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 | FEATURE: John Morales - Original Mixer |
John Morales was born in the Bronx, New York. He is recognized worldwide as one of the early pioneers of Dance Mixing/Remixing,and producing beginning his career in 1975 as a local DJ in the Bronx.
John has been involved in the creation of hit records for the better part of 30 years. Known in the industry as an innovator and chance taker, he has always welcomed the challenge of working with new artists and has never been afraid to try new and different ideas.
The road to the top of the profession has been a long and steady climb for John. He honed his talents in an unlikely arena – as a disc jockey for the United States Air Force. "It was two hours a night," he recalls. "Your main job was to take their minds away from reality ...." After that grueling hitch, he returned to New York and a day job, mixing music at night in his homemade studio, pursuing his lifelong dream. John landed a gig at the Stardust Ballroom in the Bronx, spinning for "tops, $40-$50 a night, but you considered yourself lucky. Guys do it for nothing." In order to get some relief from his relentless work schedule (seven nights a week, 12-3pm., 7-1Opm., then 10pm-3am.), John began to mix his sounds on tape. He transferred some of his remixes to vinyl to be played by other DJs.
When Morales sits behind a recording console, or digital workstation, to execute his ideas, it isn't long before everybody gets up and out on dance floors in homes and nightclubs around the world. He works at night so that others can play. His "office" might be anywhere on the globe, North America, Europe, or the Orient. Behind the console, John is involved in the intricate process of creating the productions, as well as the remixes that will eventually help to establish a new artist or revamp the sonic image of an already recognizable star.
Initially considered a mere technician, Morales is now recognized as an integral part of the creative process and an artist and writer in his own right. His contributions may literally make or break a record, yet often appear as only a credit line on the back of the sleeve. There has been a corresponding surge of interest in these anonymous artists among the record consumers, including the enthusiasts who seek out particular mixes of a given song.
With his distinctive touch on a recording, things begin to happen. While feet and hips are moving, so are the hits – right up the international charts. Morales offers a physical analogy of his craft: "It's like being a plastic surgeon" or, as one UK paper noted, “You'll find the John Morales M&M Mix on many of your favorite club hits ... what John tends to do is make them more danceable, make them beefier, give them more percussive interludes and generally add dynamic elements ... we should have a little corner on every single’s (review) page; He fiddles with so many records, they're probably wondering why people recorded them in their original forms.”
John has worked on over 450 mix/remix and production projects for such renowned artists as Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Al Jarreau, Billy Ocean, Vanity, The Commodores, Hall & Oates ,The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and countless others. His last production projects in the 90s included such acts as Debbie Gibson, Brenda K Starr, Denese Lopez, The Nylons, The Thompson Twins, The Blow Monkeys, Five Star, Art Of Noize, and many others.
Today, after over 10 years in hiatus, Morales is prepared to take a foothold and return to the industry that he loves so much. Inspired by and rekindled with the passion to be creative and expressive, he is once again creating the rhythms and sounds that made the whole world dance. Let the world be forewarned.
John Morales reciently completed mixing Marvin Gaye's lost "Love Man" sessions, a forthcoming 2-CD 25th Anniversary edition of "In Our Lifetime," Marvin's last album for Motown. John is also in pre-production on some of his own material, as well as preparing a series or CDs based on the history of M&M Mix Productions.
http://www.johnmoralesmix.com
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Posted on February 4, 2010
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