The Making Of A CD/Album - Part 1

The Making Of A CD/Album

What a day in the studio! Recording is work. Many just think it's like a live gig and you just go in and play the song, then go home. Truth be known, it's actually quite a tedious experience. Today we focused on the rhythm section for three songs, “Dockside Bar”, Yeah, A Harbor” and “21^st Century Kinda Girl”. The rhythm section is the bass and drums.

We worked on the arrangements on the songs last week. I had the basic arrangements done, however the producer, Ian Shaw, came up with modifications and adjustments for them all. Ian's input was exactly what the songs needed.

On “Yeah, A Harbor” he had us repeat the chorus at an additional point, then also moved the bridge of the song to after that chorus, where it previously had been after a verse.

On “Dockside Bar”, Ian had us add stops to a few points, which completely added a whole new feel and accent that the song had been lacking. In addition, he felt the second verse was a little long in the tooth. However, it was the exact same structure as the first. As a writer, I naturally raised an eyebrow when he first mentioned it. After all, here he was cutting out a piece of my creation.

We have to add a little note here regarding Ian. Ian Shaw is a world class producer who moved to Key West from London, England a few years ago. He maintains a flat in London and bounces back and forth periodically recording in both locations. He's been a record producer for over thirty years, and has a checkered history to go along with it. He's recorded virtually every type of music in the western world, save for an orchestra. He really knows what he's doing.

                        Ian Shaw - Picture by Ralph De Palma

           Ian Shaw (standing) working with engineer Drew Gunning
                                 Picture bt Ralph De Palma
                          https://www.facebook.com/rwdepalma

           Ian Shaw recorded the vocals for Dani Hoy's newest release
                                  At The End Of A Long Road

So, before my eyebrow was fully raised, I stopped myself to listen to what he suggested. After all, he knows miles and miles more about this process than I do.

The first thing I realized was that the verse he was suggesting to eliminate, really wasn't needed to begin with. What it was saying was redundant. Coming in with the verse he suggested, made complete sense. Off with the old and on with the new!

Throughout the rehearsal, bassist Robert “Bob” Tucker added immensely, along with drummer John Sausser. It was great watching them work out so that they complement each other, working out who does what, so that they complement each other and weave in and out their respective lines that together work out the rhythm section. Ian would say what he was looking for in a particular section, Bob and John would work it out, not to mention adding suggestions of their own.

Going into the studio today. It takes a very different talent  doing studio work than playing live. It's not often that a great live performer is a great studio musician, and visa versa. Doing studio work is a different ballgame all together.  Playing live is more like driving a Ferrari on a race track, whereas studio work is more like driving a tractor hoeing a field. It's a very different discipline. Nashville, for instance, I recall hearing years back, has a pool of around 28 musicians they pull from to do a recording. That's guitar players, keyboardists, bass players, and pedal steel players. 28 total, and they played on every Nashville cut on the radio. About a year ago there was a great movie out called "The Wrecking Crew" about a small group of musicians who were on so many hit songs, I couldn't begin to count. The Beach Boys wanted to cut their own tracks, but after hearing The Wrecking Crew, they backed off. It's a verry different talent, as I say.

Ian chose The Ramble Room Studios, on Eaton Street, here in Key West. The Ramble Room has been open for around a year, maybe a bit more, I'm guessing? I had not been there as of yet, nor had I seen any pictures of it either.

I have to say the studio is very comfortable to work in. Sofas, a bar to work on (no, sorry folks, no alcohol!) a drum booth with a very nice Yamaha kit, the main room, recording booth, all in easy access, plus, even a baby grand piano, donated by our friend Adrienne Z, for safe keeping. It's a very nice facility indeed!

With the studio came Drew Gunning, the engineer. Drew did a fantastic job all day and I need to say not only was he great to work with from an artists standpoint, but also he worked like clockwork with Ian.

I asked Ian what song we should start off with. His answer was “Whichever one you feel most comfortable with”. As Bob and I had been doing “Dockside Bar” live a couple of times, and it seemed to go well, I picked that one.

When we went through the first take, I felt that although it wasn't perfect, we would have this completed in a half hour. Ian however had different ideas on how the drums should be accenting the song in various different parts throughout the song. He would come out of the booth and say what he wanted in this part, or that.

