Jim Scott – Producer, Engineer and Mixer

In 2008, I worked on Augustana’s 2nd album, Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt. When it came time to mix, I was really happy with the rough mixes, but the question was: who could take it to the next level? We had captured great performances, so who would preserve it, and even enhance it? Jim Scott, of course! His resume is flawless, and his skills are unmatched. Over the course of a few weeks, I’d drive to his studio, PLYRZ, and we’d work on the tracks together. It was an absolute joy to collaborate with him. Now, 16 years later, I’m back at PLYRZ to hang out with Jim, talk music, and tour the studio.

 

 

Jim Scott is an American record producer and audio engineer, widely recognised for his extensive work with rock bands. Throughout his career, Scott has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including Dixie Chicks, Tom Petty, Sting, The Rolling Stones, Crowded House, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lowen & Navarro, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Wilco and many more. His contributions to music have earned him multiple Grammy Awards, including for his engineering on Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, mixing Foo Fighters’ One by One, and engineering Santana’s Supernatural. Additionally, he received three Grammys for his work on Dixie Chicks’ Taking the Long Way. He also mixed Matchbox Twenty’s More Than You Think You Are, which reached No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 and produced two Top 10 singles on the US Hot 100.

In 2013, Scott appeared in the documentary Sound City, directed by Dave Grohl, alongside other iconic musicians like Paul McCartney, Neil Young, and Tom Petty. The film explored the legacy of the Los Angeles studio and its famed Neve recording console.

 

 

Early Years

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Scott was a drummer and singer in various high school bands such as The London Globe, Soul and The Reactions, and Cole and The Embers. His first drum set, purchased in 1964, came from Mel Bay. After high school, Scott moved to California to study at USC, where he gained a B.S. in geology and became involved with the band Voices, serving as their self-taught producer, engineer, and roadie. Though Voices secured a record deal with MGM Records, the band’s rise to fame was derailed by a dishonest manager. Following the band’s breakup, Scott briefly pursued a career as a geologist before returning to music.

Superlative Work Ethic – Record Plant Years

Scott’s entry into the professional music world came when a friend, working as a temp at The Record Plant, helped him secure a job as a gofer, although getting the job wasn’t that easy, he was initially rejected by Chris Stone, being told that being in his late 20’s he was already too old. Immediately after the interview he went to the bar next door and Scott called the studio and said he was available to start work Monday, showing perseverance after being initially rejected had paid off and he was accepted. Many entering the Record Plant at the lowest rung struggled with tasks like cleaning toilets, sweeping, and other chores, but for Jim Scott, it was easy. Jim attributes his parents with raising him with a strong work ethic, these duties didn’t bother him and excelling at them helped him stand out.

Every task led to more opportunities. Scott excelled as a runner, then as a night phone-answering guy. He followed many a studios traditional path—runner, janitor, then head janitor, where he took full responsibility for everything from supplies to session setups. At the Record Plant, the high-pressure environment quickly weeded out the less committed, but Scott thrived.

One of his biggest breaks came when he got involved with live remotes. With a truck-driving license and the trust of his supervisors, Scott hit the road, working over 500 gigs in two years. Scott recorded live performances by major acts like Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Blues Brothers, and Heart. After Scott got married to his wife, Carol he wanted to stay home so he shifted to studio work, where he was mentored by industry veterans Andy Johns and Lee DeCarlo and contributed to albums by artists such as Dolly Parton and Queen. This hands-on experience became the best training he could have received.

1984-2005: Dream Of The Blue Turtles and Freelance Career

Jim Scott was doing demos and what he called “super-assisting” at the Record Plant, where they would often bring him in when they had problems they couldn’t fix. Then, he got another big break. One day, they reached out to him and said, “We’ve got a guy from England working on a scoring stage, trying to put together a cinema release of the Police’s Synchronicity video. He’s attempting to sync three mag machines and two multitracks with the union guys, but it’s not working. Can you go over there and sort it out?”

