Tuesday, December 7, 2010
the chord
sorry, i have to write down one more thing, but not like i will forget it. buk (our illustrious producer, friend, musical mentor and acm award holder among other things),,,,said that my use of a 4 flat 7 chord was original, meaning he hadn't heard it used like that before. or at least to his memory. wow. that was a cool compliment coming from tommy. just to tell you it is a 4 flat seven chord in the key of c but with a tonal center of A minor.
a day that will live in infamy
we are all done recording the band and now starts the overdubs, that is, i need to resing a couple things, tom will add some lead guitars here and there (no, of course it will not be me. tom can say anything that i want to say on guitar better), and here's a great one- joe vitale might add a flute solo to one song. other than that, it is ready for mixing.
so, tonight at seven we go in and see what else needs to be done.
so, tonight at seven we go in and see what else needs to be done.
Monday, December 6, 2010
what a week it has been.
i just can't describe the experiences i have had this week. the conversations between takes and at lunch have been ,,,, well, all musical. stpories were shared between all the guys alot like my band and i sitting around tsalking shop. but, instead of, for example "hey remember that gig we did in the flats" or about the bar owner in youngstown, it would be about van morrison or the eagles. joe was telling us a story about keith moon. nothing dirty just crazy. he would drive cars into swimming pools or hotel lobbies. he just didn't care. they were talking about one particular producer, i forget the name. but joe had made 52 records with him. joe vitale might have 50 or 100 gold/platinum records, but, that's just the omnes with awards. he has made hundreds and hundreds of records throughout his career. buk was telling me about a guitar he bought ( he bought one online while i was down here!) and sold some vintage vox speakers. anyway. the stories that go around. one time with joe walsh they were all bored on tour and made crazy videos. joe is one of the most talented, legendary, nicest, sweetest, straight forward, family men you would ever meet. he's a rock star but a regular guy. he told me sometimes the band he would be working with is bickering (and i mean world famous artists) and they would turn to him looking for him to take sides, and joe would just say (and i'm paraphrasing), just shut up and let's record the song! one night he played a drum fill with the eagles and glen frey said i'll give you $100 to do that again, but it was because he knew henley would get mad. i don't want to tell any stories that i'm not supposed to, because i was taken in confidence on many of them, and i don't want any of the guys i am working with to thinik ill of me. but when joe vitale was involved, and he was a younger, crazy italiam rocker, the stories are funny and crazy. just like his book. i really suggest buying a copy. he is so funny and the stories are so crazy. like the time joe walsh and he wanted adjoining rooms, but the hotel didn't get it right, so they cut a hole in the wall with a chain saw!!!! you see, they traveled with a chain saw. they had a road case for it and everything. joe has been on evbery tonight show, leno, lettermen, arsinio show that ever was.
david santos has worked with and record with a long long list too. john fogerty, winonna, neville brothers. i mean i can't even rememver all the ones. and to see him record the parts,,,,, he's like buk. he is a killer killer player. if a part is simple, that's what he plays, but that is not the limit of his skill. he brought an upright bass yesterday because it might, and i mean might be used on a track., he played it like an old jazz pro.... which he is. he's doing a demonstration jazz gig coming up for a bass manufacturer.. oh, and speaking of jazz. joe vitale... i knew he played keyboards and flute in addition to drums. and i knew he was a great keyboard player, but the other day, he sat down at the piano and dave was on upright bass, and joe p[layed jazz piano that blew me away. i am such a lucky guy to be recording with these guys.
buk,,,,, well, what can be said. he is brilliant. a genius. he is the talk of the town and the first call master session player here. everybody wants him. not everybody gets him. his time is limited and he picks and chooses with whom he wants. and he chose to invite me to work with him. what an honor. and let me tell you. it's not just reputation. it is talent. lasdt night we did a song that was a cool song, but i wrote it like a white bread ritchie cunningham. he thought about it for days, couldn't come up with something to make it sound cool. yesterday, it came to him in a dream. it is now not a beatley thing, it is a reggae/metal thing. and it sounds great.
