John Jones Music

Apparently, it has been 26 years since Duran Duran’s Liberty album was released. (I was the 7th wheel!?)

This was an amazing experience to be working everyday for months with these guys, and then with engineer Chris Potter and producer Chris Kimsey at Olympic Studios!

Simon Looks Back

And a nice interview with the younger lads!

Warren just released a great new album!

Free Express-O Machine

The Rose Vortex is:
Warren Cuccurullo – guitars, vocals, piano, percussion
Azar Lawrence – tenor & soprano sax
Tommy Mars – electric piano, organ, synth
Alex Alessandroni – piano, synth
Doug Lunn – bass
Joe Travers – drums
with
Munyungo Jackson – percussion
Michael Hunter – trumpet
Rachel Sierra – vocals
Mayuto Correa – percussion

and Savanah Blessing Mandel, Brigitte & Racine – vocals (‘Don’t Blame It On Me’)

The third release in the series of Songs by John Jones is:
 
Songs of 1992, Volume 1 – Written and recorded in chronological order by me and my machines in 1992 at my home studio on Ifield Road in Kennsington.

These songs were written after we had finished and mastered the first version of the Wedding album for Duran Duran in April 1992. It was the first time I had a real break, and the spare time to work on my own songwriting, which I hadn’t done since leaving Canada in 1985.

The album cover artwork is a pretty bad photo of the studio. Atari 1040 ST, Yamaha acoustic, cigarettes, DAT tapes, Ensoniq VFX, AKAI MG1212, S1000 & DD1000, wine, beer, newspapers, and a bed.

Songs from 1992, Volume 1, is available on CDBaby and iTunes

Sir George Martin’s book, Making Music, was reprinted in 1987. I wrote a chapter on MIDI for the “Revised Edition”.

Here are some snaps of the book. Do you have a copy?

The second release in the series is:

Songs of 1993, Vol. 2 – Written and recorded  in chronological order by me and my machines, between March 1 and June 11, 1993, in the Hammerwood, East Sussex, U.K., studio that Dee Long and I put together.

The song Someday, has overdubs from Steve Ferrone and Richard Martinez, and was mixed by Stuart Breed, and Executive Produced by Ken Roberts, back in 1997, but never released, for my One Moment in Time album.

Songs from 1993, Volume 2, is available on CDBaby, iTunes, Spotify, etceteras.

I’m biting the bullet hard and releasing many songs that I wrote and recorded between 1975 and 2016. Most of these songs have not been available for sale, nor even heard, by more than a few friends.

The first release in the series is:

Songs of 1993, Vol. 1 – Written and recorded in chronological order by me and my machines, between January 1 and February 23, 1993, in the Hammerwood, East Sussex, U.K., studio that Dee Long and I put together. Thanks to Mark Dwyer for his influence and assistance, and to very very special friends, Sheila and Barney!

Songs from 1993, Volume 1, is available on CDBaby, iTunes, Spotify, etceteras.

Sir George Martin in Studio 5, AIR Studios

In addition to having the greatest respect for his life’s work as a musician and record producer, Sir George had a personal impact on me from our first meeting at AIR Studios in London in 1985. At that time, Sir George and the late John Burgess, with the strong endorsement of Dave Harries and Malcolm Atkin, allowed Dee Long and I to be their partners, in building and operating studio 5, the Fairlight/Midi/Production at the original Oxford Street location of AIR. Sir George made himself available to promote our cause, and quickly chose to work with us on the pre-production of his epic Under Milk Wood album project, proving the value of our view of the future, as well as Dee’s mastery of the machines, and the successful creation of what became standard procedure in recording studios ever since.

To have met Sir George Martin’s standard was the greatest achievement of our lives, the benefits of which have never ceased. Thank you George, and John. Rest in peace.
More Sir George Martin

One of the first projects that Dee Long and I were lucky to work on in Studio 5 at AIR Studios, Oxford Street, was Sir George Martin and Anthony Hopkins’ version of the Dylan Thomas play; Under Milk Wood, “Thomas’ tale of a day in the life of the mythical Welsh seaside town of Llareggub” (buggerall backwards!)

Sir George’s plan was to add more music, written by Martin, Sir Elton John, Ron Edwards,  Troyte and Andy Leek, to the original play, and perform it with a multitude of Welsh stars, including Anthony Hopkins, Tom Jones, Mary Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Bonnie Tyler, Freddie Jones, Mark Knopfler, Sir Geraint Evans and many others, in AIR Studios, and on location in Wales!

Dee and Sir George, with my help, did the pre-production in Studio 5, our Fairlight and MIDI room on Oxford Street. It was an amazing experience to be in the same room with George for extended periods of time. He became accustomed to playing the parts he had in his head, and then seeing the notes appear on the screen! It was fun for him too! For us it was like dying and going to musical heaven!

By the time we were finished, I arranged for Sir George to have a Macintosh, Performer and a MIDI keyboard, at home. Later, Giles came in for some preliminary lessons with the equipment, which I assume started his now famous career!

For me, John Idris Beynon Jones, the experience of working with George and Dee on the most Welsh of projects possible in the universe, was a beautiful moment in my life. My father had been in the blitz in London, as had Dylan Thomas, and he had come from the Welsh Valleys that produced the characters that Thomas evokes in his Welshest of Welsh works!

A couple of notes:

Thomas was not a drunk, and he did not die of alcohol poisoning. He died of swelling of the brain caused by pneumonia.

At the opening of the new AIR Studios in 1992, the George Martin version of the play was performed for television, but never shown.

One of my favorite lines was also one of my favorite King Crimson albums; Starless and Bible Black.

Bob Dylan named himself after Dylan Thomas.

I wrote a song for the project, but George was in love with Andy Leek!

Here is the BBC program’s South Bank show, about the making of George Martin’s Under Milk Wood (crap sound!).
Near the beginning of the show, the cast arrive at 214 Oxford Street and meet in the Caf for a cuppa! There are also some cool shots of Studio 1 at AIR Studios:

and the 1954 Richard Burton opening version:

Heredity by Rational Youth – Produced by Dee Long & Tracy Howe, with John Jones, Peter McGee, Karen Hendrix, Ben Mink & others.
Recorded and Mixed at ESP Studios, Buttonville, Ontario & AIR Studios, Oxford Street, with Matt Butler & Matt Howe.

Dear Sir George, wishing you all the best with love, on your 90th birthday!

John Jones and Sir George Martin in San Francisco in 1995.

Please enjoy one of Sir George’s great pieces of music from the 1960s!

March of the Blue Meanies!