Scott went over, met producer Pete Smith, and quickly got everything organised and running smoothly. He assured Smith to focus on his work while he took care of the technical side. After that project, six months went by, and then Scott received a call from Pete Smith. “I’ve been asked to produce Sting’s solo album. How would you like to come to Barbados and be the engineer?” Smith asked. That album was Sting’s first solo album, ‘Dream Of The Blue Turtles’.

Just like that, Scott transitioned from assisting to being a recording engineer, flying to Barbados to work on a major record with someone he had impressed through his previous efforts. The experience reinforced a lesson for anyone starting out in the industry: you always have to be at your best. As Scott put it, no one ever says, “Hmm, I need someone for these vocal overdubs, let’s find someone who’s not very good.” It doesn’t happen. You have to be sharp—on your game every day, for every job.

Scott found steady work with loyal clients, recording albums for Tom Petty, Wilco, Robbie Robertson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Fogerty, and more. He frequently collaborated with producers Rick Rubin and George Drakoulias, and began collecting recording equipment and instruments.

2006-Present: PLYRZ Recording Studio

In January 2006, Scott opened his own recording studio, PLYRZ, a 5,000-square-foot facility filled with his collection of vintage instruments and equipment. The studio’s control room features a Neve 8048 console, vintage compressors, effects, and an impressive microphone collection. Since then, he has continued to work with artists like The Courtyard Hounds, Sixpence None the Richer, Ron Sexsmith, and Hanson.

Grammy Awards and Legacy

Scott has been nominated for 17 Grammy Awards, winning seven. His accolades include:

He has also contributed to numerous other Grammy-winning albums, collaborating with artists like Lucinda Williams, Wilco, and Robert Randolph. With over 350 album credits to his name, Jim Scott remains a highly influential figure in the world of music production and engineering.

 

