Editing Jonathan Smeeton

{{short description|British lighting and production designer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2013}}

'''Jonathan Smeeton''' is a British [[lighting designer|lighting]] and [[production designer|production]] designer who was active in the UK from the late 1960s, and then in the US from late 1970s up to his retirement in 2018.

Smeeton started out in the [[UK underground]] scene in the late 1960s. By 1971, he had become involved with [[Hawkwind]], using the alias Liquid Len and the Lensmen (a reference to the ''[[Lensman series|Lensman]]'' [[space opera]] books), and remained with them for seven years developing his craft.<ref name ="PLSN">{{cite web|url=http://plsn.com/articles/plsn-interview/a-chat-with-jonathan-smeeton/ |title=A Chat with Jonathan Smeeton |work=Projection Lights and Staging News| date= 13 January 2017 |access-date= 23 May 2019}}</ref>

He was [[name-checked]] in the [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] song "[[The Battle of Epping Forest]]" from ''[[Selling England by the Pound]]'' (1973), later going on to work for the band's singer [[Peter Gabriel]]:
{{poemquote|And his friend, Liquid Len by name,
Of wine, women and Wandsworth fame}}

He's name-checked a second time in the same song : 
"And Liquid Len, with his smashed bottle men is lobbing Bob the Nob across the gob"

He retired from the business in April 2018, his last official show being for Diana Ross and the [[LA Philharmonic]] at the [[Hollywood Bowl]] in June 2018.<ref name ="RFP_NEWS">{{cite web|url=https://www.robotsforpeace.com/the-news-current-affairs-winter-2018-19.html |title=THE NEWS, CURRENT AFFAIRS. Winter 2018-19 - Jonathan Smeeton |access-date= 23 May 2019 }}</ref> In 2018, he received the Parnelli Visionary Award.<ref name ="PARNELLIA">{{cite web|url=https://parnelliawards.com/past-winners/2018-parnelli-winners/|title=2018 Parnelli Winners « Parnelli Awards |access-date= 23 May 2019 }}</ref>

List of acts he has worked for:
*1970s: [[Bob Hope]]; [[War (American band)|War]]; [[Captain Beefheart]]; [[Free (band)|Free]]; [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]]; [[Hawkwind]]; [[Motörhead]]; [[Fairport Convention]]; [[Black Sabbath]]; [[The Commodores]]; [[Frank Zappa]]; [[Average White Band]]; [[Van Morrison]]; [[Colosseum II]]; [[Peter Gabriel]].
*1980s: [[REO Speedwagon]]; [[Al Jarreau]]; [[WHAM!]]; [[Journey (band)|Journey]]; [[Graham Nash]]; [[Rod Stewart]]; [[The Pointer Sisters]]; [[Tina Turner]]; [[Mike Oldfield]]; [[Jefferson Airplane]]; [[Sheila E]]; [[Mike and the Mechanics]]; [[Yoko Ono]]; [[The Thompson Twins]]; [[The Pet Shop Boys]]; Peter Gabriel; [[Amnesty International]]; [[Tears for Fears]]; [[George Michael]]; [[Paul Simon]]; [[Lou Reed]]; [[Miles Davis]].
*1990s: [[Robert Gallup]] – Extreme Magic [Fox Television]; [[Sinéad O'Connor]]; [[Phil Collins]]; [[Stone Roses]]; [[Barry White]] (video); [[TLC (group)|TLC]] [video]; [[Kylie Minogue]]; [[Toni Braxton]] [video]; [[Def Leppard]]; [[Dwight Yoakam]]; [[Billy Idol]]; [[Adam Sandler]] [HBO]; Peter Gabriel; [[Jane's Addiction]]; [[The Human League]]; [[Yes (band)|Yes]]; [[Jim Brickman]]; [[Chris Isaak]]; [[Sammy Hagar]]; [[Bryan Ferry]]; [[Richie Sambora]].
*2000s: ELO [PBS Television Special]; Jim Brickman [PBS Television Special]; [[Marilyn Manson]]; Jim Brickman; Chris Isaak; [[Deftones]]; [[3 Doors Down]]; [[Plus One (band)|Plus One]]; [[Electric Light Orchestra]]; [[Incubus (band)|Incubus]]; Sammy Hagar; [[Miranda Lambert]]; [[Keith Urban]]; [[Jack Ingram]]; [[Great American Country]] Television; [[Joe Satriani]] – G3; Asia Sounds, Film and Television; Kids on Stage Summer Academy.
*2010s: [[Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds]]; [[Gloriana]]; [[Kellie Pickler]]; [[Taylor Swift]]; [[Bridgit Mendler]]; Toni Braxton; [[MAGIC!]]; Yes/ARW (Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman); [[Michael McDonald (musician)|Michael McDonald]]; [[Diana Ross]].<ref name ="RFP_CV">{{cite web|url=https://www.robotsforpeace.com/my-resume.html| title=MY RESUME – Jonathan Smeeton |access-date= 23 May 2019 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Barney Bubbles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.robotsforpeace.com/}}

{{Hawkwind}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smeeton, Jonathan}}
[[Category:British lighting designers]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Hawkwind]]


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