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I thought I'd keep a studio diary of the next 9 days, so I can look back when I go back to work and realise that I do something that inspires me, instead of thinking I'm spending the next 40 years of my life at work.
I'm writing up each day when I get back home in the evening.
If this reads as boring, I apologise as I'm writing it mainly for me to remind myself.
-----
Saturday 2nd
Start of 9 days recording, just the drums. The rest to be done at a later date, this is 9 days set aside purely for drums. We can test sounds, different positions, different mics etc without the fear of having to make do so we only take 4 days to record 4 songs.
Arrive at 10am.
Set up drums and test room mics for 2hrs
Did nothing today but test different mic set-ups, settled on 7 room mics to capture overheads and then test out 4 different kick mics.
A mic worth £3,500 that has to have a screen in front of it before you play, otherwise you blow it.
Went for lunch at 3pm, saw Jarvis Cocker - he lives across the road from the studio.
Wearing an orange parka jacket.
Good sign?
Back from lunch, run through some songs to test rooms mics.
Mic up the toms and snare.
Finished at 7pm.
Sunday 3rd
Arrive at 9am.
Retest the skins have not warped or detuned overnight.
Talk about what songs we're doing in what order.
Decide to record the rockier ones because we have a massive live sound, huge snare and a booming kick that makes your chest shake when played back through the desk.
Pre-amps make it sound like Bonham is smashing the drums.
Fantastic.
Decide to start with "Saints & Cynics", as that is a straight-forward rocker.
Run through a couple of times to the click-track, make sure I have the pace locked down in my head.
Rob comes into the live room and plays his bass direct into the desk.
Scotty & Chris are in the control booth, singing and playing through my head phones.
This one's a take.
Not bad, screwed the intro roll up.
Go through another 3 times.
1 take worth keeping, but need to redo the roll out of the breakdown as it's not as tight as it can be.
Not happening.
Keep clipping the edge with the stick.
Try for the next 30 mins, same thing keeps happening.
I did this all day yesterday and have played this song 300+ times in rehearsals and live, so why the problem?
Mindblock, getting frustrated.
Take a break, go outside and smoke to clear my head.
Back in now and got it 1st time, must've been a mental block.
In the bag now.
Time for lunch.
See Cocker again, is he stalking us?
He nods to Pete and chats for 10 minutes.
Back from lunch
Now it's "Whatever Wherever Whenever".
Nice simple song, click keeps me locked during the bridge to chorus.
1st take is a beaut.
The breakdown isn't the best it could be, toms sound quiter than the rest of the kit.
Run through the roll and break for 20 mins, still sounds quiet.
Decide to begin the roll on a lower tom, give it some welly.
That's a keeper.
Take a break to change a snare skin.
The outro rolls could be tighter, repeat from 2 bars before and play over and over until it's 100% on the mark.
90 mins spent trying to match the pitch and tone of the previous rolls.
Knee is swollen from playing all day, but have to get this last part done.
Doesn't sound right.
The boys are cool, but I'm getting angry with myself for not getting this done 2hrs ago.
Made to go outside and smoke, calm down and stop listening to myself play.
Go back and ask to run through the whole song from the start.
Bang.
Got it in one.
It's now 9pm and I've been playing since 10am this morning with a break for lunch.
My hands are swollen and knee is flaring up.
Tomorrow is "Bunny" and "Mrs Jones"
Bunny is going to be a sod, I tend to run away with this one.
It's a full on, foot to the floor hammering number and I get too into the song and accelerate through the choruses.
No good when you're playing to a click-track.
Pro-Tool is being used, so has to be 100% perfect in time.
Not easy to do over and over and over, get the previous take to match the next one exactly.
Tomorrow night we're all going out on the town.
Going for beers and then a curry.
Last time we went out up town we ended up in a club and two of them disgraced themselves with women and I ended up getting some posh bird to buy me vodka all night.
