Interview

Mike Pela

Music producer interview at Real World Studios

Mike Pela video interview shot at the amazing Real World Studios

Mike Pela (1950 - 2022) was a Grammy winning music producer, recording engineer and mixer who has helped to shape the visions of a wide variety of artists, including Sade, Maxwell, Savage Garden and Corinne Bailey Rae.

Message from Sade, Stuart, Andrew and Paul regarding Mike Pela's passing

Throughout his career Mike had been recording music for many smash hits and number one records with sales in excess of 150 million! Mike was most at home working with orchestral sessions as well as bands and solo artists. If you need to watch just one video to learn about how to be a producer and learn how to record music, this is it.

mike pela at the ssl mixing desk at real world studios

Mike set out as a freelancer in the late 70's after learning his craft at CTS Studios and was soon to be found over at Pete Townshend's Eel Pie Studios working with a wide selection of artists including; Stephen Stills, Alice Cooper, Hawkwind, Nico and Pete Townshend. He co-produced and mixed the double album, Scoop, for Townshend.

Later, at Robin Millar's Power Plant studios, Mike participated in a string of successful recordings including: Boy George, ELO, Roy Wood, Fine Young Cannibals, Everything But The Girl, Tom Robinson, The Style Council, Gang of Four and Sade. This was the start of a long and ongoing association with Sade (who wrote the above tribute to him).

mike pela inside the wooden room at real world studios

Grammy's

2010 - Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - Sade - Soldier Of Love

2009 - Best R&B Album - Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night

2009 - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - Maxwell - Pretty Wings

2001 - Best Pop Vocal Album - Sade - Lovers Rock

1993 - Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - Sade - No Ordinary Love

We hope that you enjoyed watching this video interview shot at Real World Studios (where he recorded Sade's Soldier of Love album). Special thanks to everyone at Real World Recording Studio for their help in making this all possible and to George Shilling for his excellent interview!  Mike will be very much missed.

The Mike Pela Record Producer Photo Gallery