something else i should say. this was pointed out to me by one of the guys. sessions down here for making records go in three hour segments. when the session is over, it's over. if it' ain't right, the players usually just say "oh, that's great. it's fine just the way it is". but not this session. there have been several songs that after a few hours, they are still searching for the right way to get the song across. case in point, i wrote this song called the magnolia tree on highway 7. they played it like anyone would play it. didn't please them. tried a different tempo. different style. nothing. then david asked joe what groove do you guys to on teach your children ( a csn song, you know it). well of course joe is the drummer for csn. so they tried that. it worked. then the tommy said let's move it down a step in key and it improved a lot. joe (the engineer) said go one more 1/2 step down. and boom. there it was. they, dare i say we,,,, worked on that song for like 8 hours until it was right. then tommy said i was singing it too agressively. he said don't sing it like agrressive guy, sing it like sleepy guy, like right before you go to sleep. so, i went into the booth, yawned a few times, turned the lights down, sand it really really soft ( i would have neevr thought of this) and click. there it was.
they have helped on every aspect of the process. one part that is especially thrilling is the lyrical help. not only do these guys have a great sense of drama for a song, but,,, and i hate to seem like a small time guy (which i am) but, joe helped on lyrics on more than one song. you know what that means? there will be songs on this record that i share a song writing credit with joe vitale. here's a guy who co-wrote so many great hits and my name will be right next to his. what an honor.
sorry i am dithering on again.
yesterday we got two songs done. we are up to ten. we hope to do two more today.
did i mention, the equipment that is being used for this record is unbelieveable. you might not think it makes a difference, but plug 6 mics into a 10,00 dollar set of preamps and then plug them into a bank of vintage neve preamps and even i hear the difference. the preamps for mics alone are many times that amount. they are outfitted like the best studios in this town. i mean from what the guys say ( an they7 know) this studio is one of the best in town. i am in a twilight zone. but it is really happening. i'm here. the two songs yesterday really rounded out the recording. there is a little bit of everything. and they are all done very well. the last recording done in what they call 16 bit recording, this one is many times that,,,not really sure but i think it's 56 bit. what this means is the resolution si much muich greater. imagine taking a picture with a disposable camera from the grocery store. now take the same picture on a camera that is used for the life magazine cover that costs 40,000 dollars. would you expect the resolution to be greater? the colors to be more vivid? the depth of intensity? yes you would. and it is. just the yard stick mix, (that means just push all the faders up, without really eq' ing it or doing compressions or any final mixing thing, just push the faders all up and listen.... it is amazing the difference ( to me) between this one and the last one, finally home. rick delima the engineer for the last one, was an amazing cat. he got performances out of me that would hgave never happened, so i am not dissing that recording or anythinhg like that. he was an amazing cat, but because of the equipment in buks studio, the quality of recording i think is great. rick delima i love you and your studio as well though. i hope to work with him again sometime. forgive me that i am tryting to be politialcally correct, i just don't want to say anything bad about the last studio. it was an affordable and great studio. this one, though, because of equipment alone is a world class studio. and not to mention buk has ten more years under his belt making reocrdings. last time, he hadn't worked with keith urband yet, he hadn't graced the recordings of all those rascal flatts records, worked with the producers that are now fawninbg over him, and he is ten years older and wiser. but let me point something out. buk was a greater guitar player than i by the time he reached the age of,,,, i don't know,,,, 8? 10?
anyway i better get to work and polish offf some lyrics. this doesnt happen to me every day and i must make the best of it
here is something i had no idea would happen. but i have seen it in front of my eyes. here is the lesson. you can neevr tell. first of all i never have any idea which song tom will picj to do next. he picked songs that i thought to myself, oh no, not that one, it sucks. it's one of the lesser songs i brought here. but hten it turns out to be one of the best songs. and some song you thought would be great, didn't get picked. some somg that was to be an easy chip shot, takes all day. you just never can tell. but i can tell one thing. if we start a song, by the time it is done, it will be great.
so, on to the last day of full band recording., after this it is over dubs.
david santos has worked with and record with a long long list too. john fogerty, winonna, neville brothers. i mean i can't even rememver all the ones. and to see him record the parts,,,,, he's like buk. he is a killer killer player. if a part is simple, that's what he plays, but that is not the limit of his skill. he brought an upright bass yesterday because it might, and i mean might be used on a track., he played it like an old jazz pro.... which he is. he's doing a demonstration jazz gig coming up for a bass manufacturer.. oh, and speaking of jazz. joe vitale... i knew he played keyboards and flute in addition to drums. and i knew he was a great keyboard player, but the other day, he sat down at the piano and dave was on upright bass, and joe p[layed jazz piano that blew me away. i am such a lucky guy to be recording with these guys.
