The Bryant Park Project, November 29, 2007 - Is this the year of Ronson? Producer Mark Ronson has gone from making music for Hyundai commercials to putting out his first full-length album in a matter of months. He’s worked with Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, and remixed songs by both Britney Spears and Bob Dylan. He recently spoke to The Bryant Park Project about feeling like an idiot being interviewed, how exactly he comes up with his remixes, and what he’s reading now.

(Hint: It’s Slash’s autobiography.) Even though he’s traveling the world and selling lots of records, Ronson has kept his gig on Internet-only East Village Radio, which operates out of a storefront in New York City’s East Village. Ronson says he likes to leave the door open, no matter how cold it gets, so that people can hear the music. A native of London, Ronson started out playing guitar in bands when he was a kid.

They played Lenny Kravitz and Guns ‘N Roses songs until one day a friend told him he seemed more like the behind-the-boards producer type. Chagrined that his rock-star dreams had been crushed, Ronson pulled it together and moved on to DJing. He says he’s most proud of his work on Amy Winehouse’s hit record Back to Black . “I don’t know anyone else who would have made this record,” he says, though he seems reluctant to go around tooting his own horn.

“I don’t think people like [Radiohead's] Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke high-five each other after they write ‘Creep.’ It’s just music.” Ronson also downplays the attention music producers have been getting recently. He says he admires artists like Timbaland and Pharrell, but thinks the main reason producers have become such celebrities is the dearth of talented musicians with major deals. “You know, Atlantic Records signed this big new singer.