The History of our Members - What did you record?

Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 9:51 pm

I played for Russell Morris and Marcia Hines in October, man they've still got it!, Playing "The Real Thing" was great!, what a song!!, Penned by Johnny Young I beleive.

I did carols on Saturday night with Marcia, she was great.

Smile

Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2002 7:53 pm

I got my first official job in music recording in 1968 at MasterSound Studios in Atlanta. The 15 input console was built by Jeep Harned himself (Founder of MCI audio equipment). It was full of ECC88's and EF86's and tons of loud relays and Utrad audio transformers. It had three main output busses, two effects sends and a mixture of Fairchild and MCI three band passive equalizers and huge old Langevin rotary faders that constantly needed cleaning. We recorded to two 1/2" three track Ampex 351 rack mounted recorders and monitored using three Altec 844a's. (got a bit of ringing and hearing loss in my right ear because of those nasty things!) Needless to say when we got 4 and 8 track machines, it was like jumping into the jet age from stone knives and bearskins. Most of the mixes were to Ampex 350 mono machines but occasionally we'd do a simul-mix to a 350 2-track for stereo product. Anyway, after six months watching and assisting Lou Bradley and the owner Bob Richardson, running errands, sweeping floors, making dubs and making "morning after" reference acetates, I was allowed to engineer my first real (for release) music session. The producer was Buddy Buie and the artist was Dennis Yost and the Classic IV. I was thrown "head first" into an all nighter because their regular engineer (Lou Bradley) came down with the flu and couldn't get out of bed. Well, it was "all down hill from there" as it's said. I had the good fortune to work with all the Lowery publishing Company artists and writers including Joe South, Billy Joe Royal, Tommy Roe, Rick Carty, Freddy Weller, Ray Whitley, Mike Shapiro, The Tams, early versions of the Atlanta Rhythm Section known as the Candymen, Royal Blue and several other names I can't recall at the moment. Because of it's association with Lowery Publishing, MasterSound Studio (AKA; "The little studio in the school house") had the good fortune to attract many other artists from around the country and even a few British artists touring the states as well. So, I was able to work with a few "greats" like James Brown, Lloyd Price, The Swingin Medallions, Donovan, The Pointer Sisters, Fredrick Knight and Lou Christie and others. After leaving MasterSound in 72 to work freelance I again had the good fortune to record some pretty big names like Lynrd Sknyrd with Tom Dowd producing for their "Street Survivors" album at Studio One in Atlanta. (The one barely completed before the plane crash.) Also along the way as a freelancer I had the pleasure of working with the Muscle Shoals crew and writers and several of Nashville's more noteworthy producers and players as well on various projects for several of the major labels. Two of the last single and album projects I worked on before changing careers was one for CBS with Johnny Nash ("Wondeful World") and one for Polydor working with Alicia Bridges that included the single "I love the Nightlife". Nothing like going out with (at least what I consider) one of those "classic" hits. (even if it was disco...) In 77 I got an opportunity to use my voice talent on the other side of the glass (from an even earlier brief life in radio before engineering) and have enjoyed a very sucessful, and now worldwide, commercial VO career since. I must say however, I enjoyed engineering (and even producing a few as well) very much. But, as we all know who've done this for any length of time, engineering isn't always the most profitable of career choices no matter who you might have had the honor of working with or how good you are. You actually just have to love it sometimes. You're only as good as your last hit, right? Thanks for putting this page up and letting us "old timers" gab. Pete Turbiville.

Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2002 8:23 pm

Wow,
What a great BIO... Thank You for sharing it with us. I really dig the ones like that. ... Fats

Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2002 9:16 pm

Pete, that is badass!

Tears fall from my eyes.

I always loved the sonics of "I Love the nightlife" and actually compiled it to Cd with the full 12" in mind..cueing and comparing using a 681EEE stanton and a M91ED for the other reference with a great phono pre (that had accurate RIAA EQ)

Your other accomplishments are wonderful.

Cudos to those Altec tympanic meat eaters. Try the Jensen 12" coax with plastic horn coax (compression coax circa1967) if you really want to be killed). Frankenstein (Edg.Winter) in a 1964 Plymouth Valiant(mine)with a tenna 8 track sporting 12 watts with a pair of those is still the loudest thing I have ever heard. I started this loud car stereo stuff..I regret it evermore.

Now tell me Pete, Can I get a couple of VO's from you to use on my site? I will be happy to compensate you. Just do a Private message and we can exchange by .wav. Isn't computers wonderful tools? Snale mail also works (LOL)

We are also in the company of Bob Olhsson

That cat has been around the block a many times as well.

