Well, dear readers, we have survived the first day of recording Mr. Guy Haines’ vocals. I was very pleased with the session. First of all, how great to be back in the studio – it’s like coming home again. I walked in around quarter-to-twelve, and there was Vinnie sitting at the mixing board with his Pro Tools rig. He and the assistant already had the two microphones set up (one for Mr. Haines, one for his duet partner, Miss Jessica Rush). Mr. Haines sauntered in around noon and we began the session with some easy songs in lower keys. After the second song, Mr. Haines really got into the swing of things and we did one song after another. We went back and did some little fixes for the first two songs when we were through, which was around two-thirty (we’d gotten eight songs by then). Then Miss Jessica Rush arrived and we had a rehearsal of her song, since we needed to set levels. We then did one take, which was quite good. I gave her a couple of minor notes, and we did a second take, which was great, the best of the day. She really nailed everything. We had to go back and fix a wrong note, and she had to redo just two lines for pronunciation reasons, but she’s a recording natural and I couldn’t have been happier with her performance. I’ll be using her again, of that you can be sure. Mr. Haines was also quite taken with her song stylings, which made him do better. After she left, Mr. Haines seemed to get a second wind, and since we had forty minutes left he nailed to other songs, which means we only have four left for today, although I’m going to have him do some little line punches, and a couple of full takes on a couple of songs from today. Then, at two-thirty, Miss Juliana A. Hansen arrives for her duet, then our vocal minority arrives from some oohs and aahs on two songs. So, around noon today, please send your excellent vibes and xylophones for another good vocal session – if we nail everything tomorrow then that’s it, except for Kerry Butler’s song stylings in New York (Mr. Haines’ part of the song will already be done). We were all in good voice yesterday, so we were all able to do our work. And, happily, I pushed Mr. Haines to nail the two songs he was most concerned with, which he did in fine fashion (black pumps and hot pants). I shall, of course, have a full second day report for you, and this time I’m remembering to bring my camera. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night, I finished watching a long motion picture on DVD entitled Battle of the Bulge. The film was not a critical or box-office success back upon its release, but I must say I found it completely engrossing all the way through its 170 minute running time. Again, half the battle (to coin a phrase) is won when you have the likes of Mr. Henry Fonda, Mr. Robert Ryan, Mr. Dana Andrews, Mr. Telly Savalas (excellent, as always), Miss Pier Angeli, Mr. James MacArthur, Mr. Ty Hardin, Mr. Robert Shaw and a host of others. The film was shot in Ultra Panavision and is presented in an extremely thin (2.76 ratio) transfer that is, for the most part, very sharp and colorful. Even though the film carries the Cinerama logo, it was, of course, not a real Cinerama three-panel film. The film has an excellent score by Benjamin Frankel, which is, unfortunately, mixed way too low in the 5.1 remix. I have no way of knowing if that’s just a bad decision or if that’s the way it was in the stereo theater mix, which they don’t provide.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get myself ready for session number two.
Vinnie and I spoke of many things, and we laughed and laughed and just when we could laugh no more we laughed again. We’ll be mixing the album next week. Vinnie was also very amused by the large bag o’ stuff I brought in – bottled water, Actifed, EmergenC, Ricolas, Diet Coke and chewing gum. I was like a regular drug store with my bag o’ stuff.
I shall have the same bag o’ stuff with me today. In fact, I’m thinking of always having a bag o’ stuff with me, because I find it very comforting to have a bag o’ stuff, don’t you?
Tomorrow I’ll be having several long telephonic conversations, one of which will be about our new website for our new boutique label. And, I have an opening night on Friday for the Pasadena Playhouse production of Private Lives. I’ve been so cloistered this past week that I want to just get out and do things, to dine and dance and have merriment and mirth and laughter and legs.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a recording session, I must bring a bag o’ stuff, I must work closely with my close personal friend, Mr. Guy Haines, and then I must come home to give you a full report, and then I’m going to dry and dig up a dining partner for a celebratory meal somewhere nice. Today’s topic of discussion: If you could revive any play (not musical) you wanted to, what would you revive and who would be your ideal company of players? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? We shall.