Richard Fortus
( Guns and Roses and Producer of The Psychedelic Furs ‘Made of Rain’)
Randy Rhodes was so patient with me, he didn’t push me, for instance, we’d be writing a song and he’d be, ‘Let’s try it in this key, because you’re having a problem with this note, this key will be better for you' Working with Tim Palmer on this album (Down to Earth) reminded me of that. If it hadn’t been for Tim there would be no album. Tim has incredible patience, just like Randy did.
Ozzy Osbourne
Tin Machine was the best I could have done to solve my mid-forties crisis, or crises, haha. It has it’s own credo and strange cult following, bands like Helmet and Pearl Jam, immediately took our producer young Tim Palmer.
David Bowie
I can’t remember ever having cross words with Tim and that’s really not like me when I’m in the throes of working. As many will attest. With his attention to detail and texture, Tim mixes with the ear of an artisan as well as the master technician he is. A very good musician himself he can imbue a mix with brawn and muscle, or delicacy and finesse, or whatever is required to make the music work. His mixes are as broad as they are deep. And despite his allegiance to the Arsenal Tim is still a very good friend all these many years later (38 years and counting) and my first port of call when I have something that needs a critical ear or when I need some technical advice and, of course, when I have something that needs to be mixed by a top, top professional.
Wayne Hussey (The Mission)
Working with Tim on Elemental and Raoul and the Kings of Spain was an absolute joy. Tim creates a stress-free environment where no problem is insurmountable, he gets great guitar and drum sounds effortlessly and just makes everything sound bigger and better. He has a cracking sense of humour and is the ultimate professional, always positive, engaging and encouraging.
Roland Orzabal (Tears for Fears)
Having met Tim a good few years back it was a great pleasure to finally get to work with him . Made of Rain was in some ways a complicated album to mix, there were a lot of moving parts, but Tim recognized what was essential, and helped us realize what in my mind is one of our finest records.
Richard Butler (The Psychedelic Furs)
Tim navigates the murky waters of album crafting with admirable ease and grace, seeing the forest for the trees every time I'm lost in the woods of my own making.
Ville Valo (HIM)
Tim is a rarity.
He is a combination of music fan & musician, both technically precise and protector of the vibe.
From the moment i heard tim’s production on Robert Plant’s ‘Shaken and Stirred' I wanted to work with him, and from the moment i met him, I knew i’d found a friend and cohort for life.
Always supportive, always ready to translate the abstractions of the artist into reality and always ready to catch you when the limb snaps…
Ladies and Gentleman, Tim Palmer.
Reeves Gabrels (Tin Machine, David Bowie, The Cure)
What I try to do is help artists reach their goal and fulfill their vision. It's their record, not mine.
Tim Palmer
Discussing Cutting Crew’s 'I Just died in your arms tonight' This was a big record for me because I got to mix it at the point when I was merely the studio house engineer. That rarely happens these days. The single, (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight, was a massive hit. It’s a great song. How can you go wrong with something so beautifully written? I’ve always said, ‘The best cure for a bad mix is a great song.’ But I think the mix is pretty good, too.
Tim Palmer
I feel that it is important to never stamp your sound on a group or artist, but to let them stamp theirs on you. I could waffle on for hours about dynamics and sounds, but in the end it really will be the choice of songs that will make or break an album. You can’t make mystery from Meccano and you can’t polish a turd. You will never replace the craft of songwriting with personality and sonic, they must go together.
Tim Palmer
When I was starting out in music, one name kept popping up on all of my favorite albums. When I got my first label deal, he was the first person I asked to produce the record. It took me another 20 years to finally have the honor of working with him. He has more than lived up to my expectations on every project. I feel that he is always able to realize the sound that is in my head, purely instinctually. I have had the honor of working with the best in the industry and it does not get any better than Tim Palmer.
Randy Rhodes was so patient with me, he didn’t push me, for instance, we’d be writing a song and he’d be, ‘Let’s try it in this key, because you’re having a problem with this note, this key will be better for you' Working with Tim Palmer on this album (Down to Earth) reminded me of that. If it hadn’t been for Tim there would be no album. Tim has incredible patience, just like Randy did.
Tin Machine was the best I could have done to solve my mid-forties crisis, or crises, haha. It has it’s own credo and strange cult following, bands like Helmet and Pearl Jam, immediately took our producer young Tim Palmer.
