November 28th, 2024 § Comments Off on Bits & Bobs Vol. 1 § permalink
An album of song demos written and recorded by John Jones at ESP Studios, Hollywood Dell, Hammerwood, AIR Studios and Toronto Sound Studios between 1976 and 1988.
May 18th, 2024 § Comments Off on Have we been wasting our lives on Social Media? § permalink
@Facebook has been around longer than the most inventive years in Popular Music History, which might have been between “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles in 1964 and “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes in 1984! Have we been wasting our lives on Social Media?
June 4th, 2023 § Comments Off on The Road to Meddazaland – Duran Duran § permalink
The Barbarella Pictures interviews with many of the musicians, producers, and engineers who worked in the studio with Duran Duran. @DuranDuran
The documentary was written, produced, filmed and edited by Carsten Windhorst and Gerard Hynes!
I’ll admit, this interview was my first foray out in public in nearly a year.
If I hadn’t found a parking meter on Sunset Boulevard I might have been a no-show.
Carsten and Gerard were brilliant and supportive! We are overdue a pint!
Enjoy!
Part 2 of the Barbarella Pictures interviews with some of the people who worked in the studio with Duran Duran. The documentary was written, produced, filmed and edited by Carsten Windhorst and Gerard Hynes.
Part 3 – An awesome album! Not my story. Good music!
November 13th, 2022 § Comments Off on Rock Hall 2022 for Duran Duran § permalink
After massive support from fans around the world, Duran Duran were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame by Robert Downey Jr., on November 5 (Guy Fawkes night), 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
We went to the show, and were truly blown away by everyone on stage, and the audience! Although it as a very long show there wasn’t a moment wasted between segments. An incredible stage set, and light show, with no need for a host.
Neither Andy Taylor or Warren Cuccurullo from Duran Duran were there, and sadly, Andy wrote his thank you’s in a letter, and told us he had terminal cancer. A bittersweet night.
My highlights were everything, but of course hearing Ordinary World was very special. Otherwise,
I can’t get those Eurythmic songs out of my head! Annie and Dave were awesome! Eminem, Judas Priest… They all were! Seriously one of the best concerts ever!
For many years I have been a fan and a student of the Beatles and all who sailed their ship. But, there was one person on the team I knew little about – Norman Smith, the musician, engineer, producer, recording artist and the 6th Beatle!
Norman Smith
Norman recorded the Beatles from the very beginning through the Rubber Soul album. At the end of 1965 George Martin founded A.I.R. with his EMI producing partners and Norman was promoted to producer and took over the Parlophone label from George.
Norman signed Pink Floyd in 1967 and produced and engineered three of their first four albums, including Ummagumma, and then in 1971 went on to have a #1 hit in America as recording artist Hurricane Smith!
When I was in London a few years ago recording Joey Niceforo and the Steve Sidwell orchestra in Studio One at Abbey Road with Steve Price, I met Richard Hale, longtime engineer at E.M.I. Studios. I’ll save Richard’s story for another day, but suffice to say that he regaled me with tales of Norman Smith, and lent me a copy of Norman’s “auto biography” – John Lennon Called Me Normal.
Norman was in the glider division of the Royal Air Force in the last year of World War II. Fortunately for him he was never deployed and ended up spending a couple of years in a jazz band playing on the roof top of a hotel in Venice, Italy.
But, the best part for me is finally seeing the man himself, and he is fantastic, and definitely the missing link in all the stories of the greatest band of the 1960’s!
An interview with Beatles engineer and Pink Floyd producer/engineer Norman Smith
