Mike Portnoy took to Instagram to clarify his comments about his Dream Theater bandmates.
Portnoy Clarifies ‘Babysitting’ Comment
“This is a question that has come up in many interviews I’ve done (why I’m not credited as co-Producer on ‘Parasomnia’ as I was on all the past albums from ’99 to ’09)…figured I may as well share the answer here so it addressed for anybody wondering…” he wrote, posting a screenshot from his interview with Rock Hard Greece.
Portnoy also linked to the interview and later added, “Btw, I’d like to apologize to JR & JM for the wording of ‘babysitting’ of their tracks.. I really did not mean for it to come off the way it did.”
He continued, “Obviously they are both completely capable of recording their tracks on their own…I was merely referring to me not being needing to be present for those processes. Obviously no disrespect meant AT ALL!”
Portnoy Discusses Producer Role
In the interview, Portnoy explained that John Petrucci chose to keep the sole producer credit for Dream Theater’s new album. While he would have liked to co-produce, he respected Petrucci’s decision.
“But to be honest, it didn’t dilute any of my ideas. All of my ideas were always welcome. And some of the things that I did suggest, like the conceptual, thematic stuff, a lot of that stuff falls under the category of producer, but if John wants the sole credit, that’s totally fine.”
He further stated, “All that meant for me is that I don’t have to be in the studio 24-7 babysitting the keyboard tracks or the bass tracks, and that’s fine with me. I live three hours away. So, I was more than happy to delegate that all to John and be able to get home and spend a little time with my family here and there.”
Dream Theater kicked off their North American 40th-anniversary tour on February 7 in Philadelphia. This is their first North American run since Portnoy’s return, and the tour wraps up on March 22 in New York City.
Photo Credit: Mike Portnoy – Instagram
