DECEMBER 30, 2004: OCTETS AND LAV BRUSHES

We had a pleasant divertimento at Looking Glass Studios on Monday. I had been asked by Epic records to write a string arrangement for a new group, Exit The King. The song was amazing, so I said yes. I was told that I already knew the lead singer, JT. I couldn't quite remember him, then I was reminded that I was up for producing a band in 1999 called Extra Very. JT was the lead singer and I had met him and the group briefly in Chicago.

A search on my hard drive produced this photo of JT in the group's 'real world' type loft. Whereas we never did get to make that album together, JT remembered me and was behind the request for my string writing. I called my colleague in string things, Martha Mooke (of the Scorchio quartet) and we assembled an octet to play JT's magnificent song "Station To Station" (no, not the song of the same name by another colleague of mine). This song is a power ballad and it's going to be on heavy rotation ere long, if there is any justice.


JT is on the far left and Martha is the lady in red. As you can see from the smiling faces, a good time was had by all.


JT & Farra Matthews, A&R coordinator for Epic.

Friday December 17th, we finished mixing the audio for Born To Boogie. I've invited several folks to have a sneak preview and the reaction is always the same, the film and sound is even more stunning after all these years. Look for the DVD's release in Spring 2005.

Finally, I'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday. Here is our Yuletide Lav Brush in Studio B.

All parts (lav brush, plunger, angel and ice balls meant for drinks) came from Service Merchandise. The tinsel came from K-Mart.

Have a very happy and healthy 2005 -- a prosperous one, too.






DECEMBER 2, 2004: BORN TO BOOGIE AND MORE

Finally we're underway with remixing the soundtrack to Born To Boogie, the T.Rex classic film directed by Ringo Starr (a novice film maker at the time).

For a while it looked like the 16 track analog tapes were lost forever. Many people involved in the project, mainly Mark Allen and Mark Roberts of Sanctuary Records DVD, went down many futile paths to find the tapes. Until the 11th hour it looked as though I was going to work with 'stems' a submix of the sound. But detective work finally paid off and all the analog 8 and 16 track tapes were found sitting in vaults protected by an archive company, who changed their name long ago and were difficult to find. Not only were the tapes found, but also 32 film cans of color negatives.

The film will now be restored to its original format, but enhanced by modern techniques to look and sound better. I am doing separate stereo and 5.1 mixes.

Stewart Read, the film's editor, found this out take of me conducting music during the Mad Hatter's Tea Party sequence.

That's as suave as it gets, folks.

There is another mix project on the immediate horizon, in surround sound, that should please a lot fans of my 70s work. I'm sorry to be so mysterious but I can't say what it is yet.

The Manic Street Preachers have a new CD out called Lifeblood. Three of my four productions have made the final cut and I'm very proud of them.

Here is James Dean Bradfield of the Manics at a recent Kristeen Young Barfly gig, posing with Marc Bolan of ...wait a minute! Just kidding, James is posing with Danielz of the T.Rex tribute group T.Rextasy.




Jeff White and Kristeen Young at Barfly recently.

I'll be sequestered in the studio for the best part of six weeks just mixing, mixing and mixing. I will update if something out of the ordinary happens (like I achieve Nirvana or win the New York Lottery).