Career highlights?

[Ken Lewis]

Hmmmmmm.... picking a few career highlights.

the question i get asked all the time "Who was your favorite artist to work with". Of the countless artists that I've had a blast in the studio with, when i was called upon to record and mix (and even play on) the David Byrne "Look Into the Eyeball" album, that was a special project. David Byrne's personality and character can be summed up in 2 quick stories. 1) He road his 10 speed bike to the studio every day 2) First day of recording, after about an hour rockin, everybody broke for lunch. David passed around the menu book, took the bands orders, then David handed the menu to me, took my order down, then handed it to an intern to call in. One hour after i met him, David Byrne was taking my lunch order!!! Needless to say i'd have walked barefoot across glass for him after that! Also, all those quirky mannerisms from the video. REAL. he does that ish behind the mic with nobody watching (although not quite as pronounced as in the videos). I recorded and mixed the whole album, and played bass on a song and keys on another. HIGHLIGHT!!!

Others would be my involvement as an mixer, engineer, songwriter, musician, and vocalist in 15 Grammy nominations in 2 years (2005 / 2006) including 3 Album of the Year Nominations and 1 Record of the Year Nomination. Pulled 6 wins from those 15 nominations, but unfortunately none for the Album or Record of the Year.

Those same years, two different times i had worked on 3 albums residing simultaneously in the Top Ten (Billboard 200) on the charts (both times holding the #1 spot as well)

- Producing "Another Again" with John Legend, the 4th single from the "Once Again" album which went platinum. Single charted #6 on the Billboard Adult R&B Singles Charts. I also played piano, bass, & guitar on that song

- getting to record, mix, and play guitar on the Usher Confessions album which just went Diamond

- Engineering for Butch Vig when he produced the Soul Asylum "Let your Dim Light Shine" album. John Sikket recorded the vast majority of the album (incredibly well) but the project went long and Sikket had booked himself elseware, so i engineered the last two+ weeks of tracking. We had 3 rooms running, Butch in one tracking, me in another, and Andy Wallace mixing. First time Butch and Andy had worked on a record together since Nirvana Nevermind. I pinched myself every day. Butch Vig and Andy Wallace are two of the hands down, nicest, most humble, incredibly talented people on Earth.

[Stitch333]

Don't know how I can follow up a "career highlights" post from Ken Lewis!!

But, I've been lucky to work with many successful artists from the Marcy Playground to Freeway. Getting with Longview Farms was a big one too (love ya Bonnie!) but...
I recently had a high point on a totally different page: I just completely wired the new Pilot Studios for Will Schillinger who has subsequently put me on staff at the joint.

I think its just because I'm the only one who really knows the order of ELCOs on the patchbay rack!

Thanks Will!!

[Makinithappen]

This thread keeps getting better... it's cool that we have such a diverse crowd around here...

[KungFuLio]

Here's a few...

Recording a duet of Michael Brecker with Dave Friessen - Michael Brecker was the greatest musician/person I've worked with. I used good mics and pres, but I could've used a 57 through a beringer and it still would have undeniably been Michael Brecker.

Being schooled by David Torn about the process of creating tonal loops - Another truly humble guy to work with. I've learned more about the theory of music (as opposed to music theory) and emotional content of music from Torn than anyone else.

Being told by Michael Shrieve to be more aggressive/radical with my mixes - Best career advice I've received to date.

Recording and Mixing a single for Missy Higgins - She was on the road and coming through Portland. The band needed to get the song recorded for a compilation disc. The setup was Missy recording vocals and acoustic guitar simultaneously, electric guitar, acoustic bass and drums. We did about 4-5 takes and the band and I thought we had it. Missy kept pushing for something better. A few more takes and we had it. She was correct in pushing for more. When we all heard the "keeper take" back we all knew it was it. The room was silent but every one was smiling. The were three overdubs, bacground vocal, minimal piano, and a brief mandolin part. The payoff was it was the number 1 download on iTunes in Australia for period of time last year! Again a very humble and gracious band. Also, I had a great experience dealing with Warner on this project!

Traveling to Prescott, AZ to record with Liz Story - This gig introduced me to the wonders of the southwest and the genius of Liz Story. She gets math and spirituality--- and knows how to combine the two into incredible conversation.

