ONE GOODREASON
Alan Parsons is a unique figure in popular music; very few people go from working as a recording engineer and producer to becoming an artist in their own right. After working behind the scenes with The Beatles and Pink Floyd, Parsons formed his own Project (not, he explains, a group). Between 1976 and 1987, the Alan Parsons Project released 10 albums of original music. Along the way, Parsons was nominated 13 times for a Grammy; he won his first with Eye in the Sky (35th Anniversary Edition).
The Alan Parsons Project released its seventh album, Ammonia Avenue, in 1984. That record charted worldwide, earning gold certification in the U.S., Canada and Germany. Ammonia Avenue spawned three popular singles: “Prime Time,” “You Don’t Believe” and the hit “Don’t’ Answer Me.” A new and expanded boxed-set reissue of the album features the original record’s nine tracks plus an additional 44 tracks of songwriter demos and working versions.
In this recent conversation, Parsons looks back at Ammonia Avenue as well as the genesis and development of the Alan Parsons Project. He also provides a glimpse at future projects including a possible appearance in the upcoming documentary about The Beatles’ Let It Be.
GOLDMINE: Even thoughAmmonia Avenue
