Arctic Monkeys producer reflects on debut album 20 years on

Alan Smythe, who mixed Arctic Monkeys' early demos and co-produced tracks, said he is proud of the band's 2006 debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which sold 360,000 copies in its first week and around 2.5 million worldwide.

Alan Smythe, one of the producers behind Arctic Monkeys' first album, has spoken about his pride working with the Sheffield band on the 20th anniversary of its release. The album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, came out on 23 January 2006 and set a British record for fastest-selling debut. Smythe mixed early demos that later became the band's Beneath the Boardwalk collection and recalled the band's early gigs and rapid recording pace. He continues to work with young local bands from Sheffield and still listens back to those early recordings. Key details: - Alan Smythe was one of two producers associated with the debut and mixed the band's early demos. - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was released on 23 January 2006, selling 360,000 copies in its first week and about 2.5 million worldwide. - Smythe compiled 18 demo tracks used as the Beneath the Boardwalk demos that the band distributed at gigs. - Early sessions took place at Smythe's 2Fly studio in Sheffield; the rest of the album was recorded over two weeks at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire with producer Jim Abbiss in late 2005. - Arctic Monkeys later headlined Glastonbury in 2007 and played the Pyramid Stage again in 2013 and 2023; they have released seven further albums and sold over eight million albums worldwide. Summary: The producer's remarks highlight the album's local Sheffield origins, the speed of the early recordings and the enduring regard for the songwriting and performances. Undetermined at this time.