Richard Digby Smith / Diga


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In 1970, Digby started his studio career as a staff engineer for Island Records and later became the chief engineer for all of Islands UK studio division. Digby is renowned for his eclectic repertoire having worked with artists ranging from The London Symphony Orchestra to Eric Clapton and Bob Marley to Paul McCartney. During this time Digby was part of the team that produced the Led Zeppelin classic albums 3 and 4, including the famous Stairway to Heaven.

In the mid 70’s Digby moved to Island Records Los Angeles office, where he worked with Spencer Davis, Robert Palmer, Little Feet and Booker T and the MG’s. His outstanding experience and pedigree bought the interest of many Major record labels, who invited him to work on projects in Canada, Morocco, Milan, Japan and Switzerland.

Returning to the UK in 1985 Digby continued his engineering production career working with Mica Paris, Reef and Big Country

In 1997 he opened RDS Studios; a purpose built multi studio complex in west London. He designed, built and managed the seven studio business until selling it in 2007. Since 2008 Digby has lived in Devon, continuing as a freelance engineer on many commercial projects as well as devoting time to facilitate music courses for young musicians and sound engineers.


ALBUMS


Little Girls
Valley Songs
2023, CD, Album, Comp, Playback Records (6), ,
New Wave/Power Pop
Digby
FAARAT006
2019, 12", FLASH AS A RAT
Sarah Yeo
Safe
2019, CDr, EP, Not On Label (Sarah Yeo (2) Self-released)
Bronco
Country Home / Ace Of Sunlight
2010, ,
Blues Rock/Folk Rock/Prog Rock
Various
Meet On The Ledge: An Island Records Folk-Rock Anthology
2009, Box + 3xCD, Comp, RM, Universal UMC, ,
Folk Rock/Psychedelic Rock
David Byron
That Was Only Yesterday - The Last EP
2008, CD, EP, Ltd, CHA Promotions
Albert Lee
Hiding / Albert Lee
2004, ,
Blues Rock/Country Rock
Sutherland Bros.* & Quiver
The Very Best Of The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
2002, CD, Comp, Columbia, Columbia, ,
Pop Rock/Folk Rock
Various
Fire & Skill - The Songs Of The Jam
1999, VHS, Album, Promo, NTSC, Epic Music Video, Ignition Records (2), ,
Alternative Rock/Indie Rock/Electro
Various
Fire & Skill - The Songs Of The Jam
1999,
Reef
I've Got Something To Say
1999, ,
Indie Rock
Various
Haute Couture
1997, CD, Comp, Vox Magazine, ,
Indie Rock/Abstract/Punk/Breakbeat/Modern Classical/Synth-pop/Experimental/Britpop
Idha
Troublemaker
1997, ,
Country Rock/Indie Rock
Various
Great Expectations (The Album)
1997, ,
Soundtrack/Pop Rock/Ballad
Various
L'Équipe À JoJo (Les Chansons De Joe Dassin Par...)
1997, ,
Chanson/Pop Rock/Easy Listening
Reef
Consideration
1997, ,
Alternative Rock/Indie Rock
Reef
Come Back Brighter
1997
Frazier Chorus
