Hal Willner death: Elvis Costello says his approach to production resembled 'chaos of childhood chemistry set'
English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello has written a beautiful homage to late producer Hal Willner, who he regards a "dear friend" and with whom he worked during their careers-spanning decades.
Willner, who was 64, died on Monday, April 6. While the cause behind his death remains unclear, reports suggest, Willner had been suffering from symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Willner worked on numerous projects as a music producer for film, TV, and live events. His career started when he joined 'SNL' as a sketch music producer in 1981. As a producer, Willner worked on Lou Reed albums, he worked with Marianne Faithfull on her album 'Strange Weather', with Lucinda Williams on her 2007 album, 'West', and many more.
Costello and Willner worked on numerous projects together, including 'Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus', the 1992 Charles Mingus tribute album manned by Willner; on 'Punishing Kiss' from the soundtrack for Robert Altman’s 1993 film, 'Short Cuts'; and on a video documentary, 'September Songs - The Music of Kurt Weill', which released in 1994.
Costello posted his heartfelt tribute on Facebook opening with, "Words are a very poor carriage for the way I am feeling today at the sudden passing of my dear friend, Hal Willner." Costello recalled a moment "not very long ago" when he and Willner sat together "listening to a wonderful record" that Willner was making "with an extraordinary cast based on the songs of Marc Bolan", the lead singer of the band T Rex. Costello says, "His studio was like a living collage of his love of music, art and other fascinations; record albums, artwork, puppets, tiny books of arcane facts once owned by Stan Laurel were among his wonders."
Costello also attributed how "Listeners are sometimes confused by the role of a record producer," saying, "As many of the most successful or infamous producers apply their own vision to the music like a veneer or lens through which the original intentions may be only dimly perceived." He went on to explain how "Hal’s approach better resembled the beautiful chaos of a childhood chemistry set, in which all of the substances and elements were mixed with joyous but determined abandon to render colored smoke, a delightful explosion or something of unlikely and uncommon beauty."
In Costello’s homage, which he posted on Facebook, he recalled a recent meetup where they listened to the T Rex tribute album that Willner helmed along with obscure songs from actor Albert Finney.
Costello also recalled all the music projects Willner and he were involved in. He referenced all the artists who participated on the 'Weird Nightmare' project including Dr John, Henry Rollins, Keith Richards, Leonard Cohen and Chuck D. He listed some of his favorite experiences with some of Willner's live shows, saying, "Hal’s live events rightly live in legend."
After listing out numerous memorable projects Willner worked on, Costello said, "I could go on to name all of the elusive moments of alchemy and records on which Hal conjured gentle magic but I will close by expressing my deep gratitude for every door he walked me through and all the simple kindness and humor of his regular but always unexpected texts, whether during a moment of crisis in our family, while hard at work at his regular musical supervising job at SNL or in the midst of producing music for theatre director Robert Wilson at an anniversary event for Solidarność in Gdansk."
Towards the end of Costello's homage, he wrote, "Condolences' seems a word of insufficient depth for the way many of us feel today but we must not be selfish or feel alone but rather look to the light and imagination with which we will perhaps emerge from this dark and melancholy hour."
Read Costello's full message here.