I can't do that seeing as I have to be back playing at 9am all day long.
I'm writing up each day when I get back home in the evening.
If this reads as boring, I apologise as I'm writing it mainly for me to remind myself.
-----
Saturday 2nd
Start of 9 days recording, just the drums. The rest to be done at a later date, this is 9 days set aside purely for drums. We can test sounds, different positions, different mics etc without the fear of having to make do so we only take 4 days to record 4 songs.
Arrive at 10am.
Set up drums and test room mics for 2hrs
Did nothing today but test different mic set-ups, settled on 7 room mics to capture overheads and then test out 4 different kick mics.
A mic worth £3,500 that has to have a screen in front of it before you play, otherwise you blow it.
Went for lunch at 3pm, saw Jarvis Cocker - he lives across the road from the studio.
Wearing an orange parka jacket.
Good sign?
Back from lunch, run through some songs to test rooms mics.
Mic up the toms and snare.
Finished at 7pm.
Sunday 3rd
Arrive at 9am.
Retest the skins have not warped or detuned overnight.
Talk about what songs we're doing in what order.
Decide to record the rockier ones because we have a massive live sound, huge snare and a booming kick that makes your chest shake when played back through the desk.
Pre-amps make it sound like Bonham is smashing the drums.
Fantastic.
Decide to start with "Saints & Cynics", as that is a straight-forward rocker.
Run through a couple of times to the click-track, make sure I have the pace locked down in my head.
Rob comes into the live room and plays his bass direct into the desk.
Scotty & Chris are in the control booth, singing and playing through my head phones.
This one's a take.
Not bad, screwed the intro roll up.
Go through another 3 times.
1 take worth keeping, but need to redo the roll out of the breakdown as it's not as tight as it can be.
Not happening.
Keep clipping the edge with the stick.
Try for the next 30 mins, same thing keeps happening.
I did this all day yesterday and have played this song 300+ times in rehearsals and live, so why the problem?
Mindblock, getting frustrated.
Take a break, go outside and smoke to clear my head.
Back in now and got it 1st time, must've been a mental block.
In the bag now.
Time for lunch.
See Cocker again, is he stalking us?
He nods to Pete and chats for 10 minutes.
Back from lunch
Now it's "Whatever Wherever Whenever".
Nice simple song, click keeps me locked during the bridge to chorus.
1st take is a beaut.
The breakdown isn't the best it could be, toms sound quiter than the rest of the kit.
Run through the roll and break for 20 mins, still sounds quiet.
Decide to begin the roll on a lower tom, give it some welly.
That's a keeper.
Take a break to change a snare skin.
The outro rolls could be tighter, repeat from 2 bars before and play over and over until it's 100% on the mark.
90 mins spent trying to match the pitch and tone of the previous rolls.
Knee is swollen from playing all day, but have to get this last part done.
Doesn't sound right.
The boys are cool, but I'm getting angry with myself for not getting this done 2hrs ago.
Made to go outside and smoke, calm down and stop listening to myself play.
Go back and ask to run through the whole song from the start.
Bang.
Got it in one.
It's now 9pm and I've been playing since 10am this morning with a break for lunch.
My hands are swollen and knee is flaring up.
Tomorrow is "Bunny" and "Mrs Jones"
Bunny is going to be a sod, I tend to run away with this one.
It's a full on, foot to the floor hammering number and I get too into the song and accelerate through the choruses.
No good when you're playing to a click-track.
Pro-Tool is being used, so has to be 100% perfect in time.
Not easy to do over and over and over, get the previous take to match the next one exactly.
Tomorrow night we're all going out on the town.
Going for beers and then a curry.
Last time we went out up town we ended up in a club and two of them disgraced themselves with women and I ended up getting some posh bird to buy me vodka all night.
I can't do that seeing as I have to be back playing at 9am all day long.
Thursday 7th
Started today at 9am and we're doing "Coming Home" and "Walk Away".
