Biography
Producer and mixer Tim Palmer ranks among alternative rock's most overlooked figures. During the first half of the 1980s he served as an assistant engineer at Utopia Studios in London, England, where he lent support to artists including Mark Knopfler and Dead or Alive. By the second half of that decade Palmer had transitioned into production, applying his sharp listening skills and technical expertise to help edgy post-punk acts such as the Mighty Lemon Drops, the Mission, Gene Loves Jezebel, and the House of Love secure rotation on U.S. modern rock stations; he supplied the groups with a broadcast-ready gloss that left their core edge intact. In 1989 he helmed David Bowie's first LP recorded with Tin Machine. While much of Bowie's 1980s work drew criticism for its glossy pop sheen, Palmer foregrounded Tin Machine's raw guitars and powerful drums, establishing groundwork for Bowie's creative resurgence during the following decade. Throughout the 1990s Palmer increasingly concentrated on mixing and remixing, lending his services to an array of alternative outfits that included Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, James, Catherine Wheel, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, the Cure, and Concrete Blonde. He also relocated to Los Angeles, CA, where he built a high-end mixing facility. In 2000 he handled several tracks on U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind album.