Published 15:15 IST, November 19th 2020
Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' engineer, Bruce Swedien dies; Adnan Sami pays tribute
"Extremely saddened by the passing away of legendary Sound Engineer Bruce Swedien. He was a giant in audio engineering," Sami wrote on Twitter.
Recording engineer Bruce Swedien, who has worked on Michael Jackson's albums like 'Bad', 'Off the Wall' and 'Thriller' died aged 86. Music composer and singer Adnan Sami took to his Twitter handle to pay his respects and penned a heartfelt message.
"Extremely saddened by the passing away of legendary Sound Engineer Bruce Swedien. He was a giant in audio engineering," Sami wrote. "Personally, I have always checked all my audio equipment by music that has been mixed by him as the ultimate test simply because his mixes were incredibly perfect! His contribution towards the field of audio is exquisite... He was a genius," he further said.
Extremely saddened by the passing away of legendary Sound Engineer Bruce Swedien. He was a giant in audio engineering, having recorded & mixed legends like Michael Jackson (all his solo albums), Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie & Paul McCartney to name a few.. RIP 🙏 pic.twitter.com/sGFUhCjlMW
— Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) November 17, 2020
Swedien's daughter, Roberta, on Tuesday shared a message on Facebook and wrote, "He had a long life full of love, great music, big boats and a beautiful marriage. We will celebrate that life. He was loved by everyone." Adnan Sami also mentioned Quincy Jones and the legendary producer on Instagram also paid tribute. Calling Swedien a 'sonic genius', Jones wrote, "He was without question the absolute best engineer in the business, and for more than 70 years I wouldn't even think about going into a recording session unless I knew Bruce was behind the board."
"I have always said it’s no accident that more than four decades later no matter where I go in the world, in every club, like clockwork at the witching hour you hear “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Starting Something,” & “Thriller.” That was the sonic genius of Bruce Swedien, & to this day I can hear artists trying to replicate him. I’m going to miss your presence every single day “Svensk”, but I will cherish every moment we shared together laughin’, lovin’, livin’, & givin’...Rest In Peace my brother," Jones wrote.
Swedien has won five Grammys — three for his work with Jackson and two for his work with Jones.
Updated 15:15 IST, November 19th 2020