Starting with a long background as a trained trumpet player and guitarist, Clif began his studio career at the legendary Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, the world's most awarded recording studio, in the mid 1980's under the mentorship of renowned audio guru Allen Sides. Throughout his years there as staff engineer, Clif honed his skills while working with superstars like Bruce Springsteen, Prince, the Beastie Boys, Van Halen, and many others. He also learned his craft by working under such legendary producers and engineers as Arif Mardin, Glyn and Andy Johns, Norman Granz, Al Schmitt, and many other top contemporary producers. It was also at Ocean Way where Clif began working with producer/engineer Scott Litt, on the platinum debut album by Indigo Girls, starting a long working relationship in which they collaborated on over ten albums, including R.E.M.'s classic "Automatic for the People".
Starting out in the era when analog recording technology was at its peak and digital recording technology was just starting to be more widely used in studios, Norrell continues to incorporate vintage analog tape recorders and processing together with the latest in digital audio advancements to achieve the sound and feel he and the artists envision for each project.
Over the years, Clif has produced and/or engineered many high profile artists including Faith No More, Rush, Weezer, and Jeff Buckley, as well many other indie/alternative acts.
Clif also became very experienced in surround and 5.1 mixing, having mixed songs for popular movies such as Ramona and Beezus, Man on the Moon, Speed, Cruel Intentions, Singles (along with its groundbreaking platinum-selling soundtrack), Surf's Up, Brokedown Palace, Japanese film Ashura, and So I Married an Axe Murderer , working along side many film composing legends such as Bill Conti and Hans Zimmer, in addition to mixing popular singles in 5.1 surround sound for artists such as Miley Cyrus. Clif was a pioneer in taking music in surround sound to the next level by mixing the first music-only commercial release in Dolby ATMOS immersive sound format when he remixed R.E.M.’s classic “Automatic For The People” using this groundbreaking technology.
Clif traveled extensively, returning to England periodically to work with such British mainstays as Skunk Anansie, All Saints, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Mansun. His work has also taken him to Ireland, Wales, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Mexico, and Australia, in addition to every corner of the United States. Recent clients also include Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, Mick Jagger, and Dave Grohl.
Clif is owner of Casa Zuma Studio in Southern California, where he does much of his work. He is also CEO of Supersonic Music ®, where he also partners with his wife Michelle in Music Supervision For Film, TV, and Advertising. Together, they have worked on many projects including commercials for Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Sapporo. Supersonic Music has also done music supervision and music clearances on many films such as Thirteen, Kung Fu Hustle, Layer Cake, and many others. Clif has composed and performed music for several TV shows including a commercial for McDonald's in Japan.
Clif is a Member of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) Producer and Engineer's Wing, a Member of AES (Audio Engineering Society), and a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers).
Here's a little list of some of the great artists and producers that Clif has worked with:
Ryan Adams, Jhene Aiko, All Saints, All American Rejects, Courtney Marie Andrews, Anouk (Holland), Tom Araya (Slayer), Arid (Belgium), Ash, Rick Astley, The Apache Relay, Anvil, BT, Beastie Boys, Pat Benatar, David Benoit, Dan Bern, The Black Crowes, Bono and The Edge (U2), Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Kanye West), Jeff Buckley, T-Bone Burnett (Wallflowers, Counting Crows), John Cale (Velvet Underground), Jeremy Camp, Candlebox, Eric Carmen, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Richard Carpenter (The Carpenters), Larry Carlton, Roseanne Cash, Catherine Wheel, Neneh Cherry, Billy Childs, Chuck D (Public Enemy), Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, Shawn Colvin, Bill Conti, Ry Cooder, The Cramps, Cracker, Rodney Crowell, Miley Cyrus, Days of the New, Gavin Degraw, DJ Lethal (Limp Bizkit, House of Pain), DJ Quik, Dishwalla, Rocio