Kevin Elson is the man behind some of the most important, and successful rock albums of all time. As a producer he has worked extensively with the likes of Journey, Mr. Big, Strangeways, Tyketto, Europe and countless others. Not content with producing Kevin also works as a live sound engineer, which is where we first caught up with him on the recent Journey UK tour. Kevin kindly agreed to the interview, so here we go

Kevin to kick off would you care to introduce yourself to the readers of HardRockHouse.Com?

KE - My name is Kevin Elson. I'm a record producer and engineer both in the studio and for live touring.

Your most well know as a producer but do you play any instruments as well?

KE - I played saxophone, guitar and keyboards - None of them very well!!

Although your most well known as a producer whilst researching for this interview I found out that you started out as live sound engineer, how did you get started in this line of work ?

KE - I was doing early demos with Lynyrd Skynyrd as a keyboard player in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and I just got hooked being in a studio. I wanted to make sounds rather than play. I was sixteen, in High School and knew my future right then. I started mixing the Lynyrd Skynyrd shows and learning as they were starting to get noticed.

So were Skynyrd the first touring act that you worked for?

KE - Yep, they were the first touring act that I worked for

Were you on tour with the band when the fateful air crash took place?

KE - I was actually with the band in the plane and it was devastating to everyone who ever knew these guys. it took me a look time to heal both physically and emotionally

What was your input into the original line up’s last album Street Survivors?

KE - I had recorded their demos for Street Survivors and while I was doing some other work the band went to Miami and did the first version of the album. I went down to hear it as they were sequencing and was really unhappy about what I heard.

I told the band what I thought and other than Steve Gaines I was alone in that opinion. We basically came to blows over it and I convinced them to compare the demos to the final record. When they did I had won the battle and from there I was able to restart the album with Rodney Mills in Atlanta

The album you hear today has no named producer because of contractual deals at the time. I can tell you that Rodney and I recorded and produced 95% of that record and rarely got a mention and that's it. I didn't really care because I felt I had contributed to an amazing record and an amazing band.

In your opinion what are the difference between mixing a band's live sound and producing a band in a studio?

KE - Mixing live is a great challenge that really is very fast paced and instant gratification, or instant hate. There are so many things that can happen to affect the mix and some times I'm totally frustrated if I can't solve the problem. When it is right though there's no better feeling.

The studio is there to use as a tool. Nothing really stands in your way to be as creative as you want and you can do it over and over until you're happy. My favourite quote is "You can never stop mixing, but sometimes you have to"

How do you view your roll as producer, is it to capture the band's sound or to mould their sound?

KE - I really want to hear the songs come alive and so I tend to push rehearsals into the band being able to perform like a show. In the studio I want a performance and a great feel. I want the band to sound like a band, not some manufactured recording

Have you ever had any input into song writing with any of the bands you have produced?

KE - I wrote some with Eric Martin for a movie soundtrack we did for the "Teachers" movie

Back to the live side of your job, what differences do you find between mixing the sound in an outdoor venue and an indoor venue?

KE - I really like the outdoors as long as there is enough PA. You don't have the immediate volume problems with stage sound and walls beating you down. You really get to mix the band, not the building.

In your opinion does the audience effect the sound of room i.e. do you have alter the mix form the sound-check, when the start playing live?

KE - The crowd definitely effects what happens from soundcheck. A lot of times in a good way as far as softening some of the reflections in a room. The biggest issue is the crowd excites the band and all of a sudden you have a huge change in stage volume and everything changes from there. You start chasing the singers mainly to get them above everything else.

Which is the biggest tour you have mixed the sound for?

KE - I mixed the Michael Jackson "Bad" tour. it was huge and lasted eighteen months.

Back to studio producing - do you record instruments in any particular order when recording an album or does it vary from project to project?

KE - I like to record the whole band on the basics, but I'm really concentrating on a great drum track. From there it varies.

How does a producer get paid, do you get a flat fee for the album or do you get a royalty payment or mixture of both?

KE - I generally get an advance against royalties, so some up front and then hopefully the record sales from there and then everyone makes additional money. So it is a mixture

Do you have a favourite studio to record in?

KE - I used to love Rumbo Studios in L.A. and Fantasy Studios in the San Francisco area. I normally work where it makes sense for the budget, so I'm cool almost anywhere

How has the digital revelation affected you?

KE- Well the business has changed in the sense that most artists do their own records. I think it's great that people can build a studio for less than it used to take to do one record. It definitely took away the calls I used to get to produce a project. The problem is a lot of groups could use outside input that goes way beyond just pushing buttons and getting performances out of a computer.

