Roy Joel Cicala (March 28, 1939 – January 22, 2014) was an American producer, engineer, songwriter and musician. His body of work includes over 10 Platinum Records for producing, writing, engineering and management for talent from the 1970s through to 2014.
Cicala began working freelance engineering jobs in New York when he took over Record Plant Studios piloting mega-albums hits as chief engineer. He was an engineer on the first album ever recorded at Record Plant Studios, Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in 1968. Through the years, he worked on hundreds of albums. During the 1970s, house engineers Shelly Yakus and Roy Cicala gave many local bands their start by donating session time and materials to upcoming artists, engineering and producing their demo tapes. While at Record Plant, Cicala was involved with a wide range of projects, including doing the remote work for the "Live Aid" concert in 1985. Record Plant closed in 1989.
Cicala first worked with John Lennon just before The Beatles broke up in 1970. Cicala did engineering work for Lennon and Ono on various albums, including Imagine, Mind Games and Double Fantasy.
Works
Selected engineering, production and Record Plant NYC credits
Cicala had been working in Brazil since the 1970s in various engineering and production capacities. He was producing and managing major label artists like Charlie Brown Jr. at the newly launched Record Plant South. He sat on the advisory board for a New York City-based start-up founded by his nephew Craig Alberino.
John Blaney, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Lennon and McCartney - Together Alone: A Critical Discography of Their Solo Work (Paperback), Jawbone Press (March 28, 2007). ISBN1-906002-02-9, ISBN978-1-906002-02-2
Mark Cunningham, Good Vibrations: A History of Record Production (Sanctuary Music Library) (Paperback), Alan Parson (Introduction), Brian Eno (Introduction) Sanctuary Publishing, Ltd; 2 edition (September 1, 1999). ISBN1-86074-242-4, ISBN978-1-86074-242-2
David Simons, Studio Stories: How the Great New York Records Were Made: From Miles to Madonna, Sinatra to the Ramones (Paperback), Backbeat Books (November 19, 2004). ISBN0-87930-817-6, ISBN978-0-87930-817-9
Albert Goldman, The Lives of John Lennon (Paperback), Chicago Review Press; New Ed edition (September 1, 2001) # Language: English # ISBN1-55652-399-8, ISBN978-1-55652-399-1
Billy James, A Dream Goes on Forever: The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren (Paperback), Golden Treasures Pub (December 2002). ISBN0-9710493-3-5, ISBN978-0-9710493-3-8
Dan Muise, Rory Gallagher, Steve Marriott, and Rick Derringer, Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer, Trower: Their Lives and Music (Paperback - April 2002), Hal Leonard; 1 edition (April 2002). ISBN0-634-02956-8, ISBN978-0-634-02956-1