August 26th, 2019 § Comments Off on An Especial Pint With jj frazz II § permalink
A few weeks back I decided to put together a 15 minute “podcast” of various demo recordings that I have produced over the years. I have had the luxury of recording everyday since my parents bought me a Sony Sound-On-Sound real-to-reel tape recorder in the 1970’s, so I have recorded hundreds of songs in my life. Quantity over quality!
This week’s A Pint With jjfrazz II is a flock of covers, special to me, but not ready for prime time. Here are they in all their one take demo goodness.
June 7th, 2019 § Comments Off on You’re Too Bloody Much § permalink
A song about dissatisfaction, circa 1982-83.
This is the original demo of my song Too Bloody Much that I recorded with our Fairlight CMI (Computer Music instrument) at ESP Studios, Buttonville, Ontario, Canada in the 1980’s. The vocals and guitars were recorded though an MCI console onto an MCI 24-track two-inch. The other instruments were programmed in Page R and the Fairlight CMI was running live, in sync, when mixed down to 2-track. This one and only mix was discovered and recovered by Frank Watt, who is owed a wee dram (or two)!
Because I did not have the original tape for Too Bloody Muchwhen I was putting together my One Moment in Time album, I recorded a new version of it in Hollywood. By then I was California-ized, and I recorded it in a soft-rock sort of way. Here it is from 1998 – Too Bloody Much
Produced, arranged and recorded, by John Jones
Instruments by J. Jones.
Backing vocals Meninos do Morumbi
Electric Guitars by Dee Long!
Recorded in Los Angeles and British Columbia, 2013.
January 7th, 2017 § Comments Off on Wrapped Around Your Finger – Dan Hill § permalink
This was Mick Fleetwood’s favourite song, of mine!
While we were producing Dan Hill’s, Seduces Me, for Celine Dion, at the end of 1995, we recorded my song, Wrapped Around Your Finger, for Dan’s solo album; I’m Doing Fine.
We recorded the basics for the song, at my Treehouse studio, in the Dell, Hollywood. I played the keys, acoustic guitar, and bass, then we overdubbed Steve Ferrone’s drums at Record Plant with Steve Churchyard, and Michael Thompson’s guitars, at his Cocoa Butt Studio, in the Baldwin Hills.
Wrapped was top 10 on radio, before it, and the album, were pulled from distribution, after 8 weeks! Oh well…
June 22nd, 2016 § Comments Off on Ken Basman, 1958-2016 § permalink
I can’t believe we’ve lost Ken Basman! God has no mercy. The world is emptier tonight! Three cheers for the life of Ken!
Of all the people I have ever known in my own life, Ken was the first true pillar of humanity, of common sense, of fair play, a believer in social justice, and a lighthouse in the fog of teenage war! The apple does not fall far from the tree! He turned me on to as many books as he did to albums. We longed for a just world. We believed in love.
The son of Muni was a great great man from the beginning. We connected with music, style, and culture! I loved spending all day at the Basman home on Denino Ave., in Hogs Hollow, learning what cool was all about! The house was full of history, art, and philosophy, which were all as important as the sex and drugs and rock and roll that Ken and I were enjoying! And, who can ever look at a Cadillac Eldorado convertible, and not think of Muni? What an awesome man! Ken made Muni proud. I know he did! I was there!
Ken never took on anything without completing it, showing all of us what hard work, and what we musicians call wood-shedding, can do! Ken practiced and listened, and practiced, and listened, and became an equal best musician to anyone I have ever met, by the time he and I were 17.
And we played chess! Hours and hours of it, including chess by mail with Ken’s grandfather in Winnipeg! I remember having three games going, at one time, against a Basman! By high school at A.I.S.P., in Toronto, we were forced to invent Losers Chess, in order to save time for making music!
Over the years, Ken and I put together a bunch of bands. I don’t remember all the names, but orignally we were known as; F**k, The Baffin Island Boogie Band, Beyond Saturns Window, Beyond, Behind, and a few more!
We played music and life together, from junior high, through high school, performing original songs, some written by me, and some by Ken, and we did covers by Stevie Wonder, Weather Report, Alice Cooper, Joni Mitchell, Spirit, Chick Corea, Edgar Winter, Wes Montgomery, the Beatles, Miles Davis, and many others! I know you’re not going to like this, but, we thought Led Zeppelin were a teeny-bopper band! Go figure! My point is, we loved all great music! The word genre was poison to us!
Our many bands included friends and musicians; Daniel van Kranendonk, John Johnson, Dave Worth, Gary Boigon, Jim Honeywell, Bob Little, Cam Hawkins, Reggie Shoji, Gary Justice, and many more great musicians, who are still doing it!
Our last proper gig together was as the house-band at the original Massey family house, which became Julie Fine’s, Bombay Bicycle club, in Toronto. It’s now the Keg n Cleaver. I think Yousuf Karsh took some nice photos of us there. I have had one of them on my piano for many years! I’ll scan it soon! I hope Ken’s family have the originals, so we can all see these historical time slices properly?
Although it is true that there are more reasons for who I am than meets the eye, Ken was always my guardian angel, through some pretty brutal experiences. His ability to stay cool in outrageous situations was legendary! And having a friend who was so far ahead of me musically, and who respected my music, was the greatest gift a young music man can ever have!
I love you Ken Basman. From the bottom of my person! I will never forget you! Love is the answer!
October 26th, 2015 § Comments Off on In The Arms of Love – 1976 § permalink
I’m not certain, but I think that Terry Draper, Dee Long, Brian Bell, John Bojicic and John Jones (the choir) recorded this demo at Brentcliffe Rehearsal Studios in Don Mills in the late 1970’s.
