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LITTLE PLUM
Paul – ukulele, vocals
Uke track done in one take. Vocals done in three, one each on a different mic, sung very close and quietly. Talked about putting JEFF LYNNE on hold until we can come up with backing vocals. Next date up in the air, he’ll be working on these songs, and we’ll figure out what’s next and who’ll do the drums.
OVERTURE
no credits
We’re doing this CD song by song, as opposed to the previous method of doing all the basic tracks at once and then going back and doing the other stuff song by song. One of them, JEFF LYNNE, was what we worked on first, the last two sessions. It was going slower than most songs. I think a lot of that has to do with the nature of the song, it’s supposed to sound like an ELO song, and to be honest, singing the backing vocals can be a bit embarrassing at times. Which means it’s working, I guess. Anyway, I had assumed we would try one more time to finish that one up last night. But we all seemed to be a bit out of it, so we took a listen to the other one (OVERTURE) and decided to do some work on it. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to really lock in on it. By the end of the night we had done the bass track that had taken Rob awhile (the drums are really the only thing that is usually definite when we do basic tracks), and put down a scratch vocal and scratch electric guitar. But it just wasn’t hanging well, if that makes sense. So, at the last minute, we tried speeding the tape up about half a step. And suddenly, magically, it all came together. This is the strangeness of recording.
This is a good thing, except for the fact that everything apart from the drums now has to be re-done, because the song is now in the key of F instead of E. So, that cost me 4 hours of work (and I’m talking money, I don’t mind the time) to be back where I was before we started.
hoo-boy.
Someone asked me last night if, when I was in the recording phase, I stopped being creative. I hadn’t really thought about it, I am not the most prolific songwriter, although I have gotten better about output. So it’s hard to say whether I shut down for recording, I’m still thinking about songs right now, and most of the plans for this CD I had when we were wrapping up the last one (January 2000). So I guess I’m still capable of writing while recording. The most truthful answer, really, is the one I gave last night: usually the songs I’m recording I am long since sick of hearing. It’s recording them and changing them that brings them back to life.
I really have got to start playing shows with a band again. This solo acoustic thing has gotten very old.
JEFF LYNNE
Paul – guitar
John Cerreta – synth
Six guitar tracks recorded and stacked. Four of them were my Kramer Ferrington (still in loyal, tinny service after 13 years) and two acoustic. Very painful by the end, my hand cramping badly.
John recorded some synth, a sort of “Turn to Stone” sound. Rob also did some Mellotron at the end. The keys made it apparent, though, that the guitars are anticipating the beat and will need to be redone.