John Jones Music

It was really cool walking into the great old Hollywood studio where the Beach Boys recorded part of Pet Sounds, and where we recorded Fleetwood Mac tracks in the 1990’s. I really loved recording the drums for These Strange Times with Ken Allardyce many moons ago in this room.

A couple of weeks ago we had a string session in what is now Studio 3 of East West Studios, for Nick Wood‘s solo album.

Todd Hayen, who is now living in Canada, arranged the strings, and uber-producer-engineer Adam Moseley engineered on the old Trident desk.

Great stuff!

Adam Mosely and Nick Wood in Studio 3 East West Hollywood

Todd Hayen

Another old photograph of mine from a trip to Oxford in the 1980s.

Sir Thomas Bodley

Looking up the text on the plaque led me to the story of Sir Thomas Bodley, and his dedication to the opening of the Bodleian Library at Oxford in 1602.

Regarding his great work in restoring Duke Humfrey’s Library,  Sir Thomas said “that he felt well qualified to do this as he possessed four special attributes which would be advantageous: wide learning, wealth, many contacts (“a great store of honorable friends”) and plenty of free time.”

Mr Bradbury was a very special human being. He gave us 70 years of things to think about!

Mother Earth, and all of us, ‘bless you’ Ray Bradbury!

John Jones at Ray Bradbury's 89th Birthday Party in Glendale 2009

Sunday night, at the Newport Film Festival, we saw a new documentary about the Freedom Writers Diary, “a collection of journal entries written by 150 at-risk students from Long Beach, California, who were once considered ‘unteachable’. Encouraged by teacher, Erin Gruwall, and inspired by Anne Frank, the students discovered a new way of expression and began to care more about history, humanity, and perhaps, most importantly, their futures.”

This incredible story was helped to reality by our Music is Hope Foundation president John Tu.

JJ, composers Daniel Rojas & Andrew Raiher, executive producer John Tu, Erin Gruwall & MIHF's Richard Martinez

It’s very sad to hear of Davy Jones’s death in Florida today. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

My life as a musician really started with the Monkees in grade 6 in Toronto. I was one of the first kids to get a Monkee shirt and to wear Beatle boots with straight leg slacks, because the Monkees did.

John Jones with little brother David in the late 1960s

I lost my father the same way Davy died, of a heart attack, almost 30 years ago. Rest in peace Davy.

All the best to Sir George on his 86th birthday!

Here are a couple of shots from inside Studio 5 at AIR Studios on Oxford Street in the 1980s.

Sir George Martin and John Jones in Studio 5, AIR Studios, London

Sir George Martin and Dee Long in Studio 5, AIR Studios, London, with the Fairlight Series III screen

I don’t want to date myself, but, this was a long time ago.

Bruce Cowie, Mary Meighan, John Jones, and Gary Lipton

That’s me playing the low organ note off the top for Liza Minnelli.
We rehearsed it! I’m the guy in red playing the B3.

It’s Easter 1992 at Wembley

30 years later (1984), and I’m still in awe!
Lisa Dalbello was a huge influence on my life!
And an ultra-awesome musician, poet and philosopher.
And what a cool song!
There was an earlier and more standard version of it, recorded at ESP with the Gary O band…Dee, Frank, Ken, JJ…

But the final version is rockin’ too! With LDB and Mick Ronson and John Forbes! AWESOME!