Watching thee Freddie Jackson Unsung episode yesterday, and them discussing the Hush sound got me thinking of Kashif, Paul Laurence and other prominent 80s R&B producers.

Who were the top R&B producers for that decade?

Of course the most well known are Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis; L.A. Reid & Babyface and Gene Griffin and Teddy Riley.

But I think Paul Laurence and Kashif were some of the more underrated from that era.

Also, Leon Sylvers, Prince, Chukii Booker, Ray Parker, Jr., Jesse Johnson and Gerald LeVert.

Name others if I forgot any, (which I'm sure I did.)

I remember when Kashif came out with that first album in 1983, I was CERTAIN he was gonna be the next Prince (...and Purple Rain hadn't even come out yet). I haven't followed Kashif in a while (...actually, not since back then), but I always thought he was very talented.

Quincy Jones

Arif Mardin

James Mtume

Reggie Lucas

Nile Rodgers

Bernard Edwards

Angela Winbush

Nick Martinelli

Narada Michael Walden

Andre Cymone

[Edited 1/24/12 23:34pm]

Full Force

Stock Aiken & Waterman

Maurice Starr

Narada Michael Walden

Nile Rodgers

Kyle West (break it down)

Rick Rubin

Quincy, Jam and Lewis, Prince, Teddy Riley are among the tops.

Yeah there were a lot of successful R&B producers in the '80s.

Timmy84 said:

Yeah there were a lot of successful R&B producers in the '80s.

Kind of sad now that only a handful of the same producers are getting work. Which is why everything sounds the same. Back in the day, you had many sounds out there being produced by different producers and they all were hot.

Musicslave said:

Timmy84 said:

Yeah there were a lot of successful R&B producers in the '80s.

Kind of sad now that only a handful of the same producers are getting work. Which is why everything sounds the same. Back in the day, you had many sounds out there being produced by different producers and they all were hot.

Actually things started changing once Teddy Riley came. While some of the '80s producers still was able to produce hits in the '90s, the industry changed so much by the middle of that decade that most of the '80s producers either adapted or just left altogether. Now some of the '80s producers are either label heads or Grammy Award committee members now. And others still produce but they can't make real bread anymore because their sound is "passe".

Angela Winbush

Stevie Wonder

Prince

Luther Vandross

just to name my absolute faves

- Bryan Loren (Vesta Williams, Shanice Wilson, Brothers Johnson, Con Funk Shun, Fat Larry's Band, Valentine Brothers)

- George Duke (Taste Of Honey, Deniece Williams, Howard Hewitt, Jeffrey Osborne, Philip Bailey)

- Roger Troutman (Zapp, Shirley Murdock, Bobby Glover, Lynch, Human Body, New Horizons)

- Ndugu Chancler & Reggie Andrews (Dazz Band, General Caine, Kiddo, Klique)

- Larry Blackmon (Cameo, Ca$hflow, Bobby Brown, George Howard)

- Michael Stokes (Magic Lady, Enchantment, Active Force)

- Jimmy Douglass (Slave, Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame)

- Al McKay (Taste Of Honey, Finis Henderson)

- Attala Zane Giles

- Preston Glass

LittleBLUECorvette said:

But I think Paul Laurence and Kashif were some of the more underrated from that era.

I guess their production company got at least a nod from within the industry. Hush Productions was a blueprint example which other artsists were curious about at that time. Meli'sa Morgan told about this in the recent Unsung ep of Freddie Jackon, and that Madonna visited their office to see how they ran their business.

Shango said:

- Bryan Loren (Vesta Williams, Shanice Wilson, Brothers Johnson, Con Funk Shun, Fat Larry's Band, Valentine Brothers)

- George Duke (Taste Of Honey, Deniece Williams, Howard Hewitt, Jeffrey Osborne, Philip Bailey)

- Roger Troutman (Zapp, Shirley Murdock, Bobby Glover, Lynch, Human Body, New Horizons)

- Ndugu Chancler & Reggie Andrews (Dazz Band, General Caine, Kiddo, Klique)

- Larry Blackmon (Cameo, Ca$hflow, Bobby Brown, George Howard)

- Michael Stokes (Magic Lady, Enchantment, Active Force)

- Jimmy Douglass (Slave, Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame)

- Al McKay (Taste Of Honey, Finis Henderson)

- Attala Zane Giles

- Preston Glass

LittleBLUECorvette said:

But I think Paul Laurence and Kashif were some of the more underrated from that era.

I guess their production company got at least a nod from within the industry. Hush Productions was a blueprint example which other artsists were curious about at that time. Meli'sa Morgan told about this in the recent Unsung ep of Freddie Jackon, and that Madonna visited their office to see how they ran their business.

When I read that part I tripped out lol but it lets you know that everybody did know about HUSH. It wasn't just R&B folks.

Nile Rodgers

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Quincy Jones

Prince

Andre Cymone

LA Reid & Babyface

Ashford & Simpson

Timmy84 said:

When I read that part I tripped out lol but it lets you know that everybody did know about HUSH. It wasn't just R&B folks.

Yeah that was quite something lol

Maurice White

Sturken & Evans

George Tobin

George McFarlane

Michael Masser

Fred Jacques Petrus & Mauro Malvasi (Change, B.B.& Q. Band, Zinc)

Foster & McElroy (Timex Social Club, Club Noveau)

Skip Scarborough

I think I've covered some of the more underrated producers here.

