Robin Millar (producer)


Sir Robin John Christian Millar is an English record producer, musician and businessman, known variously as 'The Original Smooth Operator', 'The man behind Sade', and 'Golden Ears' by Boy George. He was born in London to an Irish father and a West Indian mother, and is blind. He is one of the world's most successful record producers with over 150 gold, silver and platinum discs and 55 million record sales to his credit. His 1984 production of Diamond Life, the debut album by Sade, was named one of the best ten albums of the last 30 years at the 2011 Brit Awards.
He has developed and run a string of businesses in car hire, music recording, artist management and publishing and is currently Head of Creative Services for Arts Media Worldwide and for the Blue Raincoat / Chrysalis group of companies.
He has worked as a fundraiser for vulnerable people for 30 years and in 2012 underwent a 12-hour operation to install a bionic retina in his right eye to help research into future treatment for blindness.
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours and knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to music, people with disabilities, young people and charity.
In November 2020 he was appointed Chair of Scope UK, the national charity representing 14 million UK disabled people. In February 2021 he rode 407 virtual miles on an exercise bike to raise £40,000 for Scope, whose shops were closed down in the pandemic.

Early life

Millar was born with retinitis pigmentosa at St George's Hospital, which is now The Lanesborough Hotel, Hyde Park Corner. Despite poor vision he attended mainstream state school Enfield Grammar School from 1963 to 1970 and then read law at Queens' College, Cambridge from 1970 to 1973. Millar's older sister Rose was the first wife of The Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, and Millar sometimes accompanied his sister and brother-in-law on tours as a teenager.

Musical career

After gaining his law degree, Millar moved into the music industry initially recording a solo album Cat's Eyes in 1974 with Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones acting as Producer. The album was recorded at The Beatles Apple Studios 3 Saville Row, London and featured Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keyes and Billy Preston, along with Gordon Raitt and Jamie Lane and engineer Andy Johns, but remained unreleased until issued by Apcor Records in 2019. Later, in 1978, he featured as a guitarist and artist in a band called The Blue Max alongside Danny Peyronel with Charisma Records, eventually putting out records with Atlantic and WEA and working with ex-Velvet Underground singer Nico. He also played guitar with French rock band Extraballe and produced the group’s eponymous 3rd album in 1981. After working with post punk band Weekend as a record producer in 1982, he purchased Morgan Studios studio 1 and studio 2 to found Power Plant Studios in 1984. Millar also at one time owned Whitfield Street Studios. Millar's breakthrough came in 1984 with seven consecutive Top 10 albums; including Eden by Everything but the Girl, Working Nights by Working Week, and multi-platinum selling Diamond Life, the debut album by the band Sade.
Production on other significant hit records in the period include Fine Young Cannibals, Colin Hay, Big Country, Patricia Kaas, Kane Gang, Bhundu Boys, Black, Tom Robinson, Malcolm McLaren and Randy Crawford amongst others. Millar arranged the music for the film, And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... Millar's song "Rich and Poor", co-composed with Colin Vearncombe, was recorded by Randy Crawford on her 1989 album, Rich and Poor. His 2002 solo album, Kiss & Tell, was released by the Nujaz record label. Kiss & Tell featured additional guest vocalists such as Patricia Kaas,, Peppercorn and Amar showcasing Millar's affinity with soul and latin styles. It included his own recording of 'The Sweetest Taboo' a song he originally produced for Sade. In 2020, Millar released his album Meditations From A Desert Island, a series of mood pieces to enhance mind and spirit, originally conceived to assist his staff at Blue Raincoat Music to manage the stress of lockdown restrictions.
Millar trained as a recording engineer, classical and jazz musician and arranger, and has trained dozens of engineers and producers, including Jim Abbiss, the producer of Arctic Monkeys and Adele.
In 2010 he produced the 12 track MP4 album "Cross Party". In 2016 he brought together MPs, professional musicians, students and the Thurrock Community Chorus for a charity recording of "You can't always get what you want" in aid of the Friends of Jo Cox MP.
Millar is a patron of The Music Producers Guild, which he helped found in 1987.
Millar was executive producer of the major worldwide series of concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Édith Piaf, with shows in Carnegie Hall, New York, The Royal Albert Hall London and major venues in France, Germany, Russia, Europe and the Far East. He has been collaborating with Australian singer/songwriter Eran James whom he met through Elton John in 2010.
He is currently Chairman of Chrysalis Records Ltd and Blue Raincoat Music, who handle the careers of Cigarettes After Sex and Phoebe Bridgers and the music recordings of Ultravox, Sinead O’Connor, The Specials, Debbie Harry, Billy Idol's Generation X and Everything But The Girl and a song catalogue that includes "The Best" global hit sung by Tina Turner and music from the original Woodstock Festival.

Charity work promoting skills and training

In July 2017 Millar became a founder trustee of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. He was a founder trustee of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural from 2008 to 2011 and was instrumental in the project to build The Backstage Centre, part of High House Purfleet. Co-located with the Royal Opera House's Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Centre, the centre hires out its Sound Stage and recording studios to professional companies whilst hosting training courses for young people in backstage skills. In 2016 Millar led a charity recording from the Centre involving MPs, the local choir and professional singers to raise funds in memory of MP Jo Cox. From 2011 to 2015 Millar was a trustee of Creative & Cultural Skills. In 2020 he was appointed chair of the disability charity Scope. He has produced music events for charity including when a Patron at UNHCR and was a global ambassador for Leonard Cheshire Disability for eight years.

Personal life

He was married to American painter Ellen Trillas from 1979 to 1997. They had two children. He has been with his wife Shelley for twenty five years.
Millar appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs on 20 March 2015.

Production credits

Millar's work as a record producer includes credits on the following:

Track Listing

All songs written by Robin Millar

Personnel

Production

Track Listing

All songs by Robin Millar and Fred Ala, except where noted

Personnel

  • Robin Millar - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Talking Drum, Harmonica
  • Mark Smith - Bass Guitar, Hammond Organ, Programming, Autoharp
  • Fred Ala - Electric Piano, Synth, Programming, Additional Guitar on "Summer Rain", Additional Percussion on "A New Wave"
  • Lysha Davis - Alto Saxophone on "Tout Confort"
  • - Additional Vocals on "Love Has Gone" and "A New Wave"
  • Patricia Kass - Additional Vocals on "Tout Confort"
  • Amar - Additional Vocals on "Summer Rain"
  • Peppercorn - Additional Vocals on "The Sweetest Taboo"

Production

  • Robin Millar - Producer, Arranger, Mixer, Brass, Vocal and String Arrangements
  • Mark Smith - Co-Producer
  • Fred Ala - Co-Producer
  • Tom Coyne - Mastering at Sterling Sound, New York

Track Listing

All music by Robin Millar

Personnel

Production