Dylan-producer død

Blandt dylanologer og andre, der (bag)kloger sig på His Bobness, har det aldrig været god tone at kunne lide 1978-albummet Street-Legal, det, hvor Billy Cross medvirker på meget melodisk og stilren lead guitar. Nu meldes pladens producer, Don DeVito, død, 72 år gammel, efter en langvarig kamp mod prostatakræft.

Street Legal rummer i mine ører nogle af de bedste Dylan-sange: ‘Changing Of The Guards’, ‘Is Your Love In Vain’, ‘Senor’ og ‘Where Are You Tonight’. Der bliver spillet uhyre potent af det band, som siden blev hånet for at akkompagnere Dylan i dennes såkaldte Las Vegas-periode. Det er rigtigt, at tøjet var småkikset, men aldrig vil jeg glemme de koncerter i London og Göteborg.

En af grundene til undervurderingen af Street Legal var, at man åbenbart havde ‘glemt’ at mixe lyden. Det lød mudret og ikke godt, og blev ikke bedre, da pladen kom på en førstegenerations-cd. I 1999 tog Vito revanche og remixede pladen i SACD, så musikken fremstod som fornyet. Sensuel og sejt swingende. En af Bobs bedste blues-plader!

Til Midt i en beattid siger Billy Cross om sin gamle producer:

“Don DeVito was a producer of the old school in many ways. He played in the Royal Teens in the 50′s, who had a hit with ‘Short Shorts’ and moved from being a musician to becoming involved in other aspects of the industry, mainly A&R, marketing and packaging of music. Coincidentally Al Kooper joined the band as a replacement for one of the original members some time later. It’s curious that both men should play central roles in the production of Bob Dylan’s music in the mid 60′s through the late 70′s.

I worked with Don on Live at Budokan and Street Legal. He was also the producer of Topaz, the band I had in 1977 with Rob Stoner and Howie Wyeth who were Dylan’s rhythm section on Desire and Hard Rain. Robbie, as we know, was with me at Budokan. 

Don was not a musical producer but more of an attitude producer. He seldom got involved in the musical/technical aspects of a project. He worked off of the vibe, the feeling, and the well defined knowledge of the potential audience for the artist’s specific recording.

He certainly taught me to sharpen my ears and increase my awareness of what was suitable for an artist’s audience in the eyes of those whose job it was to organize and sell the music to them.  

Don was also a person who could smooth over a conflict, be it one in the band or one between management and the record company, he was always the voice of reason. Many were the times when we were invited back to his beautiful apartment on Riverside Drive and 86th Street to relax and cool down and find our way to the solution of a problem.

He loved his family and he and his wife loved horses. When he finally moved out of Manhattan to upstate New York, he became something of a country gentleman. Anyone who had the pleasure to have known or worked with Don will miss him. He was a good man and a moral person,” siger Cross.

DeVito var selv musiker før de mange år som executive på CBS/Sony, hvor han endte som vicepræsident, før han lod sig pensionere i 2007.

Han startede som nævnt som guitarist i Bob Gaudios The Royal Teens og siden i Al Koopers turnéorkester. Og havde sit eget band, The Sabres, inden han gik bag scenen som producer og repertoiremand fra 1967.

Han arbejdede med bl.a. Billy Joel, Johnny Cash (som introducerede ham for Dylan), Aerosmith, James Taylor og andre fra dengang de multinationale pladeselskaber ikke alene sad på kagen, men også selv havde bagt den.

DeVito var også producer af Dylan-albummet Desire og de facto producer af Blood on the tracks. 

De laver ikke hans slags mere i pladebranchen.