Being fired by Art Alexakis - It was actually a good thing. I was hired to mix a project for him and it became evident a few days into it that I was the wrong person for that gig. It was a good dose of honesty and a good strengthening of a friendship. I've since done a fair amount of tracking with him but I don't know if there will be any more mixing. Art is a music encyclopedia. That alone makes any session with him quite enjoyable.

Anytime I work with the following sort of local artists-
McKinley
Intervision
Dan Balmer
Tracy Grammer
Myrrh Larsen
Nancy King
The sessions are always fun and the music is alway wonderful!

[harry_seldon]

Going to Neverland Ranch and doing a demo of Qsound for MJ. I really had nothing to do with it, but a friend of mine ask if I wanted to pull cables for him just to go for a visit. Hard to say "no." This was sometime after "Bad."

[JoshAILD]

Recording 4 live songs at the BBC Maida Vale studio in London.

[mdjice]

a little update

[Sigma]

Billy preston rubbing my shoulders and telling me "you know just where to punch in my parts"

Me telling sheena easton i was the wrong enginneer to cut her vocals

tina marie flying from la to philly to mix 2 albums with me

recording a duet with hank willaims jr and leon redbone

gettin my first grammy recongnition when patti labelle won for best R&B vocals

engineering a live bowie radio concert years after i gofer'd on the young americans sessions

fling to london to work with PP arnold

meeting keith richards and bs'ing with him

[88fingerz]

A couple of years ago a client comes in with a new song to record. He tells me it's a new Christmas song (oy vey.. my initial reaction...) and it'll be piano & vocal ONLY! So he lays down the piano (2 or 3 takes nails it) and he then says, OK, onto another song. I ask "no vocals? No bass/drums, ...Anything??

He now informs me he wont be singing on this one. He's got a voice in mind and will now have to search the NYC club scene to find the right guy. He says the voice he has in mind is that of an old Jazz vocalist, smokey, well weathered quality...most likely an African American granddaddy type.

So, I get a call some days later. He's FOUND his guy! He stumbled upon him as he was part of an "up & coming" R&B showcase here in NYC @ a place called S.O.B.'s.

2 days later in comes Jordan the songwriter/pianist. We're patiently waiting for the arrival of the "old" crooner! The phone rings. He's downstairs. I go down to let him in and escort him up the stairs to the studio. What I encounter is...a YOUNG GUY!! A young guy with a medium afro, a backpack, ripped (fashionble I guess) jeans, and a...smokey, gravely voice!

He goes right for the vocal booth. He's had the song in his possession for a few days and is ready to lay down vocals. He starts singing and out comes a voice that fits the description. It truly belied his age (23 or something close).

He goes on to give us 2 takes. A few occasions I had to point out some words here & there were a little "pitchy" (that's my job) and needed either some punch-ins or I suggested the possibility of some "magical tools" in my plugin folder of tricks. He sticks his head out of the vocal booth and says to me, "Dude...no one EVER says I'm off pitch...but... you're right....let's do it again! He then laid down a final take that was mostly right on. He took my comment as a challange and showed me he could make the adjustment(s), no sweat!

Jordan the songwriter was satisfied at this point. He paid the vocalist ($150 if I'm not mistaken) and the cat takes my business card.

2 days later I get a phonecall from "John Stephans", the vocalist. He ask's me if I remember him (from 2 days earlier)...I said OFCOARSE! Pitch guy!! (no, no...that's not what I said externally...).

He wanted to hire me to take a live show performance (over 12 songs or so) that were on digital tape and transfer them into Pro Tools where we'd assemble a listenable "live show CD. Live, from the Knitting Factory. We spent nearly 7-8 hours in one sitdown (broke for chinese food) and got the job done! He was super happy and gave me all his personal info (at the time...). I even got a phonecall from him AGAIN, this time @ 12:00 am....he accidentally cracked his Cds/DVD's of the live show we just completed...said they were in his back pocket and he sat on them...CRACK! He asked if I could get in my car and drive to the lower East side (NYC) and deliver him a fresh set of disks. Oy I say to myself..."what I don't do for the welfare of my clients"...dang!

So there I was, driving in the late night rain to drop off a newly burned set of disks. He met me in the street, said thanks a ton, and off we went our seperate ways.

Funny thing...during the live show editing and mashing...there was a stage announcer introducing him to the audience. I kept giggling when the announcer would refer to him as..."John Legend". He's say: "We'd like to call up a great new young talent...his name is John Stephans...but we like to call him....John LEgend". Well, I laughed evertime I heard this. John asked me "Dude...what's so funny"? That's what they call me! I when on to explain..."DUDE...you need a few more years and some sucessess (whatever his definition of it is) before you can be labled "Legend"...I'm not callin' you no Legend.." Anyway, I was only jokin' as I often do with my clients, he was pretty much a good sport...but not completely. I now saw that he was serious about his name...

So....I didn't hear from him again. Said he was going back to Ohio I think, then back to NYC. Throughout our session he told me he was going to make it famous. He knew a dude named Kanye (whom I'd never heard of personally) through a cousin he went to school with. I ofcoarse always try to provide positive support to my clients...all dreaming is valid! I said...yes! You will be famous! Keep on doin' what youre doing.


5 months later, the Sunday News arrives at my door. I grab it and bring it into the bathroom/library. I love to see what's on sale at Best Buy & other electronic stores. There's the newly released CDs of the month page....let's see what's new & unusual, tried & true;
WAIT! WHAT'S THIS??!!! J O H N L E G E N D! "Get LIfted"!!!!

He made it! He said he would! I wanted to believe him (nasty business...the best often get overlooked)....but there he was!!!!

Well, I think most of us have heard of him by now. I haven't heard from him since, what with all his fancy new friends....but I never expected to, oh well. It's a fun memory to say the least, and I can't help but think I planted a "be more careful with your pitch seed" that seems to have helped...much of the time...

All the best to John Legend!

[88fingerz]

....but it wasn't my career highlight ultimately to date;; As a songwriter, I Finally (after 30+ years of plugin' away) got a song of mine on a commercially released CD...in FINLAND of all places! The artist's name is Panu Larnos. He was among the runner ups of the FINNISH IDOL SHOW (Yep, it's big over there too!).

So universe,....Keep 'Em Coming!!!!

Best to all!

[memphisindie]

Another big one was mixing FOH on a Midas H3 and monitors on a GL4k at the same time for 14 bands during an "emergenza festival" in Memphis with no problems, ALONE. Every band came and gave me a copy of their CD's afterword and asked if I could mix them. That was weird, but, a high lite.
Trying to get to work on time I almost ran over Bob Dylan (the client), who hadn't talked to anyone in 12 years, he spoke then. "I like takin my life into my own hands". Not bad for first words in 12 years. Jack Bruce tour was awesome, and my budget recordings for aspiring stars demos run I had at a studio in Queens (no longer exists) that had bands jam packed in was really awesome.

[alkor]

Originally Posted by kheftel

It's inspiring reading all of these career highlights from people who have rubbed shoulders with all these amazing people. keep it coming! I hope to one day have stories like these.

sums it up for me, great reads

[kheftel]

Originally Posted by KungFuLio

Recording and Mixing a single for Missy Higgins - She was on the road and coming through Portland. The band needed to get the song recorded for a compilation disc. The setup was Missy recording vocals and acoustic guitar simultaneously, electric guitar, acoustic bass and drums. We did about 4-5 takes and the band and I thought we had it. Missy kept pushing for something better. A few more takes and we had it. She was correct in pushing for more. When we all heard the "keeper take" back we all knew it was it. The room was silent but every one was smiling. The were three overdubs, bacground vocal, minimal piano, and a brief mandolin part. The payoff was it was the number 1 download on iTunes in Australia for period of time last year! Again a very humble and gracious band. Also, I had a great experience dealing with Warner on this project!

Awesome! I love Missy Higgins' stuff!

[madjef]

Songwriting jam session with Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. That was pretty cool.

[HookedOnHardware]

pmuB

[kheftel]

Originally Posted by madjef

Songwriting jam session with Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. That was pretty cool.

Yeah, I'd say that's pretty cool! awesome!