Wide Awake EP
1996, ,
Synth-pop
Reef
Place Your Hands
1996, ,
Indie Rock
Beatitude
Baby In Brylcreem
1995, 7", Tora! Records
Frazier Chorus
Wide Awake
1995
The Herbs
The Other Side
1994, CD, Album, Kushdi Bok Records
Nicola Hitchcock
My Mistake
1993, CD, Single, F-Beat
Starclub
Hard To Get
1993, ,
Pop Rock
Nicola Hitchcock
A Bowl Of Chalk
1993, ,
Acoustic/Folk/Indie Rock
The Difference
Sign Of The Times
1983, 12", EP, Sugar Maple Records
Screen 3
City Of Souls
1983
Albert Lee
Hiding
1979
Paul Korda
Out Of Gas
1979
Trouble
Love Sweet Love
1977
Trouble
Trouble
1977
Boxer
All The Time In The World
1975, 12", Single, Promo, Virgin, ,
Pop Rock
Boxer
Below The Belt
1975
Bryn Haworth
Sunny Side Of The Street
1975, ,
Folk Rock/Rock & Roll
Boxer
All The Time In The World
1975
The Jess Roden Band
Under Suspicion
1975
Bryn Haworth
Grappenhall Rag
1974,
Bronco
Ace Of Sunlight
1971, ,
Blues Rock/Country Rock/Prog Rock
The Rockridge Synthesizer Orchestra
Plays The Eagles - Classic Trax
CD, Album, Tring International PLC
DeWalta
Lyra
2019
Bad Company
Live 1979
2022, 2xLP, Album, RSD, Ltd, Ora, Swan Song,
Blues Rock/Classic Rock/Hard Rock
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath Vol 4 Super Deluxe
2021
Frank Zappa
Orchestral Favorites (40th Anniversary)
2019, ,
Avantgarde/Symphonic Rock
Bad Company
Live 1977 & 1979
2016, ,
Blues Rock/Classic Rock/Hard Rock
Senseless
Turning Point
2015, CDr, Album, Not On Label (Senseless (16) self-released)
Bad Company
Bad Company
2015
Bad Company
Straight Shooter
2015, ,
Hard Rock
Bad Company
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy The Very Best Of Bad Company
2015, ,
Hard Rock/Blues Rock
Magic Bus
Magic Bus
2015, ,
Prog Rock
Not Made In China
Not Made In China
2010, CD, EP, Dig + 5xFile, MP3, Dig, Kyte Music
Free
Fire And Water
2008
Kossoff*
Back Street Crawler
2008
Free
Highway
2002, ,
Rhythm & Blues/Pop Rock/Soul/Classic Rock
Free
Free
2001
Free
Songs Of Yesterday
2000, ,
Blues Rock/Hard Rock
Reef
Yer Old
1997
Reef
Glow
1997, ,
Alternative Rock/Pop Rock
The Megaphones
The Megaphones
1996, CD, Album, Titanic Records (14)
Crazy Gods Of Endless Noise
Jugfill
1995, ,
Folk Rock/Industrial/Experimental
Prefab Sprout
Life Of Surprises
1992
Prefab Sprout
Protest Songs
1989
Lavine Hudson
Intervention
1988, ,
Gospel/Soul
Paul Kossoff
Blue Soul
1986, ,
Blues Rock/Classic Rock
Free
Wishing Well (Remix) / Woman (Live) / Walk In My Shadow (Live)
1985
Louise Bennett
Yes M'Dear - Miss Lou Live
1983, ,
Mento
Louise Bennett
Long Time Gal
1983
The Cold Cuts
Meat The Cold Cuts!
1982, LP, Album, Black Top Records,
Pakalameredith
Pakalameredith
1977, ,
Soft Rock
Mark Nightingale
Safety & Stillness
CD, Not On Label (Mark Nightingale (2) Self-released)
Free
Tons Of Sobs
Free
Free Live
,
Blues Rock/Rhythm & Blues/Pop Rock/Soul