In addition, throughout the entire session, if any of us were ahead, or behind the beat, he's make a note to us and we'd do it again. Likewise, if he wanted us to lay back, or be right on top of the beat, he's tell us. And we'd do it again.

A lot of all of this happened over the day, on all three songs, but funny enough, mostly on the first, which we felt we knew the best!

The next song “A Harbor” went a bit quicker, but not by much. I had a bit of trouble with the timing in a part of it and Ian came out and gave me a hand by actually directing! It worked!

Finally, we recorded the last song “21^st Century Kinda Girl”. This song I think we only did three or four takes and we were done. All totaled, we went from 11am to 4pm and laid down the rhythm tracks.

So again, the vocal tracks and guitar tracks that I did today will not be used. We call them “Scratch Tracks”. What they do is keep the song in structure for the bass and drums. Ian will take those tracks, edit and them. For instance, He may like Bob's first verse bass line on Dockside Bar's for that verse, but he might like his forth take on the song's second verse. On the chorus of the song, he might take part of one take and stick in another take's for the other part.

He'll do the same with the drums. Mixing and matching the best from the entire session. This is part of what will happen with every instrument as it's recorded.

Right now we have the bass and drums. When Ian is finished editing that, I'll go back in the studio and add my guitar and vocal. After that we'll add additional vocals and instrumentation. I'll keep you posted as we progress, so that you see the process in action.

I hope you'll enjoy it!

Hey Look!!!!  Dani Hoy and Terri Wlaschin!

For additional pictures, videos and stories, be sure to check out the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/recordalbumKeyWest/

Also, if you'd like to help out with making the album, it's very easy, just buy the songs as they come out! The first one, Island Blue, already is out! My friend Misty Loggins sings it and Dani Hoy sings background vocals!

Here are the links for Island Blue. It's less than a dollar. The proceeds go to recording the next songs! For you, the consumer, it costs less to buy the album this way, plus you get them as they come out! Why wait for the album to be done? It actually costs less for you to do it this way!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/keywestchris2

https://itunes.apple.com/…/…/island-blue-single/id1142208757

https://www.amazon.com/Island-Blue-Key-West-Chris/dp/B01K39P4R6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470838734&sr=8-2&keywords=Key+West+Chris


Also! Check out my book on Amazon, "Bar Stories"! It currently had 17 Five-Star ratings!
Only $4.99!!!

https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Stories-Semi-Fictional-Adventure-Tour-Witnessed-ebook/dp/B01AHKCY1K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472277826&sr=8-1&keywords=Bar+Stories#nav-subnav

Thanks for reading the blog and for those of you who purchase the son a very big THANK YOU!!!

All the Best From Key West!

Key West Chris Rehm

Trop Rock Radio Poll and Tips on Recording

With Dani Hoy and I doing not one, but two podcasts that are aired on so many Trop Rock stations, we take the opportunity to listen to them as well. One of the things that has always blown me away is the fact that virtually all of these stations play different music from different artists! In addition to that, many radio personalities tell me that they are inundated with artists who are sending them material, to the point that they can’t keep up with it! That’s a healthy genre!

Granted, while some of it is stellar, that’s the pinnacle. There’s likewise the above average, average, and below average, like anything else in life. I don’t envy the one who makes decisions. It’s really tough when someone calls to follow up on their submission and they have to be told that their music “Wasn’t what we were looking for”. On the same token, these radio guys aren’t drill sergeants, they’re radio personalities. They are expected to be nice guys. So it’s got to be tough for them to put on the rejection hat and tell someone they are not going to play their recording and actually make them feel good about it!  

As a songwriter/musician/recording artist, there have been times when a song comes on and I say to myself, as I change the station “How did that song end up on the radio? My goodness!” My guess is that the artist was a really, really nice guy and the radio folks didn’t have the heart to tell them their song wasn’t up to par.

I think one of the best advices I’ve heard told to artists from a radio personality, was from the late DJ Jeff Allen. Jeff suggested many times, over and over, for the artists is to get a great producer. That not only was a great way of telling someone that he wasn’t going to use their recording, but in the end when the artist did seek out a good producer, they had a work that was vastly superior to what they had before and it was air quality.

Producers have very unique personalities by nature. A good producer has the ability to tell an artist that a particular song is crap and it shouldn’t be included on a recording, having the artist agreeing with them and feeling good about it. The great producer will also help cherry pick the best songs, which in the end, make the artist look their best.

