Bill Szymczyk
b. 13 February 1943, Muskegon, Michigan, USA. After studying electronics in the US Armed Forces, Szymczyk journeyed to New York in 1964 and worked as a junior recording engineer on some tracks by folk singers Phil Ochs, Eric Andersen and Tom Rush. By 1967, he had produced his first album, Harry Brooks' HOW TO PLAY ELECTRONIC BASS and from there he signed with ABC Records. As a house producer he worked with Boston band, Ford Theatre, before collaborating on B.B. King's LIVE AND WELL. By the end of the '60s, he had produced several King albums plus his biggest US hit single The Thrill Is Gone, on which Szymczyk had employed tasteful orchestration. The first successful rock act to be discovered and produced by Szymczyk were the James Gang, featuring guitarist Joe Walsh. Szymczyk's early work is arguably best captured on their album, THIRDS, where Walsh's phased guitar echoes menacingly on the excellent Walk Away. Szymczyk stuck with Walsh for his solo BARNSTORM, and also spent five years working with the J. Geils Band until they finally elected to produce themselves. Although Walsh was intent on doing the same, he decided to use Szymczyk's talents as co-producer on his more successful albums THE SMOKER YOU DRINK, THE PLAYER YOU GET and SO WHAT, before again allowing him full control on the excellent …BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS. Throughout this period, Szymczyk had found a more lucrative post after being called upon to complete the Eagles' ON THE BORDER. Initially, Bill was reluctant to take the offer for fear of offending their producer Glyn Johns, but finally he received his rival's blessing and the sessions produced a hit album. From there, the Eagles went on to become one of the most commercially successful acts in the world and gradually moved away from their country roots to a rockier sound. The arrival of Joe Walsh in the Eagles camp had working advantages for Szymczyk, although he was strangely against the move. The combination worked to spectacular effect on HOTEL CALIFORNIA, however, in which Walsh's hard edge merged brilliantly with the group's sweeter melodies and harmonic blend. By this point Szymczyk was an in-demand producer, having worked on albums by Jo Jo Gunne, Rick Derringer, Wishbone Ash, Elvin Bishop, Jay Ferguson and REO Speedwagon. After completing the Eagles' final album, THE LONG RUN , Szymczyk was at last offered the opportunity to work with an already established major group, the Who. The work in question was FACE DANCES, their first since the death of Keith Moon. It says much for Szymczyk's reputation at the time that he was called to England to work in an alien environment with such an established act. Like many producers, Szymczyk was largely associated with a particular sound at a key time. In his case, the sound was FM-orientated American, late '70s, AOR rock.