Rick Rubin became famous in the ’80s as the producer of some of the greatest hip-hop and rock records of that decade - from Run-DMC’s Raising Hell and the Beastie Boys' Licensed To Ill to Slayer’s Reign In Blood and The Cult's Electric.
But by 1989 he had quit Def Jam, the label he co-founded with Russell Simmons, and relocated from his native New York City to Los Angeles to launch a new record label, Def American.
For the new label he took Slayer with him and added new acts to his roster including Danzig, a heavy rock quartet led ex-Misfits vocalist Glenn Danzig, and controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay.
In a 1989 interview with Sounds, Rubin talked about his career, his role as producer and the artists he’s worked with.
DEF JAM RECORDINGS
"I started Def Jam from practically no money. I think Russell [Simmons, co-founder] and I contributed maybe 2000 dollars each, which is not a lot of money. We did seven one-off singles and we got picked up by CBS, purely because we'd sold a lot, and not because anybody at CBS liked the music.
"LL Cool J's I Need A Beat was the first official Def Jam record, although the logo was on a record I produced by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay called It's Yours. That was made in '82 or '83, before I met Russell. It was my first rap record.
“We've seen the white audience fooled before, with a lot of commercial pop crap that people hear so many times that they go out and buy the records. With black music that doesn't work.
"With black music, it's either in the grooves or it's not in the grooves. If it is, you have hits and, if not, you don't. I think rock music should be more like that.”
BEASTIE BOYS
"Licensed To Ill was a group effort. We all had input. Musically, a lot of the time, I would go into the studio and do tracks on my own and they'd come in and do the lyrics. No Sleep Till Brooklyn I didn't like as a song title, but that was very much Beasties.
“I co-wrote most of everything on the Beastie Boys album. It's weird, because people don't look at Madonna and wonder whether she played the guitar solo or wrote the songs. I don't know that the Beastie Boys were comfortable with what they were. I heard they're making a record on their own now. I guess they want to find out what it'll be like without me.”
THE PRODUCER
"On a rock record, a producer's job is to arrange, get the best performance out of the artist and get the sound as good as it can be. Whereas, on a rap record, a producer is often responsible for the tracks. Also, the experience of having done rap or any kind of black music makes the rock records that much better.
"That was the case with 'Mutt' Lange. When he produced AC/DC, he'd only produced R&B music before. He didn't even like rock 'n' roll. And he's since gone on to become probably the greatest rock 'n' roll producer of all time."
DEF AMERICAN
"Over the history of Def Jam, I typically made the hard rap records and Russell typically made R&B records. His tastes were growing in a more commercial R&B direction, and mine were going in a more hard-edged direction, whether it was rap or rock.
"CBS were making my life miserable and made the split happen sooner rather than later. Legally, myself and Russell still haven't separated. Russell always had his projects and I had mine. We're still good friends, but I thought it best that we each realised our own dreams and, since he didn't want to leave Def Jam, I left!"
DANZIG
“Glenn {Danzig, vocalist] listens to soundtrack music a lot and that's what that music's all about: tension. Recently, their playing has gotten to a machine-like state. I signed Danzig after seeing the band live. They blew me away. I never liked the Misfits, but being convinced by the live performance, I listened to the old records and I really liked his vocals. He's a great singer/songwriter."
ANDREW DICE CLAY
"Andrew Dice Clay is, in a lot of ways, more offensive than [fellow American comedian] Sam Kinison. But Dice can appeal to a wider audience because, disgusting as he is, he's preaching a lot of redneck values, whereas Kinison preaches a lot of rock 'n' roll attitude. I mean, taking drugs isn't even a rock 'n' roll attitude any more, so Kinison is really limiting himself.
"There's a heavy conservatism in this country. When I got to school, kids were interested in their rights. When I left, they were more interested in not making any waves and moving up the corporate ladder. Times have changed and Kinison is boxing himself in, whereas Dice is full of ancient all-American values.
"Def American is probably the only label that would put Dice's record out. And I think it fits."
THE CULT
"I tried to make The Cult sound like a rock 'n' roll band [on the 1987 album Electric]. I know a lot of people like The Manor Sessions [the early versions of the Electric songs, produced by Steve Brown], but that's not rock 'n' roll as I know it! To me, The Cult's new album Sonic Temple sounds like their Love album with better musicianship. But they're happy with what they're doing."
ROY ORBISON
"I really enjoyed producing a song for Roy for the Less Than Zero soundtrack, with strings and choir back-up. I really liked Roy, he was a great guy, no pretensions, no difficulty.
“I went to Roy's house with Glenn Danzig. Glenn had written the song. We practised it and Roy changed some of the words to fit his personality.
"It was unusual for me working with someone from that era. The majority of people I've worked with are in their late teens or early 20s. If anything, it was easier working with Roy, because young artists are so headstrong and sometimes it's hard to help them, whereas Roy believed In himself enough to try different things."
