Quick Facts
Biography
Ian Caple is an English recording engineer, record producer, and mixer.
History
Caple's career began at EMI Music in 1979. After training at Abbey Road Studios, he became an engineer at EMI's KPM studios in Denmark Street. He worked with Shriekback on their early albums at KPM as well as Kate Bush Simple Minds & Adam & The Ants He left in 1984 to work as a freelance engineer/producer/mixer.
Through the 80's he worked again with Shriekback as well as many other Indie artists including the Pale Fountains, Jah Wobble, The Colourfield, Julian Cope, The Mekons, The Chameleons, The Wolfhounds, & East Village
In 1989 he produced The Mekons Rock 'n Roll album which features in Pitchfork's top 100 albums of the '80s & is number 272 in Spin Magazine's ' 300 best albums of the past 30 years '
In the early '90s he co - produced the debut album for Tindersticks. The album – Tindersticks (1993 album), was released in 1993 & was voted album of the year by Melody Maker magazine. He went on to work with them for the next 16 years, either recording, co-producing or mixing their first 10 albums & movie soundtracks. The second Tindersticks album Tindersticks (1995 album) was recorded at Conny Plank's studio In Cologne & at Abbey Road Studios, it reached number 13 in the British album charts
In 1995 he was asked to remix the single "Black Steel" for Tricky & this led to a long term collaboration with the artist. Caple mixed more singles with Tricky including Hell is round the corner The Hell EP which went to number 12 in the UK singles chart & remixed "where do we go from here" by Yoko Ono for her album Rising Remixes. He also recorded & mixed Tricky's Nearly God album, featuring guest vocals from Terry Hall of The Specials, Alison Moyet, Neneh Cherry, Björk and Martina Topley-Bird. Soon after, he went to Jamaica with Tricky to record & mix the next album – Pre-Millennium Tension which went on to sell 450,000 copies worldwide & was featured in Q magazine's list of the "50 heaviest albums of all time"
He worked again with Tricky in 2012 when he mixed his 9th studio album False Idols it reached number 15 in the UK Indie albums chart & number 5 in the US Dance/Electronic albums chart
In 1996 he recorded & co-produced the debut album "Attack of the grey lantern" by Mansun which spent 19 weeks in the UK album charts & reached Number One in February 1997, selling over 100,000 copies in the UK & achieving Gold status. It was ranked at number 12 in Melody Maker's ' best 50 albums of the year 1997 ' Two singles from the album, Stripper Vicar, & Wide Open Space (song) made the UK top 40 singles chart.
In 1997 he produced the Fantaisie militaire album for Alain Bashung in France. It was released in 1998 & went to number one in the French album charts & spent 36 weeks in the top 50 It went on to be certified Platinum, winning the best album of the year at the 1999 Victoires de la musique – the French music awards, & in 2005 it received the award for the best album of the past 20 years at Victoires de la musique. In 2010 rolling stone magazine voted it number 9 in the 100 best French rock albums of all time
In 2000 he produced the debut album for Irish rock band JJ72 which reached number 16 in the UK album chart & spent 35 weeks in the Irish album chart, peaking at number 7, it has gone on to sell over 500,000 copies worldwide & has achieved Gold status in the UK. Also in 2000 he mixed the album 'Gratte Poil' for French band Tetes Raides, it spent 61 weeks in the French album charts, reaching number 23 & it achieved Gold status
In 2001 he mixed the album 'L'Absente' for French composer Yann Tiersen which spent 41 weeks in the French album charts, reaching number 8 it sold over 100,000 copies in France
In 2008 he mixed the debut album for Greek singer-songwriter Monika Christodoulou (Monika), it sold over 30,000 copies in Greece, achieving Platinum status.
In 2009 he produced the 'where The oceans end' album for French band Cocoon. It was released in 2010 & spent 49 weeks in French album charts, peaking at number 6 selling over 100,000 copies & achieving platinum status Also in 2009 he produced the debut album – Until the Earth Begins to Part for Scottish indie band Broken Records
In 2006 he mixed the album Amor Doloroso for French star Jacques Higelin, In 2010 he mixed the next Jacques Higelin album Coup de Foudre which spent 48 weeks in the French album charts & peaked at number 2. it sold over 50,000 copies & achieved Gold status Also in 2010 he mixed Higelin's Live album – Paris/Zenith 2010
In 2012 he mixed the album 'Le dernier présent' for French singer-songwriter Alexis HK it reached number 22 in the French album chart
In 2013 he recorded & co produced Emilie Simon's album 'Mue'. It was released in 2014 and went to number 16 in the French album chart
in 2014 he recorded & mixed the debut album by Danish singer/songwriter Broken Twin which reached number 8 in the Danish album charts in 2016 he mixed the latest Jacques Higelin album 75 which spent 12 weeks in the french album charts & reached number 6
Selected discography
- Mansun – Attack of the Grey Lantern
- JJ72 – JJ72
- Tricky – Pre-Millennium Tension, Nearly God, False Idols, & Singles including: black steel, makes me wanna die, Christiansands, Tricky Kid, pumpkin, hell is round the corner ( the hell EP), poems, nothings changed.
- Tindersticks – all 10 albums & film scores & 25 singles 1992-2008
- Broken Records – Until the Earth Begins to Part
- Pale Fountains – From across the kitchen table (engineer)
- Shriekback – Care, Tench, Jam Science, Sacred City, Oil & Gold & singles inc.my spine is the bass line, Lined up
- The Mekons – Honky Tonkin’,The Curse of the Mekons, The Mekons Rock 'n Roll, Fun 90, Natural, Heaven & Hell, Ancient & Modern
- Suede – Sci Fi Lullabies
- Our Broken Garden – When your blackening shows & The Golden Sea
- The Creatures – turn it on & Prettiest Thing
- David Bridie (Australia) – Hotel Radio & Act of Free Choice
- Stina Nordenstam - People Are Strange
- Broken Twin (Denmark) – May
French Albums:
- Alain Bashung – Fantaisie militaire
- Cocoon – Where the oceans end
- Yann Tiersen – L'Absente
- Tetes Raides – Gratte Poil
- Autour De Lucie – Faux Movement
- Émilie Simon – Mue
- Jacques Higelin – Amour Doloroso, Coup de Foudre, Paris Zenith Live & New album 75
- a singer must die – Venus Parade & More Songs Beyond Love