This is the mini-diary of the making of my first solo album

November 30th 2007

Have been in British Grove once more only this time Mark has been playing over a couple of tracks. I’ve got an album title now and have decided the track listing but I don’t want to say anything just yet until the artwork is finalized. Very soon now.. It looks like I’ll be starting the mix this coming week too. I have decided to do surround versions of everything also and I look forward to toying with some radical panning. Here’s a few pics since my visit coincided with Glenn and Mark sifting through various amp-guitar combinations for the upcoming tour. Quite a selection of beauties too.

The mighty Mr. Saggers compares the twin Tone Kings.

 

A ’60’s Burns Bison sits nicely in front of the EMI Redd from the same era.

The Fender Concert which I used for some of the bass. That’s my old favourite Neumann fet47 mic.
Damian Wilson dropped by to sing some harmonies and have a play on the ragpicker.

 

 John McCusker kindly came down and played some beautiful fiddle, Cittern and Whistle. We’re all looking forward to touring with John.

November 1st 2007

Album coming along nicely, another burst of work since I’ve finished mixing Greg Pearle’s album. Earlier this week Danny and I were in British Grove putting down the drums with his new 1965 Rogers kit. Blimey! it’s a bit good. Rich Cooper was engineering and experimenting madly with new drum positioning, mics and techniques.

Tea Towels were used on this track
what a beauty

 

 

Rich working on getting the right amount of tea towel on the floor tom.

 

 

 
The ’59 precision is exactly that

 

Snares used from L-R, DW – Sonor Delite (cherry red maple) – Rogers Powertone circa 1969 – Rogers Dynasonic circa 1963 – Ludwig Black Beauty (green and olive badge)
October 9th 2007

As I’ve mentioned in the q & a pages, in the last month work on this has been sporadic since we’ve been hopping about doing bits of promo for MK and I’ve also been nearing the end of the Greg Pearle project. It’s difficult to talk about it without actually letting you hear what’s going on, but it’s all coming together quite nicely. Danny will be doing some work this week and John McCusker too.

I experienced a bit of a creative ‘spurt’ after spending a most enjoyable year in the studio with Mark making KTGC, and that combined with all the fiddling with ideas for songs and themes for various soundtracks made me decide to focus it all into an album. What actually happened was a lot of stuff started coming out. Good or bad, you’ll have to decide for yourselves.

Schedule? well If I get cracking, I should mix before the end of November. You will be able to hear previews on the site before it’s digital release. Some pics. sorry about the photoshopping.

Some nice instruments

Ahhh, there be songs on the album, with actual singing

but only with my eyes closed

Danny plays his ‘Sir John’

some wires

my brilliant Vox Continental I picked up on e-bay

 

August 9th 2007

It’s a bit odd this, since at the moment there are no other muso’s involved yet..so it’s just me and consequently the quality pics aren’t exactly spilling onto the page. Still, here’s a few to be going on with.
I’ve been working here in the home studio on and off since KTGC was finished and I’m enjoying doing it in ‘fits and spurts’ with only the self-imposed finish deadline to aim for.
I suppose it’s fair to say that most of the stuff is guitar based and there’s a lot of steel guitar to be heard, especially on the instrumentals. But as I said, it’s still all taking shape. In a couple of weeks I hope to get Danny C. involved and lay down some drums in that amazing room at British Grove.

 

the L100 and the Vox with a pair of bongos never far away.

hula spaceman

All the basic tools for self-maintenence.

Soldering Iron, cutters, tape, shaver, air-con remote, chewing gum and electrician’s tape. Not pictured, tea, Green and Black’s dark chocolate and more tea.

 
It might sound like this?
Then again…