Nailed Walk Away in 2 takes.
I always play better first thing in the morning, I get tired by mid-afternoon with continous playing.
Things between Rob & Scott are cool, I don't know the full story and it's between those two only.
Jesus I've lost track of my days.
I think it's Thursday? We're in until Sunday.
Only have "Another Lost in Vain" "Pots & Pans" "Please" and "If You Like" to do now.
Did so well today that we decided to redo "Mrs Jones" and "Lonely Hearts" at a slightly faster speed.
Worked out perfectly.
Supposed to go out on the town tonight, but just too worn out and had to come home to sleep.
But not complaining, no bloody way is this the same tired as being at work.
This is tired in a good way.
It's going to be hard going back to work on Monday, but there you go, has to be done until this is finished and then we'll see.
I love this band, I love my boys and I love these songs.
Wish I could play them to you, but no way until they're 100% finished and perfect.
Friday tomorrow, should be good.
Started today at 9am and we're doing "Coming Home" and "Walk Away".
Nailed Walk Away in 2 takes.
I always play better first thing in the morning, I get tired by mid-afternoon with continous playing.
Things between Rob & Scott are cool, I don't know the full story and it's between those two only.
Jesus I've lost track of my days.
I think it's Thursday? We're in until Sunday.
Only have "Another Lost in Vain" "Pots & Pans" "Please" and "If You Like" to do now.
Did so well today that we decided to redo "Mrs Jones" and "Lonely Hearts" at a slightly faster speed.
Worked out perfectly.
Supposed to go out on the town tonight, but just too worn out and had to come home to sleep.
But not complaining, no bloody way is this the same tired as being at work.
This is tired in a good way.
It's going to be hard going back to work on Monday, but there you go, has to be done until this is finished and then we'll see.
I love this band, I love my boys and I love these songs.
Wish I could play them to you, but no way until they're 100% finished and perfect.
Friday tomorrow, should be good.
Wednesday 6th
It is Wednesday isn't it? Not too sure, no need to know what day it is, just turn up in the morning and play.
Today was "Looking Out" and "Coming Home".
"Looking Out" nailed in 2 takes.
Then decide a military-style drum tattoo would be cool for the middle eight break.
Except I'm over the other side of the kit on the ride and crash, going to take a lot of practice to get back over and start the snare action.
2hrs of different efforts, patterns and fills.
2hrs of one drum bit, over and over and over.
Got it though.
Lunch
"Coming Home"
Not bad, not brilliant. Click track is throwing me, need it in 16 time without rimshots, too similar to what I'm playing.
Go over and over.
Had 4hrs sleep last night and have been playing non-stop since Saturday, getting very tired.
Not sleepy, but bones ache and headaches a lot.
Keep trying, try to click-track only, vocals and guitars.
Not happening, almost got it and decide it's now 7pm and going to do it 1st thing Thursday morning when I'm fresh.
Rob has a duo gig on the 22nd, clashes with a gig we have in Southend.
He needs the money and this isn't a gig that matters really but still a gig.
Scotty blows a fuse and they have a row, Rob says we should look for another bass player.
This could be bad.
We'll try and sort it tomorrow morning back at the studio, Rob can't leave over something like this.
We're too strong together and he'd be daft to walk now.
Scotty can be headstrong, but you need to know how to take him.
Interesting situation, Chris making the peace whilst I go over and over "Coming Home" and keep losing the pace and slowing down/speeding up.
Everyone is tired and we all go our seperate ways tonight to get a breather ready for tomorrow.
Things'll be fine in the morning, we've had these moments before.
Stick 4 creatives in a room and sparks will occur, but we're good together.
Band of Brothers.
Tomorrow is "Coming Home" finalised, then "Walk Away" and "Another Lost in Vain"
Must have a bath and sleep now, eyes burning and I have no energy left whatsoever.
Out on the town tomorrow night, so need to be rested.