As I say, we listen to a lot of radio, specifically Trop. One thing that one particular Trop station is doing that is quite unique, Radio A1A in Islamorada, Conch Republic Florida Keys has started its weekly top 40 vote. Again, as I stated earlier, every station has its unique artists, as well as common ones tossed in the mix.

What I found, by far, is that the artists who have been winning, are a bit out of the norm. Also consider that these people voting are listeners. They don’t have to pay to be in a private club. These are fans who listen to the station.

For the week of March 13, the top ten votes of the forty were for Todd Trusty, Conch Republic Band, Bill Cockrell, Beach Bum Pirate, Flip Flop Boys, Roger Jokela, Ron Bell, Donny Brewer, Max Soelzer, and B Man and the Missbeehavins.

For the week of March 20^th - Cory Young, Todd Trusty, Joe B, Todd Donnelly, Sean Gassaway, Barefoot Reggie Starrett, Ray West, B Man and the Miss Beehavins, Jimmy Buffett, and Bill Cockrell.

What this does is inspire food for thought. Here’s what the people of one radio station are voting for. The group that coined the name “Trop Rock Music Association” hold their Trop Rock Music Awards every year, none of these names have ever appeared on their list of nominees. Additionally, none of the Trop Rock Music Association’s nominees, or winners are on either of these lists this top ten. On the 3/20 list, Don Middlebrook was #20, Brittney Kingery was #25 and Southern Drawl Band was #40. On the 3/13 vote Howard Livingston was #22, Don Middlebrook #28, and Brittney Kingery #35.

It certainly raises an eyebrow and leaves one to ponder.

Thanks for reading the blog!  All The Best From Key West!

My book “Bar Stories” is available through Amazon! At this moment it has 10 five star ratings! Only $3.99!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Stories-Semi-Fictional-Adventure-Tour-Witnessed-ebook/dp/B01AHKCY1K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1457639261&sr=1-1&keywords=bar+stories

To obtain my music:

My CD is available on iTunes, CD Baby, CD Universe, Rhapsody, and Beachfront Radio.

Search: Key West Chris

Thank you everyone!!

  

GOOD BYE BOBALU’S, GOOD BYE MOHAWK, SLOPPY JOE’S COCONGA, FLORIDITA BAR, HOW TO GET GREAT SOUND ON YOUR NEXT CD!


^Listen to “Key West Blues” while you read the blog!^






Well, the place voted for having the very best jerk chicken on the island, Bobalu’s, is closing. Bear in mind that the place is known for its pizza, which is a thin crust New Haven style pizza. It’s just that for me, getting good jerk chicken is a tough call. As mentioned in a previous blog, the only other place in town that I know of that has good jerk, is Blue Heaven. I don’t know what Schooner Wharf or The Hogfish serve as jerk chicken, mind you whatever it is tastes good, it’s just not jerk chicken. It also should be mentioned that I absolutely love those two bars with all my heart. On a scale of 1 – 10 they are both solid 10s.

The situation at Bobalu’s is complicated. The bottom line is the main owner of the Green Parrot (attached to Bobalu’s) also owns the Bobalu’s property and wants to revamp the entire place and re-open it in the fall as a B.B.Q. restaurant.

Keeping in mind that I’m not a restaurateur, but there are a few things that I don’t understand at play here. First off, Bubalu’s has been there for about three years and has been successful making money as a Pizza place with great live music. Everybody likes pizza and theirs is exceptional to boot. According to the local paper and the word on the street, the landlord, Pat Croce, wants to revamp the entire place. With the idea of a B.B.Q. place strikes me as odd because that was a B.B.Q. place, not once, but twice, both times going out of business. I may be a simpleton, but it strikes me that what the landlord has here is a perfect, turnkey operation. They close one day and open the next continuing to sell pizza, which is a successful business there already. Why spend, what will undoubtedly be hundreds of thousands of dollars, re-vamping a place, trying for a third time in a business that has failed in that same location twice already? Everybody likes pizza. Does everyone like B.B.Q. too?

Another big concern of mine is if it will still be open air and continue to allow dogs?

I hope it works for everyone. I may not understand it, but it’s not my field either. I’m sorry to see Bubalu’s close and I hope they look for a new place here in town. They will keep their other restaurant in Big Coppit Key as well. Good luck to Pat Croce as well with the new endeavor. He currently has the Rum Barrel and I think Island Dogs, plus he co-owns the Green Parrot, which he bought into last year. He no doubt, knows what he’s doing.


