Unsung Producer: Erik Jacobsen

American producer Erik Jacobsen crafted some of the most beautiful and strange music of the mid 60´s San Francisco. A forming member of Lovin´ Spoonful, Jacobsen moved from New York to San Francisco and further developed his cutting- edge production techniques. Summer in the City and Daydream being fine examples of his skills that defined an era and predicted a possible future.

Erik Jacobsen was born in Oak Park, near Chicago. A descendant of Norwegian settlers who migrated from Larvik, a small town on the east coast of Norway – home of electronic music pioneer and composer Arne Nordheim and a string of fine jazz musicians including pianist Bugge Wesseltoft and drummer Audun Kleive. 

Originally a bluegrass musician, he didn´t see a future with the form. After hearing the Beatles in a jukebox joint, he changed direction and moved to Greenwich Village in New York with the goal of becoming a record producer. The melodic bass playing introduced by Paul McCartney and Motown bass player, James Jamerson inspired him in search of new ways of expression. His producing style included tape looping and cut n´paste techniques.

Taking their name from a British fighter aircraft, Sopwith Camel released two albums between 1967 and 1973. The incredible “Fazon” from the Sopwith Camel´s last album “The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon» is a fine example of his abilities to sculpt in sound. The saxophone double tracking is just a wonderful idea that would anticipate a future vision of the Eventide harmonizer still a decade apart. 

By 1967, Erik Jacobsen had moved to San Francisco and produced Tim Hardin and fellow Spoonful member John Sebastian. Another great example of his production skills is the Norman Greenbaum 1969 album “Spirit in the Sky” that could possibly have been the-one-album that triggered the Motown a/r staff enough to pay him a visit inviting Jacobsen to start working for the label. This was around the same time that Norman Withfield developed his psychedelic soul sound.

Jacobsen also produced The Charlatans that included Dan Hicks, composer of the gorgeous “I Scare Myself” later appearing on Thomas Dolby´s 1984 album The Flat Earth. Regular Flowworker readers may also recognize Compass Point guitarist, Barry Reynolds hidden classic album I Scare Myself. These types of songs that appear and reappear every now and then in different versions, finding new audiences.

Jan Bang