worked on a number of important and classic recordings. The most famous of these, perhaps, are mid-'60s tracks that
. They also include, however, the first two
(their first attempt at "Eight Miles High," re-recorded later for official release),
, and others.
also attempted to establish himself as a producer in the late '60s, with limited success, most notably with
album.
Hassinger's work with
the Rolling Stones was probably pivotal in expanding his musical and professional horizons. The
Stones liked working in American studios, and during their mid-'60s tours in the States, they would often record in that country, including sessions at RCA in Hollywood.
Hassinger first worked with them at the end of 1964, and did engineering on tracks that appeared on
Out of Our Heads and
December's Children. He did all of
Aftermath, even writing the liner notes. The palette of sounds and instruments on the record -- marimbas, dulcimer, sitar, harpsichord, and fuzz bass -- was a challenge for both the
Stones and the producer (
Andrew Oldham) and engineer.
Hassinger decided to form his own independent production company, signing
the Electric Prunes for that purpose.
Hassinger's most notable achievements as producer were the first
Electric Prunes singles and albums. Several of
the Electric Prunes' best and most well-known songs had sonically adventurous psychedelic effects, like the extended humming guitar that starts their big hit "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night," the distorted psychedelic
Bo Diddley guitar of "Get Me to the World on Time," and what sounds like a sped-up ukulele on "Sold to the Highest Bidder."
The Electric Prunes have gone on record as noting, however, that they themselves were largely responsible for the creation of these effects, and have also said that Chief Electrical Engineer
Richie Podolor and assistant electrician
Bill Cooper were more responsible for the engineering than
Dave Hassinger was.
The Electric Prunes' promising career soon got off track when the original lineup started to dissolve, and
Hassinger, who owned
the Electric Prunes name, kept the group going with entirely different musicians. The final
Electric Prunes albums thus bear no resemblance to the original group, and are considered embarrassments.
Hassinger seemed to have another opportunity to advance his career as
the Grateful Dead's first producer, acting in that capacity for their first album.
The Grateful Dead's qualities as a live band and cultural icon were difficult to capture on tape (as they would be throughout most of their career), and
Hassinger was not the most suitable intermediary for a band that disdained conventional industry practices.
Hassinger got fed up with the group during the recording of
Anthem of the Sun, when they asked for effects that would simulate something like "the sound of thick air," and ended his association with them. In the '70s and '80s, he continued to work as an engineer, assuming that position on albums by diverse performers including
Leo Kottke,
Seals & Crofts,
the Blackbyrds, and
George Strait.
–
Richie Unterberger, Rovi