October 20th, 2013 § Comments Off on Meet Me – Emily § permalink
There is no way that I can choose the best of this or the best of that with anyone that I have ever worked with. The personal relationship has always been more important than the reward! With Emily Richards, the best came easily!
I love this version of Meet Me, from the Can’t Take it With You album!
We just jammed it, and here it is!
October 18th, 2013 § Comments Off on Emily Richards & John Jones recordings § permalink
Emily recording at Grape Place
Here is a page that will play almost every song that I have worked on with Emily Richards over the past 15 years! There is also a link to some of the details of each track.
Emily Richards & John Jones Recording history playlist (spotify)
October 2nd, 2013 § Comments Off on Ken Scott at Abbey Road Interview § permalink
Ken Scott and John Jones at NAMM 2012
Sit back and relax and listen to this great interview with one of my music heroes; Ken Scott. He talks about Trident Studios and the Beatles, David Bowie, Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, Elton John, John Lennon, George Harrison, Lou Reed, Rolling Stones, Missing Person, and Duran Duran. We co-produced Duran’s Thank You album in 1995!
If I had to admit it, there is no one who has been involved with more fantastic and historical music recordings than Ken Scott!
This link to a great interview with Ken in studio 2 at Abbey Road, is insightful, and inspirational!
September 28th, 2013 § Comments Off on Emily Richards. There is Peace. § permalink
Here is a 2002 video from Can’t Take it With You, one of the many Emily Richard’s albums that I have worked on over the years.
There is Peace was a call for peace after September 11, 2001.
September 27th, 2013 § Comments Off on Shades of Buttonville. Great Songs from the past. § permalink
John Jones, Gary O, Dee Long, Frank Watt, and Ken Wanamaker at the El Macombo in Toronto
Ah, what a delight! Memories by the bus-load!
Since the late 1970’s, Gary O and I have shared a number of special things. Seeing him play at my Junior High School dance (St. Andrews), with his band Aerial, and later at the Yonge Street Station (or whatever it was called!), with the awesome Beatle cover-band; Liverpool! (Or maybe it was the other way ’round?),
Later I joined him in the band, Kid Rainbow, with Margo Davidson and Lonnie Glass. I think I auditioned for the band. It was probably something to do with Brian Bell. Can anybody enlighten me?
Anyway, I was more than a bit thrilled to be playing with someone as cool, professional, and talented, as Gary! He’s really a great songwriter and guitarist and musician, who can sing like Paul Rogers! We also performed many of my original songs in our shows around south western Ontario, which was groundbreaking for my future!
Strippers and Bikers! And I was certainly not nearly as ready as Gary was to burst onto the music scene at that time!
He was! And after many showcases for record companies, Gary was signed by Capitol Records in Los Angeles. Within weeks he was gone. Off to Los Angeles, and the band was no more. Deserted. The new Gary O album was recorded in Los Angeles with professional musicians. We all looked for new bands! (another great story!)
Surprise surprise, Gary was ill-served by Los Angeles, and back he came to Toronto, just in time to take advantage of our new ESP recording studio in Buttonville, with our Linn Drum, and soon enough our Fairlight! We became Gary’s house-band. Frank Watt, Ken Wanamaker, Dee Long, and yours truly; John Jones. Off we went, recording his second album in our studio for Capital records. Meanwhile, Gary borrowed my TR6, and my girlfriend, and went to Las Vegas.
We even did a gig as a band at the El Macombo , see above photo. Does anybody remember the date?
Eventually he became the enabler for my staying in Los Angeles twenty years ago. Those of us who lived in Canada House, in the Dell, know all about it!
Here is Gary’s great video for Shades of 45, from more than 30 years ago! I think it’s Gary McCracken on Simmons drums…
A recent Gary O article on John Jones Music – December 10, 2001
September 20th, 2013 § Comments Off on Spitting Image. Bad Puppets. § permalink
I couldn’t help but remember (1989) those magical days when Keith and Mick were puppets, and McCartney was at the Albert Hall:
Even older farts today! – Keepin’ On Rockin’ – wikia.com
September 18th, 2013 § Comments Off on Muscle Shoals – the movie § permalink
We saw the Muscle Shoals movie in Beverly Hills on Wilshire Boulevard this past Monday, and boy was it good!
So many of my favourite records were recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with the Swampers, at either the original Fame Studios with Rick Hall, or at their own studio, Muscle Shoals. Without this film, I would never have known just how huge an impact the music of Muscle Shoals has been on the history of music!
See for yourself. The Muscle Shoals movie.
Sir Keith Richards. From a screen capture from the film's trailer.
September 2nd, 2013 § Comments Off on Apogee Party 2013 § permalink
Another year, and another great party at Apogee in Santa Monica, hosted by Betty Bennett and Bob Clearmountain.
Live music, performed in the same studio that KCRW broadcasts are recorded in, with ample food and drink, and a plethora of old and new friends, made it a great night out for everyone! Dr Gerhard Lengeling was there with his Logic X crew, and Don Was sat in on bass with the band!
See my 2011 post on Apogee’s 25th anniversary party – Apogee Party 2011
August 24th, 2013 § Comments Off on Don’t Worry Baby § permalink
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.
August 14th, 2013 § Comments Off on Fred Mandel in the house § permalink
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.