I can’t remember ever having cross words with Tim and that’s really not like me when I’m in the throes of working. As many will attest. With his attention to detail and texture, Tim mixes with the ear of an artisan as well as the master technician he is. A very good musician himself he can imbue a mix with brawn and muscle, or delicacy and finesse, or whatever is required to make the music work. His mixes are as broad as they are deep. And despite his allegiance to the Arsenal Tim is still a very good friend all these many years later (38 years and counting) and my first port of call when I have something that needs a critical ear or when I need some technical advice and, of course, when I have something that needs to be mixed by a top, top professional.
Working with Tim on Elemental and Raoul and the Kings of Spain was an absolute joy. Tim creates a stress-free environment where no problem is insurmountable, he gets great guitar and drum sounds effortlessly and just makes everything sound bigger and better. He has a cracking sense of humour and is the ultimate professional, always positive, engaging and encouraging.
Having met Tim a good few years back it was a great pleasure to finally get to work with him . Made of Rain was in some ways a complicated album to mix, there were a lot of moving parts, but Tim recognized what was essential, and helped us realize what in my mind is one of our finest records.
Tim navigates the murky waters of album crafting with admirable ease and grace, seeing the forest for the trees every time I'm lost in the woods of my own making.
Tim is a rarity.
He is a combination of music fan & musician, both technically precise and protector of the vibe.
From the moment i heard tim’s production on Robert Plant’s ‘Shaken and Stirred' I wanted to work with him, and from the moment i met him, I knew i’d found a friend and cohort for life.
Always supportive, always ready to translate the abstractions of the artist into reality and always ready to catch you when the limb snaps…
Ladies and Gentleman, Tim Palmer.
What I try to do is help artists reach their goal and fulfill their vision. It's their record, not mine.
Discussing Cutting Crew’s 'I Just died in your arms tonight' This was a big record for me because I got to mix it at the point when I was merely the studio house engineer. That rarely happens these days. The single, (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight, was a massive hit. It’s a great song. How can you go wrong with something so beautifully written? I’ve always said, ‘The best cure for a bad mix is a great song.’ But I think the mix is pretty good, too.
I feel that it is important to never stamp your sound on a group or artist, but to let them stamp theirs on you. I could waffle on for hours about dynamics and sounds, but in the end it really will be the choice of songs that will make or break an album. You can’t make mystery from Meccano and you can’t polish a turd. You will never replace the craft of songwriting with personality and sonic, they must go together.
Tim Palmer has produced and mixed albums for a huge selection of classic and alternative artists, from Robert Plant, David Bowie and Tears For Fears to Ozzy Osbourne, The Goo Goo Dolls and U2. With the recent success of the Psychedelic Furs album that Tim mixed, he has succeeded in having Top Ten albums in the UK for 5 Decades.
Tim Palmer mixed Ten for Pearl Jam, which is now in the top 50 best-selling albums of all time and the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2021.
In 2001, Tim was nominated for a Grammy for his mixing work on U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind. The album went on to win a Grammy for ‘Best Rock Album’. Tim also mixed the Grammy winning songs ’Stuck in a Moment’ and ‘Elevation’ from this album.
Now based in Austin, Tim has continued producing and mixing for the likes of Tears for Fears, Jason Mraz, Blue October, The Polyphonic Spree, H.I.M and The Psychedelic Furs. In 2014 Tim mixed the 3 times GRAMMY-nominated Billy Child’s album Map to the Treasure
More recently, Tim has been working with Grammy ‘Producer of the Year’ Larry Klein, mixing projects for Kandace Springs, Lang Lang, Liz Wright, Luciana Souza and 2 multi guest Jazz albums to celebrate the works of Charlie Parker and Jaques Brel.
Last year Tim got the opportunity to mix the latest album for The Psychedelic Furs Made of Rain The critically acclaimed album ended up in many ‘Best of the Year’ polls and also gave the band it's second biggest UK chart success.
Tim is proud to play an active role in The Recording Academy/Grammys. He has been a board member in Texas since 2012 and has served 2 terms as a National Trustee. Tim also serves on the advisory board for the Austin non-profit 'Black Fret’. Like the opera, symphony, ballet or theatre, Black Fret believes local music is art and deserving of support. In 4 years Black Fret has surpassed $1.5 million in grants and performance payments to Austin musicians.
