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Robert Margouleff
Robert Margouleff
Birth name	Robert Margouleff
Born	August 8, 1940 (age 84); New York, United States
Genres	Electronic; synth-pop; funk; soul; rock; R&B;
Occupations	Music producer; film producer; recording engineer;
Years active	1960–present

Robert Margouleff is an American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer.^[1]

Career

The Birth of TONTO

Margouleff was an early customer, friend and collaborator of fellow New Yorker and music instrument pioneer Robert Moog, contributing early insight toward Moog's musical instrument development for artists to routinely program and use synthesizers.^[2] He also was an early creative resource at Andy Warhol's "factory", eventually co-producing Ciao! Manhattan (1972), a semi-biographical cult film tale of 1960s counterculture film actress and socialite Edie Sedgwick, one of Warhol's "superstars".

In 1968, Robert Margouleff purchased a Moog Series IIIc, which was intended to be the "first orchestra of synthesizers".^[3] He soon went on to meet well-known bassist Malcolm Cecil, who approached him to learn more about this synthesizer. In exchange for Cecil teaching Margouleff how to use the recording console, Margouleff taught Cecil how to use the Moog. In just two weeks, the duo set to build the largest synthesizer in the world.^[3] A few weeks later, they jointly formed a group known as TONTO's Expanding Head Band, through which they explored the nearly unlimited capabilities of their machine. They recorded the album Zero Time (1971), attracting attention from many other leading artists of that era to the newly emerging music technology.^[4]

Stevie Wonder

Beginning in 1972, Margouleff and Cecil worked with Stevie Wonder on a string of award-winning albums, including Music of My Mind (1972), Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973) and Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), all of which featured Margouleff and Cecil as associate producers, engineers and synthesizer programmers.

TONTO was pivotal in the duo's relationship with Wonder because it allowed him to arrange his own tracks and to be involved in each step of the recording process.^[3] Over a three-day stretch, the trio recorded 17 songs together for their first release.^[3] After Fulfillingness' First Finale, Margouleff and Moog ceased collaboration with Wonder, due to unfair business relations and a changed relationship with him.^{[citation needed]}

Margouleff described the relationship between himself, Cecil and Wonder as "like three meteors in the sky and they're all flying towards one another. For one brief second there's this huge bright light when all three meteors cross paths at the same time and there's just this brilliant flash... and it just goes away. That's how it was with me, Steve, and Malcolm."^[3]

Post-Wonder

In 1975, TONTO's Expanding Head Band resumed with It's About Time and the pair collaborated on Billy Preston's album It's My Pleasure. Margouleff went on to produce music with Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, David Sanborn, Depeche Mode, Oingo Boingo, the Doobie Brothers, Quincy Jones, Bobby Womack, the Isley Brothers, Gil Scott-Heron, Weather Report, Stephen Stills, Dave Mason, Little Feat, Joan Baez, Steve Hillage, Paul Rodgers, GWAR and many others.^[5]

In 1980, Margouleff produced the Freedom of Choice album for American new wave band Devo. On working with Margouleff, Devo's co-founder and principal songwriter Gerald Casale said, "He just brought the right kind of tone and energy to the fact that we [were] using mini-Moogs".^[6] In an interview for Rhino Records, Casale described how Devo's demos for the album, which featured extensive usage of the Moog Bass, convinced Margouleff to work with them.^[7]

1995–present

Margouleff is currently a partner in Safe Harbor Pictures LLC. in Los Angeles, California, where he has developed a fully tape-less 2D / 3D High definition production workflow, from shooting to editing. As an avid sailor and documentary filmmaker, Margouleff is producing Tall Ships of the World, a 13-episode series about America's greatest sailing ships, which will be available on Blu-ray in 3D.

In 1997, Margouleff was a principal founder of Mi Casa Multimedia in Hollywood, California, a leading boutique surround sound (multi-channel audio) mixing studio specializing in home theatre DTS and DVD / HD DVD releases for major motion picture studios. Mi Casa Multimedia studios is located in a former home of actor Béla Lugosi.^[8]

Margouleff was invited to present as the Keynote Speaker for the 129th AES Convention on November 4, 2010, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. His lecture was titled "What the Hell Happened?", which examined the influence of fast-paced technological developments on creativity in the music industry and the recording arts.

In 2013, the National Music Centre acquired TONTO.^[9]

Personal life

Margouleff is the son of Great Neck Estates Mayor Jean Margouleff^[10] and Ruth Margouleff. He also has one sister and one brother. ^[11]

Discography

With Malcolm Cecil

1971: Zero Time – Tonto's Expanding Head Band
1975: It's About Time – Tonto's Expanding Head Band

Engineering, production, programming credits with Cecil

1970: A Moog Mass – Caldara
1971: The Great Blind Degree – Richie Havens
1972: Music of My Mind – Stevie Wonder
1972: Talking Book – Stevie Wonder
1973: Innervisions – Stevie Wonder
1973: The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers
1973: 3+3 – The Isley Brothers
1973: Kindling – Gene Parsons
1974: Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder
1974: Good Old Boys – Randy Newman
1974: Live It Up – The Isley Brothers
1974: Shankar Family & Friends – Ravi Shankar
1975: It's My Pleasure – Billy Preston
1975: The Heat Is On – The Isley Brothers
1975: Join Me and Let's Be Free – Wilson Pickett
1975: Tale Spinnin' – Weather Report
1977: Motivation Radio – Steve Hillage

Credits with other artists^[12]
^{(see also Malcolm Cecil Discography, Margouleff and Cecil (together) Discography)}

1966/1985: Original Television Soundtrack Star Trek From the Original Pilots "The Cage" & "Where No Man Has Gone Before" – Alexander Courage
1968: Presenting... – Lothar and the Hand People
1973: Hat Trick – America (synth programming)
1976: Billy Preston – Billy Preston
1976: 2nd Resurrection – The Stairsteps
1977: Ready for the World – Inner Circle
1978: Introducing the ARP Avatar – Ned Liben
1980: Minimum Wage Rock & Roll – The BusBoys
1980: Freedom of Choice – Devo
1982: As We Speak – David Sanborn
1982: The Innocents – The Innocents
1983: Good for Your Soul – Oingo Boingo
1986: "All I Need" – The Manhattans (additional producer, remix)
1986: "But Not Tonight" – Depeche Mode (additional producer, remix)
1987: Renaissance – Branford Marsalis
1987: American Soul Man – Wilson Pickett
1990: The Odd Get Even – Shadowfax
1991: Live in Concert – 2 Live Crew
1992: Freedom to Fly – Tony MacAlpine
1994: Alternative NRG – various artists
1995: Conversation Peace – Stevie Wonder (mixing)
Unknown: Rumor Has It EP – Avalon^[13]