3 Albums by Popular 1980s Artists Produced by ’70s Disco Drummer Keith Forsey

The production team of Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte were at the helm for Donna Summer’s rise as the 1970s’ “Queen of Disco.” English drummer Keith Forsey was also a critical member of Summer’s team during her commercial ascent, laying the rhythmic foundation for hits like “I Feel Love,” “I Love You,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls,” and “Dim All the Lights.” He also branched out as a songwriter, co-writing “Hot Stuff” with Bellotte and Harold Faltermeyer, and in the ‘80s, co-writing Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” Limahl’s “Never Ending Story,” Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On,” and Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”

Forsey produced the latter two tracks, but his production credits go far beyond those massive hits. Among his production highlights are the following three albums, each of which enjoyed commercial success in the U.S. and internationally. These albums also built momentum for even greater popularity for their respective artists on their subsequent releases. They are also notable for how Forsey integrated new elements into the artist’s sound.

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Billy Idol by Billy Idol (1982)

Few artists have a stronger association with the neon decade than Idol, and Forsey played an important role in shaping his quintessentially ‘80s sound. Forsey first worked with Idol when he was still a member of Generation X. Forsey produced Kiss Me Deadly, which was the last album the band made (then calling themselves Gen X) before they broke up. Idol stuck with Forsey as his producer for his solo projects—first for his debut EP Don’t Stop and then his self-titled debut album.

The new wave touches on Billy Idol are not a big step away from those that shaped the sound of Summer’s 1980 album The Wanderer, and the synth-laden lead single “Hot in the City” introduced Idol to Top-40 radio listeners. Forsey contributed drums to “Hot in the City,” as well as the follow-up single “White Wedding (Part 1)” and “Love Calling.” He and Idol would team up for even greater commercial success on Rebel Yell, where he would further refine the star’s blend of pop, punk, metal, and goth. Forsey would produce Idol’s third and fourth albums, too, and five of his albums in total.

Primitive Man by Icehouse (1982)

Early viewers of MTV may remember the video for the title track from Flowers’ Icehouse album, but the Australian band achieved its first success in Europe with their second album, Primitive Man. By this time, they changed their name from Flowers to Icehouse, and frontman Iva Davies had a new co-producer in Forsey. At this stage, Icehouse was essentially a Davies solo project, though Forsey contributed percussion to Primitive Man.

Unlike Icehouse, Primitive Man would not crack the upper half of the Billboard 200, as it peaked at No. 129. However, “Hey Little Girl” would give the band its second Top-40 hit on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and its first Top-40 entry on pop charts in the UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Given that Forsey made his name as a drummer on Summer’s synth-driven dance hits, one might expect the songs on Primitive Man would have a glossy sound like on the song “Icehouse.” Synths are an important part of the mix, but guitars and rock beats are prominently featured as well. A similar blend would emerge five years later on Icehouse’s biggest hit, the David Lord-produced “Electric Blue”—a candidate for the most ‘80s song ever recorded.

Mirror Moves by Psychedelic Furs (1984)

After working with Steve Lillywhite on their first two albums and Todd Rundgren on their 1982 breakthrough Forever Now, the Furs turned to Forsey to produce Mirror Moves. Just as Rundgren softened some of the band’s rough edges on Forever Now, such as on their single “Love My Way,” Forsey furthered that direction on Mirror Moves. One of the ways he accomplished that was to have Richard Butler double his vocals, which was a key feature of the choruses on the hits “Heaven” and “The Ghost in You.” In an interview for Songfacts, Butler noted Forsey did this to change a distinguishing element of the Furs’ sound. The vocalist said, “my voice could be quite raspy and [Forsey] wanted it to be smoother.”

Forsey also impacted the rhythmic feel of Mirror Moves, programming drums for selected tracks (including “The Ghost in You”) and contributing live drums to seven of the nine tracks. His four-on-the-floor beat on “Heartbeat”—the band’s only Top-10 entry on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart—evokes Forsey’s disco-era work with Summer.

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