Michael James (producer)
| Michael James | |
|---|---|
Michael James mixing an album at Westlake Audio in 1999.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael James Marchesano |
| Also known as | Michael James |
| Born |
February 1, 1962 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | rock, pop, punk rock, hard rock, jazz, singer-songwriter |
| Occupation(s) | record producer, mixing engineer |
| Instruments | electric guitar, keyboard |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Warner Music Discovery Alternator Records |
| Associated acts | New Radicals, Hole, L7, Far, Robben Ford, Mazzy Star, Edwin McCain, Chicago, A.J. Croce, The Coronas, and Jawbreaker |
| Website | www |
Michael James (born Michael James Marchesano; February 1, 1962) is an American record producer, mixing engineer, guitarist, and former A&R executive. James has produced and/or mixed albums for New Radicals, Too Much Joy, Hole, L7, Maia Sharp, and A.J. Croce, among others.
James was born to Elizabeth (née Powers) and Roy Marchesano and raised in New York City. James' father was first tenor in the famous Doo Wop group the Chaperones, which gave James his first exposure to music. As a young child, his parents divorced and James lived for three years (along with his mother) with the Diablo Motorcycle Club. At age eleven, James' family moved to California to get away from the Diablos, but soon thereafter James' mother became addicted to drugs, and the lack of parental support left him homeless several times during his adolescence. At age nineteen, James was signed to his first record deal with Ear Movie Records, a label owned by Ethan James, but his early career stalled when Michael turned down a major label deal to attend UCLA on a full scholarship. Still, James' first single, "She Said Yes," recorded for $15 in studio time, was released in 1983 as part of the first volume of the Radio Tokyo Tapes. In 1985 James formed the band Waves of Grain with Luke Lohnes from The Last. The group released the critically acclaimed album "The West Was Fun" before dissolving. After college, James turned his attention back to music, working as an engineer at Radio Tokyo Studios in the 1980s and becoming the studio's chief engineer by 1990.
James got his first big break producing Too Much Joy's sophomore album "Son of Sam I Am," the first release on Irving Azoff's newly formed Giant Records. The following year, James produced and engineered L7's second album, "Smell the Magic", released on the Sub Pop label. This led to a relationship with Sub Pop, for whom James would later produce and engineer Hole's second single, "Dicknail" and The Reverend Horton Heat's "Speed Demon." James' successful early production work led to a brief side career as head of A&R for Warner Music Discovery. When Discovery was folded into Warner Music Group, James further diversified his musical endeavors, creating the independent record label Alternator Records. He also continued mixing and producing records, amassing more than 100 credits in the period between 1994 and 1997. In 1998, James engineered and mixed the RIAA platinum certified debut album by New Radicals, "Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too", on which he also played electric guitar. James' involvement in the industry continued at a fast pace, including production and writing credits on A.J. Croce's 2000 album "Transit" and Maia Sharp's eponymous 2002 album.
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