APPEARANCES +


Paul Kossoff
Blue Soul
1986, ,
Blues Rock
The Jess Roden Band
Live!
1976, 7", Single, Island Records, ,
Blues Rock
Bryn Haworth
Let The Days Go By
1974
Martin Gordon
Thanks For All The Fish
2018, ,
Pop Rock
Free
5 Classic Albums
2017, Box, Comp + CD, Album, RE, RM + CD, Album, RE, RM , Spectrum Music (2), UMC, UMC
Ride
Original Album Series
2016, Box, Comp + 4xCD, Album, RE + CD, Comp, RE, Reprise Records, Sire, Warner Music Group, ,
Shoegaze/Indie Rock/Alternative Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Free
The Vinyl Collection
2016, Box, Comp, RM + LP, Album, RE, Gat + LP, Album, RE, Island Records, Universal Music Catalogue
Free
The Free Story
2016, ,
Blues Rock/Classic Rock
Magic Bus
Transmission From Sogmore's Garden
2014, ,
Prog Rock
Ride
Original Album Series
2013, ,
Shoegaze/Indie Rock
Jethro Tull
Aqualung (40th Anniversary Collector's Edition)
2011, ,
Prog Rock/Classic Rock/Blues Rock/Folk Rock
Lionel Blair With The Jive Aces
Blair Sings Astaire
2003, CD, Album, Right Recordings, Right Recordings, ,
Swing/Easy Listening/Vocal
The Weirdos
We Got The Neutron Bomb - Weird World Volume Two 1977 - 1989
2003
Ride
The Box Set
2001, CD, Comp + CD, Album + CD, Album + Box, Ignition Records (2), ,
Indie Rock/Shoegaze
Ride
OX4_ The Best Of Ride
2001, ,
Indie Rock/Shoegaze
Mott The Hoople
All The Young Dudes - The Anthology
1998, 3xCD, Comp, Mono, RM + Box, Dig, Columbia, ,
Rock & Roll/Pop Rock/Glam
Kin'sha
Hybrid
1998, CD, Album, Generation 2 Records, ,
Fusion/Celtic/Folk/House
Ride
Black Nite Crash
1996
Ride
Tarantula
1996, ,
Indie Rock
Patto
Sense Of The Absurd
1995, ,
Hard Rock/Prog Rock/Jazz-Rock/Blues Rock
Credit To The Nation
Hear No Bullshit See No Bullshit Say No Bullshit
1993
Various
L'Équipe À Jojo
1993, ,
Chanson/Pop Rock
Piet Veerman
Rollin' On A River
1993,
Prefab Sprout
Life Of Surprises
1992
New Class A
You Can Do It / Feel The Rhythm
1992
Various
War
1991, CD, Studio G, ,
Ambient/Easy Listening
The Rag & Bone Men
The Fight Goes On
1991, 12", EP, Pugilist Records
Ruff, Ruff & Ready*
Word Of Mouth
1990
And Why Not?
Something U Got
1990
Robert Hart
Cries And Whispers
1989, ,
Soft Rock
Debbie Cassell
Tomorrow's Lover
1988, Cass, Album, Not On Label
Voice Of The Beehive
Let It Bee
1988
Prefab Sprout
Nightingales
1988
Lavine Hudson
Flesh Of My Flesh
1988
Lavine Hudson
Intervention
1988
Dagmar Krause
Tank Battles (The Songs Of Hanns Eisler)
1988, ,
Chanson/Vocal/Ballad
Mood Six
I Saw The Light
1987
Paul Haig
The Warp Of Pure Fun
1985, ,
Leftfield/Synth-pop
Akimbo
So Long Trouble
1985, ,
Vocal
Sandy Denny
Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
1985, ,
Folk Rock
The Waterboys
A Pagan Place
1984, ,
Folk Rock/Pop Rock/Alternative Rock
Blancmange
Mange Tout
1984, ,
Synth-pop
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Friends*
Arrested (The Music Of The Police)
1983,
The Waterboys
December
1983, ,
Folk Rock
Charlélie Couture
Extraits De La Bande Originale Du Film "Tchao Pantin"
1983
U.S.K.
U.S.K.
1982, LP, Album, House Of Lords Records
Blitz Girls
Girl With Six Fingers
1982, LP, MiniAlbum, Emoto Rock Records
