John Jones Music

Brian Wilson said that when he first heard Be My Baby for the first time in 1963, it blew his mind. It was clearly the blueprint for all of his, and many other’s, future recordings. The first modern record?

Be My Baby (Spotify) – by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, produced by Phil Spector, performed by the The Ronettes.

Hal Blaine on drums, Tommy Tedesco and Bill Pitman on guitars, and Darlene Love and Sonny and Cher on backing vocals.

And then there was Brian Wilson’s answer song; Don’t Worry Baby – and everything will be alright! Brian says his wife said “don’t worry baby” to him in their car, when he was despondent after hearing Be My Baby on the radio.

Don’t Worry Baby – by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, produced by Brian Wilson, performed by the The Beach Boys. WTF!

Bringing tears to my eyes.

I’m flying on a painted pony! Fred Mandel was over last Saturday to add his musical magic to our Music is Hope project for Meninos Do Morumbi.

Fred Mandel & John Jones near Sherman Junction, Los Angeles.

Fred is a brilliant professional who plays organ, piano, guitar, sings, writes songs, arranges & produces, and has worked with legendary classics of the 70’s and 80’s such as Alice Cooper, Queen, Elton John, Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, Anthrax, and Supertramp.

We grew up in the same St Andrews neighborhood of Toronto, a part of York Mills. For my friends and I, Fred was our neighborhood blueprint for a career in music! I tried to see every concert he played in Toronto that didn’t need an ID to get in. And then we lost touch for a few years until we met in the elevator at AIR Studios on Oxford Street, when Fred was in the studio working with Elton John on Reg Strikes Back.

Here is a great interview with Fred Mandel!

One of my favourites, Domenic Troiano, had Fred Mandel and Steve Ferrone recording together at Automated Sound Studio, New York, on Dom’s awesome Burnin’ At The Stake album in 1977.

Almost 20 years ago I found myself alone at Christmas time in Los Angeles, and I recorded this excellent song in order to feel better.

Hide Your Love Away – it’s just me in my Tree house studio in the Dell, Hollywood, on December 24, 1993.

Later, for Alan Frew’s version, we added Phil Parlapiano and Mick Fleetwood, and created this.

A great producer, engineer,lover, and friend of music, Mike Shipley passed away last month. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Mike Shipley

Mike worked on so many amazing recordings, starting with his first session, which was with the Sex Pistols! AIR had a strong connection with Wessex Studios.

Here is an interview with Mike from a couple of years ago – Engineer Extraordinaire

Richard Martinez, Sean Halley and John Jones playing their first gig! – “Canada’s best kept secret”

John Jones – The Hollywood Sign

John Jones OMIT Rock Songs

AIR Studios, located in the ballroom on the fourth floor at Oxford Circus

I scanned an article printed by AIR Studios in 1988 to promote their UK recording studio on Oxford Street in London. It is mostly an interview with then AIR manager Malcolm Atkin, who is now Chairman of the APRS.

The article is an excellent overview of the state of the art of recording equipment at that time, and includes a quote and a photo of me sitting at the desk in Studio 5.

UP IN THE AIR 1988 (a link to the official AIR Studios press release from 1988 in pdf)