Durcal, Kate Earl, Echo and the Bunnymen, Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss), Faith No More, Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction), Sky Ferreira, Fishbone, Flat Duo Jets, John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater), Lita Ford, Fourplay, The Four Tops, Michael Franks, Liam Gallagher (Oasis), The Geraldine Fibbers, Ghost, Gin Blossoms, Glassjaw, Matthew Good Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Amy Grant, Norman Granz (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald), Macy Gray, Green Lizard (Holland), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Selena Gomez, Gotye, Gutterball, Mickey Guyton, Juliana Hatfield, Lalah Hathaway, Hayden, John Hiatt, The High Speed Scene, Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles), Home Grown, Nellee Hooper (Bjork, Massive Attack), Hothouse Flowers, House of Lords, Ice-T, Billy Idol, Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Indigo Girls, Inspiral Carpets, Iron Butterfly, Mick Jagger, Courtney Jaye, The Jayhawks, Jewel, Andy Johns (Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin), Glyn Johns (The Who, Led Zeppelin), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sublime), Paul Kelly and the Messengers, Kiss, The Knack, Gladys Knight, Richie Kotzen, Eddie Kramer (The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix), Wayne Kramer (MC5), Kris Kristofferson, LL Cool J, Lemmy (Motorhead), Scott Litt (REM, Nirvana), Little Birdy, Little Richard, The Lovemakers, Madonna, Taj Mahal, Mansun, Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklin, Bee Gees), Branford Marsalis, The Mars Volta, Keiko Matsui, Damian Marley, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Milow (Belgium), (Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Neds Atomic Dustbin, Needtobreathe, No Doubt, The Noisettes, The Nymphs, Paul Oakenfold, Brendan O'Brien (Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against The Machine), Johnny Rivers, Sinead O'Connor, PJ Olsson, William Orbit (Madonna, Blur), Beth Orton, Jeffrey Osbourne, KT Oslin, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sam Phillips, Shifty Shellshock (Crazy Town), P.O.D., Van Dyke Parks, Paw, The Pixies, Bill Price (Sex Pistols, The Clash, Pete Townshend), Prince, Iggy Pop, Queens of the Stone Age, Rancid, Eddie Rabbitt, A.R. Rahman, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Rankin, The Rasmus (Finland), Redd Kross, The Refreshments, The Replacements, R.E.M., Reveille, Rhye, David Rice, Lionel Ritchie, Lee Ritenour, Henry Rollins, Smokey Robinson, Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Adele), David Lee Roth (Van Halen), Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down), Rush, Ruth Ruth, Serena Ryder, Ken Scott (The Beatles, David Bowie), Saliva, Scheer (Ireland), Brian Setzer, Skunk Anansie, Sarah Slean (Canada), Mark E. Smith (The Fall), Marco Antonio Solis, Soul Asylum, Shaggy, Southern Pacific, Sharleen Spiteri (Texas), Sun-60, Bruce Springsteen, Stavesacre, Steelheart, Gwen Stefani, Dave Stewart, Rod Stewart, Sting, Syd Straw, Joss Stone, Stooshe, Matthew Sweet, T.A.T.U., Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Terrorvision, Texas Hippie Coalition, That Petrol Emotion, Mel Torme, Manhattan Transfer, Tribes, Tony Trischka, Shania Twain, Van Halen, Velocity Girl, Wanting (China), Andy Wallace (Linkin Park, Sheryl Crow), Matt Wallace (Train, Maroon 5), Victoria Williams, Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Weezer, Wendy and Lisa (Prince), Paul Westerberg, Widespread Panic, Wild Strawberries, The Yellowjackets, You Am I (Australia) Hans Zimmer, Zed (New Zealand), and many others.
TESTIMONY:
Here is what some notable people have had to say about (and to) Clif:
"Great sound, man!" - Tom Petty, to Clif while listening to Clif's recordings of Tom and his band, the Heartbreakers, during sessions for their Grammy winning album, Wildflowers.
"That is the best mix I have ever heard!" - L.A. Reid (President of Island Def Jam Records, and producer of numerous hit albums) after hearing one of Clif's mixes.
"That is the best organ sound I have ever heard!" - Organist extraordinare Benmont Tench (top session player and member of the Heartbreakers) while listening to playback of Clif's recordings of him.
"I love it. Don't change a thing!" - Neil Peart (of Rush, one of the world's best drummers) to Clif after listening to Clif's quick dialing in of the sound of his drums.