John Anthony

John Anthony ranked among the most active producers throughout the progressive rock years, guiding albums for Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator, Peter Hammill, and Lindisfarne. In the mid-1960s Anthony devoted himself to soul music and launched his professional path by spinning records at London nightspots including the Pheasantry and the Speakeasy. By 1968 he shifted between American soul discs and the first recordings from Pink Floyd along with other psychedelic trailblazers. He next lent vocals to the Windsor outfit Hogsnort Rupert, yet a friendship with Yes members at the start of their trajectory opened the door to production when he accompanied the group to one early session, took over its organization, mixed the resulting tapes, and won approval from everyone present. Anthony soon accepted a promotion post at Mercury Records’ London office, yet repeated studio opportunities continued to pull him back. He met the recently signed Van Der Graaf Generator, obtained clearance to produce their album, and delivered both strong musical results and a decisive career credential that prompted Charisma Records’ Tony Stratton-Smith to assign him Rare Bird’s debut. That project yielded the single “Sympathy,” which moved a million-and-a-half copies and confirmed Anthony’s standing as a producer with a golden touch. By the turn of the 1960s into the 1970s he had become a fixture at Charisma, handling work for Genesis on Trespass and Nursery Cryme, Lindisfarne during their strongest commercial stretch, and Peter Hammill. His mid-1970s roster grew further to include Al Stewart, Ace, Roxy Music, and Queen on the band’s first album. Later in the decade he recorded the Tubes and Arrogance while also producing Paul Carrack. His enduring links to classic progressive rock reappeared through his credit on Rhino Records’ mid-1990s box set Supernatural Fairy Tales.