Ken Scott started his career in the tape library of EMI Studios (which would eventually become Abbey Road Studios) in January of 1964. He soon became an Assistant Engineer on records like The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and just three years later he would be promoted to the Engineer role, recording legendary records like Magical Mystery Tour and The White Album. Ken would soon be in great demand and find himself engineering David Bowie’s Space Oddity, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and Elton John’s Madman Across The Water, to name just a few. He would go on to the role of producer as well on iconic albums like David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane, Supertramp’s Crime Of The Century, and many more.
Ken would also produce and manage 80’s new wave band Missing Persons. He is also the author of “Abbey Road To Ziggy Stardust: Off The Record with The Beatles, Bowie, Elton & So Much More,” a tale told through the eyes and ears that recorded so many of the biggest musical icons.
After living in Los Angeles for more than 35 years, Ken now resides in his native England and is a senior professor at Leeds Beckett University helping others to follow their music recording dreams.
In this interview, I break my promise of being frugal with time, yet Mr. Scott remains enthusiastic and willing to talk about his fascinating life. Ken’s kindness and candor are truly something to behold and I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity. I hope you might sit in with us here and listen to some of the greatest stories of rock and roll.
KEN SCOTT partial discography:
1964: The Beatles – Beatles for Sale (Assistant Engineer)
1964: The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night (Assistant Engineer)
1965: The Beatles – Rubber Soul (Assistant Engineer)
1965: The Beatles – Help! (Assistant Engineer)
1967: The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Assistant Engineer)
1967: The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour (Engineer)
1968: George Harrison – Wonderwall Music (Engineer)
1968: Jeff Beck – Truth (Engineer, Audio Engineer)
1968: The Beatles – The Beatles (Engineer, Original Engineering)
1969: Principal Edwards Magic Theatre – Soundtrack (Engineer)
1969: Mary Hopkin – Post Card (Engineer, Mixing)
1969: Jackie Lomax – Is This What You Want? (Engineer)
1969: David Bowie – Space Oddity (Engineer, Audio Engineer)
1969: Jeff Beck – Beck-Ola (Engineer, Audio Engineer)
1969: Third Ear Band – Alchemy (Engineer)
1969: Procol Harum – A Salty Dog (Engineer)
1970: Warhorse – Warhorse (Engineer)
1970: David Bowie – The Man Who Sold the World (Engineer, Audio Engineer)
1970: Dada – Dada (Engineer)
1970: George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (Engineer)
1971: Radha Krsna Temple (London) – The Radha Krsna Temple (Engineer, Balance Engineer)
1971: Van der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts (Engineer)
1971: The New Seekers – New Colours (Engineer)
1971: Elton John – Madman Across the Water (Engineer, Remixing)
1971: David Bowie – Hunky Dory (Producer, Engineer, Remixing, Spoken Word, Synthesizer, Vocals)
1971: Mary Hopkin – Earth Song/Ocean Song (Mixing)
1972: Lou Reed – Transformer (Engineer, Mixing)
1972: David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (Producer, Audio Production, Original Album Producer)
1972: Harry Nilsson – Son of Schmilsson (Engineer, Balance Engineer)
1972: Elton John – Honky Château (Engineer, Audio Engineer)
1972: America – America (Engineer)
1973: Billy Cobham – Spectrum (Engineer, Remixing)
1973: Elton John – Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (Engineer)
1973: Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire (Engineer)
1973: David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (Producer, Engineer, Mixing)
1973: Billy Cobham – Total Eclipse (Producer, Engineer, Mixing)
1974: Stanley Clarke – Stanley Clarke (Engineer)
1974: Billy Cobham – Crosswinds (Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Recording)
1974: Supertramp – Crime of the Century (Producer, Engineer, Mastering)
1975: Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond (Producer, Engineer)
1975: Stanley Clarke – Journey to Love (Producer, Engineer)
1975: Supertramp – Crisis? What Crisis? (Producer)
1976: Elton John – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Engineer)
1976: The Tubes – Young and Rich (Producer)
1976: Stanley Clarke – School Days (Producer, Engineer)
1977: The Don Harrison Band – Not Far from Free (Producer, Engineer)
1978: Dixie Dregs – What If (Producer, Engineer)
1978: Happy the Man – Crafty Hands (Producer, Engineer)
1978: Dixie Dregs – Night of the Living Dregs (Producer, Engineer)
1979: Gamma – Gamma 1 (Producer, Engineer)
1979: Devo – Duty Now for the Future (Producer, Engineer)
1980: Jeff Beck – There & Back (Producer)
1982: Kansas – Vinyl Confessions (Producer, Engineer)
1982: Missing Persons – Spring Session M (Producer, Engineer)
1985: Level 42 – World Machine (Producer)
1985: Rubber Rodeo – Heartbreak Highway (Producer, Engineer)
1992: dada – Puzzle (Producer, Engineer, Mixing)
1995: Duran Duran – Thank You (Engineer)
1995: Whiteheart – Inside (Producer, Engineer)
1998: Missing Persons – Late Nights Early Days (Producer, Engineer)
1999: Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Lost Trident Sessions (Engineer)
2000: Duran Duran – Pop Trash (Engineer, Mixing)
2006: The Beatles – Love (Engineer)
2012: The Moog – Seasons in the Underground (Producer, Engineer, Mixing)
Purchase Ken’s book “Abbey Road To Ziggy Stardust”:
Hello everyone! My name is Scott Itter, but some know me as Dr. Music. I am a music journalist and photographer out of the Chicagoland area, and I have been in practice for over 20 years. I grew up in the 70’s with two big brothers that showed me all kinds of rock and roll. As I grew older I ventured out into different genres like jazz, funk, folk, and whatever else I could wrap my ears around. As I read every liner note and every Circus and Hit Parader like they were the Old and New Testament, I came to realize that I just love sound and appreciate all the people that create it.
I later became a stay-at-home dad and started honing my writing and photography skills to keep my mind from turning into mashed peas. My kids are now adults, my mind is only slightly mushy, and I am thrilled to have the honor of presenting my work to you!