buk,,,,, well, what can be said. he is brilliant. a genius. he is the talk of the town and the first call master session player here. everybody wants him. not everybody gets him. his time is limited and he picks and chooses with whom he wants. and he chose to invite me to work with him. what an honor. and let me tell you. it's not just reputation. it is talent. lasdt night we did a song that was a cool song, but i wrote it like a white bread ritchie cunningham. he thought about it for days, couldn't come up with something to make it sound cool. yesterday, it came to him in a dream. it is now not a beatley thing, it is a reggae/metal thing. and it sounds great.
something else i should say. this was pointed out to me by one of the guys. sessions down here for making records go in three hour segments. when the session is over, it's over. if it' ain't right, the players usually just say "oh, that's great. it's fine just the way it is". but not this session. there have been several songs that after a few hours, they are still searching for the right way to get the song across. case in point, i wrote this song called the magnolia tree on highway 7. they played it like anyone would play it. didn't please them. tried a different tempo. different style. nothing. then david asked joe what groove do you guys to on teach your children ( a csn song, you know it). well of course joe is the drummer for csn. so they tried that. it worked. then the tommy said let's move it down a step in key and it improved a lot. joe (the engineer) said go one more 1/2 step down. and boom. there it was. they, dare i say we,,,, worked on that song for like 8 hours until it was right. then tommy said i was singing it too agressively. he said don't sing it like agrressive guy, sing it like sleepy guy, like right before you go to sleep. so, i went into the booth, yawned a few times, turned the lights down, sand it really really soft ( i would have neevr thought of this) and click. there it was.
they have helped on every aspect of the process. one part that is especially thrilling is the lyrical help. not only do these guys have a great sense of drama for a song, but,,, and i hate to seem like a small time guy (which i am) but, joe helped on lyrics on more than one song. you know what that means? there will be songs on this record that i share a song writing credit with joe vitale. here's a guy who co-wrote so many great hits and my name will be right next to his. what an honor.
sorry i am dithering on again.
yesterday we got two songs done. we are up to ten. we hope to do two more today.
did i mention, the equipment that is being used for this record is unbelieveable. you might not think it makes a difference, but plug 6 mics into a 10,00 dollar set of preamps and then plug them into a bank of vintage neve preamps and even i hear the difference. the preamps for mics alone are many times that amount. they are outfitted like the best studios in this town. i mean from what the guys say ( an they7 know) this studio is one of the best in town. i am in a twilight zone. but it is really happening. i'm here. the two songs yesterday really rounded out the recording. there is a little bit of everything. and they are all done very well. the last recording done in what they call 16 bit recording, this one is many times that,,,not really sure but i think it's 56 bit. what this means is the resolution si much muich greater. imagine taking a picture with a disposable camera from the grocery store. now take the same picture on a camera that is used for the life magazine cover that costs 40,000 dollars. would you expect the resolution to be greater? the colors to be more vivid? the depth of intensity? yes you would. and it is. just the yard stick mix, (that means just push all the faders up, without really eq' ing it or doing compressions or any final mixing thing, just push the faders all up and listen.... it is amazing the difference ( to me) between this one and the last one, finally home. rick delima the engineer for the last one, was an amazing cat. he got performances out of me that would hgave never happened, so i am not dissing that recording or anythinhg like that. he was an amazing cat, but because of the equipment in buks studio, the quality of recording i think is great. rick delima i love you and your studio as well though. i hope to work with him again sometime. forgive me that i am tryting to be politialcally correct, i just don't want to say anything bad about the last studio. it was an affordable and great studio. this one, though, because of equipment alone is a world class studio. and not to mention buk has ten more years under his belt making reocrdings. last time, he hadn't worked with keith urband yet, he hadn't graced the recordings of all those rascal flatts records, worked with the producers that are now fawninbg over him, and he is ten years older and wiser. but let me point something out. buk was a greater guitar player than i by the time he reached the age of,,,, i don't know,,,, 8? 10?
anyway i better get to work and polish offf some lyrics. this doesnt happen to me every day and i must make the best of it
here is something i had no idea would happen. but i have seen it in front of my eyes. here is the lesson. you can neevr tell. first of all i never have any idea which song tom will picj to do next. he picked songs that i thought to myself, oh no, not that one, it sucks. it's one of the lesser songs i brought here. but hten it turns out to be one of the best songs. and some song you thought would be great, didn't get picked. some somg that was to be an easy chip shot, takes all day. you just never can tell. but i can tell one thing. if we start a song, by the time it is done, it will be great.