It is Wednesday isn't it? Not too sure, no need to know what day it is, just turn up in the morning and play.
Today was "Looking Out" and "Coming Home".
"Looking Out" nailed in 2 takes.
Then decide a military-style drum tattoo would be cool for the middle eight break.
Except I'm over the other side of the kit on the ride and crash, going to take a lot of practice to get back over and start the snare action.
2hrs of different efforts, patterns and fills.
2hrs of one drum bit, over and over and over.
Got it though.
Lunch
"Coming Home"
Not bad, not brilliant. Click track is throwing me, need it in 16 time without rimshots, too similar to what I'm playing.
Go over and over.
Had 4hrs sleep last night and have been playing non-stop since Saturday, getting very tired.
Not sleepy, but bones ache and headaches a lot.
Keep trying, try to click-track only, vocals and guitars.
Not happening, almost got it and decide it's now 7pm and going to do it 1st thing Thursday morning when I'm fresh.
Rob has a duo gig on the 22nd, clashes with a gig we have in Southend.
He needs the money and this isn't a gig that matters really but still a gig.
Scotty blows a fuse and they have a row, Rob says we should look for another bass player.
This could be bad.
We'll try and sort it tomorrow morning back at the studio, Rob can't leave over something like this.
We're too strong together and he'd be daft to walk now.
Scotty can be headstrong, but you need to know how to take him.
Interesting situation, Chris making the peace whilst I go over and over "Coming Home" and keep losing the pace and slowing down/speeding up.
Everyone is tired and we all go our seperate ways tonight to get a breather ready for tomorrow.
Things'll be fine in the morning, we've had these moments before.
Stick 4 creatives in a room and sparks will occur, but we're good together.
Band of Brothers.
Tomorrow is "Coming Home" finalised, then "Walk Away" and "Another Lost in Vain"
Must have a bath and sleep now, eyes burning and I have no energy left whatsoever.
Out on the town tomorrow night, so need to be rested.
The new song sounds exaclty like the type of thing I like. I have to say I liked Mrs. Jones even if my connection wasn't good enough to play it seamlessly all the way through...
Can you stick some rough mp3's of the new songs up on thisisparker.com or on the new site monkey man's doing?
Can you stick some rough mp3's of the new songs up on thisisparker.com or on the new site monkey man's doing?
Nice yin cheif!
Monday
1st up is Mrs Jones
Played this endless times and know it in my sleep.
Ok for a first run through, need to redo because the mics didn’t pick out the toms too well.
Middle eight section seems to drag, redo and check on Pro-Tools and it’s fine.
Listen again, it’s the guide track being played by Rob. His basslines aren’t to click and are throwing me out.
Chuck Rob into the control room and play it with just click and Scotty singing
Got it.
It’s 2pm now, lunch.
After lunch.
“Lonely Hearts”
No sax on this one, just playing through with keyboard and Scotty’s vocal guide with the click.
Not bad.
The tom roll out of the break and into the reprise could be tighter and louder.
Redo.
Take 9 now and getting utterly annoyed. Fag break to clear my head and get away from bloody tom fills for 10 minutes.
Works, good plan. Get it in one.
Another 4 run goes through the song, Pete wasn’t recording the last two.
Ah well, on form and hitting it bang on the 4 bar end.
6pm and we’re off out for a night on the town.
First stop is a bar. 93ft East in Brick Lane.
Not bad, a DJ but also have a live drummer and MC doing freestyle rap over it.
Had a couple of pints and then discover the delights of vodka.
Pete tells us about his mate in San Diego that divorced his wife and had massive alimony payments. So to get out of these, he went down to Mexico and lived in a local village. He took loads of tanning pills, dyed his hair black and grew a massive moustache. Married the local sheriff’s daughter, changed his name to “Viktor” and snuck back into America as an illegal immigrant Mexican, so he couldn’t be traced.
