Legendary producer Richard Perry passed away on Tuesday, December 24, at age 82 after suffering a heart attack. Perry had an impressively successful and prolific career that spanned from the late 1960s into the 2000s, and saw him collaborate on dozens of memorable recordings a variety of well-known artists from the worlds of pop, rock, R&B, and country.
Richard was a classically trained musician, and many of his well-known productions featured grand orchestral arrangements.
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[RELATED: Richard Perry, Legendary Producer Behind “You’re So Vain,” Dead at 82]
Perry’s success as a producer began with Tiny Tim’s 1968 novelty hit “Tip-toe Thru’ the Tulips” and stretched into the new millennium with his collaborations with Rod Stewart on four installments of Stewart’s The Great American Songbook album series.
Along the way, several songs produced by Perry reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In honor of the late studio whiz, here are four chart-topping tunes that he produced.
“Without You” – Harry Nilsson (1971)
Perry produced Harry Nilsson’s classic seventh studio album, Nilsson Schmilsson, which was released in November 1971. The album featured three of Nilsson’s best-known songs—
“Jump into the Fire,” “Coconut,” and his cover of the Badfinger ballad “Without You.”
“Without You,” which was written by Badfinger’s Pete Ham and Tom Evans, was a mid-tempo rock breakup ballad that appeared on the band’s 1970 album No Dice.
According to Stereogum reviewer Tom Breihan, Harry had wanted to record his version of “Without You” as a stripped-down tune, but Perry thought it would benefit from a grander production. Paul Buckmaster was brought in to create a dramatic string-and-horn arrangement.
The track also featured Gary Wright on piano, Klaus Voormann on bass, and Jim Keltner on drums.
Nilsson’s soaring and emotional version of “Without You” became his biggest hit, spending four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in February and March of 1972.
Harry won a Grammy in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Without You.” The song also was nominated for Record of the Year, while Nilsson Schmilsson received a nod for Album of the Year.
“You’re So Vain” – Carly Simon (1972)
Perry also was behind the board for what’s become Carly Simon’s signature tune, the scathing ballad “You’re So Vain.”
“You’re So Vain” appeared on Simon’s third studio album, No Secrets, which was released in November 1972. “You’re So Vain” spent the first three weeks of 1973 at No. 1 on the Hot 100. It’s Carly’s only single to top the chart.
According to Simon, the song, which features her skewering an arrogant former flame, actually was inspired by three different men, one of whom was famed actor/director Warren Beatty.
The track featured Simon on lead vocal and piano, as well as an uncredited Mick Jagger on backing vocals. Carly came up with the song’s string arrangement, which was created by the aforementioned Buckmaster. Perry contributed percussion to the song, which also featured Voormann on bass and Jim Gordon on drums.
No Secrets spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was the first of three consecutive albums Perry produced for Simon. He also later worked with her on a few of her other albums.
“Photograph” – Ringo Starr (1973)
Perry also produced Ringo Starr’s most successful album, Ringo, which was released in November 1973. The album featured contributions from all of Starr’s Beatles bandmates, as well as several other well-known musicians.
The album featured Ringo’s first and second No. 1 hits on the Hot 100—the original “Photograph” and a cover of the 1960 Johnny single “You’re Sixteen.”
“Photograph” spent one week at the top of the chart in November 1973. The song was co-written by Starr and his pal and fellow ex-Beatle, George Harrison. It features lyrics that lament the loss a former lover, and the only thing the singer has to remind him of her is a photograph.
The track features a wall-of-sound production inspired by Phil Spector. Starr sang lead and played drums on the tune, while Harrison contributed backing vocals and acoustic guitar. The song also features Bobby Keys on saxophone, Nicky Hopkins on piano, Voormann on bass, and Keltner on drums. Jack Nitzsche created the track’s orchestral and choral arrangements.
“When I Need You” – Leo Sayer (1976)
Perry’s studio skills helped British singer/songwriter Leo Sayer enjoy his greatest success. Perry produced Sayer’s fourth album, Endless Flight, which was released in 1976.
The album featured not one, but two singles that topped the Hot 100. The first, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” was an infectious pop-disco tune co-written by Sayer that spent a week at No. 1 in January 1977. Leo’s follow-up single, the heartfelt ballad “When I Need You,” topped the Hot 100 for a week that May.
“When I Need You” was co-written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. Hammond recorded the original version of the song, which appeared on his 1976 album of the same name. The tune is sung from the perspective of someone whose lover is far away, but imagines that they are near when they close their eyes.
Sayer’s version includes musical contributions from James Newton Howard on synthesizer, Keys on sax, Dean Parks on electric guitar, Willie Weeks on bass, and future Toto drummer
Jeff Porcaro.
“When I Need You” also topped the singles charts in several other countries, including the U.K., Canada, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.