Don Dixon (musician)
- This article is about the musician Don Dixon. For others, see Don Dixon.
| Don Dixon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 15, 1950 Lancaster, South Carolina |
| Genres |
Alternative country Rock music Folk music Jangle pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, bass, guitar |
| Years active | 1980s-present |
| Labels |
Enigma Records Capitol Records Gadfly Records 123 Records Arcade Records Sugar Hill Records Dixon Archival Remnants |
| Associated acts |
Marti Jones R.E.M. Chris Stamey Mitch Easter Tommy Keene The Smithereens |
Don Dixon is a record producer, songwriter, musician, bass guitarist, and very occasional actor. Dixon is considered to be one of the key producers of what is called the jangle pop movement of the early 1980s.
Early Years
Don Dixon was born on December 13, 1950 in Lancaster, South Carolina. He learned guitar at age 13, and made his first recording as a jazz bassist at age 15. He attended the University of North Carolina, where his roommate was the writer Bruce Brooks.[1]
Dixon and several fellow UNC freshmen formed the band Arrogance, who recorded six albums and inspired others in the North Carolina music scene. Dixon spent thirteen years as a member, and learned the essence of record production during this time.[2]
Production
Dixon was still playing with Arrogance in 1982 when Mitch Easter asked him to co-produce R.E.M.'s debut LP Murmur and their 1984 follow-up LP Reckoning (both Dixon and Easter are credited in the Reckoning liner notes as "Machinists").[2]
Dixon then spent several years producing the work of artists including Chris Stamey (formerly of The dB's), The Smithereens, Fetchin Bones,[3] Richard Barone, Guadalcanal Diary and Marshall Crenshaw.[2] Considered to be a highlight of this period was Tommy Keene's Run Now EP.[4]
Recordings
In 1985, success as a producer led to Dixon's solo debut Most of the Girls Like to Dance But Only Some of the Boys Like To, a collection of early demos. This album reflected his love of classic pop melodies and spiky, Nick Lowe-inspired word play.[5]
In 1987, Dixon recorded Romeo at Juliard described as Big Star-style power pop. Chi-Town Budget Show (1988) was a recording of a Chicago’s Park West nightclub broadcast. In 1989, his album EEE featured The Uptown Horns.[5]
In 1995, after taking time off to raise a family, Dixon released Romantic Depressive, a somewhat darker-themed album.[5]
In 1996, Dixon produced the original cast recording of King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running (Songs And Stories Of The Carolina Coast) which featured Bland Simpson (Red Clay Ramblers) and author/composer Jim Wann.[6]
It was another four years before he released The Invisible Man (2000), an album about mortality, with songs from viewpoints of people of various ages.[7]
Note Pad #38 in 2001 was an odds-and-ends collection of unreleased material from his solo career.[5]
In 2006, Dixon released The Entire Combustible World in One Small Room, a concept album revolving around rooms in a house.[8]
Dixon and wife Marti Jones released the download-only album Lucky Stars: New Lullabies for Old Souls in 2008. A departure from their previous sound, this project began as a request from a friend who was putting together an album of lullabies to sell in hospitals to new parents. The album featured six vocal songs and five instrumentals.[9]
In 2008, Dixon released The Nu-Look with The Jump Rabbits, his bandmates of 20 years: Jamie Hoover of The Spongetones, and Jim Brock.[10]
In 2009, a book of Dixon's song lyrics, Songs 101: the Lyrics of Don Dixon was published by VanZeno Press.[11]
Although Dixon and wife Marti Jones have collaborated on each other's albums for years, in 2011 they released Living Stereo, their first proper duet album.[12]
In 2014, Dixon released High & Filthy & Borderline, based on the lives of a male and a female assassin.[12][13]
Personal life
Dixon has been married to the singer/artist Marti Jones since 1988.[14]
Discography
Studio albums
- 1985: Most of the Girls Like to Dance But Only Some Of The Boys Like To (Enigma Records)
- 1987: 'Romeo at Juilliard (Enigma Records)
- 1989: EEE (Restless Records / Capitol Records)
- 1995: Romantic Depressive (Sugar Hill Records)
- 2000: The Invisible Man (Gadfly Records)
- 2006: The Entire Combustible World in One Small Room (125 Records)
- 2010: Don Dixon Sings the Jeffords Brothers (Arcade Records)
- 2014: High & Filthy & Borderline (Dixon Archival Remnants Records)
Live album
- 1988: Chi-Town Budget Show (Restless Records)
Don Dixon & Marti Jones