Thank you Pete!

Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2002 1:44 pm

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. & Mrs. Lou Bradley last year. They are two of the nicest, most knowledgable people about our industry that I've ever met.

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2002 11:05 am

Now...your small brother from Brazil...
Since childhood I was not a big fan of toys and child music. LOL
I remember at the age of 3 putting old vinyl records into pencils, making them roll and singing any melody that came to mind.
Family started getting worried. where did this child learn that?
At the age of 5 birthday gift was Nazareth, Abba, Bread´s vinyl releases.
At 8 I was a kind of premature DJ at teenage/adult parties, playing from BTO to Boney M.
A few years later was singing at children´s choir and persenting an extremelly accurate voice.

In 1985 the first garage band. The original name had to be changed, it was AIDS!!!! LOL

in 1986 LINHA DIRETA did lots of gigs, stopped in 1991, mostly progressive rock and pop.

after graduation at electric engineering, master in power electronics, stdying/improving vocal and electric guitar skills, teaching english and basic music, started band number 2, called PROJETO VEGA. It became a hige succes in the south of Barzil, lots of TV shows and so, almost a contract but the rlationship inside the group was awful. Almost married to one of the backing vocals, but things exploded in 1995.
It was October 95, I went to the USa, kostly for rethinking life and for some quick research, I came back and started my very project recording studio.
Originally aiming a agencies I endeded up changing the focuses to band and artist reording/production.
One of the first releases became a known album, which featured a great brazilian actress, REGINA DUARTE. The CD was CHILD PARADISE, where I did all the programming, arranging, sequence and some backing vocals either. The second album, became a major succes, for a gospel group named CLAVE DE FÉ. They received lots of airplay and TV appearances, even PAPA JP II had a copy of their CD. I endedp up becoming their show musical director besides recording/editing, mixing and arranging their nice stuff.

People started paying attention to some of the nice stuf I was doing and endedp up receiving someAwards and being mentioned at MÚSUICA & TECNOLOGIA MAGAZINE ( our Brazilian Mix Magazine).
Following, I started teaching a good course named INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL RECORDING SYSTEMS AND UPGRADE AT MUSICAL TECHNOLOGY, with lots of students, musicians and engineers from every part of the country.
Other albums were released with plenty success, like CAMERATA FLORIANÓPOLIS, whose fourth CD was released last week, considered one of the TOp Camerata Orchestras of Brazil. Some friends on here listened to some samples of it. It was an honor to receive some nice comments and tips from very pro brothers like e-cue, John Stephan and Ronny MOrris.
Alo, I endedep up becoming a producer of a musical style that originally I was not a big fan of: Reggae.
One intesrting thing was that in several situations we ( me and my 2 other assistants) became musicians or somwhow involved with the release shows of these people. Very nice experience.
Some rock bands and two releases for majors, one indication for SHARP AWARDS ( bazilian "grammy").

It is 2002 and it is time to go back to band thing. ELEKTRA is the new band, performing mostly 80´s and of course, my compositions. My biggest dream was to release a self album sung in english, with influences of Toto, Lisa Stansfield, Tears For Feras, Michael Jackson.

back to 1995, in Rio de Janeiro, BMG Brazil did not want to release my Cd due to: 1)
lack of brazilian market for that type of song ( Lambada, Axé and Pagode were the shit here )
20 although being able to speak and write english quite well, their producer/executive colcluded for himself that USa consumers would not buy my album due to lack of "accent".

I just could not live being far from Music. The focus changed as from being produced to bing the producer".

some guys have listened to my most recent stuff, it is kind of Brazilian Michael Jackson/George Michael with some Lisa Stansfield , very 80´s.

Bill, Joe, Brad, Ronny have also listend to this stuff. Hope to end up and release someday!

:p

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2002 4:12 pm

john wrote:

"Max - lobby was definitely a turn it up to 11 guy. He had a big 300watt valve power amp and rows of open backed cabinets with 12s. "

thanx for the info, john, much appreciated

keep up the good work

and thanx to all the other great people on this board, famous or not, this is the best audio group, after all