JIM SCOTT Discography

ARTIST

ALBUM

CREDIT

YEAR

Various Artists

Highway Butterfly: The Songs Of Neal Casal

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2020

Circles Around The Sun

Circles Around The Sun

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2020

Joe Satriani

Shapeshifting

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2020

Lauren Monroe

Forthcoming Album

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2020

Tom Petty

An American Treasure

Engineered and Mixed Selected tracks

2019

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Signs

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2018

Hanson

String Theory

Mixed

2018

Hamish Anderson

Out of My Head

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2018

Emma Scott

Emma Scott

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2018

Low Ray

Friends and The Fakers

Mixed

2018

Brent Cowles

How To Be OK Alone

Mixed

2018

Ian Gothe

Momento

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2018

Bill Martin

Valencia

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2018

Pascal Voiture

Jack’s Road

Mixed

2018

Mike Montrey

Forthcoming Album

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2017

John Ginty Band

Forthcoming Album

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2017

Danielle Hicks

Honey

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2017

Styx

The Mission

Mixed

2017

Light Warriors

Raise The Frequency

Mixed

2017

The Orchard

The Great Unknown

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2017

Calico The Band

Under Blue Skies

Mixed

2017

Kings + Associates

Tales Of A Rich Girl

Produced, Engineered

2017

Bonzie

Zone On Nine

Mixed

2017

Alejandro Escovedo

Burn Something Beautiful

Mixed

2016

Marcus King Band

The Marcus King Band

Mixed

2016

Victoria Reed

Chariot

Mixed

2016

Reckless Kelly

Sunset Motel

Mixed

2016

The Common Linnets

Forthcoming Album

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2016

The Broadcast

From The Horizon

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2016

Hamish Anderson

Trouble

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2016

Jerry Joseph

By The Time Your Rocket Gets to Mars

Mixed

2016

Hard Working Americans

Rest in Chaos

Mixed

2016

Warren Haynes

Ashes & Dust

Mixed

2016

Dweezil Zappa

Via Zammata

Mixed

2016

Sunny Ozell

Take It With Me

Mixed

2016

Jason Robert Blum

Invisible Words

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2016

Nine Days

Snapshots

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2016

Jerry Joseph

Forthcoming Release

Mixed

2015

Ron Sexsmith

Carousel One

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2014

Ryan Bingham

Fear And Saturday Night

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2014

Charlie Mars

The Money

Mixed

2014

Minnie Driver

Ask Me To Dance

Engineered, Mixed

2014

The Mastersons

Good Luck Charm

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2014

The Whigs

Modern Creation

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2014

Court Yard Hounds

Amelita

Produced, Engineered

2013

Lee DeWyze

Frames

Mixed

2013

Dido

Girl Who Got Away

Engineered

2013

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Made Up Mind

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2013

Nick Hexum

My Shadow Pages

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2013

Will Hoge

Never Give In

Mixed

2013

Sound City

Real to Reel

Engineered

2012

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Everbody’s Talkin’ Live

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2012

Sixpence None The Richer

Lost in Translation

Produced, Engineered, mixed

2012

Sons of Bill

Sirens

Mixed

2011

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

The Lion, The Beast…

Produced, Engineered

2011

Sting

25 Years

Engineered

2011

Teddy Thompson

Bella

Mixed

2011

Jack’s Mannequin

People And Things

Produced, Engineered

2011

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Revelator

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2011

The Wood Brothers

Smoke Ring Halo

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2011

The Bangles

Sweetheart Of The Sun

Mixed

2010

Tom Morello

World Wide Rebel Songs

Engineered, Mixed

2010

Court Yard Hounds

Court Yard Hounds

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2010

Tamar Kaprelian

Sinner Or A Saint

Engineered

2010

Crowded House

Intriguer

Co-produced, Engineered, Mixed

2009

Citizen Cope

The Rainwater LP

Engineered

2009

Will Hoge

The Wreckage

Mixed

2009

Works Progress Administration

WPA

Engineered, Mixed

2009

Wilco

Wilco (The Album)

Co-Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2009

7 Worlds Collide

The Sun Came Out

Co-Produced, Engineered

2009

NeedToBreathe

The Outsiders

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2009

Sons Of Bill

One Town Away

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2009

Streetsweeper Social Club

Streetsweeper Social Club

Engineered, Mixed

2009

Amy Allison

Sheffield Streets

Engineered, Mixed

2009

The Jayhawks

Music From The North Country

Mixed

2008

Foo Fighters

Greatest Hits

Mixed

2008

Lowen & Navarro

Learning To Fall

Mixed

2008

Gary Louis

Vagabonds

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2008

Donna The Buffalo

Silverlined

Mixed

2008

Dido

Safe Trip Home

Mixed

2008

The Bridges

Limits Of The Sky

Engineered, Mixed

2008

Glenn Hughes

First Underground Nuclear Kitchen

Mixed

2008

Augustana

Can’t Love Can’t Hurt

Engineered

2007

Kathleen Edwards

Asking For Flowers

Mixed

2007

Tavis Tritt

The Storm

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2007

Wilco

Sky Blue Sky

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2007

Minnie Driver

Sea Stories

Mixed

2007

John Fogerty

Revival

Engineered, Mixed

2007

King Wilkie

Low Country Suite

Engineered, Mixed

2007

Marc Cohn

Join The Parade

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2007

Lavender Diamond

Imagine Our Love

Engineered, Mixed

2006

Matchbox 20

Exile On Mainstream

Mixed

2006

Dave Alvin

West Of The West

Mixed

2006

Dixie Chicks

Taking The Long Way

Mixed

2006

Teddy Thompson

Separate Ways

Engineered

2006

Pilot Speed

Into The West

Mixed

2006

Kevin Hearn

Miracle Mile

Mixed

2006

John Fogerty

The Long Road Home

Produced, Engineered

2006

System Of A Down

Lonely Day

Mixed

2006

Laura Vecchione

Deeper Waters

Mixed

2005

The Damnwells

Air Stereo

Mixed

2005

Neal Casal

Return In Kind

Mixed

2005

Audioslave

Out Of Exile

Engineered

2005

Jason Mraz

Mr. A-Z

Engineered

2005

Weezer

Make Believe

Mixed

2005

Wilco

Kicking Television

Engineered

2005

Gratitude

Gratitude

Mixed

2005

Barenaked Ladies

Chicken Little

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2005

Nikka Costa

Can’tneverdidnothin’

