8 July 2013
Here’s another compilation of the Facebook posts for the second week of the album recording sessions for those of you who don’t use the media.
June 25th -“My old friend Tony dropped by last night and stayed over, both of us slightly overdoing it on the wine front. First couple of hours of the day were ok then the hangover hit like a Challenger tank! Thankfully I managed to put together a guide vocal on “Blind to the Beautiful” working it live with Robin and Foss. It sounds fantastic in the acoustic arrangement and we are not planning to go for a more involved version as the song doesn’t work as well with full band. Only shame is that Steve, who I principally wrote it with, isn’t on the album recording although he wants to add a tambourine just so he is involved!
Gavin finished all his drum parts today with only a couple of hours percussion tomorrow morning before he heads back to wales and gigs this weekend. He’s done a brilliant piece of work on this album and he should be very proud of his contribution.
Now moving into overdub stage and as I said before I have to add guide vocals “plus” to help inspire Robin and Foss as they take over the studio now. Steve is still up for another week so although he’s not got much more to play it’ll be good to have him around and still part of the sessions.
With “Blind” now down all the backing tracks are virtually done and as we sat down and listened to the entire album as it stands this afternoon in order to determine what percussion is required there was a real buzz in the air which even managed to counter my hangover !
The next few weeks will leave me with little to do apart from listen to the guy’s performances as they lay them down. I’ll be at the back of the control room dealing with the business end of the album and out in the garden fighting the weeds!”
June 26th “Me and my alien buddy sporting the new head-tube scarves that will be on the website hopefully this weekend!
Gavin left for Wales this afternoon after laying some killer military snares on the “High Wood” suite, some tambourines and shakers etc. on other songs. All added to the hugely impressive sound Calum is creating on the tracks!
This afternoon lining up the “real” strings on 3 numbers and organising Dutch studio recordings with Egbert Detrix as well as looking at other “extras”.
Everyone looking forward to a day off tomorrow although I’ll be working with Dave Barras on the principal interviews for the “Feast” making of DVD as well as reviewing footage from the UK tour and Somalia.
I have some time now as Robin and Foss start overdubbing to get to grips with the Mogadishu blog and post up the pictures. Been thinking about the approach the last few days.
Have to rally material for Mark Wilkinson from my photo collections and pick of more shots for the booklet from the current studio sessions.
Tonight we will mostly be eating tiny chickens!
June 28th- It was really weird having a day off from the album yesterday! Not only did we go from traveling at the speed of sound to dead stop but it happened on a Thursday! It felt like a Sunday all day with Robin and Steve wandering around like survivors of a plane crash, not knowing what to do or where to go!
We’d put the day off till then allowing Gavin to finish and Calum to attend hiss son’s college graduation ceremony. It caught us all by surprise as we hadn’t realised how much energy we’d been burning up in the last week and a half!
I at least had the major interview on camera with Dave Barras. It will be the linking thread to tie all the pearls from the UK tour, the studio shots and parts of the writing sessions. I recorded “Blind to the Beautiful” live with Frank and Foss in Mogadishu so there will be an interesting montage from that adventure.
Dave also filmed Steve and I discussing all the songs we did together without Robin who got all camera shy and opted out !
We still have to film Foss and I discussing “The High Wood” but apart from that and some Hero camera shots from me in the next few weeks most of the content is in place and ready to be assembled.
After Dave left it was back to that Sunday feeling again. Italy v Spain on telly and “Django in Chains” on Blu Ray. We never made the end and drifted off on zed search one by one.
Today Robin is laying guitars on “Perfume River” with Foss working out string parts for Egbert Derix who will be dealing with the strings arrangements and recording his contribution in Holland in the next week or so. Foss adds keys later allowing Jan to hoover in the main room!
It’s amazing hearing the songs receive more elaboration and become whole as the parts are added to embellish them. The next week is going to be really exciting as they continue to develop.”
July 1st – “Japanese Garden” and a whole lot of weeding going on! Pond pumping now and we have an alternative “chill space” from the control room again!
“Dug into “Feast of Consequences” on Saturday and got bogged down in the solo. It was the first time we hit a wall. Another rewrite of the instrumental suggested and so the day off on Sunday disappeared as Steve and Robin played around with ideas. Still not sure yet and we moved on this morning to “Thistle Alley! which is appropriate on this the anniversary of the first battle of the Somme in 1916.
“All Loved Up” next on the hit list once Foss and Robin have unleashed their “carnage” on the “Alley” which is sounding absolutely huge and got us all back in the smiley zone after a frustrating Saturday session.
Weeding outside proved a wise decision ( the open window goes into my office at the back of the control room). Being in here listening to sounds being created is frustrating for a vocalist and I’m only needed to listen to assembled pieces. The boys do what the boys do with Calum mainly on their own and everyone not needed in the room gives whoever space to create.
Having the pond area outside is a pleasant peaceful alternative to the full on onslaught of Foss and Robin’s sonic attacks being prepared!
I have to pay a lot of attention to the artwork Mark is sending up now and have to find various photos from my travels that fit with the booklet. Between that and writing forewords and other pieces the pressure is coming at me from a different direction this week.
It’s lovely hearing the water splashing in the pond outside the window again, it seems to feed the energies around the studio even more than before!”
July 3rd – Cloud day today! Overslept and missed the opening discussions on “Feast of Consequences”, or as we now know it, “The Scottish Song”. The instrumental section was proving a right regal pain as the guys went in search of a missing chord. Every time it was mentioned it drew pained looks and we hit a wall. We’d been bogged down for a day but I can finally say that “The Scottish Song” is now resolved!
Adding keys to “Blind to the Beautiful” today and moving into “The High Wood” which will mean singing the first guide vocal on it as the lyrics were only finished a couple of weeks ago as we’d moved out of demo mode and into recording proper.
Guitar is complete on all the tracks apart from “High Wood” and “The Leaving” with “All Loved Up” given the Rockin Robin treatment and a barrage of guitars laid on “Thistle Alley” yesterday.
Foss is trying out harpsichord sounds now, Steve out for a walk, Robin on his laptop, Calum at the controls and I’m at the back of the control room typing quietly.
We’re closing in on main vocals next week and I am getting slightly nervous.
Sent a library of photos to Mark Wilkinson yesterday and have to concentrate on the additional words he needs to fill spaces as well as the credits and official blurb. It’s strange writing up sleeve notes at this stage but in order to get the package together to coincide with the album production we have to work well in advance and as it’s an elaborate booklet Mark and Julie have been putting in a supreme effort.“
July 4th – “It was sad to say goodbye to Steve Vantsis this morning. His mission is complete and I won’t see him again until he gets back from his US holiday and comes up to the studio around August 12th to hear the final album mixes. I’ll miss the big loon as he not only played some fine bass and contributed great songs he was a fine gardening partner in the weeding stakes, cooked a couple of great meals and helped out with the domestic duties. Odd couple right enough!
That leaves Robin with me in the house with the guitars on line to be finished probably tomorrow night. It will be strange being here on my own again this weekend although Foss will be working on his final keyboards next week and I will be starting to lay down those advanced guide vocals while Calum spends the mornings tidying up all the loose ends and decluttering the material for vocals and mixing.
News from Egbert Derix today has the strings under control and we are booking sessions for the additional players who will be coming in to make their contributions. We are all excited to hear what Egbert has put together for us.
“High Wood” and “The Leaving” have taken a beautiful shape and couldn’t “bookend” the central trio of songs better. I’m really pleased about how Calum has managed to create something that sounds so complete from the 5 individual songs.
I had to sing a rough guide over the “High Wood” shortly after getting up and actually sang it in my dressing gown in the control room. A trifle eccentric! Also added a rough guide to “The Leaving” and was glad the new lyrics sat comfortably in the songs although I was still fumbling with melodies. I hadn’t had my Kenyan coffee by that point so had an excuse!
Monday 8th July, just over 3 weeks in and we are well on the way.
Robin completed all his guitars on the album on Friday night and I was sad to say goodbye early next morning as he headed off down South under bright blue sunny skies.
He’d nailed “The Scottish Song”, “High Wood” and “The Leaving” on his last session and I have to say he has done a remarkable job on this album and really stamped his identity on the songs. Calum was highly impressed at his contributions and playing and the creative chemistries between the musicians have been inspiring all round.
