Roy Thomas Baker is an English record producer who helped create a number of extremely popular pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present. Although born in London, England, he now splits his time between his homes in L.A., Europe, and his recording studio in Arizona. Baker got his start at Decca Records in England at the age of 14. Later he moved to Trident Studios, where he worked with people such as Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti.

Perhaps one of the best known productions is the enduring hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. He also produced artists such as Guns N' Roses, The Who, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Cars, Foreigner, Journey, Pilot, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, T. Rex, Devo, The Stranglers, Dusty Springfield, Starcastle, T'Pau, Yes, Cheap Trick, Gasolin' and The Darkness. Most recently he has worked with The Smashing Pumpkins on their 2007 album, Zeitgeist. In 2008 he produced at his recording studio in Arizona "The Storm" which has gone gold. In 2008 he produced a track on the Smashing Pumpkins EP American Gothic.

According to Jimmy Chamberlin, the only times Baker complained during the making of Zeitgeist were when he was denied a permit to build a helipad at his California mansion, and when he had to sell a castle he owned back in England.

Selected discography

Productions by Roy Thomas Baker:

• Gasolin': Gasolin' 3 (1973)
• Gasolin': "Gasolin' Stakkels Jim" (in English: "Poor Jim") (1974)
• Queen: Queen (1973)
• Queen: Queen II (1974)
• Queen: Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
• Queen: A Night at the Opera (1975)
• Jet: eponymous debut (1975)
• Pilot: Morin Heights (1976)
• Ian Hunter: ''All-American Alien Boy (1976)
• Dusty Springfield It Begins Again (1978)
• The Cars: The Cars (1978)
• Queen: Jazz (1978)
• The Cars: Candy-O (1979)
• The Cars: Panorama (1980)
• Alice Cooper: Flush The Fashion (1980)
• The Cars: Shake It Up (1981)
• Devo: Oh, No! It's Devo (1982)
• Cheap Trick: One on One (1982)
• Mötley Crüe: Too Fast for Love (1983)
• T'Pau: Bridge of Spies (titled T'Pau in the USA) (1987)
• Slade: You Boyz Make Big Noize (1987)
• Ozzy Osbourne: No Rest For The Wicked (1988)
• Dangerous Toys: Hellacious Acres (1989)
• The Stranglers: 10 (1989)
• Shy: Misspent Youth(1990)
• Mozart: "Mozart"(1994)
• Mozart: "Eve"(1995)
• Mozart: "Paris Is Dying..."(1996)
• Local H: "Pack Up The Cats" (1998)
• Split Shift: Tension (2004)
• The Darkness: One Way Ticket to Hell... And Back (2005)
• The Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist (2007)
• The Storm: Where The Storm Meets The Ground (2007)
• The Smashing Pumpkins "American Gothic" (2008)
• Currently working on a secret project in Lake Havasu City, AZ; a new Artist whose name has not yet been disclosed (2008)

External links

• An Invitation to the Opera, Sound on Sound, October 1995 - interview with Baker
• Mix interview with Roy Thomas Baker by Rick Clark, April 1, 1999.
• Mix interview with Roy Thomas Baker by Paul Tingen, March 1, 2006.