Denny Bruce

Denny Bruce (born in 1944 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American record producer and artist manager. He produced over 60 albums, and managed and produced albums by John Fahey, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Leo Kottke, John Hiatt and many others over his 50 year career in the music business.

Biography While living in Los Angeles in 1965, Bruce was hired by Frank Zappa as a second drummer with The Mothers of Invention. After six months, he contracted mononucleosis and was forced to leave the group. He was replaced by Billy Mundi.

Bruce launched a career in artist management and record production with his first artist signed, Lisa Kindred, and soon added Magic Sam, Albert Collins and Earl Hooker. He later became A&R consultant to Blue Thumb Records, working with such artists as Ike and Tina Turner, Charlie Musselwhite, and Robbie Basho.

After the death of Magic Sam in 1969, Bruce worked as Tour Manager of Buffy Sainte-Marie. He formed a production company with Jack Nitzsche and songwriter Gerry Goffin. They worked out of Goffin's new Larabee Studios in West Hollywood.

While working for Vanguard Records he started producing John Fahey and through Fahey and his label, Takoma Records, he began his management and producer's relationship with Leo Kottke. He produced all seven albums for Kottke on Capitol Records.

He later teamed up with Chrysalis Records in 1979 to purchase Fahey's Takoma Records. Bruce brought Jon Monday into the company to continue as General Manager. Monday had been with Takoma since 1970, and was their first full-time employee. Bruce signed and produced The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and signed T-Bone Burnett, Charles Bukowski, and other notable artists to the new Takoma label.

Credits 1968 - Playback, Appletree Theatre / The Appletree Theatre, Percussion 1968 - Head, The Monkees, Percussion 1969 - Further on Up the Road, Shakey Jake Harris, Percussion 1970 - Bad Rice, Ron Nagle, Memorabilia, Photo Courtesy 1971 - Mudlark, Leo Kottke, Producer, Composer 1972 - Of Rivers & Religion, John Fahey, Producer 1972 - Greenhouse, Leo Kottke, Producer 1972 - Artist Proof, Chris Darrow, Producer 1973 - My Feet Are Smiling, Leo Kottke, Producer, Composer 1973 - After the Ball, John Fahey, Producer 1974 - Ice Water, Leo Kottke, Producer 1974 - Dreams and All That Stuff, Leo Kottke, Producer 1975 - Stranger's Bed, Michael Fennelly, Producer 1975 - Chewing Pine, Leo Kottke, Producer 1976 - Leo Kottke 1971-1976: Did You Hear Me?, Leo Kottke, Producer, Photography 1976 - Leo Kottke, Leo Kottke, Producer 1977 - I'm with You Always, Mike Bloomfield, Producer 1978 - Burnt Lips, Leo Kottke, Producer 1979 - The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer 1979 - Slug Line, John Hiatt, Producer 1980 - What's the Word, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer, Liner Notes 1980 - Two Bit Monsters, John Hiatt, Producer 1980 - Truth Decay, T-Bone Burnett, Director 1980 - Ron Cuccia and the Jazz Poetry Group, Ron Cuccia, Producer 1980 - Rock Therapy, Colin Winski, Producer 1981 - Eye of the Storm, Max Buda / Chris Darrow, Producer 1981 - Butt Rockin', The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer, Liner Notes 1982 - T-Bird Rhythm, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Liner Notes 1983 - Live Texas Tornado, The Sir Douglas Quintet, Producer 1983 - Border Wave, The Sir Douglas Quintet, Executive Producer 1984 - Soulful Dress, Marcia Ball, Producer 1984 - Forget About the Danger, The LeRoi Brothers, Producer 1985 - Tales of the New West, Beat Farmers, Project Assistant 1985 - Out of the Blue [Rykodisc], Various, Producer 1987 - The Best of Jerry Butler [Rhino], Jerry Butler, Liner Notes 1987 - The Best, Leo Kottke, Producer, Composer 1989 - Y'All Caught? The Ones That Got Away 1979–1985, John Hiatt, Producer 1989 - Poor and Famous, Beat Farmers, Executive Producer 1990 - Loud and Plowed and...LIVE!!, Beat Farmers, Producer 1990 - Alien in My Own Home, Tony Mathews, Art Direction 1991 - The Essential, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer 1991 - Listen to the Band, The Monkees, Percussion 1991 - Jazzspeak, Various, Overdubs 1991 - Greetings from Kartoonistan...(We Ain't Dead Yet), Kaleidoscope, Production Coordination, Project Coordinator 1991 - Essential, Leo Kottke, Producer 1992 - Blues Masters, Vol. 4: Harmonica Classics, Various, Producer 1993 - Slug Line/Two Bit Monsters, John Hiatt, Producer 1994 - Hostage, Charles Bukowski, Producer, Editing 1995 - Blues Masters, Vols. 1–5, Various, Producer 1996 - Living a Little, Laughing a Little, John Hiatt, Producer 1996 - How I Learned to Stop, Various, Producer 1996 - Different Tacos, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer 1996 - Cowabunga! The Surf Box, Various, Producer 1996 - Butt Rockin'/T-Bird Rhythm, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer 1997 - The Best of Michael Bloomfield [Fantasy], Michael Bloomfield, Compilation Producer, Reissue Producer, Reissue Compiler 1997 - Takoma Eclectic Sampler, Various, Producer, Compilation Producer, Reissue Producer, Liner Notes 1997 - Standing in My Shoes, Leo Kottke, Composer 1997 - Same/What's the Word, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer 1997 - Chicago Blues Masters, Vol. 3, Various, Percussion 1998 - Hallelujah! Evolution!, Dr. Stephen Baird, Producer 1998 - Anthology, The Monkees, Percussion 1999 - Unassigned Territory, David Pritchard, Executive Producer 1999 - Takoma Slide, Various, Producer, Compilation Producer, Liner Notes 1999 - Takoma Eclectic Sampler, Vol. 2, Various, Producer, Compilation Producer, Reissue Producer, Liner Notes 1999 - Natural Selection [Zebra], Various, Executive Producer 2000 - Let the Boy Jam, Nick Binkley, Producer 2000 - Is It Over?/They Found Me Guilty, Billy Price Keystone Rhythm Band, Producer 2001 - Three Piece Suite: The Reprise Recordings 1971–1974, Jack Nitzsche, Producer, Liner Notes 2001 - Music Box, The Monkees, Percussion 2001 - Greatest Hits and More, John Hiatt, Producer 2001 - Girls Go Wild, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer 2001 - Anthology, John Hiatt, Producer 2003 - The Essential Jimmie Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Producer 2003 - The Best of the Capitol Years, Leo Kottke, Producer 2003 - Tacos Deluxe, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Producer, Liner Notes 2003 - Roulettes, The Roulettes, Producer 2004 - Of Rivers & Religion/After the Ball, John Fahey / John Fahey & His Orchestra, Producer 2010 - Perpendicular Worlds, Toulouse Engelhardt, Liner Notes 2011 - Monkeemania: The Very Best of The Monkees, The Monkees, Percussion 2014 - From His Head to His Heart to His Hands, Michael Bloomfield, Producer 2016 - The Monkees 50, The Monkees, Percussion 2021 - The Jimmie Vaughan Story, Jimmie Vaughan, Producer