so, on to the last day of full band recording., after this it is over dubs.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
december 4th
oh my gooness, what a day. after 3 days of recording, things are right on schedule.
we have 6 songs that have been recorded, many protooled (digitally cleaned up) and some have most of the musical overdubs done. several of them have vocal tracks we can keep, which is great because oftem times you record keeper vocal tracks later in the over dub sessions.
the working titles of the songs that we have recorded so far, and a brief description of the tracks are:
at least i'm not working for the man- a mid tempo rocker, ala stones or faces. the subject rather self explanatory.
i need you now- intense, romantic song of desperation. up-tempo waltz like "blades on the water" in A minor.
slipping away- a mid-life song about the passage of time. really really really good song, that's all i can say.
everything happens on saturday- this one is british pop really well done. featuring a 12 string guitar.
it is what it is (and it ain't what it ain't) fast. really crazy. i mean psycho.
with you all the way- this is the love song for the album.
tomorrow we start at one so i am looking forward to that. i need to add at this point that the talent in the room that is recording with me is mind boggling-. tom bukovac, joe vitale, david santos (who had a birthday today and we sang and we all ate cake after the session (which ended at two am!)), and mark. so far. i have no idea who else buk might invite.
i hope i remember all the things to write down so i can rmember and maybe you might enjoy. anyway, it's 5 am and i'm back in the studio at 1 pm so i have to go... thanks!
we have 6 songs that have been recorded, many protooled (digitally cleaned up) and some have most of the musical overdubs done. several of them have vocal tracks we can keep, which is great because oftem times you record keeper vocal tracks later in the over dub sessions.
the working titles of the songs that we have recorded so far, and a brief description of the tracks are:
at least i'm not working for the man- a mid tempo rocker, ala stones or faces. the subject rather self explanatory.
i need you now- intense, romantic song of desperation. up-tempo waltz like "blades on the water" in A minor.
slipping away- a mid-life song about the passage of time. really really really good song, that's all i can say.
everything happens on saturday- this one is british pop really well done. featuring a 12 string guitar.
it is what it is (and it ain't what it ain't) fast. really crazy. i mean psycho.
with you all the way- this is the love song for the album.
tomorrow we start at one so i am looking forward to that. i need to add at this point that the talent in the room that is recording with me is mind boggling-. tom bukovac, joe vitale, david santos (who had a birthday today and we sang and we all ate cake after the session (which ended at two am!)), and mark. so far. i have no idea who else buk might invite.
i hope i remember all the things to write down so i can rmember and maybe you might enjoy. anyway, it's 5 am and i'm back in the studio at 1 pm so i have to go... thanks!
Friday, December 3, 2010
MORE SONGS IN THE CAN
just for a loittle primer on the process of making a recording, not all recordings but this one. after the nips and tucks and adjustments of the song writing are done, ((and in some cases the songwriting is adjusted during the recording process), you head into the studio with a basic band of musicians and your producer and an engineer. you play the songs to where they sound good and hit record. what you will get is a basic recording of the songs, or "bed tracks". once all the bed tracks are done you go back and add "over dubs. these are musical parts you add onto the basic roceording- things like tambourines, hand claps, backing vocals, lead guitars and anything else to make it a complete recording. in some cases you can get the final vocal recording in the basic tracks, but you at least record a guide vocal so the band doesn't get lost in the song. they have music sheets or charts in front of them, but it helps to hear the singer do his thing so you can get a feel for the ups and downs and all manner of dynamics that is very important. i think so far i might have nailed a couple final vocal cuts in the basic tracks which is great.
yesterday we worked on two songs, "i need you now" and "with you all the way". The first i got some help from sarah buxton on the lyrics and phrasing. i think it came out real well. it's a song about a guy who needs his woman to talk to him after she clams up and won't communicate. it's pretty dark and intense.
the second song is a love song. wow. it is not a happy one, but not a dark one. the guy is just really serious about telling the heroine that he will be with her forever and goes through his feeling about reassuring her.
today, we are goi9n gto put the final touches on the vocals and lyrics. everybody was kicking in on ideas last night for this one, we worked until 2 am! this is not the first song i have co-written with tom bukovac but it is certsainly the first song i will share authorship with a rock and roll hall of famer, joe vitale. sorry, but that is pretty cool. joe just got notified that his composition with joe walsh, ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY, has had 5 million radio plays. he of course has a host of other classic rock songs including PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW, on the hotel california album by the eagles.
