U2 producer Lillywhite lands Columbia Records gig

10/03/2005 9:02 AM, Reuters
Chris Morris

Noted producer Steve Lillywhite, who has worked with such acts as U2, Peter Gabriel and the Rolling Stones, has joined the executive ranks at Columbia Records as a talent scout.

Lillywhite has come aboard the Sony BMG Music-owned label as New York-based senior vp A&R (artists and Repertoire).

In addition to signing talent for the label, Lillywhite will provide a range of in-house production services, from hands-on producing, mixing and engineering to an advisory role as creative consultant.

"Steve Lillywhite has worked on a lot of the most important records of the past 30 years and has produced some of the best records of all time," Columbia Records Group chairman Will Botwin said. "His adventurous musical spirit, his consistently high aesthetic standards and his broad creative abilities have produced an unbroken string of artistic and commercial successes, from the earliest days of punk rock to this year's hottest pop albums."

Lillywhite began his career in 1972 as a tape operator at PolyGram in the U.K. He first came to prominence as Ultravox's producer and worked with such punk and new wave acts as Johnny Thunders, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Psychedelic Furs, XTC and Eddie & the Hot Rods.

He hit his commercial stride in the '80s, producing Peter Gabriel's third album and either producing or mixing U2's breakthrough albums "Boy," "October," "War" and "The Joshua Tree." He moved on to helm projects by Simple Minds, Big Country, Talking Heads and the Stones.

During the '90s, he made his mark with albums by Morrissey, the Pogues, Travis, Phish and several sets by Dave Matthews Band. Following a staff role as managing director of Mercury Records in London, he produced U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and Jason Mraz's recent "Mr. A-Z."

Lillywhite collected consecutive Grammy Awards for record of the year with U2's "Beautiful Day" and "Walk On."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter