PHONOGENIC
So, this takes us to my original band, RPM’s, second album, ‘Phonogenic’. As anyone close to the industry knows, the moment you hint at any kind of commercial under performance, your job of convincing the industry of your remaining viability becomes a much bigger hurdle. In essence, you’re damaged goods, and although our debut was critically successful, and generated multiple covers by other acts, the sales weren't there. But there are acts who’ve overcome this hurdle, and we were undeterred, confident and certain we could come up with what we needed to reignite the kind of enthusiasm and belief we had in ourselves.
By this time, my brother Wayne and I rented a house in Nashville…with a basement! (…dream come true for a guitar player with Marshall amps!) This was a move up from our small apartment and a place the band could remain set up and take our songs up a level by recognizing our individual strengths with the purpose of really developing the sound of the band and understanding our uniqueness. Creative Workshop, one of Nashville’s best recording studios, had built a second studio, and thanks to the grace of owner Buzz Cason and engineer Lee Peterzell, we put together a demo of our next five songs. This time, we enlisted the still relatively unknown attorney, Peter Paterno in Los Angeles to handle the pitching of our new songs. Peter has gone on to become a one man legal powerhouse. Along the way he became CEO of Hollywood Records and represented the likes of Guns And Roses, Metallica, Van Morrison, Blink 182, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Prince.. and so many others.
To our amazement, the major labels Peter played our tape to reacted with even more enthusiasm than round one, and one of labels was the giant... Warner Bros. When WB heard our stuff, they moved quickly and requested we showcase for them. Having been working away in the basement and feeling great about how our sound was developing, we couldn’t wait. We hired a soundstage the day before the showcase at S.I.R. studios in Nashville, got our sound together and awaited the Warner team’s arrival. As a side note, Dolly Parton was next door and ran into one of our tech guys in the hallway and commented that we reminded her of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Maybe they were her point of reference, because I’m not sure we sounded much like them, but it was a good omen.
The day came and we’re ready to go, and Michael Ostin, son of then WB president Mo Ostin, along with A&R rep, Felix Chamberlain, entered the room. We exchanged introductions and they weren’t shy about telling us how much they were digging our songs… and then it was time to play. The set went as we’d hoped and planned and you could tell by the vibe in the room. We hung out with them for a while after playing for them, and they were on their way stating “we’ll get with you as soon as we get back to LA.” A couple of days later, I recall the bass player Jimmie and I playing on a session with famed producer Keith Thomas. After one of the takes, we’re summoned to the telephone and it’s Felix… “… we want to do the deal and sign you.”
I was absolutely aware of the opportunity we’d just been given and this was a chance to make so many visions come true. I had regular phone calls with Felix planning our moves. I was confident in the sound I was hearing in my head and anxious to pursue a more progressive direction. It seemed a natural progression dictated by the material we’d come up with. Although I was imagining this sound clearly, and from a production perspective I felt we had it together, based on my engineering background, I felt an unusually capable and creative engineer was what this album would call for. Felix agreed and said he would get busy providing us with some options.
Another stroke of luck was the strength of the US dollar against the British pound. Some of the executives with Warners wanted us to make the record in Los Angeles, but I could see real disadvantages to that scenario and so with a lot of negotiating, we convinced them Britain would be album central. It was always a dream of mine to record in a world class studio in England seeing as this was where my favorite albums had been recorded. Was there a magic in England?… some kind of mysterious mojo in the wires? As it turns out, I think there was. Felix focused his search on British engineers… and when you’re calling from Warner Bros., people take your calls.
The list was pared down to four fantastic options. Felix setup meetings with Peter Gabriel’s studio and house engineer in Bath, England , Rupert Hine’s studio in Little Chalfont where Saga, Howard Thompson and The Fixx recorded, and a great London studio where Big Country recorded their hit single and album. The other remaining option was Gary Langan at SARM studios in the Knotting Hill section of London, which was owned by famed producer, Trevor Horn and his wife, Jill Sinclair. Now that these became the choices we were going to pursue, Felix and I made arrangements to head over to London to visit and see the studios and meet with the engineers. Interestingly, just before traveling, Felix called me to say Gary Langan called him expressing his praise of our material and that he wanted to overnight a rough mix of something he was currently working on for us to listen to.
So indeed, the next day a cassette is delivered to my door. I rip into the envelope and pop the cassette into my not-so-subtle boom box. This fantastic guitar riff opens the track followed by this super punchy, ultra modern sounding groove… but then the vocal comes in. Any die-hard YES fan knows Jon Anderson’s voice in an instant, but this doesn’t sound typically YES… and then the hook, “… owner of a lonely heart”. I’m falling out of my chair at this point. I call Felix immediately asking him if I’m hearing a new YES recording. And he affirms I am, along with, “pretty cool, huh?”…and I’m like, “uh…yeah!” At this point I can only think…I have some kind of chance I could be working with this guy??? I can hardly believe it.
So, shortly thereafter, I fly to London to meet up with Felix and he’s got the whole itinerary planned out. We start in Bath, England at Peter Gabriel’s facility. It’s in a beautiful setting and I’m guessing the materials in the building are from centuries past. Then on to a London room where Big Country recorded, and then Rupert Hine’s studio. Rupert, who has sadly since passed away, had a standout facility. The control room and custom monitors were incredible. Our studio guide and engineer put up a Fixx track for us to hear, and it was magnificent. I’m a huge Fixx fan, and to hear one of their incredible songs in the place it was recorded was monumental and a real privilege. And finally, it was off to SARM West Studios.
We enter the reception area and Gary Langan is right there to greet us. I don’t think 60 seconds passed and Gary and I were already cracking jokes and laughing hysterically. We seemed to hit it off right away. Gary then guided us to the main studio area where we entered this huge wood surfaced recording area that just felt so alive and responsive. Then the main control room… all the most current outboard gear, a stunning SSL console and the widest stereo monitor setup I’d ever seen. I asked if we could hear another YES track and he put up ‘Leave It’, which he also recorded. This room presented sound on a galactic level and I could only imagine how inspiring it would be to strive on getting our material up to the potential this facility and Gary’s talent presented. Decision made.
SARM West Control Room 1983
Front Row L to R: Bob Kraushaar-2nd engineer, Gary Langan-Engineer Co-Producer
2nd Row L to R: Mark Gendel-guitars, Jimmie Lee Sloas-bass and keyboards
Back Row: Robert White Johnson-lead vocals
Front Row L to R: Bob Kraushaar-2nd engineer, Gary Langan-Engineer Co-Producer
2nd Row L to R: Mark Gendel-guitars, Jimmie Lee Sloas-bass and keyboards
Back Row: Robert White Johnson-lead vocals
I want to expand a bit on Mr. Langan. He’s a name that may be unfamiliar to many in North America, but I can assure you, you know his work. The tip of the iceberg of artists and records where you’ll find his signature are Queen, including ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Yes, 90215, The Buggles, including ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, Tom Jones version of ‘Kiss’, Billy Idol, ABC, Spandau Ballet, and the list goes on. And that list can be found here where Gary included our album in his list of credits. Gary was also one third of the band, Art Of Noise, famous for their single, ‘Close To The Edit’. More on Gary’s career can be found on his Wikipedia page.
After my whirlwind trip with head of Warner Bros. A&R, I returned to Nashville, sat down with band members, Robert, Tommy and Jimmie, and relayed to the best of my ability, what we were about to embark on. The stars were aligned, and soon after, we packed up and it was off to London.
After my whirlwind trip with head of Warner Bros. A&R, I returned to Nashville, sat down with band members, Robert, Tommy and Jimmie, and relayed to the best of my ability, what we were about to embark on. The stars were aligned, and soon after, we packed up and it was off to London.
PAY ATTENTION TO ME
In September of 1971, I got to see Led Zeppelin for the second time. At this point, I was beginning to see academics as a distraction, so this upcoming concert was a welcome offset to the coming school year, to say the least. Zeppelin had come a long way since their first North American dates and their infamous 4th album was in the can and about to be released. They played songs from the new album at this show, meaning the first I’d ever heard 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Black Dog' was live in concert. But a major highlight of the show was the opener, 'The Immigrant Song'. The absolute power of that riff ricochetting off the surfaces of the arena and executed with such command and confidence was SO overwhelming. It was an anthemic call to victory. It just overtook the venue and the audience with such electricity, it’s hard to think of a more profound experience I’ve ever had in a concert. And how could anyone come up with such an amazing tour de force… and how could anyone top it?
So, let’s go back to my basement in Nashville and, Tommy Wells, our drummer is changing the heads on his toms. He’s tuning up and he’s banging away at this pattern to get his heads broken in. I’m hearing something and say to him, “What is that?!” Tommy says, “What’s what?.. I’m tuning my drums!” And I’m like, “We’ve got to tweak that!”. And so we did, and I played this simple, rhythmical line that, in some relatable way, took me back to that Zeppelin moment. I may have grabbed onto some of that inexplicable power, something that could open a show with that confident air of “we’re about to conquer”. There is nothing that could ever compete with 'The Immigrant Song', and I would never suggest I could ever come close to the level of the many things they accomplished with that song, but this was my attempt and it was appropriately named, 'Pay Attention To Me'. This was one of the songs that we played during our Warner Bros. showcase, and they certainly approved.
Fast forward, and now we’re in London's SARM studios recording our album. We’ve recorded the tracks for the song, but we’d always known we’d have to take the chorus somewhere special to give the song it’s ultimate impact. ‘Jeremy’, by Pearl Jam, wouldn’t be released for another eight years, but Pink Floyd, in 1979, captured the frustration young people can feel in school, especially those with heightened artistic and creative sensibilities. I never forgot those moments of daydreaming in my own world staring out the window in class with guitar riffs going through my head, and the nature of this song was calling for that treatment.
I was thinking... where can we find a class of elementary aged British students to lend their magic to our song? While we discussed this in the control room, Gary Langan, our co-producer/engineer, suggested we may have to find an academy specializing in the education and development of young students talented and committed to the arts. Well, The Barbara Speake Stage School had the perfect cast of characters for this mission! This was a unique academy that catered to very young dancers, singers and actors and this was the perfect gang to record on our song. Their session time arrived and in came the children along with their enthusiasm and innocent charm. They were headed by their teacher/chaperone, Carol. When they came in, I introduced myself to Carol and asked about the students, tidbits about the school and informed her about the song and what we were looking for. She informed me of how much recording time the kids could put in before their first break, etc., and it was all very charming.
Then Carol says to me, “You know, my brother is a drummer and he also plays in a band”. And I, in my most polite, unassuming way respond, “Well, that’s really cool. So, he plays in a band?”
“Oh yes.”
“Might I be familiar with them? Who’s the band?”
“They’re called Genesis.”
I’m frozen. I’m speaking to Phil Collins sister, Carol! Phil was actually a student with this school when he was younger, and their mother, June Collins, was the agent for the school! I’m as starstruck as anyone, but this was surely a lesson in humility. You just never know…
So, give the song a listen, and there’s a lot to listen to. The opening and ending of the song captures unrehearsed moments of the children being kids, and was shocking how well it fit into the recording. In the chorus, there is the little girl who takes the solo line. We needed a solo for this part and this little girl made sure we chose her, and she was right! We were instructed not to give credits to individuals as the whole thing was a group effort, so her name has been lost in time.
Click here to listen to Pay Attention To Me:
Fast forward, and now we’re in London's SARM studios recording our album. We’ve recorded the tracks for the song, but we’d always known we’d have to take the chorus somewhere special to give the song it’s ultimate impact. ‘Jeremy’, by Pearl Jam, wouldn’t be released for another eight years, but Pink Floyd, in 1979, captured the frustration young people can feel in school, especially those with heightened artistic and creative sensibilities. I never forgot those moments of daydreaming in my own world staring out the window in class with guitar riffs going through my head, and the nature of this song was calling for that treatment.
I was thinking... where can we find a class of elementary aged British students to lend their magic to our song? While we discussed this in the control room, Gary Langan, our co-producer/engineer, suggested we may have to find an academy specializing in the education and development of young students talented and committed to the arts. Well, The Barbara Speake Stage School had the perfect cast of characters for this mission! This was a unique academy that catered to very young dancers, singers and actors and this was the perfect gang to record on our song. Their session time arrived and in came the children along with their enthusiasm and innocent charm. They were headed by their teacher/chaperone, Carol. When they came in, I introduced myself to Carol and asked about the students, tidbits about the school and informed her about the song and what we were looking for. She informed me of how much recording time the kids could put in before their first break, etc., and it was all very charming.
Then Carol says to me, “You know, my brother is a drummer and he also plays in a band”. And I, in my most polite, unassuming way respond, “Well, that’s really cool. So, he plays in a band?”
“Oh yes.”
“Might I be familiar with them? Who’s the band?”
“They’re called Genesis.”
I’m frozen. I’m speaking to Phil Collins sister, Carol! Phil was actually a student with this school when he was younger, and their mother, June Collins, was the agent for the school! I’m as starstruck as anyone, but this was surely a lesson in humility. You just never know…
So, give the song a listen, and there’s a lot to listen to. The opening and ending of the song captures unrehearsed moments of the children being kids, and was shocking how well it fit into the recording. In the chorus, there is the little girl who takes the solo line. We needed a solo for this part and this little girl made sure we chose her, and she was right! We were instructed not to give credits to individuals as the whole thing was a group effort, so her name has been lost in time.
Click here to listen to Pay Attention To Me: