12.06.05 - Recording - Day # 3
"Action"
Somewhere between Robert Goulet and Beck (circa: Sea Change) the inspiration was found for the vocal line. It has only taken me 2 years to figure out how I wanted to sing this song. Once again Tim laid down a great bass line that guides the song very well. I still don't know how he got those acoustic guitars to sound so good. Left with the idea of having some sort of backwards noise to end the song. Would handclaps be too much?
"Arctic Advice"
Originally Andrew laid down a keyboard part (which consisted of one chord that he played with one hand while also playing the drum part with the other hand) when we tracked the song. We built on that chord and filled the chorus part with some more keys. Tim was able to translate my idea into a pretty cool part. It is a great feeling to have the song sound like it does in your head. In the recent issue of UNCUT there was a huge article on Springsteen's recording of "Born to Run." The pull quote that goes with one of the pictures reads: "The singer would agonise about "sounds in his head" that he couldn't get onto tape in the studio." Maybe George Carlin can take Tim back in time to fix that problem.
"Putting Up A Fire"
Tim recorded a bass part under the vague direction of "think Tom Petty/Strokes" which I know doesn't make sense but he was able to deliver. In an effort to make the tremolo guitar at the end of the song sound a bit bigger we ran the guitar track back through an old amp and used a microphone that is worth more than all my equipment combined. Once again the track now sounds like it does in my head. The ending also has a big payoff. You have to wait for it but it is worth it.
"Super Power Syndrome"
The idea was "new wave" keyboards and I got so much more than I anticipated. The song clocks in just over a minute but I can guarantee the "repeat" button will be used very frequently Did you hear something? Oh yeah - the sound of my own horn tooting. I would love to make the song longer but I don't want to mess with it.
So the only things left to do are backup vocals and percussion. I can not wait for people to hear these songs. After I got done recording "Breathing In The Old World" I thought it was the best representation of the sounds and the songs that play in my head. But I can honestly say I feel like these songs are an even better representation. Working with Tim and Andrew has been a fantastic collaboration.
Hopefully by the end of January Andrew and I can get together with Tim and record 3 or 4 more. "Beheaded, Divorced, Died, Beheaded, Divorced, Survived" is the only other song we have at the moment so it looks like I need to get back to the lab.
Thanks for reading,
Jay
-----------------------------------------------------------
10.19.05 - Recording - Day #2
Went by TW's mobile studio in the Greenwood section of Seattle to try and get some golden vocal tracks.
"Super Power Syndrome" - The proper way to say the word is "per·se·vere" I have gotten it wrong in the past and have been corrected. Thankfully TW is much better with the English language and reminded me I was doing it wrong again. If I get that word wrong it changes the whole story within the song.
"Putting Up a Fire" - I guess I have tried to sing this one different when I perform. It come out more in a croon-y type voice but that just makes me sound like a have a cold. A take later and I tried annunciating every word instead of trying to imitate somebody else. In the end annunciating paid off. Who knew?
"Arctic Advice" - Felt good. Nice confidence boost.
"Action" - I have recorded a version of this song before with The Ivory Coast but I have made some changes to it. I feel like I have an easier time singing it with the current chord arrangement. It was my first chance to hear TW's mix and he did a great job at salvaging two acoustic guitar tracks that I thought were headed for the recycle bin on his desktop. Yet another gold star for TW! I forgot to try recording the handclaps that hopefully will end this song.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
10.16.05 - Recording - Day #1 - addendum
As I mentioned earlier Andrew is a creative one. Here is his creation story of his DIY kick drum microphone:
"...no, it's not a speaker anymore. It's a microphone"
"Uh nope, no sound comes out of it because it's not a speaker anymore. It
is a MICROPHONE."
That's the jist of a couple conversations I had while trying to make a
sub-frequency kick drum microphone out of a 6" woofer speaker last week.
These things are really pretty cool, and Yamaha sells 'em for around $400. But
hey, since I'd rather spend my money on nachos and cool old
suitcases, I tried to get away with making the mic instead.
Basically all it took was to cut off the end of a mic cable and solder the L and
R wires to the two connections on the woofer's hind quarters. Hang
it on a mic stand and, presto! - a ridiculous looking microphone and a lot
more booty from the bass drum.
Thanks to Matthew at Hawthorn Stereo in the U-District for donating the woofer,
and to neighbor Thom for the soldering iron; those two guys keep
the meaning of the word generosity alive and well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.11.05 - Recording - Day #1
Goal for today was to get drums sounds from Andrew. If we decided to keep the scratch guitar track then it would be considered a bonus.
Gold star for TW for getting set up so quick. I have never seen anyone get microphones in place and be ready to record in such a quick amount of time. I wish you could have seen how much stuff he packed into his compact car.
I can not believe I forgot a camera. I am kicking myself for not bringing the Polaroid.
Andrew had success recording along to a click track, but we did a few tracks without out it so we can pick and choose when the time is right. Originally we set up a vocal mic (which was only going to Andrew's headphones) in the bathroom thinking I would play from there while singing. Thankfully I did not have to stand on the oversized bathroom mat which was designed to look like a pair of men's white briefs. If I had been kept in the bathroom my options were face the toilet or face the mirror. No and No. So for the sake of eye contact we were able to set the guitar up right in front of the drums so it would make it seem more "live" while playing.
Thanks to TW for the following his support of the following song/album idea names:
"Hooker Sex"
"Like Freedom (Let It Ring)"
At some point I will have Andrew describe his homemade kick drum microphone to everyone. I am sure it will read like an excerpt from an issue of TapeOp. I have never met anyone who "finds" so many electronic leftovers that actually work and are not junk. It is a talent that I am not sure many people possess. I do believe it rivals those folks who search through the bins at used cd stores and find something amazing.
So in four hours we were able to get drums and a keeper guitar track on :
"Arctic Advice"
"Super Power Syndrome"
"Putting Up A Fire"
"Action (below 13th)"
Andrew was also able to add his keyboard parts on "Arctic Advice" and tambourine on "Putting Up A Fire"
I do believe the true diamond in the rough was using a little acoustic guitar to track "Action" Turns out the guitar belongs to Andrew's mother who used it as a child. It is a Harmony acoustic with a large neck and a unique sound. I had scoffed at Andrew's suggestion of using it but I guess that is the last time I blow off one of his ideas.
Now the tracks are safe in TW's lair where he will construct his bass parts. After that we have some vocals, backup vocals/harmonies (hopefully courtesy of TW) and maybe some more guitar and keys…..
Thanks to Andrew's housemates for being so accommodating. Hopefully the month's supply of toilet paper I bought them as a peace offering made them feel less put out then they were.
Things that thankfully did not make it to tape : TW answering my fashion questions, my thoughts on what kind of information you find out when you die, and what is similar to buying a car on EBAY.