You joined the Journey “family” in 1979, what were you up from 77-79?

KE - I did Lynyrd Skynyrd through October 1977. Most of 1978 I spent healing from the air crash. My first tour back was Van Morrison "Wavelength" tour, that was in October and November of that year.

Did you start off as Journey’s sound engineer as claimed in the Frontiers And Beyond video?

KE - Journey had opened some Lynyrd Skynyrd shows in 1976,77 and Herbie took a liking to my work. I used to try and help him a bit when he mixed Journey in those days. The timing just worked where I was looking for something and they were hiring. How lucky can one person be?

Both Mike Stone and yourself are credited with producing Journey's most successful albums, Escape and Frontiers. How did the collaboration between the two of you work

KE - Mike and I did all the tracks together. I spent an abundant amount of time in rehearsals before Mike came in. We would then go in the studio and the band would play the songs live as we got sounds together and would run tape. I'm still amazed that people call those records slick. Those are all full band, playing solos with the basic tracks and a lot of the time  first take vocals that were normally for a guide. Those two albums just had the magic....

Moving away from Journey a little, you also produced Strangeway's Native Songs album in 1986 - the first to involve Terry Brock, were you involved in bringing Terry to the band?

KE - No I didn't bring Terry. We were on a vocalist search and I can't remember how that all came to be.

And then there was Europe with their break through Final Countdown album. Did you have any idea when producing it that would go onto such major success. You then returned to the Europe fold for  the band's re-union album Start From The Dark - how had things changed in the intervening years?

KE - You never know how a record is going to do. You do them because you believe in the music and you want other people to be into it as much as you are. I thought that Scandinavia would naturally go for it and Japan would be there, but WOW we were all happy at how things turned out.

Doing Start From The Dark was so much fun. it was really hard work to put in as many hours in a short amount of time, but we knew how to get it done right without spending a bunch of money. it has been eighteen years so we were all different yet it felt like we had just worked together maybe a couple of years prior. They had the same enthusiasm as 1986. I think it was the record they wanted to make without repeating something they has already done.

Of particular interest to myself is the Signal album Loud And Clear, I was wondering if you could tell me a little about it’s recording?

KE - I will tell you now that the Signal record at the time was my favourite record I had ever done. We really worked long hours on sounds and picking parts that came in and out of the song. We wanted a lot of ear candy. I thought it was going to be a huge record. The day I delivered it EMI has just sacked everyone that loved the band. The new people listened to the record and said, "We wouldn't have signed this!" I suggested that we take it elsewhere, but it wasn't meant to be. People missed the boat on that record.

A firm favourite with the HardRockHouse staff is the second Tyketto album, Strength In Numbers. How did the finished album differ from the bands demo’s in our opinion?

KE - I got direction from Geffen Records that they were looking for more of an Eagles type of approach to songs. They felt that there was too many hard rock records out competing for the radio. We took the songs and combined the acoustics with the big guitars and same up with the sound of different songs.

And then of course Geffen dropped the band - surprised?

KE - I was surprised. The band was getting ready to do the video, although they did get the record back so better that than releasing it and burying it.

Another band you were heavily involved with was Mr. Big With the band consisting of four virtuoso musicians did this present any problems whilst recording the bands albums?

KE - The first record was tough because I wanted all four personalities to some through. They ware virtuosos but I kept them focused on what was best for each song. Eric was the most concerned because he was used to an R&B feel in the rhythm section. He asked me how he was going to sing over what was going on. Obviously he delivered a great performance. They were an incredibly talented group of guys and I was honored to do a lot of records with them. My favorite, I think "Lean In TO It" is brilliant...

Back to Journey, your lack of involvement on Trial By Fire, Arrival and the Red 13 EP surprised me, when did you start working with Journey again?

KE - I started back with them again in 1998. As far as recording was concerned they were told who they would work with by Sony.

have to ask, you were the sound engineer on the band's 2006 European tour, this was the trek that led to the alleged taped lead vocals controversy due to Steve Augeri's throat problems. Would you care to comment on the accusations?

KE - We had a tough time in some of those buildings. it became a situation where I had to use the vocal mikes as the overall sound because of the close proximity and the shear volume of the band. it is difficult to mix when you are using the PA for vocals and solos. The rest I'll leave alone.

To wrap things up, with Journey on a break at the minute what does the immediate future hold for Kevin Elson?

KE - I'm not sure right now. it's nice to have some time off. There are a couple of things brewing, but no decision as of now...

Many thanks to Kevin for taking the time to speak with HardRockHouse.