Jimmy Miller
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James "Jimmy" Miller (23 March 1942 - 22 October 1994)[1] was a Brooklyn, New York-born record producer and musician. He was well-known for his long-running relationship with The Rolling Stones. Miller produced several of their most highly regarded albums, Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. and Goats Head Soup. He also produced albums for The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic & Primal Scream[1].
Professional Life
Prior to working with The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Miller produced albums for The Spencer Davis Group and co-wrote one of their hits, "I'm A Man" with Steve Winwood, as well as the lyrics for the Traffic song, "Medicated Goo"). He also worked with the UK band Nirvana, Blind Faith, Bobby Whitlock, Kracker, The Plasmatics and Motörhead.
One of Miller's signature techniques was a certain equilibrium in the mix, which essentially buried the vocals among the guitars and horns.[citation needed]
A percussionist, Miller was known for a distinctive drum sound, especially with the Rolling Stones and he occasionally played percussion on their recordings, including the famous opening cowbell on "Honky Tonk Women," the drums on "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Happy" and "Shine a Light." The Stones stopped working with Miller after 1973's Goats Head Soup.
In the Rolling Stone's song "You Can't Always Get What You Want", the line "I sang my song to Mr Jimmy" is a reference to Jimmy Miller, not Jimi Hendrix. The rest of the line says "and he said one word to me and that was dead"; at this time the Stones and Miller used "dead" to refer to something they really liked, so when Mick sang the original song idea to Miller, his response was "dead"![citation needed]
Additionally, Steve Winwood gives Miller credit for playing the percussive piano parts in a few of Traffic's live shows, particularly those in the compilation album, The Last Traffic Jam.
Among his last productions were three tracks on the 1992 Wedding Present project, Hit Parade 2. He also worked with Primal Scream on their breakthrough album Screamadelica and William Topley's band The Blessing (with whom he appears on their DVD Sugar Train in the song Soul Love). In the 80's, Miller produced some acts including the Boston based band Idiot Savant, Johnny Thunders [2], Matrix and Jo Jo Laine (Wife of Denny Lane: "Moody Blues & Wings"). In 1990 he co-produced 'What's in a Name' for Florida band Walk the Chalk.
Personal life
Miller's father, Bill, was a Las Vegas entertainment director and the man who booked Elvis Presley into the International Hotel for his 1969 return to live performance.
Jimmy Miller had a daughter, rock singer Deena Miller, with Gayle Shepherd, a member of the singing group the Shepherd Sisters. Miller and his second wife, Geri, had a son, Michael (who died at the age of 33). He had stepson, Steven, a news photographer living in Connecticut. His second wife Geri died of breast cancer in 1991, three years before Jimmy Miller's own death in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 52, from liver failure.[2]
Judith Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times who spent time in jail for not revealing her sources in the infamous Plame-Wilson CIA affair, was Jimmy Miller's half-sister.
References
Discography (Incomplete)
| Year | Artist | Album details |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Rolling Stones | Beggars Banquet |
| 1969 | Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed |
