Arif Mardin, the titan record producer, arranger, and executive, whose career — mostly with Atlantic Records — spanned over 40 years and included 12 Grammys and over 50 gold or platinum albums, died yesterday at the age of 74.
Among the remarkable list of diverse but typically soulful artists who benefited from Mardin's astute, painterly guidance are singers Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Cher, Dusty Springfield, Laura Nyro, Brook Benton, John Prine, Judy Collins, Barbra Stresiand, Anita Baker, Carly Simon, Diana Ross, Donny Hathaway, Jewel, Phil Collins, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Howard Jones, David Bowie, and Chaka Khan; groups such as the Rascals, Hall and Oates, Average White Band, Bee Gees, Queen, Scritti Politti, Culture Club, Manhattan Transfer, and the Modern Jazz Quartet; and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, flutist Herbie Mann, and saxophonists Charles Lloyd and King Curtis.
Born March 15, 1932 in Istanbul, Mardin graduated from Istanbul University and studied at the London School of Economics. In 1957, he married his wife, Latife. The following year, instead of going into his father's gas station chain business, Mardin became the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduation, he taught at Berklee for a year; eventually, he was made a trustee of the school and was awarded an honorary doctorate.
Prior to his first semester at Berklee, however, he made some key connections that would stand him in particularly good stead. He attended the Lenox School in Massachusetts' Berkshire Mountains, studying with such notable jazz and Third Stream figures as Gunther Schuller, George Russell, John Lewis and Max Roach. A composition Mardin wrote for Lenox faculty so impressed Atlantic co-owner Ertegun that after Mardin's Berklee tenure, Ertegun hired him as an assistant and archivist at Atlantic Records.
He soon became production manager at the label, and in 1969, was named a vice president. He was obviously a quick study; his first project, the Rascals' "Good Lovin'," went to No. 1. It was recorded to eight-track; the background vocals were done separately from Felix Cavaliere's lead. Music was beginning to flex technological muscles.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
What an incredible resume this man had. I didn't realize Mardin has had a hand in so many great records over the years. You could probably make a far shorter list of artists he hasn't worked with. Very nice eulogy EO.
-Glen
2 - JP
This guy's a legend, no doubt. So many careers influenced, it's hard to sum up..but you've done so pretty well.
Godspeed, Arif.
3 - Eric Olsen
thanks Glen and JP - I was kind of in a hurry or I would have gome more into specific records, but the bottom line is he worked with almost everyone of consequence who wasn't hard rock at Atlantic
4 - DJRadiohead
He did work with damn near everyone, didn't he? I know him best from the two Norah Jones records he produced. Beautiful, timeless records. Come Away With Me sounds incredible on SACD- just a magical record that was incredibly well made.
5 - Eric Olsen
I agree - to have had that kind of artistic and commercial successful so late in his career is simply amazing. The combination of space and warmth on the Jones records is remarkable.
6 - Mark Saleski
and Come Away With Me on vinyl? oh...my...gawd.
7 - DJRadiohead
The combination of space and warmth on the Jones records is remarkable.
The warmth of the vocals on the SACD version (and I would imagine even moreso on the vinyl) is positively amazing. I felt like I was hearing the record all over again when I bought the hybrid version. I wish Come Away With Me had been SACD'd as well.
8 - Eric Olsen
Mardin and soulful women: Jones, Aretha, Dusty, Chaka, Roberta Flack, Anita Baker, Nyro - remarkable
9 - Murat
What a great gentleman and accomplished professional. Growing up in Istanbul, I used to turn over Atlantic Record covers and look for his name as well as the names of Ahmet Ertegun and Nesuhi Ertegun. They made me and the rest of Turkey so proud with their achievements in the New World.
I read in your article ""How Can I Be Sure." The Mardin version ultimately became a lounge hit in London dance clubs - in 1996." How can I find the version that was popular in the 90s?