This week I am on “advance guide vocals” starting at around 1 every day with Calum “comping” the tracks, whittling them down, assembling parts and placing them in the first rough mixes. Foss is in most days tidying up his keyboard parts and finishing off his session with a couple of days at Calum’s own studio in North Berwick where he will be recording on a Yamaha Baby Grand piano (6′) and replacing all the digital piano with “real sounds”.
We take a break on Saturday for a week as Calum takes an overdue family holiday and I prepare for the principal vocals the following week. The advance guides are to find the definitive melodies and phrasing and hopefully those sessions will provide some takes that make the finished album. It means I can relax into the performances, capture the feel, get my confidence up and deliver some magic.
This isn’t like “13th Star” where I was approaching the vocals for the first time in the studio and finding my way verse by verse through the songs. Again the UK tour has given me a huge advantage with even the 4 songs we didn’t play already completed with lyrics /melodies and arrangements in place and ready to record. The “live rehearsals” have proved so much of a boon I don’t know why I haven’t done them more often in the past and will definitely have them in the frame for the next album.
Hopefully we will have the brass section together this week, an afternoon recording overdubs on “The Gathering” which as a track is sitting beautifully in the middle of the “High Wood” and providing a lovely light dynamic against the surrounding epic-ness!
Tara was around Saturday afternoon so I had a crossover before the studio was deserted on Sunday afternoon! My wonderful daughter cooked for her dad and allowed me a chill out day which didn’t start for me until 2pm! After getting up to say goodbye to Robin at 9am I went back to Zed land. I didn’t realise just how tired I was after that last week.
A weekend of brilliant sunshine and the Sunday spent enthralled by that tennis match! So glad Andy Murray finally got his dream and Scotland got a Wimbledon champion! Not only is he Scottish but also a Hibs supporter! A tremendous attitude and resilience and humility that was inspiring! I’ve never been a huge tennis fan, only catching the “big games”, but I was astounded at the level of fitness on the court! I would have been out there only a couple of minutes before paramedics would have had to be called out! I did my bit on the day and sat alone in front of the TV munching on the first strawberries from my garden!
Watering the garden these days is an hour of contemplation with a hose. Everything out there is coming on line and demanding more attention. Probably my most productive year yet thanks to Big John my gardener setting it up so well and looking after it while I’m locked in the day job!
That night was my first real garden foraging. I had shallots and garlic fried with mushrooms from the greenhouse and served with spinach, rocket and chard leaves in a warm salad. A great feeling when you’ve grown it all yourself!
Tara is back today and helping out in the office to clear the backlog which Elspeth hopes will be all out the door and in the post by the end of the week.
Some people have been asking about the delivery of “A Feast of Consequences” and think it is out now! The new album is for pre ordering only just now with delivery in the first weeks of September. On the current schedule we will have it here first week of that month. The albums will be sent out sequentially with those ordering first being first to receive in the mail out.
It’s all coming together.
A UK indoor festival is coming on line in December, there’s another in Spring next year and Yatta is putting together another UK tour in May next year. Details will be announced when I know more.
For now I have my side of the album to start putting in place.
As Calum is mixing down “Perfume River” in the front of the room it looks like that’s where I’ll be heading this afternoon! Looking forward to it! It’s all so real now!
Funny moment this morning on the phone with my girlfriend Simone.
” I’m sitting in the kitchen watching a robin dancing about in the garden looking for worms in the pouring rain!”
“Why is Robin doing this? Is he ok?”
Both of us knew that with the studio fever there was a possibility that this could have been a real life situation!
Elspeth and Gregor are still forging through the orders and sending out packages. They are all being processed but it is taking a bit of time. They are on top of it all and should be totally up to speed again by the middle of next week. The pre orders have been really helping the recording costs and I hope they will pick up some more as people realise that it is getting close to completion. The target date for finished album to the production plant is August 16th which will give us finished product to send out second weekend of September latest. I will be taking on extra helpers to make sure we get all the pre orders out as soon as we can. They will be sent out in sequence so those ordering before end of August get their albums first.
I have to autograph the digi artwork that goes with the pre orders and which Mark Wilkinson has already signed and sent up here. So far I have 2000 prints to be signed but hope to be signing more as the weeks go by and “A Feast of Consequences” moves into final stages of recording and mixing. Something to do on the quiet summer’s nights here now once it’s too dark for solo weeding!
