Legendary producer of RUSH and QUEENSRŸCHE, PETER COLLINS, has died at the age of 73

Legendary British record producer Peter Collinswho has worked with some of the biggest names in rock, including HURT, KING’S CROSS, BON JOVI And ALICE COOPERdied at the age of 73.

HURT appreciated Collins At InstagramWrite: “Peter Collins was our beloved producer for 4 albums. First on “Electric windows” (’85),then ‘Do not shoot’ (’87),‘Counterparts’ (’93) and “Test for Echo” (’96). We loved seeing him in Nashville when we were on tour. He had a mischievous, bright smile and a great sense of humor. He will be missed greatly… RIP Mr Big“.

HURT Bassist/Singer Geddy Lee added in a separate post: “So sad to hear of death Peter Collins. A dear, dear friend and producer of 4 different HURT albums. In the 80s and 90s we had some incredible musical adventures together, in different studios all over the world. He was really our Mr Big…with his ever-present cigar and his ever-good mood. After I hit the record button, I can still hear him saying: “OK guys, the pad… no stopping me!”

“We love you Brest in peace and we thank you with all our hearts.”

HURT guitarist Alex Lifeson wrote: “Peter Collins will remain forever in my memory as Mr Bigsits in his control center next to a recording desk with his omnipresent tools: a notepad, an ashtray and a Monte Cristo No. 2.

“Love you B. Farewell.”

DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy wrote: “Sad about the passing of legendary producer Peter CollinsI had the honor to Peter makes the first FLYING COLOURS Album in 2011. He also produced such classic albums as HURT‘S Electric windows and Counterparts And KING’S CROSS‘S Operation: Thought Crime and Rich among so many others… He was an absolute pleasure to work with and gave us so many great memories and hilarious expressions and quotes that we still refer to to this day… (that’s his voice singing 1st place) FC Album ‘Standby Studio and Good Luck’) #RIPPeterCollins”.

Collins had big hits in the 1980s with Nick Kershaw, MUSICAL YOUTH, Tracey Ullman, Alvin Stardust And Gary Moorebefore he moved to the USA and worked intensively with more acoustic acts, such as Nanci Griffith, jewel, Shawn Mullins and that INDIGO GIRL.

In a 2004 interview with the journal On The Art Of Record Production, he said: Collins said about his desire to produce at all: “I was a singer-songwriter in the sixties, in my teens, and I had a contract with Decca as an artist. I went into the studio and realized as we were recording the album that I wasn’t really interested in being an artist, I was interested in being in the studio and the actual process of making a record. That really captivated me. It wasn’t standing behind the microphone and feeding my songs into machines that I was particularly interested in. It was the atmosphere in the studio and the whole process of making records that excited me. Back then, all the producers were very, very powerful people. They all smoked Cuban cigars. Everyone was in awe of them. One of my first jobs in the industry was as an assistant producer at Decca Studios in West Hampstead. I could see the power they wielded in the studio and that’s what I wanted to be.”

As far as the tasks of a producer are concerned, Collins said: “Most people don’t know what a producer does. The producer is in the studio to channel the creative energies and bring together the sometimes disparate talents to create a finished recording. And to bring out the best in everyone and create an atmosphere where people can be creative and do their best. To create an atmosphere where people can function and make decisions where decisions need to be made. Sometimes there doesn’t have to be democracy in the studio. The producer has to show leadership and get the project from A to B in a certain amount of time. And within a certain budget. Ultimately, it’s his responsibility. He has to be a sounding board for the artist, an interface between the artist, the engineer, the label and the A&R person. I think we have to be chameleons, we have to adapt to whatever the recording situation requires. A record producer is a lot like a film director.”