Johns produced and/or engineered with such artists as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, The Who, Eagles, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Hallyday, the Band, Eric Clapton, the Clash, Ryan Adams, the Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, the Easybeats, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Blue Öyster Cult, Emmylou Harris, Midnight Oil, New Model Army, Belly, Joe Satriani, Ronnie Lane, Rod Stewart with Faces, John Hiatt, Joan Armatrading, Buckacre, Gallagher and Lyle, Georgie Fame, Family, Helen Watson, Fairport Convention, Humble Pie, and many others. In 1969, Led Zeppelin paid tribute to Johns by including a photo of actress Glynis Johnson the cover of Led Zeppelin II. The cover was based on a World War I era photo. The Beatles referred to Johns as "Glynis" several times during the Get Back sessions. In the 1960s, while associated with the UK rock band The Presidents, Johns began working as a recording studio engineer at IBC Studios in Portland Place, London and was able to take the band in during weekends and try his skills at production and recording. The Presidents was his first true production work and in 1969, Johns was called upon to rescue the troubled Get Back sessions for The Beatles. Johns compiled several versions of the album, which were all rejected by the band, before the project was eventually turned over to producer Phil Spector. Spector's version became the released album, which was retitled Let It Be which Johns called "a syrupy load of bullshit". In 1971, he recorded and mixed The Who's Who's Next. His influence on Faces' 1971 album A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse, which he co-produced with the band, can be gauged from the message that follows the credits: "Thank you Glyn, you made all the difference." Johns produced the first two albums by the Eagles. Though they were successful, the band, especially Glenn Frey, clashed with Johns over the direction of their sound. After recording two songs for their third album, they dismissed Johns and returned to California to finish the album. Johns' output slowed in the mid 1980s, although he undertook work with Midnight Oil, Nanci Griffith, and Belly. Johns also produced the 1977 Eric Clapton album Slowhand, including the popular hit "Wonderful Tonight", written by Clapton. In 2011, after a couple of decades spent largely away from production, Johns produced and engineered Ryan Adams' album, Ashes & Fire. In February 2012, Johns began work on the Band of Horses album, Mirage Rock. Johns and Eric Clapton collaborated once again for Clapton's 2016 release I Still Do, Clapton's 23rd album.
Approach to recording
Johns developed a unique approach to the recording of drums, often referred to as the "Glyn Johns Method". This technique usually employs three microphones:
One hoisted several feet overhead to achieve natural perspective of the entire drum kit
One off to the side not far from the floor tom tom
The key to the method is to keep both the overhead mic and the side-mic equidistant from, and pointed at, the centre of the snare, aimed in such a way that a triangular pattern is formed, with the three corners being the snare, the side-mic, and the overhead mic. Johns prefers not to close-mike the individual drums, but will occasionally spot mike the snare drum.
