* En anglais uniquement
b. England, d. 29 August 1981, London, England. This enigmatic figure first came to prominence during the early 60s as a disc jockey at London’s influential Scene club. His collection of soul and R&B releases was one of the finest in Britain and compilation tapes culled from this remarkable archive supplied several bands, including the Who and the Small Faces, with their early live repertoires. Having helped assemble several anthologies culled from Chess Records, Stevens joined Island Records in order to mastermind their Sue subsidiary. He also began work as a producer, and following a successful debut with Larry Williams On Stage, he took control of the VIPs, a new signing to the parent company. This Carlisle-based unit accompanied Stevens on a 1967 album, Hapshash And The Coloured Coat, which also featured designers Michael English and Nigel Weymouth. The VIPs later evolved into Spooky Tooth.
Stevens’ best-known collaboration came with Mott The Hoople. He produced their first four albums but, more crucially, shaped the sound and attitude of this early work. The UK bands Free, Traffic and Mighty Baby also benefited from Stevens’ involvement, but by the early 70s his persona had become too erratic. Chronic alcoholism debilitated his abilities and few now considered using his talents. Stevens did produce some early demos for the Clash and in 1979 they invited him to work on what became London Calling. Possibly the band’s definitive release, its success should have engendered a renewed career for its producer, but considerable resistance still remained. On 29 August 1981, Guy Stevens was found dead in his south London home, the victim of a heart attack. His influence on music, although not of the highest profile, remains incalculable.