so, tonight we are starting at 8 o'clock so it might be a late night. we are going to do some more upbeat songs, i think the first one we shall do is called IT IS WHAT IT IS. maybe we will even get two done tonight. wish me luck!
yesterday we worked on two songs, "i need you now" and "with you all the way". The first i got some help from sarah buxton on the lyrics and phrasing. i think it came out real well. it's a song about a guy who needs his woman to talk to him after she clams up and won't communicate. it's pretty dark and intense.
the second song is a love song. wow. it is not a happy one, but not a dark one. the guy is just really serious about telling the heroine that he will be with her forever and goes through his feeling about reassuring her.
today, we are goi9n gto put the final touches on the vocals and lyrics. everybody was kicking in on ideas last night for this one, we worked until 2 am! this is not the first song i have co-written with tom bukovac but it is certsainly the first song i will share authorship with a rock and roll hall of famer, joe vitale. sorry, but that is pretty cool. joe just got notified that his composition with joe walsh, ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY, has had 5 million radio plays. he of course has a host of other classic rock songs including PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW, on the hotel california album by the eagles.
so, tonight we are starting at 8 o'clock so it might be a late night. we are going to do some more upbeat songs, i think the first one we shall do is called IT IS WHAT IT IS. maybe we will even get two done tonight. wish me luck!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
here we go again today
i just have to mention the man who is engineering this project. his name is joe baldridge. he's a really nice guy and from what i can see, a genius. i am not sure who he has worked with but he has worked with my producer, tom bukovac, so, i must imagine he has worked with some of the same top artists that tom has. he is doing a fabulous job, not only engineering, but he is fast really fast. for one thing he is pro tooling on the fly. that means the little imperfections that happen as we record, he is digitally fixing them as we go along,,,, as he engineers. we discussed some things about the civil war, he talked about such varied topics as the banking industry, law history, i mean the guy is very knowledgeable on many subjects, but, for right now i am just being amazed at his engineering skills. the man who engineered my last cd, rick delima did a fantastic job also and helped me to sing my songs, created a soulful vibe in the studio and was just great. joe baldidge is a guy i am just not done yet describing.
anyway, i have buk for 5 more days i think. i hope we can get a lot done. it sure seems that we will. i have to get ready for the sessions so i will talk with you later today i hope.
anyway, i have buk for 5 more days i think. i hope we can get a lot done. it sure seems that we will. i have to get ready for the sessions so i will talk with you later today i hope.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
moving along very well.
today we were joined by mark jordan on keyboards. mark, of course played on my last cd finally home. he is known for his classic recording with many artists like van morrison (he played on tupelo honey sessions, which yield such classics as tupelo honey and wild night), dave mason, tom jones, bonnie raitt, and just a host of others.
today, we got basic rythm tracks for the songs" at least i'm not working for the man", which is a straight out classic rock in the style of the faces, or rolling stones. we also did a song called slipping away that sounds kind of like supertramp meets beatles via the beach boys and todd rundgren. i guess, you tell me when you hear it.
nothing crazy today just a long day of hard work. tomorrow morning we go at it again.
but i did hear some great stories. mark was telling us about working for van morrison. van is a coffee drinker. strong dublin coffee. had several 4 houses around the world which really only have a coffee maker, a stereo, a bed and a chair in them. intense guy van morrison. joe told us some great stories about working with the eagles, that i would share but i am whipped and must retire because we have so so much work to do and it';s late. thank you for reading and i will have more tomorrow.
today, we got basic rythm tracks for the songs" at least i'm not working for the man", which is a straight out classic rock in the style of the faces, or rolling stones. we also did a song called slipping away that sounds kind of like supertramp meets beatles via the beach boys and todd rundgren. i guess, you tell me when you hear it.
nothing crazy today just a long day of hard work. tomorrow morning we go at it again.
but i did hear some great stories. mark was telling us about working for van morrison. van is a coffee drinker. strong dublin coffee. had several 4 houses around the world which really only have a coffee maker, a stereo, a bed and a chair in them. intense guy van morrison. joe told us some great stories about working with the eagles, that i would share but i am whipped and must retire because we have so so much work to do and it';s late. thank you for reading and i will have more tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)