Also told us a story about going to see a “Donkey Show” in a place in Tijuana, but that’s not suitable for print.
After 93ft East, we’re feeling warm and fuzzy so we go to another bar across the road.
Continue on the vodka and end up going into the women’s loos by mistake.
They didn’t seem to mind.
Curry next.
Perfect, unrepeatable comic timing moment:
Scott doesn’t have any cutlery and the waiter walks off. He calls out “EXCUSE ME!” and sounds really angry. Just at this moment, the music stops and it’s complete silence as he calls out.
The waiter turns, as do the other customers.
“…knife and fork please mate” with a big smile.
The whole place erupts in laughter.
Rob is dared £15 to eat a spoonful of chillis left over from our meals.
He does.
Waiter comes out with the hottest chilli in the place.
Rob refuses.
Scott eats some and almost passes out.
More beer/vodka, everywhere is shut now except for a place offering “Roman Sauna and Gentlemen’s Massage”. Decide against going in.
Back at the flat.
I get the air-mattress in the spare room of the studio (I’m working hard this week so I need looking after).Scott and Rob get the living room couch/floor and Chris gets the sofa downstairs in the lobby. Scot hides in Rob’s sleeping bag spread out on the floor in his pants, Rob screams like a girl when he finds the semi-naked singer.
Tuesday
Feel rough. Need coffee and 3 cigarettes before the shakes stop and I can concentrate on playing.
Rob wont come out of the toilet, I think we can hear crying from in there.
“Bunny” is the first song today.
Dreading this one as I have a tendency to run away with the pace and it turns into thrash version.
1st take/run through.
Perfect. Was Pete taping? He was. Awesome. Do another for safety but decide to use the 1st take. Done with “Bunny” after an hour.
Easy.
So now we’re going to have a go at “Beautiful to Me”.
This will be interesting as we have no real arrangement worked out or set drum patterns.
3hrs later
We have the arrangement sorted out, I just keep screwing up on the cymbal fills and the break-down.
Chris doesn’t like the off-beat kick that leads into the break.
We all do and words are exchanged in “artistic expression”.
He goes home with Rob, they have to get stuff.
Me, Scott and Pete try another 90 minutes of different versions of the break, but decide we like the original best, just need to tidy up the kicks.
This is the keeper version. I get a copy of the song, just to listen to.
I love this song, personally I think this is the one that will break us when we finish it.
“Beautiful to Me” – about that one person that can lift your day however crap it’s been, that someone that holds all the answers you need and never needs to ask what’s wrong because they know.
“Beautiful to Me”
Whatever reason that your leaving
Whatever reason that you’re grieving
Whatever the reason
For no reasons
You’re beautiful to me
Whenever you’re high think of the lows
Whenever you’re dry
And for no good reason
For no reason
You’re beautiful to me
Don’t even know the explanation
Don’t even know the reasons why
You’re beautiful to me
There’s no reason in this rhyming
Must be a reason my sun’s still shining
Whatever the reason
For no reasons
You’re beautiful to me
You’re beautiful to me
You’re beautiful to me
1st up is Mrs Jones
Played this endless times and know it in my sleep.
Ok for a first run through, need to redo because the mics didn’t pick out the toms too well.
Middle eight section seems to drag, redo and check on Pro-Tools and it’s fine.
Listen again, it’s the guide track being played by Rob. His basslines aren’t to click and are throwing me out.
Chuck Rob into the control room and play it with just click and Scotty singing
Got it.
It’s 2pm now, lunch.
After lunch.
“Lonely Hearts”
No sax on this one, just playing through with keyboard and Scotty’s vocal guide with the click.
Not bad.
The tom roll out of the break and into the reprise could be tighter and louder.
Redo.
Take 9 now and getting utterly annoyed. Fag break to clear my head and get away from bloody tom fills for 10 minutes.
Works, good plan. Get it in one.
Another 4 run goes through the song, Pete wasn’t recording the last two.
