| Jimmy Bralower | |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Born | USA |
| Occupation | Record producer, musician, writer, arranger |
| Associated acts | Madonna Chic Cyndi Lauper Duran Duran |
| Producer | |
Jimmy Bralower is an American a record producer, arranger, writer and musician, who has worked on Duran Duran recordings.
Biography[]
Jimmy's first band was "The Young Ones" who were signed to Columbia Records when he was 14, recording at the Columbia Recording Studios with producer John Simon. He spent his years immediatly after leaving college on the road and in the studio as a drummer with bands that came "close" to making it. His first break came as part of the creative team for the rap & hip pioneer Kurtis Blow. As a performer, writer and arranger on songs like "The Breaks" (the first 12" gold record ever) and Basketball, Bralower was an early believer in electronic technology and was the first studio drummer to adopt programming into his work, He is responsible for crafting sounds and exploring previously uncharted territory, paving the way for contemporary hip hop.
Jimmy became a fixture at the Power Station studios in New York (USA), working with owner Tony Bongiovi where he officially began his full time studio career. His work caught the eye of producer Nile Rodgers, with whom he spent four years making records such as Madonna's "Like A Virgin", Duran Duran's "The Reflex" and "The Wild Boys", with tracks by Chic, Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, and the Power Station. As his profile raised he continued with acts including Cyndi Lauper, Hall & Oates, and Carly Simon.
In the mid 1990s, Jimmy expanded his career into the world of mixing and re-mixing, adding production touches to records that were not quite radio ready. His production and remix of Jimmy Cliff's "I Can See Clearly Now" and his production of Diana King's "Stir It Up" were released on the soundtrack of the movie "Cool Running". His co-production with Cyndi Lauper of "Hey Now, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" was an international hit and he also produced Nicki Holland's "I Just Don't What To Do With Myself" for the soundtrack of "My Best Friends Wedding".
Whilst at Atlantic Records his work was diverse, which included two tracks for Britney Spear's debut album. His talent developed and record making skills helped in 2000 for him to be named Vice President of A&R and Staff Producer for Atlantic Records.
In 2007, Jimmy was elected to the National Board of Trustees of The Recording Academy.