I am sure that once this album is completed and out there it’s going to create quite a stir. For a small firm this is a huge undertaking and we will all have to be prepared for a big run on orders if this album is half of what I think it will get as a reaction from fans once news gets out.
I am still funding all this myself and any help any of you who read this can give with pre ordering is sincerely appreciated.
To those who have already purchased “Feast of Consequences” a huge thanks and I promise you won’t be disappointed! ”
Monday 8th July-“ just over 3 weeks in and we are well on the way.
Robin completed all his guitars on the album on Friday night and I was sad to say goodbye early next morning as he headed off down South under bright blue sunny skies.
He’d nailed “The Scottish Song”, “High Wood” and “The Leaving” on his last session and I have to say he has done a remarkable job on this album and really stamped his identity on the songs. Calum was highly impressed at his contributions and playing and the creative chemistries between the musicians have been inspiring all round.
This week I am on “advance guide vocals” starting at around 1 every day with Calum “comping” the tracks, whittling them down, assembling parts and placing them in the first rough mixes. Foss is in most days tidying up his keyboard parts and finishing off his session with a couple of days at Calum’s own studio in North Berwick where he will be recording on a Yamaha Baby Grand piano (6′) and replacing all the digital piano with “real sounds”.
We take a break on Saturday for a week as Calum takes an overdue family holiday and I prepare for the principal vocals the following week. The advance guides are to find the definitive melodies and phrasing and hopefully those sessions will provide some takes that make the finished album. It means I can relax into the performances, capture the feel, get my confidence up and deliver some magic.
This isn’t like “13th Star” where I was approaching the vocals for the first time in the studio and finding my way verse by verse through the songs. Again the UK tour has given me a huge advantage with even the 4 songs we didn’t play already completed with lyrics /melodies and arrangements in place and ready to record. The “live rehearsals” have proved so much of a boon I don’t know why I haven’t done them more often in the past and will definitely have them in the frame for the next album.
Hopefully we will have the brass section together this week, an afternoon recording overdubs on “The Gathering” which as a track is sitting beautifully in the middle of the “High Wood” and providing a lovely light dynamic against the surrounding epic-ness!
Tara was around Saturday afternoon so I had a crossover before the studio was deserted on Sunday afternoon! My wonderful daughter cooked for her dad and allowed me a chill out day which didn’t start for me until 2pm! After getting up to say goodbye to Robin at 9am I went back to Zed land. I didn’t realise just how tired I was after that last week.
A weekend of brilliant sunshine and the Sunday spent enthralled by that tennis match! So glad Andy Murray finally got his dream and Scotland got a Wimbledon champion! Not only is he Scottish but also a Hibs supporter! A tremendous attitude and resilience and humility that was inspiring! I’ve never been a huge tennis fan, only catching the “big games”, but I was astounded at the level of fitness on the court! I would have been out there only a couple of minutes before paramedics would have had to be called out! I did my bit on the day and sat alone in front of the TV munching on the first strawberries from my garden!
Watering the garden these days is an hour of contemplation with a hose. Everything out there is coming on line and demanding more attention. Probably my most productive year yet thanks to Big John my gardener setting it up so well and looking after it while I’m locked in the day job!
That night was my first real garden foraging. I had shallots and garlic fried with mushrooms from the greenhouse and served with spinach, rocket and chard leaves in a warm salad. A great feeling when you’ve grown it all yourself!
Tara is back today and helping out in the office to clear the backlog which Elspeth hopes will be all out the door and in the post by the end of the week.
Some people have been asking about the delivery of “A Feast of Consequences” and think it is out now! The new album is for pre ordering only just now with delivery in the first weeks of September. On the current schedule we will have it here first week of that month. The albums will be sent out sequentially with those ordering first being first to receive in the mail out.
It’s all coming together.
A UK indoor festival is coming on line in December, there’s another in Spring next year and Yatta is putting together another UK tour in May next year. Details will be announced when I know more.
For now I have my side of the album to start putting in place.
As Calum is mixing down “Perfume River” in the front of the room it looks like that’s where I’ll be heading this afternoon! Looking forward to it! It’s all so real now!”
