Phil Ramone | |
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 Ramone in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Philip Rabinowitz (1934-01-05)January 5, 1934[1] |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 2013(2013-03-30) (aged 79) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Recording engineer,record producer,music executive,composer,songwriter, performer |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Years active | 1958–2013 |
| Labels | A & R Recording,Columbia,Warner Bros.,Verve,Hear Music,Casablanca |
| Website | philramone.com (last version, archived at the Internet Archive) |
Philip Rabinowitz (January 5, 1934[1] – March 30, 2013), better known asPhil Ramone, was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer,[2] and co-founder ofA & R recording studio. Its success led to expansion into several studios and a record production company. He was described byBillboard as "legendary",[3] and the BBC as a "CD pioneer".[4]
Ramone was born in South Africa and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. As a child in South Africa, Ramone was amusical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three[citation needed] and performing forPrincess Elizabeth at age 10. In the late 1940s, he trained as a classical violinist at theJuilliard School, where one of his classmates wasPhil Woods. Ramone opened his own recording studio before he was 20.[5] He became a naturalized citizen of the United States on December 14, 1953.[6]
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In 1959, Ramone co-founded an independent New York City recording studio,A & R Recording, with business partner Jack Arnold. In the studio he quickly gained a reputation as a good sound engineer and music producer, in particular for his use of innovative technology. Among the performers whose music Ramone produced areBurt Bacharach,the Band,Bono,Laura Branigan,Ray Charles,Karen Carpenter,Chicago,Peter Cincotti,Natalie Cole,Celine Dion,Bob Dylan,Sheena Easton,Melissa Errico,Gloria Estefan,Aretha Franklin,Debbie Gibson,the Guess Who,Heatwave,Billie Hughes,Billy Joel,Elton John,Quincy Jones,Patricia Kaas,B.B. King,Lazarus,Julian Lennon,Shelby Lynne,Madonna,Barry Manilow,Richard Marx,Paul McCartney,George Michael,Cyndi Lauper,Liza Minnelli,Anne Murray,Olivia Newton-John,Sinéad O'Connor,Fito Páez,Luciano Pavarotti (including the Pavarotti and Friends Charity Concerts in Modena, Italy),Peter, Paul and Mary,June Pointer,André Previn,Jennifer Rush,Diane Schuur,Jon Secada,Michael Sembello,Carly Simon,Paul Simon,Frank Sinatra,Phoebe Snow,Dusty Springfield,Rod Stewart,Barbra Streisand,James Taylor,Frankie Valli,Dionne Warwick,Stevie Wonder, andNikki Yanofsky. He also is credited with having recordedMarilyn Monroe's version of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" toJohn F. Kennedy.[2][7]
In 1972, management of A & R included Robert Gerics (general manager and studio manager), Nick Diminno (studio manager), and Irving Joel (chief engineer). The studios were located at 799 7th Avenue and 322 West 48th Street.[8]
Ramone's early work in producing and engineering was with jazz artists, working onJohn Coltrane records and acting as engineer for theGetz/Gilberto album in 1963, for which he won his firstGrammy. He transitioned during the 1960s to working withfolk-rock,pop-rock, andR&B acts such asPeter, Paul and Mary,James Taylor,Aretha Franklin, andBob Dylan, first primarily as an engineer, and later as a producer. He won his first production Grammy for his work on 1975'sStill Crazy After All These Years byPaul Simon. He producedBilly Joel's 1977 albumThe Stranger and began a fruitful collaboration with Joel producing a string of hit albums throughout the rest of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1993, he producedDuets,Frank Sinatra's comeback album, a commercial hit that peaked at No. 2 on theBillboard Album Chart. During the rest of the 1990s, Ramone moved from production work to his primary role as an industry executive, serving as chairman ofThe Recording Academy, though he would still be involved in some studio work including several Broadway cast recordings, as well as helping produce, withQuincy Jones, the televisedA Tribute to Brian Wilson in 2001.[9]
Ramone was a founding member of META (the Music & Engineering Technology Alliance).[10]
October 1, 2025, marked the forty-third anniversary of the world's first commercially marketed compact disc. On that date in 1982, CBS/Sony released a digital compact disc of Billy Joel's52nd Street in Japan, alongsideSony's CD playerCDP-101.[11]
Ramone introduced opticalsurround sound for movies.[12] His book,Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music, written with Chuck Granata, was released on October 9, 2007. Also in October 2007, Ramone produced a limited engagement performance ofRichard Vetere'sBe My Love: The Mario Lanza Story.[13] The play was directed byCharles Messina and co-produced bySonny Grosso. It premiered at The Tilles Center in Greenvale, New York.[14]
In addition to producing music, Ramone had numerous concert, film, Broadway, and television productions to his credit that includeA Star Is Born,Walkabout,August Rush,Beyond the Sea,Flashdance,Ghostbusters,Little Shop of Horrors,Midnight Cowboy,On Her Majesty's Secret Service,Passion,Seussical,Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert In Central Park,Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards,The Score, VH1/BBCParty at the Palace: Queen’s Jubilee Concert andThe Good Thief.[2] A champion of music educational programs, Ramone served on the boards of the National Mentoring Partnership andBerklee College of Music.[2]
On July 8, 2008,Columbia Records releasedThe Stranger 30th Anniversary, which features interviews with Ramone. This box set includes a remastered version of the 1977Billy Joel albumThe Stranger by Ramone.[15] The following summer, Ramone producedGershwin Across America, a tribute album to the music ofGeorge andIra Gershwin. The album featuresJewel,Jason Mraz,Darius Rucker, andPaul Simon.[16] In 2011, Ramone worked withGeorge Michael, during his 2011Symphonica Tour.[2] Also in 2011, Ramone produced the songs "You Were Meant for Me" and "I'm Coming Back" onLalah Hathaway's albumWhere It All Begins. One of Ramone's final projects was as the producer of the rock band Chicago's 2011 holiday album,Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three.
Ramone was married toKaren Ichiuji-Ramone, with whom he had one son.[12] Ramone had two sons from a prior marriage.
Ramone was hospitalized in late February 2013 with an aortic aneurysm,[10][17][18] and died on March 30, 2013, from complications involving the surgery related to it, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. He was aged 79.[5]
Ramone was nominated for 34Grammy Awards, winning 14 including aTechnical Grammy Award in 2005 for a lifetime of innovative contributions to the recording industry.[19][20]
Ramone was awarded honorary degrees by:
Ramone was a member ofBerklee's board of trustees.
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