want to work at Abbey Road Studios.
Becoming a Sound Engineer
In October 1967, when he was 18, Parsons became an assistant engineer at Abbey Road. He helped with the recording sessions for the Beatles. He got his first official credit on their album Abbey Road. He then worked on many other big projects. These included albums for Wings and the Hollies.
His most famous work as an engineer was on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973. This album earned him his first Grammy Awards nomination. Parsons later said he wished he had received more credit for his work on that album. He felt he knew the album inside-out after working on it for a year. He also got to mix the album again later for a special version.
Parsons also helped shape the sound of Al Stewart's hit song "Year of the Cat." He added a saxophone part that changed the song from folk music to a jazz-influenced ballad. He also produced albums for the band Pilot. Their hits included "January" and "Magic." He also worked with the American band Ambrosia. He was nominated for a Grammy for his work on their albums.
The Alan Parsons Project
In 1975, Pink Floyd asked Parsons to work on their next album, Wish You Were Here. But Parsons decided to start his own group instead. He teamed up with producer and songwriter Eric Woolfson. They called their group the Alan Parsons Project.
The Project was special because it used different studio musicians and singers for each album. They never performed live concerts during their most famous years. They did release several music videos. The group released ten albums, with the last one in 1987. The Project ended in 1990 when Parsons and Woolfson went their separate ways.
Even though Parsons could sing and play many instruments like keyboards, bass, guitar, and flute, he rarely sang on his albums. His keyboard playing was a big part of the Alan Parsons Project's sound. After the Project, Parsons continued to make music on his own. He also toured with his band around the world.
Later Career and Awards
In 1998, Parsons became a vice president at EMI Studios Group, which included Abbey Road Studios. But he soon left this job to focus on making music again. He continued to work as a creative consultant for the group.
Alan Parsons has received many gold and platinum awards for his music. He has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards. In 2019, he won his first Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album. This was for the 35th-anniversary edition of Eye in the Sky.
From 2001 to 2004, Parsons led a special show called A Walk Down Abbey Road. It was a tribute to the Beatles. Famous musicians like Todd Rundgren and Ann Wilson from Heart joined him. The show featured their own hits and many Beatles songs.
Since 1999, he has toured as the Alan Parsons Live Project. His band includes talented musicians like lead singer P. J. Olsson and guitarist Jeff Kollman. In 2013, his band performed in Colombia as the Alan Parsons Symphonic Project. This performance was recorded for TV and released as a CD and DVD.
In 2010, Parsons released a single called "All Our Yesterdays." He also started an educational DVD series called The Art and Science of Sound Recording. This series teaches people about music production and how to record sound.
Parsons has continued to work on new music. In 2019, he released The Secret, his first new studio album in 15 years. In 2022, he released another album called From the New World.
Family and Personal Life
Alan Parsons' father was Denys Parsons. Denys was a scientist, filmmaker, and press officer for the British Library. He was also a talented pianist and flautist. He created the Parsons code for classifying music melodies. He also wrote a book called The Directory of Tunes and Musical Themes.
Alan Parsons lives in Santa Barbara, California, USA. He has two sons from his first marriage. He is married to Lisa Griffiths, and they have two daughters.
Discography Highlights
Here are some of the most popular albums and songs Alan Parsons was involved with.
Albums with The Alan Parsons Project
- Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976)
- I Robot (1977)
- Pyramid (1978)
- Eve (1979)
- The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980)
- Eye in the Sky (1982)
- Ammonia Avenue (1983)
- Vulture Culture (1985)
- Stereotomy (1985)
- Gaudi (1987)
Solo Albums by Alan Parsons
- Try Anything Once (1993)
- On Air (1996)
- The Time Machine (1999)
- A Valid Path (2004)
- The Secret (2019)
- From the New World (2022)
Top Songs (US Billboard Top 40)
- "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (1977) - No. 36
- "Damned If I Do" (1979) - No. 27
- "Games People Play" (1980) - No. 16
- "Time" (1981) - No. 15
- "Eye in the Sky" (1982) - No. 3
- "Don't Answer Me" (1984) - No. 15
Top Songs (Canadian Singles)
- "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (1977) - No. 22
- "Damned If I Do" (1980) - No. 16
- "Games People Play" (1981) - No. 9
- "Eye in the Sky" (1982) - No. 1
- "Don't Answer Me" (1984) - No. 20
Awards and Recognitions
Alan Parsons was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2021. This was for his great contributions to music and music production.
Grammy Nominations
Alan Parsons has been nominated for many Grammy Awards for his work as an engineer and producer:
- 1973: For Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon
- 1975: For Ambrosia's Ambrosia
- 1976: For Ambrosia's Somewhere I've Never Travelled
- 1976: For The Alan Parsons Project's Tales of Mystery and Imagination
- 1978: For The Alan Parsons Project's Pyramid
- 1978: Nominated for Producer of the Year
- 1979: For the Ice Castles movie soundtrack
- 1979: For The Alan Parsons Project's Eve
- 1981: For The Alan Parsons Project's The Turn of a Friendly Card
- 1982: For The Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the Sky
- 1986: For the song "Where's The Walrus?" from Stereotomy
- 2007: For his album A Valid Path (Best Surround Sound Album)
Grammy Win
- 2019: He won the Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album for the 35th Anniversary Edition of Eye in the Sky.
Images for kids
-
Parsons in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Alan Parsons para niños
