WORKING WITH GREAT PEOPLE
Today was another of those really cool days that makes you really enjoy being a part of this community. When you get to work with people you have actually known and who have known about you but you never quite get a chance to work together. A few years back, one of my favorite bands was called LITTLE TEXAS. They were a five piece band out at the same time as DIAMOND RIO, who were really that "Aggressive country-rock" I really like and have played. Their biggest song, GOD BLESSED TEXAS, was a radio staple, and had some of the hottest women alive in their video. Their huge power ballad, "What might have been" was a harmony masterpiece, as good as anything THE EAGLES had done.
Today, members of the band I am working with out of Birmingham, COTTON BOX ROAD, featuring my childhood friend, DAVID HILL and the band's singer, JAMES HODGES, did a six song recording session at a very nice studio actually in my area. It will be part of the band's new Cd, the first recorded in Nashville with real players. That was who was playing on the session today. Porter Howell, the lead guitar and singer was session leader and two other members, Duane on bass, and John on drums. Don't ask me their last names. I do good to remember their first ones. The session featured Ed Seay, the engineer/producer of such people as Marie Osmond and many others. I first worked with Ed in 1984 in Atlanta. Did that story yesterday.
Paul Jefferson was producing but like most things producing with these people is mostly staying out of the way. The producer gets everyone together, and keeps it on schedule, making sure everything is done, gathering everyone's imput and being a liazon between the band and the writers/artists. Paul was great today.
We were doing 6 songs, four that I wrote with David, two of their's. Being an Alabama based band, they did one of their crowd favorites, STILL ALABAMA TO ME, which they had recorded on their earlier CD. But they wanted the "Nashville spin" on it, which is pretty amazing. It is nothing against their band,they are all good players. But Nashville session guys are in a complete league of their own, which is why people like Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, tons of rock legends, Icons. like Springsteen and Billy Joel, have recorded here. Just a different world. And these guys are in their own league. Little Texas was actually comprised OF SESSION musicians. So they are the elite of the elite.
An interesting aspect of this is three of the songs, are things I had not heard since we wrote them. Usually when I write with people, I slam through it. We write the songs pretty quickly, then do a work tape on my phone. They take those and work them out on their own.Adding re-writes, different lyrics, etc. They had not let me know which ones were being recorded until yesterday so I was a bit behind the curve. But it worked out fine. Luckily the songs were pretty much the way we wrote them,and I hooked back into them pretty quickly.
The session today was to get BASIC TRACKS. Guitar,bass, and drums. I was there to sing the "scratch vocals" which are the guide tracks the band follows. James, the singer, is patterning his vocals after mine, so I needed to be on my game to translate it to him so he can work them up in the right way, add his own touches and then record the "lead vocals." That will be done a few weeks from now.
We did a song called "TP's bar and Grill", which is about the main bar they play in Birmingham and actually where I am opening for them in a big show this Saturday. It is very interesting that I am already getting Facebook posts from my High School buddies all coming out this weekend. Many who weren't there two months ago when we did a show back in June. But it will be a pretty big Shew, as Ed Sullivan would say.
Another power ballad called "You look better with nothing on" which is kind of the Luke Bryan mid tempo power ballad, and a really fun thing about "women who are getting into hunting and fishing, ( a huge new movement), called "She looks best "WHEN SHE'S JUST A LITTLE DIRTY." (Out in the woods, four wheeling, hunting, fishing, etc.) kind of a 'redneck woman, wihout the redneck. The big outdoor's companies are starting to design all kinds of clothes, guns, bows, fishing tackle, ATV's specifically for women. Should be interesting. That one kicks butt!
But the star of the session, like I thought it would be, was "BAMATIZED!" My friends, I have written my own SWEET HOME ALABAMA anthem. This thing will take your head off. It is one of the most fun songs I have written in a while with that nasty swampy kind of groove that comes straight out of the swamps of mobile and the grooves of Muscle Shoals Swampers. That thing ripped us all a new one today, and it was one of those that every musician, singer, person in the studio all kind of looked around and said "DID YOU FEEL THAT?"
It was pretty electric.
After word, we all pat ourselves on the backs, and now the individual players, will take the files home and work on the other parts. Other guitars will get added, possibly steel, dobro and some other instruments. But this is really a ROCK PROJECT. This band can cut the country rock line we are seeing all over with Jason Aldeen, Eric Church, and any of those pretenders to my throne. LOL! Move back folks, let the old man show you how it's done!
We will all have things together before long, will do my own "real vocals" on these songs and when I can, I'll be posting those and a bunch of other new songs I have recorded. I am still going to put out my "Songs in the Key of "O" which will be out next year. So a lot of new music coming your way from the MABSTER.
It was a great day and I hope we can get it to you very soon.
Take care,
MAB
PS: Rest in Peace Robin Williams. Very shocking that guy died today. I met him in LA in 1984. Was an amazing talent and I am sure had a lot of demons. Too bad. We were blessed to have him.