John Anthony
The producer who signed Queen to his production company.
John Anthony is an English music producer who worked with Queen. He formed Neptune Productions, his own production company with the owners of Trident Studios, and signed Queen the following spring. Anthony's career included producing a demonstration disc for Yes in 1968 and working with acts like Van der Graaf Generator, Genesis, and Roxy Music. He moved to the US in 1975 and became head of A&R at A&M Records in New York.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Music Producer
Lore & Background
In late 1971, John Anthony formed Neptune Productions, his own production company, with the owners of Trident Studios. The following spring, he signed Queen. This signing came after Anthony had already established himself as an A&R man for Mercury Records in London, where in 1969 he was asked by Lou Reizner to produce an album by Van der Graaf Generator. The resulting album, 'The Aerosol Grey Machine,' so impressed Van der Graaf Generator's manager Tony Stratton Smith that he hired Anthony as an A&R man and staff producer at the newly formed Charisma Records. Anthony had a saying for producing music: 'There's one right way to do an album, and four hundred wrong ones.'
Reader's Guide
His work with Queen was part of a broader career that included producing Van der Graaf Generator's 'The Aerosol Grey Machine' and working with Roxy Music.
Did You Know?
- John Anthony was born on 3 December 1944 in North Shields, then in Northumberland now in North Tyneside.
- He started out in 1966 as a DJ in Windsor, Berkshire, and sang briefly with two bands in 1968: the Soul Agents, and Hogsnort Rupert and the Good Good Band.
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