- 2008: Lucky Stars: New Lullabies For Old Souls (Lava Head Music)
- 2011: Living Stereo (Dixon Archival Remnants Records)
Don Dixon & the Jump Rabbits
- 2008: Nu-Look (Dixon Archival Remnants Records)
Compilations
- 1992: (If) I'm A Ham, Well You're A Sausage (Restless Records) - best of
- 2001: Note Pad #38 (Dixon Archival Remnants Records) - rarities
Performs on
- 1985: Marti Jones - Unsophisticated Time (A&M Records)
- 1986: The Golden Palominos - Blast Of Silence (Axed My Baby For A Nickel) (Celluloid)
- 1986: Various Artists - Welcome To Comboland (Making Waves)
- 1988: Marti Jones - Used Guitars (A&M Records)
- 1990: Richard Barone - Primal Dream (Line Records)
- 1993: Various Artists - Feast Of The Mau Mau (Mau Mau)
- 1994: Mary Chapin Carpenter - Stones In The Road (Columbia Records)
Production credits
As producer
Selected albums
| Artist | Title | Label | Year | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumptruck | Positively Dumptruck | Enigma | 1986 | |
| Fetchin Bones | Cabin Flounder | DB | 1984 | |
| Fetchin Bones | Bad Pumpkin | Capitol | 1985 | |
| Guadalcanal Diary | Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man | DB | 1984 | |
| Guadalcanal Diary | 2x4 | Elektra | 1987 | |
| Guadalcanal Diary | Flip-Flop | Elektra | 1989 | |
| Fetchin Bones | Galaxy 500 | Capitol | 1987 | |
| R.E.M. | Murmur | IRS | 1983 | co-produced with Mitch Easter |
| R.E.M. | Reckoning | IRS | 1984 | co-produced with Mitch Easter |
| The Smithereens | Especially for You | Enigma | 1986 | |
| The Smithereens | Green Thoughts | Capitol | 1988 | |
| The Smithereens | A Date with the Smithereens | RCA | 1994 | |
| Chris Stamey | Instant Excitement | Coyote | 1985 | |
| Wednesday Week | What We Had | Enigma | 1987 | |
| The Red Clay Ramblers | Yonder | RCR Records | 2001 |
More complete list
| Artist | Title | Label, Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rod Abernethy | Solo | Avanti |
| The Accelerators | Leave My Heart | Profile |
| The Accelerators | The Accelerators | Profile |
| Chris Allen | Goodbye Girl and the Big Apple Circus | Rosa |
| Chris Allen | Things Unbroken | Rosa |
| Arrogance | Give Us A Break | Sugarbush |
| Arrogance | Prolepsis | Sugarbush |
| Arrogance | Lively | Moonlight |
| The Backsliders | Southern Lines | Mammoth |
| Richard Barone | Primal Dream | Paradox/MCA |
| Matt Barrett | The Ruse | Moonlight |
| Beat Rodeo | Staying Out Late with Beat Rodeo | Zensor/IRS |
| Bell & Cooper | Forty Words for Fear | Gaff |
| Bell & Cooper | Postcards Out of the Blue | Dogjaw |
| The Blazers | Ten Easy Lessons | Moonlight |
| Jim Brock | Tropic Affaire | Reference |
| Brotherhood Of Peace | Cuttin' Loose | Avanti |
| Mark Bryan | 30 On A Rail | Atlantic |
| The Buzz of Delight (Matthew Sweet) | Sound Castles | DB |
| Kim Carnes | Gypsy Honeymoon | EMI |
| The Carpenter Ants | Picnic with the Lord | |
| The Carpenter Ants | Insect Ball | Alpo |
| The Carpenter Ants | Ants in Your Pants | |
| Andrew Cash | Boomtown | Island Canada |
| David Childers and the Modern Don Juans | Room 23 | |
| John Cody | Zelig Belmondo | Duke Street/MCA Canada |
| The Connells | Darker Days | TVT |
| Marshall Crenshaw | Mary Jean & Nine Others | Warner Bros. |
| Kyle Davis | Raising Heroes | N2K Encoded Music |
| Pat DiNizio | Songs And Sounds | VelVel/BMG |
| Don Dixon | Most of The Girls Like To Dance... | Mega DK / Demon UK / Enigma US |
| Don Dixon | Romeo at Juilliard | Enigma |
| Don Dixon | EEE | Enigma |
| Don Dixon | Romantic Depressive | Sugar Hill |
| Don Dixon | The Invisible Man | Gadfly |
| Don Dixon | Notepad #38 | DAR |
| Don Dixon | The Entire Combustible World in One Small Room | 125 Records |
| Dumptruck | Positively Dumptruck | Big Time/RCA |
| emmet swimming | Arlington To Boston | Epic/Sony |
| The Fabulous Knobs | The Fabulous Knobs | Moonlight |
| Fast Annie | Unsafe At Any Speed | Chelsea |
| Fetchin Bones | Cabin Flounder | DB/Capitol |
| Fetchin Bones | Bad Pumpkin | DB/Capitol |
| Fetchin Bones | Galaxie 500 | DB/Capitol |
| Moxy Früvous | Thornhill | Bottom Line/BMG |
| G.B. Leighton | Shake Them Ghosts | Sallycat |
| The Graphic | People In Glass | Dolphin |
| Greer | Between Two Worlds | Sugarbush; collector’s item in the UK; value US$300+ |
| Guadalcanal Diary | Walking In The Shadow of The Big Man | Elektra |
| Guadalcanal Diary | 2 x 4 | Elektra |
| Guadalcanal Diary | Flip Flop | Elektra |
| The Hangups | Second Story | Restless/BMG |
| Hey Mavis | Red Wine | 2010 Self-Release |
| Hey Mavis | Honey Man | 2013 Self-Release |
| Hootie & the Blowfish | "City By A River" | |
