Mike "Clay" Stone

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Mike Stone (1951 – 2002) was an English recording engineer and record producer.^[1]

Stone was best known for his seminal work with Queen (multiple albums),^[2] Blue Öyster Cult, Foreigner, Journey (multiple albums),^[2] KISS,^[2] Daniel Amos,^[2] Lou Reed,^[2] Whitesnake,^[2] and others.^[2] Stone also sang a lead vocal line in the song "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" on the Queen album A Day at the Races.

Stone began his career as an assistant recording engineer at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in England. At one point, while he was still a teenager, Stone even had the opportunity to work on some sessions for The Beatles' Beatles For Sale ^[3]. Later, he worked as a runner at Trident Studios, working his way up to tape-op, then assistant engineer. As an assistant, he started to become well known, and was often asked for on sessions. He began a long and close relationship with Queen, and engineered the masterpiece of vocal layering for Bohemian Rhapsody, on what was then rudimentary equipment. He then started to become in great demand. By the early eighties Mike was producing massive radio hit albums for both Asia, and Journey that combined would sell tens of millions of records, many of the songs which are still played frequently on radio to this day. Mike maintained a close relationship with Queen, and was to oversee the re-mastering of their catalogue when he died in 2002, never getting the chance to re-unite professionally with the band that it all started with. Brian May of Queen wrote a very stirring eulogy for Mike.

Mike's production style of big chorus building and hitting hard, the ability to treat vocals uniquely, and find space in a recording have influenced a generation of young producers.

[edit] Selected discography

• 1971 Genesis - Nursery Cryme, Tape jockey
• 1973 Queen - Queen, Engineer
• 1974 Queen - Queen II, Engineer
• 1974 Queen - Sheer Heart Attack, Engineer
• 1975 Queen - A Night at the Opera , Engineer
• 1976 Queen - A Day at the Races, Engineer, Guest Vocalist
• 1977 Queen - News of the World, Engineer, Co-producer
• 1978 Peter Criss - Peter Criss, Engineer ^[2]
• 1978 Daniel Amos - Horrendous Disc, co-producer
• 1978 Paul Stanley - Paul Stanley, Mixer ^[2]
• 1979 New England - New England, Producer, Engineer ^[2]
• 1979 Shoes - Present Tense, Producer, Engineer ^[2]
• 1981 Journey - Escape, Producer
• 1981 April Wine - The Nature of the Beast, Engineer, Co-producer ^[2]
• 1981 April Wine - Live in London, Co-mixer
• 1982 Asia - Asia, Producer
• 1982 April Wine - Power Play, Co-producer
• 1983 Asia - Alpha, Producer
• 1983 April Wine - Animal Grace, Co-producer
• 1983 Journey - Frontiers, Producer
• 1984 Tommy Shaw - Girls with Guns, Producer ^[2]
• 1985 April Wine - One for the Road, Co-producer
• 1985 Demon - British Standard Approved, Co-producer
• 1985 Demon - Heart Of Our Time, Co-producer
• 1986 Journey - Raised on Radio, Producer
• 1987 Demon - Breakout, Co-producer
• 1987 Whitesnake - Whitesnake, Producer
• 1987 Helix - Wild in the Streets, Co-producer ^[2]
• 1988 Ratt - Reach for the Sky, Co-producer ^[2]
• 1988 Demon - Taking The World By Storm, Co-producer
• 1991 Demon - Hold On To The Dream, Co-producer
• 1992 Demon - Blow-Out, Co-producer
• 1995 Foreigner - Mr. Moonlight, Co-producer, Engineer
• 1996 Ten - Ten, Co-producer and mixer ^[2]
• 1996 Ten - The Name of the Rose, Co-producer and mixer
• 1997 Ten - The Robe, Mixer

[edit] References

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