Excuse me, nobody mentioned BEN FOLDS?!?
I believe Billy Corigan, formerly of the Smashing Pumpkins did everything for all their studio recordings. The rest of the members were just for live performances. Then again, I might be wrong.
Yeah, red_dragon, Ben Folds is the man.
Why, our very own pezpunk!
Amazingrace:
Corgan has co-produced or produced every Pumkins recording I’ve bothered to check, so he did have a large amount of control over the Pumpkins “sound.”
However, according to the liner notes of Siamese Dream:
The liner notes of “Mellon Collie…” and “Machina” are less straight forward. James Iha is given credit under “recording” for “Mellon Collie…” while D’arcy is not. And in the song by song breakdown of who did what for “Adore,” neither Iha’s or D’arcy’s name come up once (Chaberlin was in rehab), so your view of the Pumkins (excluding drums) seems to be true for “Adore”, uncertain (in my mind) for “Mellon Collie…,” unclear for “Machina,” and untrue for “Siamese Dream.”
Was The Smashing Pumkins a one man show?
Short answer: No.
Longer Answer: I doubt any noise made it onto an album without Corgan’s express permision.
On another note, why on earth do I own two, functioning copies of “Adore”? Yeah its good, but sheesh.
askol
Ben Folds
Just watch him in the video of “Rockin’ The Suburbs” where he plays all the intruments.
Jeff Lynne, following in Roy Woods’ footsteps, did just about everything on the last few ELO albums. The band seemed to shrink with each release. I think he learned how to synthesize each instrument, one by one, and gradually laid off band members as they become redundant.
Alan Parsons doesn’t sing, but he does everything else…Timmy
** Lindsey Buckingham** of Fleetwood Mac fame. Before joining F.M. he and Stevie Nicks put out an LP which Lindsey did just about everything. IF you’re an F.M. fan get your butt out tootsweet and get this!
I also have to second Jeff Lynne and Alan Parson.
Aren’t we forgetting Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull? No mention of Frank Zappa?
Oh yeah, and while you’re at it check out his “From The Cradle” album. All instruments and vocals… I think it took him about 4 years to complete it, but it is probably one of the most exquisitely produced albums I’ve ever heard.
Even though I’m a huge Replacements fan, I haven’t liked anything from him but his first solo release. But, unlike many do-it-all-yourselfers, at least he can drum. A lot of these yahoos are so interested in indulging themselves that they end up depending on crappy programmed drums when they really just need to go out and hire a freaking drummer.
I believe Ian Brown wrote and recorded everything on his two solo albums.
There are loads of people who write and play everything on electronica albums. Does that still count, if all your drums and bass etc. are programmed rather than played live?
Oh my god, I can’t believe no one has mentioned Mike Keneally! What, are you people blind? Have you been living in caves all your lives?? How can you start a thread about Do-It-All-Themselves musicians and NOT mention Mike Keneally???
[sub]Disclaimer: the above posting was meant to be sarcastic. [/sub]
Donavan. He did occasionally have help in the studio (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on Hurdy Gurdy man) but was a do-it-yourselfer for the most part. He even taught John Lennon how to play fingertyle guitar and wrote the last two lines of Yellow Submarine.
Hmm, obviously there haven’t been a lot of Canadians in this thread yet. You people need to check out a new Canadian whizkid called Remy Shand. White kid out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, signed to Motown Records, no less. He plays every instrument (and the list is 14 instruments long) on his debut album, as well as writing every track, producing, mixing, and executive producing the album. About the only thing he didn’t do is take pictures of himself in a mirror for the album cover. And he’s good.
I’m too slow. But I will confirm Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Steve Winwood.
Some of my favorite one person recordings:
Any Nine Inch Nails release
Elliot Smith: Either/Or
The Wandering Minstrel: The Center of a Tension
Dashboard Confessional: Swiss Army Romance
On: Shifting Skin
Hayden: Everything I Long For
John Mayall - “Blues Alone” - he played and sang it all
I guess “The Chipmonks” don’t count huh !!! even though it was one guy doing it all…
Note to Reality Chuck - you and I must be the only two who know and appreciate Emmitt Rhodes - a fantastic album, and I just found it on CD
Candadian?
Hawksley Workman is some kind of crazy genius.
“I’m jealous of your cigarette
and all the things you do to it
I’m jealous of your cigarette
and how you like to suck on it
and not me.”