| Hootie & the Blowfish | Scattered Covered & Smothered | Atlantic |
| Hootie & the Blowfish | "Use Me" | |
| In Tua Nua | The Long Acre | Virgin UK |
| Jesus: The Epic Mini-series | CBS TV soundtrack | Sparrow/Capitol |
| Marti Jones | Unsophisticated Time | A & M |
| Marti Jones | Match Game | A & M |
| Marti Jones | Used Guitars | A & M |
| Marti Jones | Any Kind of Lie | RCA |
| Marti Jones | Live At Spirit Square | Sugar Hill |
| Marti Jones | My Long-Haired Life | Sugar Hill |
| Marti Jones | My Tidy Doily Dream | DAR |
| Tommy Keene | Places That Are Gone | Dolphin |
| Tommy Keene | Back Again...Try | Dolphin |
| The Killer Whales | The Killer Whales | Moonlight |
| Toby King | Operator | Josie |
| Let's Active | Cypress | IRS |
| Original Cast Recording | King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running | Sugar Hill |
| Michael McDermott | Gethsemane | SBK |
| James McMurtry | Where'd You Hide The Body | Columbia/Sony |
| Jeff O’Kelley | Just Passing Through | Buddy Dog Records |
| The Pinetops | Above Ground And Vertical | Soundproof/Monolyth |
| The Pressure Boys | Rangledoon | Root-a-Doot |
| R.E.M. | Murmur | IRS |
| R.E.M. | Reckoning | IRS |
| R.E.M. | Dead Letter Office | IRS |
| The Reivers | Saturday | DB/Capitol |
| Rosavelt | The Story of Gasoline | Gaff |
| Bland Simpson | Follow You All Over the World | Gaff |
| Madison Smartt Bell & Wyn Cooper | 40 Words for Fear | Gaff; with Jim Brock |
| The Smithereens | Especially for You | Enigma |
| The Smithereens | Green Thoughts | Enigma/Capitol |
| The Smithereens | A Date with The Smithereens | RCA |
| Sneakers | In The Red | Carnivorous |
| Treva Spontaine | S'il Vous Plait | Moonlight |
| Chris Stamey | InstantExcitement | Coyote/TwinTone/A & M |
| Surfaholics | Tiki-A-Go-Go | Pixler Discs |
| Matthew Sweet | Inside | Columbia |
| US Secret Service | US Secret Service | Moonlight |
| Jim Wann | Sings Johnny Mercer; Pardon My Southern Accent vol 1 | Creekmore |
| Jim Wann | Sings Jim Wann; Pardon My Southern Accent vol 2 | Creekmore |
| Wednesday Week | What We Had | Enigma |
| X-teens | Big Boy's Dream | Moonlight |
| X-teens | X-teens | Dolphin |
| X-teens | Love & Politics | Dolphin |
Additional credits
Including co-production, engineering, etc.
| Artist | Title | Label, Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Agle | Captiva | TGS (arrangements) |
| Mike Cross | Born in the Country | TGS |
| The Spongetones | WhereEver Land | |
| Rebecca Rippy | Telling Stories | vocals |
Actor
- Played an alcoholic composer in Todd Graff's 2003 film Camp .
- Appeared onstage in the musical King Mackerel & the Blues Are Running: Songs & Stories of the North Carolina Coast, co-created with Jim Wann (Pump Boys and Dinettes) and Bland Simpson (of The Red Clay Ramblers).
References
- ↑ Bledsoe, Wayne (7 October 2016). "Singer-songwrier-producer Don Dixon may be doing the Devil's work". Knoxville News. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 Himes, Geoffrey (18 March 1987). "Don Dixon, Out On His Own". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ↑ Ira Robbins. "Fetchin' Bones". Trouser Press. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ Jack Leaver. "Talk Memphis". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Cummings, Jon (3 November 2008). "The Popdose Guide to Don Dixon". Popdose. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ Jim Wann. "King Mackerel & The Blues are Running". jimwann.com. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ↑ archive (30 April 2000). "Don Dixon: The Invisible Man". No Depression. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ↑ Harris, Will (2006). "Don Dixon: The Entire Combustible World in One Small Room". bull-eye.com. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ Cummings, Jon (2 March 2009). "The Popdose Guide to Marti Jones". Popdose. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ↑ Wright, Renee (29 August 2015). "Don Dixon & the Jump Rabbits at the Evening Muse". AXS. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ archive. "Songs 101: The Lyrics of Don Dixon". pretty famous.com. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- 1 2 Ward Law, Matt (29 October 2015). "The Remnants of the Day: Don Dixon and Marti Jones Make Albums at Their Own Pace". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ Borack, John (2014). "Some things old, some things new". Goldmine Magazine. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ Gerson, Ruth (6 June 2008). "Don Dixon: Songwriter, Producer, Musician in Living Stereo". Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 October 2016.