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2005

Zoe Scott

Beautiful To Be Alive

Mixed

2005

Kathleen Edwards

Back To Me

Mixed

2004

Josh Kelley

Almost Honest

Mixed

2004

Tift Merritt

Tambourine

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2004

John Frusciante

Shadows Collide With People

Engineered, Mixed

2004

Charlie Mars

Charlie Mars

Engineered, Mixed

2004

Counting Crows

Films About Ghosts

Mixed

2004

Fernando Ortega

Fernando Ortega

Mixed

2004

John Gregory

Pictures From Home

Mixed

2004

Lowen & Navarro

Long Last Christmas

Mixed

2004

Mark Sandman

Sandbox

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2004

Masters Of Reality

Give Us Barrabas

Engineered

2004

Matthew Sweet

Platinum & Gold Collection

Mixed

2003

Neal Casal

Leaving Traces

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2003

Eve 6

It’s All In Your Head

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2003

Franky Perez

Poor Man’s Son

Mixed

2003

Johnny Cash

Unearthed

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2003

Lisa Marie Presley

To Whom It May Concern

Mixed

2003

Michele Branch

Hotel Paper

Mixed

2003

PaloAlto

Heroes and Villains

Mixed

2003

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Greatest Hits and Videos

Mixed

2003

Reef

Together: The Best of Reef

Engineered, Mixed

2003

Robert Randolph & Family Band

Unclassified

Engineered, Mixed

2003

Steve Forbert

The Geffen Years

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2002

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Live At The Olympic

Engineered

2002

Barenaked Ladies

Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits

Mixed

2002

Colorsound

Colorsound

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2002

Dave Matthews

Some Devil

Mixed

2002

Dredg

Cielo

Mixed radio singles

2002

Foo Fighters

One By One

Engineered

2002

Holly Near

And Still We Sing

Mixed

2002

Matchbox 20

More Than You Think You Are

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2002

Pseudopod

Pseudopod

Mixed

2002

Red Hot Chili Peppers

By The Way

Mixed

2002

Ride

OX4: The Best of Ride

Engineered, Mixed

2002

Robert Randolph & Family Band

Live At The Wetlands

Engineered

2002

Shannon McNally

Jukebox Sparrows

Engineered

2002

Sting & The Police

The Very Best of Sting & The

Mixed

2002

The Bodeans

Best of Bodeans: Slash & Burn

Engineered, Mixed

2001

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

the Last D J

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2001

Amy Allison

Sad Girl

Engineered

2001

Barenaked Ladies

Maroon

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2001

D-A-D

Everything Glows

Engineered, Mixed

2001

David Garza

Overdub

Mixed

2001

Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack

Welcome

Engineered, Mixed

2001

Eagle Eye Cherry

Present/ Future

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

2001

Natalie Merchant

Motherland

Mixed

2001

Neilson Hubbard

Why Men Fail

Mixed

2001

Pete Yorn

musicforthemorningafter

Mixed

2001

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Road Trippin’ dvd

Mixed

2000

Toploader

Onka’s Big Moka

Engineered, Mixed

2000

Jeff Healey Band

Get Me Some

Mixed

2000

Lifehouse

No Name Face

Engineered, Mixed

2000

Natalie Merchant

Tigerlilly (5:1 Audio)