Ah well, on form and hitting it bang on the 4 bar end.
6pm and we’re off out for a night on the town.
First stop is a bar. 93ft East in Brick Lane.
Not bad, a DJ but also have a live drummer and MC doing freestyle rap over it.
Had a couple of pints and then discover the delights of vodka.
Pete tells us about his mate in San Diego that divorced his wife and had massive alimony payments. So to get out of these, he went down to Mexico and lived in a local village. He took loads of tanning pills, dyed his hair black and grew a massive moustache. Married the local sheriff’s daughter, changed his name to “Viktor” and snuck back into America as an illegal immigrant Mexican, so he couldn’t be traced.
Also told us a story about going to see a “Donkey Show” in a place in Tijuana, but that’s not suitable for print.
After 93ft East, we’re feeling warm and fuzzy so we go to another bar across the road.
Continue on the vodka and end up going into the women’s loos by mistake.
They didn’t seem to mind.
Curry next.
Perfect, unrepeatable comic timing moment:
Scott doesn’t have any cutlery and the waiter walks off. He calls out “EXCUSE ME!” and sounds really angry. Just at this moment, the music stops and it’s complete silence as he calls out.
The waiter turns, as do the other customers.
“…knife and fork please mate” with a big smile.
The whole place erupts in laughter.
Rob is dared £15 to eat a spoonful of chillis left over from our meals.
He does.
Waiter comes out with the hottest chilli in the place.
Rob refuses.
Scott eats some and almost passes out.
More beer/vodka, everywhere is shut now except for a place offering “Roman Sauna and Gentlemen’s Massage”. Decide against going in.
Back at the flat.
I get the air-mattress in the spare room of the studio (I’m working hard this week so I need looking after).Scott and Rob get the living room couch/floor and Chris gets the sofa downstairs in the lobby. Scot hides in Rob’s sleeping bag spread out on the floor in his pants, Rob screams like a girl when he finds the semi-naked singer.
Tuesday
Feel rough. Need coffee and 3 cigarettes before the shakes stop and I can concentrate on playing.
Rob wont come out of the toilet, I think we can hear crying from in there.
“Bunny” is the first song today.
Dreading this one as I have a tendency to run away with the pace and it turns into thrash version.
1st take/run through.
Perfect. Was Pete taping? He was. Awesome. Do another for safety but decide to use the 1st take. Done with “Bunny” after an hour.
Easy.
So now we’re going to have a go at “Beautiful to Me”.
This will be interesting as we have no real arrangement worked out or set drum patterns.
3hrs later
We have the arrangement sorted out, I just keep screwing up on the cymbal fills and the break-down.
Chris doesn’t like the off-beat kick that leads into the break.
We all do and words are exchanged in “artistic expression”.
He goes home with Rob, they have to get stuff.
Me, Scott and Pete try another 90 minutes of different versions of the break, but decide we like the original best, just need to tidy up the kicks.
This is the keeper version. I get a copy of the song, just to listen to.
I love this song, personally I think this is the one that will break us when we finish it.
“Beautiful to Me” – about that one person that can lift your day however crap it’s been, that someone that holds all the answers you need and never needs to ask what’s wrong because they know.
“Beautiful to Me”
Whatever reason that your leaving
Whatever reason that you’re grieving
Whatever the reason
For no reasons
You’re beautiful to me
Whenever you’re high think of the lows
Whenever you’re dry
And for no good reason
For no reason
You’re beautiful to me
Don’t even know the explanation
Don’t even know the reasons why
You’re beautiful to me
There’s no reason in this rhyming
Must be a reason my sun’s still shining
Whatever the reason
For no reasons
You’re beautiful to me
You’re beautiful to me
You’re beautiful to me
I can out your diary on the site if you want?
"I ended up getting some posh bird to buy me vodka all night."
Not very gentlemenly... but free drink is free drink!
Not very gentlemenly... but free drink is free drink!
