Michael Bolton chats to I Like Music

ILM: They embraced it?

MICHAEL: That's right. That's what it was really all about and a good lesson for us I think.

ILM: You worked with co-producer Alex Christensen, arranger Chris Walden and engineer-mixer Al Schmitt, the latter a veteran of many Sinatra sessions. You must have learned a great deal about production in the process - anything that stands out that you learned in particular?

MICHAEL: Chris Walden is brilliant. He's being called the new Nelson Riddle, which is an amazing compliment, but I agree. He's a trumpet player and jazz player, but he is a brilliant arranger.

I've made a lot of records and worked very hands on extensively with David Foster and with Mutt Lange, who I still think is the Stephen Spielberg of record production and Walter Afanasieff who is another brilliant writer/producer. Actually, I think most of the great producers are also songwriters, so they understand the content, they understand the craft. And when you understand that expression when you're producing, it's not just about sonics, it's not just about how clear and crisp the midrange or upper midrange of an instrument is, it's about what the heart and soul of the song is. Whoever best serves the song at the end of the day is going to be served BY the song. Whoever honours the song in composition the best way will be paid off in a way by the composition that they honoured. Because, it's understanding what the intention of a composer is, that allows a producer and an arranger to make those moments speak. And when you have great songs…. and its not that great songs aren't being written these days, but when you have great songs that are going to live longer than the composers, everything you can do to bring those different elements and nuances out, serve the song.
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