Enigneered

2000

Neal Casal

Anytime Tomorrow

Mixed

2000

Rage Against The Machine

Renegades

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1999

Zachary Richard

Silver Jubilee

Engineered

1999

Counting Crows

This Desert Life

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1999

Kula Shaker

Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts

Mixed

1999

Matthew Sweet

In Reverse

Engineered

1999

Natalie Merchant

Live In Concert

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1999

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Californication

Mixed

1999

Santana

Supernatural

Engineered, Mixed

1999

Widespread Panic

Til The Medicine Takes

Engineered

1998

Wilco

Summerteeth

Mixed

1998

Golden Smog

Weird Tales

Mixed

1998

Hazeldine

Digging You Up

Mixed

1998

James Iha

Let It Come Down

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1998

Jude

No One’s Really Beautiful

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1998

Lowen & Navarro

Scratch At The Door

Mixed

1998

Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Engineered, Mixed

1998

Natalie Merchant

Ophelia

Mixed

1998

Old Pike

Ten Thousand Nights

Mixed

1998

The Connells

Still LIfe

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1998

Todd Thibaud

Favorite Waste Of Time

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1998

Vallejo

Beautiful life

Mixed

1997

You Am I

#4 Record

Mixed

1997

Blue Mountain

Homegrown

Engineered

1997

Garrison Starr

18 Over Me

Engineered, Mixed

1997

Neal Casal

Field Recordings

Mixed

1997

Reef

Glow

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1997

The Freddy Jones Band

Lucid

Engineered, Mixed

1997

The Jayhwaks

Sound Of Lies

Mixed

1997

The Mommyheads

Mommyheads

Mixed

1997

The Rolling Stones

Bridges To Babylon

Engineered, Mixed

1997

Tonio K

Ole

Engineered

1997

Whiskeytown

Stranger’s Almanac

Engineered, Mixed

1996

You Am I

Hourly Daily

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1996

Carl Perkins

Go Cat Go

Engineered, Mixed

1996

Donovan

Sutras

Engineered, Mixed

1996

Screaming Trees

Dut

Engineered

1996

Susanna Hoffs

Susanna Hoffs

Engineered

1996

The Freewheelers

Waitin’ For George

Engineered

1996

The Subdudes

Primitive Streak

Engineered, Mixed

1996

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

She’s The One

Mixed

1995

Wilco

Being There

Engineered, Mixed

1995

Anders Osbourne

Which Way To Here

Mixed

1995

Dead Hot Workshop

1001

Produced, Engineered

1995

Neal Casal

Fade Away Diamond Time

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1995

The Bodeans

Joe Dirt Car

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1995

The Ugly Americans

The Ugly Americans

Engineered

1994

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Playback

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1994

American Music Club

San Francisco

Engineered, Mixed

1994

Danzig

Danzig IV

Mixed

1994

Johnny Cash

American Recordings

Engineered

1994

Jump In The Water

Nothing Else Will Do

Engineered, Mixed

1994

Ride

Carnival Of Light

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1994

Slayer

Divine Intervention

Engineered

1994

The Subdudes

Annunciation

Engineered

1994

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Wildflowers

Mixed

1993

Vigilantes Of Love

Welcome To Struggleville

Engineered

1993

Chuck Prophet

Balinese Dancer

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1993

Holly Near

Fire In The Rain

Produced, Engineered

1993

Masters of Reality

Sunrise On The Sufferbus

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1993

Pierce Pettis

Chase The Buffalo

Engineered

1992

Tribe After Tribe

Love Under Will

Mixed

1992

Eric Eden

I’d Make You Happy

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1992

Oingo Boingo

Best Of Oingo Boingo

Mixed

1992

Roy Orbison

King Of Hearts

Engineered, Mixed

1990

The Samples

No Room

Engineered, Mixed

1990

Tribe After Tribe

Tribe After Tribe

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1990

Zachary Richard

Women In The Room

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1990

Danzig

Danzig II: Lucifuge

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1990

Holly Near

Singer In the Storm

Engineered

1990

Lowen & Navarro

Walking On A Wire

Engineered, Mixed

1990

Oingo Boingo

Dark At The End Of The Tunnel

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1990

Reo Speedwagon

Earth, A Small Man, His Dog…

Engineered

1989

Steve RIley & The Mamou …

Mamou Playboys

Produced, Engineered

1989

Treat Her Right

Tied to The Tracks

Engineered

1989

Lonesome Romeos

Lonesome Romeos

Engineered

1988

The Bodeans

Home

Engineered, Mixed

1988

The Adventures

Sea of Love

Produced, Engineered, Mixed

1988

Tom Jones

Move Closer

Mixed

1988

Danzig

Danzig

Engineered

1987

Oingo Boingo

Boingo Alive

Engineered

1987

Robbie Robertson

Robbie Robertson

Engineered, Mixed

1987

Santana

Freedom

Associate Producer, Engineer

1986

Carlos Santana

Blues For Salvador

Engineered

1985

Sting

Bring On The Night

Engineered

1985

Sting

Dream Of The Blue Turtles

Engineered, Mixed

1985

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