Tolbert and Sutton video feature at Atlantis


Record producers Ralph Sutton and Lloyd Talbert at Studio Atlantis

Musical adventures for Lloyd Tolbert began when he started studying music and playing drums at the tender age of ten.  Lloyd has worked as a producer, co-producer and arranger for such artists as:  Diana Ross, El deBarge, Cheryl Lynn, Brownstone, TLC and Dee Harvey.  He has provided digital editing for Norman Brown on his cover of the Stevie Wonder hit, “Too High.”  Lloyd also worked on arrangements for Smokey Robinson and Teddy Pendergrass. 

In 1999-2000, Lloyd once again collaborated with Lionel Richie on his most recent project “Renaissance”.  His role as a writer, producer, arranger and musician on the track “Don’t You Ever Go Away” displays his versatile creativity.

In 2000-2001 Lloyd once again provided his musical magic for two feature film projects.  The cable television movie “Love & Action in Chicago” starring Courtney Vance and Regina King, featured three original tunes “Baby, Baby”, “Give It A Try” and “Let Me Love You”, which were written and produced by Lloyd.  An additional film project to benefit from Lloyd’s melodious talents in the form of the tune “How Did We Come to This”, was the Screen Gems/Sony Pictures production of “Brothers”, starring Morris Chestnut, Shemar Moore and Bill Belamy. 

Having become a Pro-tools expert, Lloyd has been requested to participate on projects for such artists as Brandy, Yolanda Adams, Sunshine Anderson, Eric Benet, LSG and Terry Dexter.

Currently, Lloyd has been working with the legendary group The Emotions, writing and producing original songs that would re-introduce the trio to their existing fans, while creating a new generation of music followers.  Tolbert & mixer/engineer Ralph Sutton collaborate together and are developing new artists. 

Ralph Sutton’s illustrious career as a recording engineer spans the better part of three decades and innumerable sessions with the recording industry’s elite.  After graduating from the Recording Institute of America, and taking follow-up courses at UCLA, Ralph was hired at City Recorders as a runner, and quickly advanced to second engineer.  He subsequently moved to Chateau Recording Studios where he collaborated with Ken Scott, the great British engineer of Beetles’ fame and worked on recordings for Missing Persons, Kenny Loggins and Kansas among others.

Ralph has re-mixed “You Are Not Alone” for Michael Jackson; “Wanna Take You Down” for Lionel Richie; Paula Abdul’s “If I Were Your Girl” and “Cry For Me;” and Stevie Wonder’s remake of Marvin Gaye’s “Stubborn Kind of Fellah.”  He has recorded and mixed three of Norman Brown’s albums, Just Between Us, After The Storm and Better Days Ahead.  For the exceptional recorded quality of After The Storm, Sutton received Adlib Magazine’s Superior Record of the Year in the Best Engineering Section. 

Currently, as the Chief Engineer and Director of Studio Operations for Wonderland Recording Studios Ralph records and mixes for Stevie Wonder.  Recent work includes soundtrack for Spike Lee film 'Bamboozled’ and the upcoming soundtrack for Newline Cinema, ‘John Q’ starring Denzel Washington.  Sutton and songwriter/arranger, Lloyd Tolbert collaborate together and are developing new artists.

An active member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences for the past 17 years, Sutton was recently elected to the Board of Governors.  “My dedication to The Recording Academy also encompasses my activities as liaison of the Producers and Engineers (P&E) wing, chairman of the Grammy’s in the Schools committee, and sitting on a host of committees within The Academy,” says Sutton. 

For a detailed and up to date biography of both Lloyd Tolbert and Ralph Sutton, please follow these links to StudioExpresso:

LloydLTolbert     RalphSutton

Special thanks to the team that filmed the interview at Studio Atlantis, Johnny Jaskot Producer /Director, Brian Sferrazzo Camera 1, and Eric Slater Camera 2 and lights.

Very special thanks to Claris at StudioExpresso.com for facilitating this feature and for doing the interview!