The Mohawk has left town forever, regrettably. Built in 1934, the Coast Guard cutter had a very important role in protecting allied shipping in the North Atlantic during WWII. The Mohawk will be sunk as a reef off the west coast of Florida. It was a fun coincidence as the Mohawk’s successor, The Mohawk, an active Coast Guard cutter, is also stationed in Key West, so we had both Mohawks in Key West simultaneously. The retired Mohawk was here as a museum and its sister ship, the Ingham, remains here as a museum at the Truman Waterfront. Godspeed Mohawk.
http://www.uscgcmohawk.org/


“SLOPPY JOE’S, HOME OF THE COCONGA”
That’s what it said on the awning and also the wall on a postcard we dug up from the early sixties. But what’s a Coconga? So, Key Largo Joe, Bobby D. and I marched over there to find out armed with a picture of the postcard. I approached one bartender and ordered a Coconga. “What’s that?” she asked. “I don’t know, but apparently Sloppy Joe’s is the home of the Coconga apparently, so I figured I’d come and try one!” as I handed her the picture. She looked at it and shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, I never heard of it.” Same thing with another bartender at one of the satellite bars inside of Sloppy Joe’s. She was very pleasant, but confessed she never heard of it. We then looked it up on the iPhone, though it was quite evasive, we eventually did find it. It dates back to 1942. We were going to go to Sloppy Joe’s and hand them the recipe, but Key Largo Joe thought better of it, saying that they were busy and it would only piss them off. So, consequently we marched all around town, dug up the ingredients, and made some wonderful, tropical Coconga drinks on the streets of Key West! Delightful drink, I might add! My suggestion is that Sloppy Joe’s bring back the Coconga! After all, they are “The Home of the Coconga”.



Over at the Boathouse I had a similar situation. I ordered a daiquiri and the bartender asked what flavor. Now, mind you I’m not one for a silly drink with an umbrella and a banana, or strawberry flavor. I wanted the real traditional Cuban daiquiri, which of course is lime flavored and made in a shaker. The bartender didn’t know how to make it. It really wasn’t her fault, as people don’t order this so much anymore. However, the underlining point here is that a traditional Cuban Daiquiri is just a perfect drink for the summer and it’s easy to make. Uh… Shaken, not blended! ;-)



Over at the Floridita Bar in Havana is where they later invented the frozen daiquiri, which is also a lime drink only and again, very refreshing indeed! If the name of “El Floridita” sounds familiar it’s because that was Hemingway’s favorite bar in Havana. Here’s their recipe for the frozen daiquiri.




On the music side of things, I was discussing recording with my friend Marc Hollander the other day. I mentioned that I was so glad that I recorded my CD here in Key West, for a multitude of reasons. For starters, I have musicians who are locally based. For those who are not in the know, Key West has a large supply of completely stellar musicians to choose from. All of them I had the privilege of working with on “Shanghai’d and Marooned in Key West (things could be worse)”, which were eighteen in all, just stepped right up to the plate. First class all the way. Second, engineer/producer Dan Simpson has been doing this for over thirty years. One of the things that annoys Dan is the products coming out of Nashville, New York, and L.A. these days are focused on a very thin sound, which is geared for MP3 listening, yet omitting the high fidelity sound. As Dan points out, “Everyone goes out and buys these wonderful stereos that can reproduce the most incredible sound and the stuff they’re putting out today is…. He pauses and lowers his head as he shakes it side to side “… well it’s just shit”. Marc spent many years in the record business and when we were talking about this, he stated that when he puts my CD in his stereo, there’s a very significant difference in overall sound between my CD and another other local artist who goes up to Nashville to record. I can’t recommend Dan more to other artists who are searching for a great engineer/ producer for their next recording. Come to Key West and record something that has significantly better sound fidelity than what you’ll likely get in Nashville, New York, or L.A. It’s a no brainer really! See for yourself. Pop in my CD into a great system and sit back and listen!

http://privateearstudio.com/



Available at: CD Baby, iTunes, Rhapsody, CD Universe, and Beachfront Radio. Search "Key West Chris"
Available in Key West at: Green World Gallery, The Cork & Stogie, and Key West Bait and Tackle.