Damn you Goaty for getting where you are!
I am the jealous one :-P
I am the jealous one :-P
I thought I'd keep a studio diary of the next 9 days, so I can look back when I go back to work and realise that I do something that inspires me, instead of thinking I'm spending the next 40 years of my life at work.
I'm writing up each day when I get back home in the evening.
If this reads as boring, I apologise as I'm writing it mainly for me to remind myself.
-----
Saturday 2nd
Start of 9 days recording, just the drums. The rest to be done at a later date, this is 9 days set aside purely for drums. We can test sounds, different positions, different mics etc without the fear of having to make do so we only take 4 days to record 4 songs.
Arrive at 10am.
Set up drums and test room mics for 2hrs
Did nothing today but test different mic set-ups, settled on 7 room mics to capture overheads and then test out 4 different kick mics.
A mic worth £3,500 that has to have a screen in front of it before you play, otherwise you blow it.
Went for lunch at 3pm, saw Jarvis Cocker - he lives across the road from the studio.
Wearing an orange parka jacket.
Good sign?
Back from lunch, run through some songs to test rooms mics.
Mic up the toms and snare.
Finished at 7pm.
Sunday 3rd
Arrive at 9am.
Retest the skins have not warped or detuned overnight.
Talk about what songs we're doing in what order.
Decide to record the rockier ones because we have a massive live sound, huge snare and a booming kick that makes your chest shake when played back through the desk.
Pre-amps make it sound like Bonham is smashing the drums.
Fantastic.
Decide to start with "Saints & Cynics", as that is a straight-forward rocker.
Run through a couple of times to the click-track, make sure I have the pace locked down in my head.
Rob comes into the live room and plays his bass direct into the desk.
Scotty & Chris are in the control booth, singing and playing through my head phones.
This one's a take.
Not bad, screwed the intro roll up.
Go through another 3 times.
1 take worth keeping, but need to redo the roll out of the breakdown as it's not as tight as it can be.
Not happening.
Keep clipping the edge with the stick.
Try for the next 30 mins, same thing keeps happening.
I did this all day yesterday and have played this song 300+ times in rehearsals and live, so why the problem?
Mindblock, getting frustrated.
Take a break, go outside and smoke to clear my head.
Back in now and got it 1st time, must've been a mental block.
In the bag now.
Time for lunch.
See Cocker again, is he stalking us?
He nods to Pete and chats for 10 minutes.
Back from lunch
Now it's "Whatever Wherever Whenever".
Nice simple song, click keeps me locked during the bridge to chorus.
1st take is a beaut.
The breakdown isn't the best it could be, toms sound quiter than the rest of the kit.
Run through the roll and break for 20 mins, still sounds quiet.
Decide to begin the roll on a lower tom, give it some welly.
That's a keeper.
Take a break to change a snare skin.
The outro rolls could be tighter, repeat from 2 bars before and play over and over until it's 100% on the mark.
90 mins spent trying to match the pitch and tone of the previous rolls.
Knee is swollen from playing all day, but have to get this last part done.
Doesn't sound right.
The boys are cool, but I'm getting angry with myself for not getting this done 2hrs ago.
Made to go outside and smoke, calm down and stop listening to myself play.
Go back and ask to run through the whole song from the start.
Bang.
Got it in one.
It's now 9pm and I've been playing since 10am this morning with a break for lunch.
My hands are swollen and knee is flaring up.
Tomorrow is "Bunny" and "Mrs Jones"
Bunny is going to be a sod, I tend to run away with this one.
It's a full on, foot to the floor hammering number and I get too into the song and accelerate through the choruses.
No good when you're playing to a click-track.
Pro-Tool is being used, so has to be 100% perfect in time.
Not easy to do over and over and over, get the previous take to match the next one exactly.
Tomorrow night we're all going out on the town.
Going for beers and then a curry.
