"Dean, it’s David, how are you?". I won’t be hearing that raspy voice down the line ever again. Like its owner, it was forged in the smoky jazz clubs of Los Angeles’ Central Avenue, when that street was the hub of West Coast musical activity. I woke up on Monday morning to discover that David Axelrod, the legendary jazz and R&B producer, former Capitol Records A&R man, and hip-hop hero had died. It wasn’t really a surprise – but it still hit hard.
I’d been friends with David since he phoned me up to lambast me (correctly) for something I wrote in a sleeve note, and then proceeded to congratulate me for the compilation from which it came. He loved to talk, and the subjects we covered in hours on the phone ranged from the state of Capitol Records, having an office next door to Sly Stone, his love of London and of course Sherlock Holmes.
David had begun working for record companies in the 50s, producing Harold Land’s mighty The Fox whilst he was still in his 20s, before ending up at Capitol in 1964. Whilst at the Tower he helped Lou Rawls and Cannonball Adderley towards stardom, producing their biggest hits. This freedom allowed him to make his own albums, and his Songs Of Innocence and Songs Of Experience were clever orchestral magic that reflected his lifelong love of William Blake. Their follow up Earth Rot, was an environmental plea, at a time long before that was fashionable. At the time he also wrote and arranged two albums for the Electric Prunes on Reprise, which included the timeless "Holy Are You", the music that The Verve would play just before they came on stage.
The 1970s saw David working at Fantasy as well as recording several more albums under his own name, but the following decade was a fallow period, as the industry appeared to have moved on without him. What came next surprised and delighted him, as hip hop discovered his music and it became prominently sampled. At the start it was an underground thing, with The Beatnuts and DJ Shadow looping up his Capitol Recordings but by the turn of the decade two of the biggest albums of the era by Lauren Hill and Dr Dre used prominent pieces of Axe music.
By this time Frank Tope and I had compiled Anthology 1968-70 for Stateside, and David had become a regular transatlantic caller. One day on the phone he confided that the money for Dre using his composition "The Edge" had started to come in "Dean it’s fuck you money" – sorry David what’s that? – "well now if someone asks me to do something and I don’t want to do it, I can say ‘fuck you!’’ before bursting into his laugh.
After a new album for Mo’ Wax, and a triumphant concert at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s south bank he slowed down physically, and despite discussions of further shows, more recordings, nothing emerged. Yet the last time I chatted with him he was still full of life, still discussing the latest in the world of Holmes (Sherlock was interesting but it would never be as good as Jeremy Brett).
David always made it clear that he considered me a friend and old friend I sure will miss you.
Condolences to his wife Terry and all of his family.
- Dean Rudland
This is the one to put on - from David's earlier jazz producer days. "One Down" by Harold Land - from The Fox, one of the most underated jazz albums ever. A selection of other great tracks follow.
David Axelrod - The Shadow Knows
The Electric Prunes - Holy Are You
David McCallum - The Edge
