Gus Dudgeon's Showreel tape

This showreel of tape was found in Gus's effects after his tragic death in 2002 and whilst a producer of Gus's reputation would have no real need for a showreel to give to clients, this is probably his own personal collection of the music he produced that he was most proud of and contains an enviable collection of eleven critically acclaimed and award-winning pop classics.

The accompanying audio samples have all been taken from the actual showreel and not from any other media source.

David Bowie - Space Oddity

This track was first released as a 7-inch single on 11 July 1969, became one of Bowie's signature songs and was included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 "Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" in 1974.
It reached the top five on its initial release and received the 1970 Ivor Novello Special Award for Originality. In 1975, upon re-release as part of a maxi-single, the song became Bowie's first UK No. 1 single.

It was placed at number 26 in the NME Greatest No 1 singles in history 2012 list, and number 27 in the Channel Four & The Guardian Top 100 British Number 1 Singles.

The album version of "Space Oddity" was recorded at Trident Studios on 20 June 1969 (with overdubs a few days later) and used the in-house session player Rick Wakeman (Mellotron), as well as Mick Wayne (guitar), Herbie Flowers (bass), and Terry Cox (drums).

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Recorded in May 1973 at Chateau d'Herouville, with recording engineer David Hentschel.

Taken from the album of the same name, in the US it was certified gold in October 1973, 5× platinum in March 1993, and eventually 8× platinum in February 2014 by the RIAA. The single reached number 6 in the UK charts, number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 7 in the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

There are more details of the making of this album on the Elton John website and the link is here

XTC - The Disappointed

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. "The Disappointed" was nominated for an Ivor Novello award.

The album reached No. 1 on the Rolling Stone College album chart and No. 97 on the Billboard album chart in the U.S. It was the band's second consecutive Top 30 success on the UK album chart.

Joan Armatrading - My Family

The album "Whatever's For Us" was produced by Gus Dudgeon and recorded over two weeks at Château d'Hérouville studios near Paris, and then at Trident Studios and Marquee Studios London. It was originally released in November 1972. The album was critically well received, although not a commercial success.
Joan's music was played at Gus & Sheila's funeral in 2002.

Elton John - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Recorded at the Caribou Ranch at the time of the "Captain Fantastic" album, and added to later album releases as a bonus track, the single topped the US Billboard pop charts for two weeks in January 1975 as well as the Canadian RPM national singles chart for four weeks over January & February 1975.

Gus was quoted in Elizabeth Rosenthal's "His Song", an exhaustive detailed accounting of nearly all John's recorded work, as saying he thought that the "Captain Fantastic" album recorded at the same time as "Lucy" was the best the band and Elton had ever played, lauded their vocal work, and soundly praised Elton and Bernie's songwriting. "There's not one song on it that's less than incredible," Dudgeon said.

Ralph McTell - Streets of London

Gus produced the 1969 version which appeared on the album "Spiral Staircase". It was Ralph McTell's greatest commercial success, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, at one point selling 90,000 copies a day and winning him the 1974 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically and a Silver disc for record sales.

John Kongos - He's Gonna Step on You Again

This track has been cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first song to have used a sample, and being pre-digital it was a tape loop of African drumming, and entered the UK Singles Chart on the 22nd of May 1971 spending 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 4.

Elkie Brooks - Fool if You Think it's Over

This was the second production of the Chris Rea song that Gus produced for the Elkie Brooks "Pearls" album, the first being for Chris's "Whatever Happened to Benny Santini" album and both were recorded at The Mill. The single became a hit for Elkie Brooks with this version of "Fool If You Think It's Over" rising to number 17 in the UK chart dated 27 February 1982

Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom

Recorded in the summer of 1974 during breaks between sessions for the "Captain Fantastic" album, the song was the fourth of Elton John's six number 1 US hits, all produced by Gus in the 1970's. The single also reached number 12 in the UK charts.
In the USA the song was certified Gold in 1975 and Platinum in 1995 by the RIAA. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1975.

Sarah Randle - Willow

In 1998 Joan Armatrading released a CD album called "Lullabies With A Difference" in aid of a charity for children with cerebral palsy, called PACES. She asked friends and musicians whom she admired to give a song with a lullabies theme.
Gus produced this track, written by Joan Armatrading.
Sarah's later album "Sparrows" was recorded at The Mill with Stuart Epps as producer and engineer.

"Legs" Larry Smith - Springtime for Hitler

Gus produced this lavish cover of Mel Brook's tune from "The Producers" with Legs Larry at The Mill in 1977, along with several other tracks written by Legs Larry for his planned musical "Call me ADOLF!" based on the musical within the film.
This track and the whole project is covered in more depth in the "Springtime for Hitler Tapes" page HERE on this site.