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Maurice White

Sturken & Evans

George Tobin

George McFarlane

Michael Masser

Fred Jacques Petrus & Mauro Malvasi (Change, B.B.& Q. Band, Zinc)

Foster & McElroy (Timex Social Club, Club Noveau)

Skip Scarborough

I think I've covered some of the more underrated producers here.

Is that the same duo that later produced En Vogue?

Musicslave said:

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Maurice White

Sturken & Evans

George Tobin

George McFarlane

Michael Masser

Fred Jacques Petrus & Mauro Malvasi (Change, B.B.& Q. Band, Zinc)

Foster & McElroy (Timex Social Club, Club Noveau)

Skip Scarborough

I think I've covered some of the more underrated producers here.

Is that the same duo that later produced En Vogue?

Yep.

Don't forget Felton Pilate too.

Timmy84 said:

Musicslave said:

Is that the same duo that later produced En Vogue?

Yep.

Don't forget Felton Pilate too.

Thx! I thought those names sounded familiar.

[Edited 1/25/12 12:38pm]

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Fred Jacques Petrus & Mauro Malvasi (Change, B.B.& Q. Band, Zinc)

O dang good one, and your others too. Always great to see what other names are added to the mix

Allen A. Jones (Bar-Kays, Chocolate Milk, Ebonee Webb, Kwick)

James Anthony Carmichael (Atlantic Starr, Lionel Richie)

Jay Graydon (Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick)

Lamont Dozier (Future Flight, Zingara)

Robert Brookins (Bobby Brown)

Lionel Job (Starpoint)

Jellybean Benitez

Harlepolis said:

Jacques Fred Petrus If Brooklyn had a sound in the early 80s, I'm sure Jacques had it in lock.

Some of that stuff just explodes, such as BB&Q's "Hanging Out" with an overpowering intro of instrumentation, and the Chic-ish chants thrown in the mix next.

Wait, what songs did BB& Q do?

Man, that Randy Muller sound lol (Brass Construction, Skyy, Funk Deluxe, Raphael Cameron)

And from the Slave camp, Steve Washington (Aurra, George Clinton)

[Edited 1/25/12 13:01pm]

scriptgirl said:

Wait, what songs did BB& Q do?

They did good in the early 80's with "On The Beat", "Starlette", "All Night Long" and around 1986/1987 with "Dreamer" and "Genie".

starlight-edit

[Edited 2/1/12 1:33am]

.

[Edited 1/25/12 13:00pm]

Shango said:

Harlepolis said:

Jacques Fred Petrus If Brooklyn had a sound in the early 80s, I'm sure Jacques had it in lock.

Some of that stuff just explodes, such as BB&Q's "Hanging Out" with an overpowering intro of instrumentation, and the Chic-ish chants thrown in the mix next.

His stuff is sonically on point too. I would've loved to hop into a time machine and stake out just to see what he does in the studio, partying notwithstanding.

Harlepolis said:

Shango said:

Some of that stuff just explodes, such as BB&Q's "Hanging Out" with an overpowering intro of instrumentation, and the Chic-ish chants thrown in the mix next.

His stuff is sonically on point too. I would've loved to hop into a time machine and stake out just to see what he does in the studio, partying notwithstanding.

Lol, party on. Yeah, the recording is the fascinating side of the process. My compliments for the documented info on Interviews - www.jacquespetrus.com

where we can get a glimpse of what was going on in the studios.

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Maurice White

Sturken & Evans

George Tobin

George McFarlane

Michael Masser

Fred Jacques Petrus & Mauro Malvasi (Change, B.B.& Q. Band, Zinc)

Foster & McElroy (Timex Social Club, Club Noveau)

Skip Scarborough

I think I've covered some of the more underrated producers here.

You mean Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. Still makin' money off of Rihanna (discovered her and produced her early work; still get exec. producer credits on the latest albums). Always thought their work leaned more towards pop/rnb territory (e.g. their own P.A.S.S.I.O.N.), but I'd say the same for La'Face and Foster McElroy.

Why in the hell is Andre Cymone being mentioned as a top producer

from the 80s?

Someone please qualify how his 80s work is comparable to Babyface,

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley and Quincy Jones?

Although Andre's not in the top league, he did aight

While Cymone wrote and produced four songs for Evelyn “Champagne” King's 1983 album Face to Face (including the Top 30 R&B single “Teenager”) and was the driving force behind the 1984 Columbia-released album Girl Talk by female trio the Girls, he didn’t focus on outside work until after the release of A.C. Cymone worked briefly with Pebbles (“Love/Hate”), James Ingram (“Better Way”), Jermaine Stewart (Say It Again), Phil Thornalley (“Love Me Like a Rock”), Pretty Poison (the Top Ten Hot 100 single “Catch Me I’m Falling”), Adam Ant (Manners & Physique), and Tom Jones (The Lead and How to Swing It). His most lasting success came with Jody Watley, to whom he was married for several years. The two collaborated extensively, from Watley’s 1987 full-length solo debut through 1993’s Intimacy -- a partnership that yielded the number one R&B singles “Looking for a New Love” and “Real Love,” as well as the Top Five hits “Still a Thrill,” “Some Kind of Lover,” “Friends,” and “I Want You.”

André Cymone | AllMusic