re: Endless Sleep - The Obituary Thread

Roy Thomas Baker (November 10, 1946 – April 12, 2025) was an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who produced rock and pop songs.

He first worked with Queen on their 1973 debut, co-producing the album with the band and John Anthony. He next co-produced Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, and A Night at the Opera, the 1975 album that houses Bohemian Rhapsody.

Beyond his work with Queen, Baker produced the Cars’ first four albums: 1978’s The Cars, 1979’s Candy-O, 1980’s Panorama, and 1981’s Shake It Up. He also worked with Yes, Journey, Devo, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Dusty Springfield, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Darkness, Foreigner, and Slade, among others.

Born in Hampstead, London, Baker began his career in music at Decca Studios in London where he served as second engineer to such major producers as Gus Dudgeon (Elton John) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex). He worked on recordings by those artists (under the name Roy Baker) as well as the Rolling Stones, the Who, Dusty Springfield, Ten Years After, Dr. John, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Savoy Brown, Moody Blues, Nazareth, Yes, Be Bop Deluxe, and many more. By 1971, he had become chief engineer and worked on such hits as Free’s 1970 smash “All Right Now” and T. Rex’s “Bang A Gong (Get It On).” He later moved over to Trident Studios in London’s Soho district, where he began working closely with Queen.