Album Studio Blog 2010 Week 37

[Greg]

Week 37 of "Hot Wire" Album 15/11/10 - Neglected "Hot Wire" again this week ... feel bad about it but I had no choice. Still concentrating on creating the Song Frames you guys have requested. Not as easy as I thot, transcribing the music to our songs ... complex! ... but I got there. See below for examples.

We also sent out 100's of pre-orders for "Bitter Suite, Again" and our 2011 Calendar this week. Thank you so much for ordering them. The guys at H&C HQ worked incredibly hard putting it all together. See below.

I'm introducing a new feature on my blog called "Song Of The Week"

As you know, I've been building our Bandcamp site over the last year ... Our full back catalogue for you to listen to! Every week I'm now going to feature a song from our catalogue and explain a little bit about it. Please add to the discussion by posting in the comments box or by requesting any song from our catalogue you'd like me to feature and I'll pick one.
This week's song is "24/7" from our 1999 Album "Next Move"

"24/7" is a rare Hue And Cry record because it has a piano solo from me on it :) ... It was recorded in Castlesound studios, in Pencaitland, Scotland in 1999. The intro is a percussion composition I created one nite whilst I was fooling around with some "time stretching" software. I couldn't believe it fitted this song so well! The playing on it from Ian Thomas (drums), Laurence Cottle (bass) and Brian Kellock (Hammond, Rhodes) is brilliant. I love the repetition of the bass line and drum groove. Pat and I were definitely experimenting with the music. That's the beauty of being on a jazz label ... u can pretty much push the boat out as far as u want:) ... I also like my guitar playing, very Prince! Pat's Latin inspired vocals at the end are so so good! "... tell mum I'm in heaven ... ... trying to shut out the world"

I've been watching the announcements from AES this week. The biggest surprise was the amount of large format analogue mixing consoles that were displayed. I thot that no one was using them much now. Too expensive! But I was wrong I guess. Check out Bobby Owsinski's blog for all the info. I was lucky enough to have honed most of my engineering skills on analogue mixing desks back in the 80's and 90's. Spent a lot of time on MCI and SSL desks. Once you know the fundamentals you can pretty much use any desk. My favourite desks were made by a company called API ... pres and EQ were so musical. Not used one for ages :(

[Paul...Ordinary Angel]

I wondered the same thing Jon. My guess is that it's "light". i.e daylight

[Jon Citizen]

What, or where, is "The Whiteness" ? Love this track. The drums are just the best ever from Mr Thomas.

[Greg]

Agreed Rab ... did Midas ever make a studio desk? ... I think I saw a studio rack of Midas pres once ... in Radio Clyde maybe ?

[Rab]

I had an SSL Passport somewhere?? Dunno where it is now. Studio Desks I can but agree Greg, live however is a different kettle of Tigers. But one thing is always good, jumping from a crap Alen and Grief to an XL8 in the space of 24hrs is nothing if not exciting.. Fav live board is still analogue..Midas 3000..canny beat those pre amps.

[Hue And Cry]

We seem to have been doing Afrobeat without realising it - especially at the end http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBgewcFh-cg

[Paul...Ordinary Angel]

I just reacquainted myself with the song 24/7. I like the drum and piano sound on that song and the vocal riff at the end is great. In fact I really like the production overall on Next Move. Can we get a similar sound for Hot Wire? Just a few suggestions for future Song of the Week (is this where we request it?) How about Human Touch or Life As Text? I've got loads more requests in the pipeline.

[Greg]

Thanks Paul ... yeh, I miss doing the Labs, but they took up too much of my time :( ... Pat will contribute to the "Song Of The Week" explanations too! Should be good. Lets see how it goes.
G

[Paul McNally]

Great idea for 'Song of the Week' section - will get my thinking cap on. Seems a much quicker way of doing what was the 'lab' stuff and therefore there's time to cover much more. Btw 'Next Move' is one stunning album - love it.