Last time we went out up town we ended up in a club and two of them disgraced themselves with women and I ended up getting some posh bird to buy me vodka all night.
I can't do that seeing as I have to be back playing at 9am all day long.
I'm writing up each day when I get back home in the evening.
If this reads as boring, I apologise as I'm writing it mainly for me to remind myself.
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Saturday 2nd
Start of 9 days recording, just the drums. The rest to be done at a later date, this is 9 days set aside purely for drums. We can test sounds, different positions, different mics etc without the fear of having to make do so we only take 4 days to record 4 songs.
Arrive at 10am.
Set up drums and test room mics for 2hrs
Did nothing today but test different mic set-ups, settled on 7 room mics to capture overheads and then test out 4 different kick mics.
A mic worth £3,500 that has to have a screen in front of it before you play, otherwise you blow it.
Went for lunch at 3pm, saw Jarvis Cocker - he lives across the road from the studio.
Wearing an orange parka jacket.
Good sign?
Back from lunch, run through some songs to test rooms mics.
Mic up the toms and snare.
Finished at 7pm.
Sunday 3rd
Arrive at 9am.
Retest the skins have not warped or detuned overnight.
Talk about what songs we're doing in what order.
Decide to record the rockier ones because we have a massive live sound, huge snare and a booming kick that makes your chest shake when played back through the desk.
Pre-amps make it sound like Bonham is smashing the drums.
Fantastic.
Decide to start with "Saints & Cynics", as that is a straight-forward rocker.
Run through a couple of times to the click-track, make sure I have the pace locked down in my head.
Rob comes into the live room and plays his bass direct into the desk.
Scotty & Chris are in the control booth, singing and playing through my head phones.
This one's a take.
Not bad, screwed the intro roll up.
Go through another 3 times.
1 take worth keeping, but need to redo the roll out of the breakdown as it's not as tight as it can be.
Not happening.
Keep clipping the edge with the stick.
Try for the next 30 mins, same thing keeps happening.
I did this all day yesterday and have played this song 300+ times in rehearsals and live, so why the problem?
Mindblock, getting frustrated.
Take a break, go outside and smoke to clear my head.
Back in now and got it 1st time, must've been a mental block.
In the bag now.
Time for lunch.
See Cocker again, is he stalking us?
He nods to Pete and chats for 10 minutes.
Back from lunch
Now it's "Whatever Wherever Whenever".
Nice simple song, click keeps me locked during the bridge to chorus.
1st take is a beaut.
The breakdown isn't the best it could be, toms sound quiter than the rest of the kit.
Run through the roll and break for 20 mins, still sounds quiet.
Decide to begin the roll on a lower tom, give it some welly.
That's a keeper.
Take a break to change a snare skin.
The outro rolls could be tighter, repeat from 2 bars before and play over and over until it's 100% on the mark.
90 mins spent trying to match the pitch and tone of the previous rolls.
Knee is swollen from playing all day, but have to get this last part done.
Doesn't sound right.
The boys are cool, but I'm getting angry with myself for not getting this done 2hrs ago.
Made to go outside and smoke, calm down and stop listening to myself play.
Go back and ask to run through the whole song from the start.
Bang.
Got it in one.
It's now 9pm and I've been playing since 10am this morning with a break for lunch.
My hands are swollen and knee is flaring up.
Tomorrow is "Bunny" and "Mrs Jones"
Bunny is going to be a sod, I tend to run away with this one.
It's a full on, foot to the floor hammering number and I get too into the song and accelerate through the choruses.
No good when you're playing to a click-track.
Pro-Tool is being used, so has to be 100% perfect in time.
Not easy to do over and over and over, get the previous take to match the next one exactly.
Tomorrow night we're all going out on the town.
Going for beers and then a curry.
Last time we went out up town we ended up in a club and two of them disgraced themselves with women and I ended up getting some posh bird to buy me vodka all night.
I can't do that seeing as I have to be back playing at 9am all day long.