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2002 7:18 pm

Two weeks after learning to play drums in '64 I made my first $25. We did Marvin Gaye, Beatles, Sam and Dave stuff, and recorded our 1st 45 at Nola Penthose Studios, live to 2 track. Nola was at the top of the Steinway building in NYC with a beautiful big room that two B-3's were easily lost in. Next time we recorded in NYC it was at Electric Ladyland with Eddie Kramer. Five Dollar Shoes was the band's name .. great band, lousy singer. There was 250,000 spent making that album in 1971 .. too bad we had the singer...
Then I bought a boat yard, sold boats from 25-61' and met my friend Sami who worked at Atlantic and had a studio at his house .. first 8 track 1" Scully, then we rebuilt the studio to 2" 24 track MCI w/MCI console. Average White Band, Manhattan Transfer, Rascals, and more all good friends of the studio. I learned to change tape, and do setup work, clean cables and do legwork .. all great times. Now, with the help of Sami I have my own studio, built and designed by us. I started it to record my two sons who play (far better than I ever did too!), but we had so many people ask to come and record that I'm now also concentrating on local talent here in Pa. The studio was opened to the public last year, and we've had talent from NYC find their way down here already. Without exception everyone that comes has had what they call their "most relaxed, fun and best session ever.." here. One top NYC engineer that came down said "...so how much business do you want?" "If they have desire and talent .. bring them in. If they need to punch in all the time and pray for pitch correction, leave 'em home" was my reply!

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2002 8:05 pm

mmmm..... Popular status- let me think of the most important tune I've recorded...
I think it would have to be when I worked as recording engineer and songwriter. It was with a very high profile company (my family). I was 10 or 11 years old and my older brother had this reel to reel tape recorder. He had recorded his own "muscle man Fred" radio show and we were relegated to do sound effects and all that boring stuff. Suddenly he stuck the mic up in my face and I did an imitation of an old lady that brought the family into hysterics. I was hooked. My other brother Steve and I wrote a song called "Baby you know you need me". It was a simple two or three chord thing with deep insightful lyrics lol. It was a popular neighborhood hit and changed my life forever. No matter how much money is involved there is nothing that can compare to that 1st experience. Kind of like one's first kiss I guess.

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 7:14 am

OK- Well, here in the woods you don't get to rub elbows with many music icons or rock stars, but I've been pretty lucky. Almost by pure chance I played drums on Freddy Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights". Not exactly what I wanted to be known for but a gold record is a gold record, right? Later, in the 80's I was credited with preproduction credits for the "Headhunter" and "Blitz" albums by KROKUS on Arista. I have produced and/or engineered so many albums that no one has ever heard of, but nevertheless I am proud of my involvements with the artists. many of them "could have been contenders" only due to our remote location here in the Ozarks, sadly many of them will never see the light of day. That does not diminish their worth IMHO. I own and operate my own 24-track facility here in Arkansas. The air is clean, the water is pure, and the vibe is unbeatable. It's a great place to raise my 5 year old son in the same way and location I was raised by my parents. Stardom? I don't crave it anymore. The music business sucks so bad these days I don't even want to be a party to the declination of music. Besides, I'm still where I would choose to be if I'd have "made it". What more could one ask for?

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 8:06 am

Bob .. I agree .. despite my having been in NYC where "things were happening", they were not! Name the last big rock band from NYC... now name me a big rock band from NYC....
I'm also out in the country, cows and Amish for neighbors .. I far prefer, since I also have a company my wife and I run, to deal with new talent and the excitment that can exist there. And, it's great to give them a $$ break, and show them that recodring can be fun .. without the producer and label breathing down your neck.
When I lived in Sprinfield, Mo.. I saw more talent there than in all of NYC, but sadly, got getting a listen.

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 1:22 pm

I engineered the 4 Non Blondes Hitsingle "What's Up". And a ssisted on numerous sessions at the Plant, in Sausalito. Among them, Sheila E., Santana, John Lee Hooker, Celine Dion.

Oh, and I produced the demo's for Steve Jenkins (third Eye Blind), that helped get him signed. In fact, it was I who, after dealing with his loser bass player and guitarplayer, told him that unless he found new players, I wasn't interested in doing any more work with him. His bassplayer was a crackhead. I hooked him up with guitar player cadogan, who was playing guitar with anothwer band at the time.

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 3:27 pm

Quote:

I engineered the 4 Non Blondes Hitsingle "What's Up".

Did you do that at The Plant? .... If not, what studio was it? I used to be located in the"SFBA"

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 4:41 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Cedar Flat Fats:

Quote:

I engineered the 4 Non Blondes Hitsingle "What's Up".

Did you do that at The Plant? .... If not, what studio was it? I used to be located in the"SFBA"

Yes we did. Actually, tghey had spent months down in LA. Blew thier whole budget. But weren't happy with the version of that song. I knew their manager, and she asked me for a favor. If I could get the band some cheap time at the plant. So they came in. We recorded and mixed the song in 2 days on a weekend.

Funny that the song that made them the most money, cost the least to record.

Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2002 4:50 pm

Henchman,
I recall seeing your classified ads in Bam magazine... Fats

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