Roy Thomas Baker
The English producer who shaped Queen's first five albums and co-created 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
Roy Thomas Baker (10 November 1946 – 12 April 2025) was an English record producer, songwriter and arranger best known for producing five out of the first seven albums by British rock band Queen. 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 moved to Trident Studios in Soho where he worked with Dudgeon, Tony Visconti, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and 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, Journey, and T. Rex.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 10 November 1946
- Birthplace
- Hampstead, London, England
- Died
- 12 April 2025
- Place of death
- Lake Havasu City, Arizona, US
- Also known as
- RTB
- Genre
- Rock
- pop
- alternative rock
- new wave
- power pop
- hard rock
- glam rock
- glam metal
- Occupation
- Record producer
- songwriter
- arranger
- Years active
- 1970–2014
Lore & Background
After co-founding Neptune (Trident's record company), Baker met the rock band Queen. This began a relationship lasting for five albums: Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night at the Opera, and Jazz. The collaboration earned a number of awards including 21 Grammy Awards and several Guinness World Records for the hit song 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Baker's production on these albums helped define Queen's layered vocal harmonies and theatrical arrangements. After his success with Queen, Baker signed a multi-album production deal with CBS Music (Columbia Records, Sony Music, Epic Records, etc.) and moved to the U.S., setting up RTB Audio Visual Productions in New York City and Los Angeles. With the CBS deal, RTB produced Journey, Starcastle, Reggie Knighton (of the Grass Roots), Ian Hunter, and Ronnie Wood (the Rolling Stones). He also committed to produce four albums for the Cars after being prompted by Elektra Records to see them perform in a Boston school gymnasium; those albums were certified platinum and the Cars were nominated for a Grammy.
Reader's Guide
Baker produced five of Queen's first seven albums: Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night at the Opera, and Jazz. These albums earned 21 Grammy Awards and several Guinness World Records for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. After Queen, he signed a multi-album deal with CBS Music and moved to the U.S., founding RTB Audio Visual Productions. He produced four albums for the Cars, all certified platinum, after seeing them perform in a Boston school gymnasium. Later, as senior vice president of A&R for Elektra, he worked with artists including Lindsey Buckingham, Mötley Crüe, and Dokken, and helped sign Metallica, Simply Red, and 10,000 Maniacs. His later production credits include the Darkness, Smashing Pumpkins, and Yes. Baker died in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on 12 April 2025, at the age of 78.
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