Roy Thomas Baker (10 November 1946 – 12 April 2025) was an English record producer, songwriter and arranger who produced rock and pop songs, best known for producing five out of the first seven albums by British rock band Queen and the first four albums by American rock band the Cars.

Life and career

Baker was born in Hampstead, London, on 10 November 1946. He began his career at Decca Records at 14 and later worked as an assistant engineer at Morgan Studios in London. Encouraged by music producer Gus Dudgeon, he soon moved to Trident Studios in Soho where he worked with Dudgeon, Tony Visconti, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards in addition to Frank Zappa. He recorded artists including the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, the Who, Gasolin', Nazareth, Santana, the Mothers of Invention, Jet, Be-Bop Deluxe, Free, and T. Rex.

Baker died in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on 12 April 2025, at the age of 78.

Discography

  • Arnold Corns: "Man in the Middle" (1971 – released 1985)
  • Free: Fire and Water (1970)
  • Black Widow: Sacrifice (engineer) (1970)
  • Nazareth: Nazareth (engineer) (1971)
  • Nazareth: Exercises (1972)
  • Gasolin': Gasolin' 3 (1973)
  • Gasolin': Stakkels Jim (in English: "Poor Jim") (1974)
  • Queen: Queen (1973) (Credited as Roy Baker)
  • Queen: Queen II (1974)
  • Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill (1974)
  • Robert Calvert: Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (1974)
  • Man: Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics (1974)
  • The Trammps: The Legendary Zing Album (1975)
  • Queen: Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
  • Queen: A Night at the Opera (1975)
  • Jet: Jet (1975)
  • Be-Bop Deluxe: Futurama (1975)
  • Gasolin': Gas 5 (1975)
  • Lewis Furey: The Humours Of (1976)
  • Pilot: Morin Heights (1976)
  • Gasolin': Efter endnu en dag (1976)
  • Ian Hunter: Overnight Angels (1977)
  • Starcastle: Fountains of Light (1977)
  • Starcastle: Citadel (1977)
  • Dusty Springfield: It Begins Again (1978)
  • The Cars: The Cars (1978)
  • Queen: Jazz (1978)
  • Journey: Infinity (1978)
  • Journey: Evolution (1979)
  • Yes: Paris Sessions aka Golden Age Sessions (1979; unreleased)
  • Ron Wood: Gimme Some Neck (1979)
  • The Cars: Candy-O (1979)
  • Foreigner: Head Games (1979)
  • Alice Cooper: Flush the Fashion (1980)
  • The Cars: Panorama (1980)
  • The Cars: Shake It Up (1981)
  • Heavy Metal (Music From The Motion Picture) (1982)
  • Cheap Trick: One on One (1982)
  • Devo: Oh, No! It's Devo (1982)
  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Music from the Motion Picture (1982)
  • Mötley Crüe: Too Fast for Love (1982)
  • Espionage: Espionage (1983)
  • Dokken: Tooth and Nail (1984)
  • Joe Lynn Turner: Rescue You (1985)
  • Jon Anderson: 3 Ships (1985)
  • American Anthem (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1986)
  • T'Pau: Bridge of Spies (titled T'Pau in the US) (1987)
  • Slade: You Boyz Make Big Noize (1987)
  • Ozzy Osbourne: No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
  • The Stranglers: 10 (1989)
  • East of Eden: East of Eden (1989)
  • Chris de Burgh: Spark to a Flame (1990)
  • Shy: Misspent Youth (1990)
  • Dangerous Toys: Hellacious Acres (1991)
  • The Stranglers: All Twelve Inches (1992)
  • Wayne's World: Music from the Motion Picture (1992)
  • Local H: Pack Up the Cats (1998)
  • Caroline's Spine: Attention Please (1999)
  • Other Star People: Diamonds In The Belly Of The Dog (1999)
  • The Darkness: One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back (2005)
  • The Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist (2007)
  • Transformers: The Album (2007)
  • The Storm: Where The Storm Meets The Ground (2008)
  • The Smashing Pumpkins: American Gothic (2008)
  • Guns N' Roses: Chinese Democracy (2008) - additional production and preproduction
  • Jimmy Chamberlin's This: Great Civilization (2010)
  • Maximilian Is King. featuring Arthur Lynn and Nick Fowler: Songs To Kill Yourself With (2012)
  • Yes: Heaven & Earth (2014)

See also

  • :Category:Albums produced by Roy Thomas Baker
  • :Category:Song recordings produced by Roy Thomas Baker

References

  • Roy Thomas Baker – Flixster Movie Profile.
  • Roy Thomas Baker (RTB)'s Linked (IN) Professional Profile.
  • 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.