The Plimsouls
The Plimsouls
1981, ,
New Wave/Indie Rock/Power Pop
Dirk Hamilton
Thug Of Love
1980, ,
Pop Rock
Sammy Hagar
All Night Long
1978, ,
Hard Rock/Classic Rock
Dirk Hamilton
Meet Me At The Crux
1978
Paul Korda
Dancing In The Aisles
1978
Kwaku Baah* & Ganoua*
Trance
1977
Rough Diamond
Rough Diamond
1977, ,
Classic Rock/Prog Rock
Detective
It Takes One To Know One
1977, ,
Hard Rock
Robert Palmer
Some People Can Do What They Like
1976, ,
Pop Rock
Back Street Crawler
2nd Street
1976, ,
Classic Rock
Speedy Keen*
Y'Know Wot I Mean?
1975, ,
Pop Rock
Jim Capaldi
Short Cut Draw Blood
1975, ,
Soft Rock/Funk
John Martyn
Sunday's Child
1975, ,
Folk Rock
Sparks
Kimono My House
1974, ,
Pop Rock
Sparks
Propaganda
1974, ,
Pop Rock
Jess Roden
Jess Roden
1974, ,
Soft Rock/Soul
Eno*
Seven Deadly Finns
1974, ,
Art Rock
Rabbit*
Dark Saloon
1974
Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
Beat Of The Street
1974
Dana Gillespie
Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle
1974, ,
Blues Rock
Sutherland Brothers And Quiver
Lifeboat
1973, ,
Pop Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Rabbit*
Broken Arrows
1973
Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
Dream Kid
1973, ,
Soft Rock/Pop Rock
Stephen Stills
2 Originals Of Stephen Stills
1973
Heads Hands & Feet
Old Soldiers Never Die
1973, ,
Country Rock/Classic Rock
Free
Heartbreaker
1972
Patto
Roll 'Em Smoke 'Em Put Another Line Out
1972
Free
Free At Last
1972
Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit*
Kossoff / Kirke / Tetsu / Rabbit
1972, ,
Blues Rock/Hard Rock/Classic Rock
Sutherland Brothers
Lifeboat
1972, ,
Pop Rock
The Sutherland Bros. Band*
The Sutherland Brothers Band
1972
Mike Harrison
Mike Harrison
1971
Gordon Haskell
It Is And It Isn't
1971, ,
Folk Rock
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills 2
1971, ,
Folk Rock/Country Rock/Classic Rock
Dr. Z
Three Parts To My Soul (Spiritus, Manes Et Umbra)
1971
Patto
Hold Your Fire
1971
Mott The Hoople
Wildlife
1971, ,
Rock & Roll/Country Rock
McDonald And Giles*
McDonald And Giles
1970
Midas Touch
Midas Touch
7", MT GAPP
Free
Fire And Water
2018
Detective
It Takes One To Know One
2018, ,
Hard Rock/Funk
Jethro Tull
Aqualung. The 2011 Steven Wilson Stereo Remix
2015, ,
Prog Rock
Rough Diamond
Rough Diamond
2013, ,
Hard Rock
Patto
Hold Your Fire
2010
Bronco
Country Home / Ace Of Sunlight
2006
McDonald And Giles*
McDonald And Giles
2004, ,
Psychedelic Rock/Prog Rock
Albert Lee
Hiding / Albert Lee
2004
Mott The Hoople
Wildlife
2003
Free
Free Live
2002, ,
Blues Rock/Rhythm & Blues/Pop Rock/Soul/Classic Rock
Free
Free
2002
Free
Heartbreaker
2002, ,
Rhythm & Blues/Pop Rock/Soul/Classic Rock
Free
Highway
2002
Free
Free At Last
2002, ,
Rhythm & Blues/Pop Rock/Soul/Classic Rock
Patto
Sense Of The Absurd
2001
Dr. Z
Three Parts To My Soul
1995
Sparks
Kimono My House
1994
Sparks
Propaganda
1993, ,
Glam/Art Rock/Interview
Free
Tons Of Sobs
,
Blues Rock/Modern Electric Blues/Pop Rock/Soul/Classic Rock
Mike Harrison
Mike Harrison
Boxer
Below The Belt
,
Classic Rock
Patto
Roll 'Em Smoke 'Em Put Another Line Out